Dumping on Romney

Ok, he wasn’t the perfect candidate and frequently displayed a tin ear in phrasing his comments (e.g. describing himself as a “severe conservative” had an inauthentic ring to it).  Yet there is no denying that he worked awfully hard to win.  He should get credit for that no matter how disheartening, for us, was his failure.

Alas, Republicans, conservatives and others retain their apparent susceptibility for joining circular firing squads.

Since the election, Romney has come under fire from such conservative publications as the National Review, the Weekly Standard, Wall Street Journal columnist Peggy Noonan, not to mention unnamed GOP operatives, etc, because the GOP standard bearer blamed his loss on the Obama’s campaign “giving a lot of stuff to groups”.

Here is a full account of Gov. Romney’s controversial remarks to a group of donors delivered a few days after the election. 

          "The Obama campaign was following the old playbook of giving a lot of stuff to groups that they hoped they could get to vote for them and be motivated to go out to the polls, specifically the African American community, the Hispanic community and young people.  In each case, they were very generous in what they gave to those groups.”

One cannot be positive as to what exactly cost Romney the election.  But it is hardly outrageous or divisive to assign some blame to “gifts” from President Obama.  Can anyone seriously dispute that receiving something one wants (Dream Act for Hispanics or tuition aid for students) makes one more inclined to think favorably of the source?  Certainly, the Obama campaign thought so.

On the other hand, few people would admit to themselves that such presents influenced their vote.  Human nature inclines us all to think that what is objectively in our best interest is “coincidentally” the right thing to do.

Now, I also realize that we don’t like to be challenged on the legitimacy of our self-regard.   No one likes to think that he has been bought.  Rather than consider the merits of the allegation, people are more likely, in self- defense, to attack the accuser.

And so the ire directed at Romney’s political comments is understandable.  Those on the left can’t admit the motivation behind the “gifts”.  And those on the right (allowing the benefit of the doubt that they do understand that voters are influenced by government largess) are disassociating themselves not from the substance of Romney’s remarks but rather from their effect on already paltry support for Republicans among certain constituencies.