O.K.,looks like the Repukes have found their "Mr Personality" (ROMNEY)

[UTUSN]

The sL-IMUS circus was live in Boston today. The audience was clearly Repuke, later booed KERRY, and ROMNEY was relaxed, witty, articulate, easily connecting without regard to partisanship based on LIKEABILITY. (Do NOT misread my description with regard to my Dem-ness.) I have long said (wow, my pomposity overwhelms even me) that this is what we need, that personality needs to come first before issues, because ANY good Dem will be good on the issues later. We should have learned from the RAYGUN experience that somebody can be TRAINED as a performer, that just "B"-actor-in-Hollywood status translates into "A+" status in D.C. (with regard to personality, NOT to political performance).

I don't know anything about this ROMNEY dude except that he might have a wingnut-fundie-problem over his Mormon religion. So my impression is just from how he was able to project his personality over t.v.

Later, before KERRY appeared, sL-IMUS asked the audience their opinion of him. There were a few positive yells, but mostly loud groaning and booing. sL-IMUS then said, "When he comes out you bastards are going to be polite and pretend to like him, the way I'm pretending to like you."

For (my) comparison right after ROMNEY, KERRY was pedestrian with forced jokes, but intelligent, well versed in the serious part of his talk. (I was a KERRY supporter from the start of the primaries in '04, based on my believing he would be the most aggressive, strongest, against the Repukes.)

[DS1]

1. We had that in Edwards, but Lurch had to go all-out Rambo on us and

show up in Boston as part as a pseudo-amphibious assault :eyes:

[UTUSN]

2. Now, now - *I* would not call an outstanding Dem "Lurch" n/t

[Name removed]

23. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[UTUSN]

27. Did you mean to reply to me (post #2)? If so, you're barking up the wrong

tree.

[mattclearing]

3. "Lurch?"

Come on, now. :eyes:

[DS1]

8. Yep, he thought about contesting the vote in Ohio for about

45 seconds.

I'll call him whatever the hell I damn want.

[mattclearing]

11. Fair enough.

I'm still bitter about it as well, but I also remember all of the things he has done over his career and have more respect for him than you.

But more power to you.

[wisteria]

24. get over it, same old tired talking point. I think he did the only thing

he could do under the circumstances. He would have been perceived as a joke if he would have tried to fight the results at that time. He is not a fool, unlike some other people who use this poor excuse to bash him.

[DS1]

25. get over it., i've heard that before too

[peace frog]

4. Romney is as faux-charming as his plastic hair

"Likeability"? I couldn't stop laughing at how very akin to J Danforth Quayle he is. I fail to see him as any sort of repuke triple-threat for 2008.

[UTUSN]

6. Good. I drift in and out of dozing through sL-MUS so maybe

my perception is impaired. I hope so.

[jackster]

10. wouldn't you have said the same thing about GWB in say 1998?

I know I DID!

[peace frog]

16. You did? My condolences

I paid little heed to him early on, but as late as 2000 I knew Junior was a stealth wingnut candidate masquerading as a moderate. But then I'm prejudiced, of course. ;)

[jackster]

29. oh I knew he WHAT he was....

I just didn't think he had a snowball's chance in hell of EVER being elected President!

Of course, he never really was - so I should rephase that to say

I just didn't think he had a snowball's chance in hell of EVER being President!

[peace frog]

31. The Supreme Court made that decision for us

so your assumption was a fair one.

[biscotti]

5. Romney

ICK!

[skylarmae]

7. lying, conniving, manipulating Mormon trying to fulfill mormon prophecy

Be afraid, be very afraid of this one.....IMHO

[npincus]

9. he cracked another funny on Imus:

Imus: "Did your wife ever think in her wildest dreams that you would run for President?"

Romney: "I'm not in my wife's wildest dreams".

Gotta admit, that was funny- and very daring for a Mormon. That said, the CRAP that he spouted on Iraq made me very afraid that he may charm enough idiots to.... (oh, Lord, I can't say it).

[papau]

12. Also said that he believed marriage only between a man and a woman and

a woman and a women and a women .......

Not ready for Late Night - but he does have good writers.

[mdmc]

13. he has some charisma

better then most GOP.

[mitchum]

14. Surprisingly he didn't drag out "Take my wives...please!"

[npincus]

21. tee hee

[Armstead]

15. He'd probably be the most formidable candidate the GOP could put up

As a resident of Massachusetts, he's always reminded me of a game show host. Very good looking, very glib and very shallow.

Not a very good governor, but a great candidate.

There's a certain chamelian quality to him. He's like an empty vessel that people can project whatever they want onto him. You want a moderate reasonable Main St. Republican? He can be your guy. But on the other hand, if you want a right-wing family valuses fundy, he can also be your guy.

Red meat for the Red States, and a Wall St. Republican who can make it among moderates in a blue states. A formidable combination.

[peace frog]

19. "Formidable" not really, however

there are plenty of shallow voters who willingly allow themselves to be thoroughly snowed by an empty vessel like Romney. Most people believe what they want to believe and projection is definitely a possibility. Guess we'll just have to conjure a dark horse Dem candidate with many of the same qualities.

[AllieB]

30. You hit the nail on the head with "Game Show Host"

But you forget he's Mormon, and I can't imagine some of those religious whackos voting for a non-fundie candidate.

[jbnow]

17. I watched today because I knew Kerry

would be on, but not what time.

Romney was as you described. I didn't see all of him being there, but enough. Until he talked about gays adopting children as though it were bad for children he seemed very pleasant.

I like that historian (Doris something something) who came on after Kerry, I always enjoy her. She talked about how intelligent and really good Kerry was and wishing he could come across better when he talked. She joked Imus should give him lessons. Well no.

But I thought of charm school or really acting lessons, kind of the idea you have.
My sister is an actress and they can present anything well and be believable even when they don't really know what they are talking about. She and her friends that are actors get hired between plays for a variety of things some do part time pharmaceutical sales or other things that should require expertise, but they have none. What they do have is the ability to learn a script and deliver it in persuasive ways and make a lot of money for whoever they work for.

I know a lot of entertainers and knew a lot of politicians growing up. The most successful have a lot in common in being able to charm, amuse and sway others effortlessly.

Neither Gore nor kerry had that with a crowd. They shouldn't have to, that's not what a president needs...but it helps you get the votes to get there.

When Kerry ran I really believed the country would appreciate his gravitas and intelligence given the seriousness of the times and prefer that over bush's shallow goofiness. (I still think Kerry won, but that's not the point)

But even without an actors charm is someone is just very comfortable in themselves and talks straight rather then spinning and is experienced and well qualified...like Feingold or Clark. Maybe he is funny too, haven't heard him enough. But he does know how to express complex issues in simpler terms, he is a straight talker. People with that quality should do well too.

But if they run a Romney we do need someone who knows how to connect.

[UTUSN]

28. #s 15 & 17, thanks. n/t

[durrrty libby]

18. I watched Imus this am

Mitt was charming indeed, but a Mormon for pres will not happen.

[edbermac]

20. Shit Romney is an empty suit...

[wisteria]

22. It was awful, and I am so angry about this. Kerry was absolutely

wonderful under the circumstances. It was nothing more than a Republican Love in on Imus this morning. I was so angry, I wrote and told him how bad that show was and that if he wanted his wife to continue getting orders for her environmental friendly cleaning products, he had better watch out how he treated Dem's, since we are more concerned about the environment than amy repub would be.

[Mr_Spock]

26. Since Mormons told the existing church to fuck off

I kind of doubt that he could be elected nationally. JMHO