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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region Forums"Romney giggled hysterically as the teacher shrugged it off..."
From the WaPo article about Romney bullying a gay student:
As an underclassman, Romney accompanied Wonnberger and Pierce Getsinger, another student, from the second floor of the main academic building to the library to retrieve a book the two boys needed. According to Getsinger, Romney opened a first set of doors for Wonnberger, but then at the next set, with other students around, he swept his hand forward, bidding the teacher into a closed door. Wonnberger walked right into it and Getsinger said Romney giggled hysterically as the teacher shrugged it off as another of lifes indignities.
What kind of person takes advantage of a nearly blind teacher and has them walk into doors he indicates are open?
I hope Romney got help because he was a very sick person.
hedgehog
(36,286 posts)Look for many more anecdotes to emerge the next few days!
cali
(114,904 posts)Tansy_Gold
(17,886 posts)I think he had high political aspirations, too. But maybe he grew out of his youthful stupidity and cruelty and became a great guy.
AndyTiedye
(23,500 posts)freshwest
(53,661 posts)Happyhippychick
(8,379 posts)I didn't really hate Romney before, okay the dog thing got me going in that direction, but this is absolutely disgusting.
Response to Happyhippychick (Reply #2)
Post removed
teddy51
(3,491 posts)dog to roof of his car, bullying when he was younger, hmmm seems to me he has not been cured.
Just the fact that he so wants to be President scares the shit outta me. He will do absolutely anything in his power to win the WH.
aint_no_life_nowhere
(21,925 posts)Even today, he calls these things "hijinks". If his past behavior troubled him now, he'd make an effort to remember it, acknowledge it, and condemn it within himself.
teddy51
(3,491 posts)longer with us. Romney, like Bush seems to think he never has to say he's sorry for anything!
newspeak
(4,847 posts)just think how he'd fall down laughing having millions of disadvantaged americans being screwed, especially from some of the bills the randians want to pass. It should be absolutely hilarious for at least the top ten percent in the country; but I don't think the bottom will be joining in.
villager
(26,001 posts)n/t
Romulox
(25,960 posts)donnasgirl
(656 posts)You will see he's not stiff
Bake
(21,977 posts)Bake
polichick
(37,152 posts)daaron
(763 posts)What kind of "character" does Mitt Romney have?
harmonicon
(12,008 posts)I don't want to be judged now for the way I acted as a 15 year old. I really think all of this stuff is complete silliness. The presidency shouldn't be a cult of personality, but a job.
We really don't need to jump on every damn new thing the 24 (now 8?) hour news cycle throws at us. There are real things at stake here.
xxqqqzme
(14,887 posts)These incidences are behavior/character traits established early in life and they carry over into adulthood. The childish 'pranks' mature as the prankster ages. Dumbya 'matured' to give persons demeaning nicknames; felt compelled to rub clean shaven/bald heads; and give a German Prime Minister a shoulder massage. Ann rmoney and their children all remark at what a 'prankster' mitt is. The 'pranks', the nicknames have one thing in common - they are meant to demean and belittle. They are abuse at the most basic level.
Some persons may mature out of the name calling and pranks. Some never do. They just find more acceptable ways to continue their cruel behavior.
harmonicon
(12,008 posts)In any case, I don't think it has anything to do with the presidency. Yes, I think one's character is important, but I care about what one's character is now - not 40 some years ago. Even adults can change. I think we should focus on what is happening right now and things which have had a *direct* impact on that.
Even then, I don't think character is that important. Policy and one's ability to enact policy, however, are very important. Bill Clinton wants to get blowjobs from interns? I could give a shit - he's not my dad or brother in law. If he were, I would care, but he's not. Mittens was a dick of a teenager? I don't give a shit. I do care that once in office he would use all of his power to widen the divisions between classes and roll back civil rights. I can easily imagine asshole teenagers who now would be all about fixing injustice wherever they see it, so I don't think one's childhood should matter.
Rosa Luxemburg
(28,627 posts)laundry_queen
(8,646 posts)I wouldn't want to be judged as how I was at 15.
However.
If that particular pattern of behavior continues, well, then it shows a serious personality defect that has not been corrected.
For instance, at 15, I did a lot of underage binge drinking. However, I now rarely drink, maybe a glass of wine a couple of times a year. So if you were to judge me on my 15 year old self, that would be wrong because I was an idiot as a 15 year old (and lived in an emotionally damaging environment) however, I have now grown and changed. I'm no longer anything like that.
If, perchance, I still binge drank, left my kids with babysitters to party it up at the bar every weekend, came home barfing and was hung over often, then yes you could look at my 15 year old self and say, "Hmm, that is her pattern of behavior and it hasn't changed. She has a problem."
Same with Romney. If he now showed compassion towards others, you could say, aw, heck, he was 15, he's obviously grown and changed. Look at him now, all compassionate. (lol)
BUT, Rmoney is anything BUT compassionate, still looks down on those 'less than' types of people (in his eyes) and refuses (still) to take responsibility for any damage he's done to the most vulnerable (Seamus, cough cough). So looking back to Romney at 15 simply shows a pattern of behavior that has continued. His behavior at 15 is relevant.
harmonicon
(12,008 posts)He's an asshole now - that's what matters. Some people are really sweet kids who turn into complete jerks. Some people are really shitty kids who turn into great adults. Lets judge him for the man he is now, not the boy he was then - this is only a distraction.
laundry_queen
(8,646 posts)AllyCat
(16,259 posts)because it helps establish a pattern of behavior from a privileged, unfeeling man who has turned his bullying into an art form (i. e. "I love firing people" .
This story helps cement what an asshole he is. For anyone who has ever been bullied, it is plainly visible and not at all surprising that he acted this way then and will continue to do it now.
harmonicon
(12,008 posts)The thing - whatever he said - about firing people was something like "I like being able to fire people who provide services for me." Yes, it's funny that that we can take it out of context to make him sound like the asshole he is, but it has nothing to do with a political argument. Have we sunk so low that this is the kind of thing we'll rely to make our political choices? The actions of teenage children are not what made me a leftist, and they're not going to convince others who may be undecided to become leftists either. Running for or against one personality is only running for that one election and does nothing to create an informed electorate. I would like to think that we're above and beyond that way of thinking on DU.
catbyte
(34,518 posts)Who insults the food people serve you as a way to break the ice? That's his idea of small talk.
DaveJ
(5,023 posts)People can individually choose whether to care about it.
Personally, I was a good kid when I was young, and all the bad kids (even though they did not bully me personally) made the world much worse for me. I feel like I have basically the same character I had when I was a kid. I do not think people change that much.
I *might* hire Romney as a shift manager, but I can't believe someone like that would grow up to be governor, much less be able to run for potus. Even if someone is competent for a particular job, this is the biggest job on the planet that should entail the highest standards. I admit that I had problems in my past that would prevent me from becoming potus, which is why I would not even consider running for a high office like that in the first place.
As they say, the American people deserve better.
Arugula Latte
(50,566 posts)Mean-spirited, no concern for others' pain, stunted sense of humor and maturity level ...
October
(3,363 posts)Marie Marie
(9,999 posts)WorseBeforeBetter
(11,441 posts)Arugula Latte
(50,566 posts)with a resulting lifetime of privilege and the resulting hugely overblown sense of entitlement
PatSeg
(47,711 posts)I had only read the first page of the article. I didn't realize there was more. This is so disturbing.
Initech
(100,129 posts)grantcart
(53,061 posts)or have you been around I didn't notice?
polichick
(37,152 posts)KurtNYC
(14,549 posts)and the teacher shrugged it off because that's the way life is when you work for the 1%.
I think this stuff is revealing but the stronger point is that Romney never out grew it. The 7/11 cookies comment, the NASCAR raincoats belittling, Seamus.
The true meaning of "spoiled" -- ruined, rotten, un-usable.
dotymed
(5,610 posts)Not when there is even one suffering person, you elitist bastard. (Romney)
Maven
(10,533 posts)Just some childish fun. Boys will be boys! And sometimes boys will be boys with scissors! And sometimes boys being boys will attack other boys with scissors for having a girly haircut! Just part of growing up!
aint_no_life_nowhere
(21,925 posts)xtraxritical
(3,576 posts)donquijoterocket
(488 posts)Maybe one day some person using that phrase "politically correct"in any of its forms explain just what it means. When i look at the things it gets applied- especially when rightwingers use it.I see little difference between it an that do unto other thing which is pretty famous.
UCmeNdc
(9,601 posts)The dog, the student, now the teacher, there is a pattern here. Romney is a sadist.
They_Live
(3,242 posts)just because he enjoys firing people, and likes cruelty to others, doesn't mean he's a sadist.
lumberjack_jeff
(33,224 posts)I wouldn't last one week.
HopeHoops
(47,675 posts)Scurrilous
(38,687 posts)Liberalynn
(7,549 posts)Blue Owl
(50,547 posts)JFC.
Swede Atlanta
(3,596 posts)It is clear this spoiled little shit treated everyone with disdain from his dog, to a homosexual schoolmate to a teacher. I was taught to treat teachers with respect. I guess the LDS church isn't big on respect.
Worried senior
(1,328 posts)ecstatic
(32,781 posts)benld74
(9,911 posts)we ALWAYS paid for it, inone form or another. We NEVER got away with it!
stillwaiting
(3,795 posts)a major asshole.
He's a sociopath. Still.
malaise
(269,257 posts)who can't spell the word empathy.
What a nasty scumbag.