I think we might, in fact, if only because I suspect that quite a lot of people here didn’t really have much of an idea who Romney was until this. So if he was hoping to increase his personal recognition overseas, he’s certainly done that.
What he’s actually said isn’t, in the grand scheme of things, that bad – it’s the timing that’s got him the coverage, as much as anything. Our own politicians are on their summer holidays, the weather’s stopped being interesting, and the pre-Olympics buzz is beginning to pall (there are only so many local worthies, sporting has-beens and minor celebs you can watch carry a torch before you lose interest).
Basically, we were in need of something to distract us until the games started, and when Mitt turned out to be entertaining, we all gathered round in the hopes he’d do something else.
Is he likely to do anything else, do you think? Or is that it for now? I understand he’s off to Israel and Poland after this, so that might be worth watching.
True enough. And as denquixote alluded to upthread, we’re probably the folks most predisposed to like the US, along with Israel, perhaps. I suppose the next move would be to complain about how you can’t get a decent bacon roll in Jerusalem.
Obviously he thinks that the “you didn’t build that” statement, taken entirely out of context to appear to right wingers to be a gaffe, was indeed a gaffe.
Maybe. Or perhaps it’s the “Just like we’ve tried their plan, we tried our plan – and it worked” non-contextual “gaffe” from just the other day. Who knows, since he won’t answer.
Who knows. But rest assured, if there is anything the press here in the US can do to exaggerate or blow out of proportion what a candidate says for a good news story, they will find it.
There’s been many times over the years when politicians have said or done embarrassing things while visiting foreign countries. But usually it’s balanced out by the rest of the trip going fairly smoothly, and the politician otherwise being charming and saying the right things the rest of the time. Obama giving an iPod maybe wasn’t great, but I think the rest of the trip went fairly well and he gave an overall good impression. Bush had faults and didn’t always say the right thing, but I believe he was also known for having charisma and being charming in person when meeting people.
Romney has been hurt that in addition to saying the wrong thing several times already in his trip to London, he’s also been awkward and hasn’t won over people with his charm. I sympathize with him a little, since I’m somewhat awkward and I’m not always able to smoothly get past when I say something stupid. But I’m also not a politician who needs to be able to win people over.
I’ll assume that you’re addressing me, although I said nothing about anything being hard to understand. I said that it’s amusing - which it is - or possibly even ironic, although we Americans are notorious for not being able to use or perceive irony. Romney is a tool, and the more he opens his mouth unscripted, the more I like it.
I think the Mr Leader and MI6 gaffes were fairly small but the Olympic criticism was a huge blunder. Some people are defending him by saying that his statements are quite accurate and indeed they are but one of the key social skills we develop is learning not to blurt out the truth in every possible situation. There are many ordinary people saying what Romney said but it was still really stupid for a US politician visiting the UK just before the Olympics to criticize their preparation.
Anyone who thinks otherwise should ask themselves when was the last time a senior US politician visiting a close ally said something:
a) which was quickly refuted by the head of government of the other country
b) which was openly mocked by another senior politician in front of a crowd.
Bush was very unpopular with the media and public in various countries but I can’t recall him ever drawing this kind of response from foreign politicians in a friendly country.