James Fallows: Mitt Romney Drops His 3 a.m. Phone Call
On the basis of the past 18 hours, I will now say that I also strongly prefer the Democratic presidential candidate to the Republican on temperamental grounds. Mitt Romney's response to the murder of American diplomats in Libya was his "3 a.m. phone call" moment, and what it revealed was not good.
This morning, first Hillary Clinton and then Barack Obama expressed sentiments appropriate for a nation whose interests and people had been attacked. Each began by talking about the commitment and sacrifice of the Americans who serve their country overseas; then they condemned the violence of the attack; then they promised justice; then they affirmed America's belief in free expression of all views but said that this could never be an excuse for violence. They spoke for the country, and its values, and the people it had lost.
Mitt Romney could have waited, as they did. And when he spoke, he could have said essentially the same thing as they did. We honor the people who serve us. We condemn the violence they endured. We express sorrow and support to their families, and we affirm belief in our values. Americans disagree on many issues, including foreign policy, but those disputes can wait until another day.
But that is not what he said. When he first heard about the violence and protests last night, he rushed to condemn the administration before anyone knew fully what was going on. After he had had a few hours to think, he dug himself in far deeper with a graceless press conference whose dominant theme was partisan criticism of the administration.
http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2012/09/mitt-romney-drops-his-3-am-phone-call/262285/
As Fallows points out elsewhere in the article, the irony is that Romney could have helped his election prospects greatly by appearing statesmanlike rather than hyper-partisan and rash. Ironic perhaps but it is always helpful when Romney reveals a little more about himself since he is so guarded about what he reveals.
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