Mittenspalooza World Tour 2012: The MegaMormonThread!

[mongers]

So, the right wing Catholic group associated with PiS (and having the biggest sway among the US-based Polish immigrants) is going to call on Mitt to "help solve the Smolensk plane crash conspiracy". These guys also hate Walesa and consider him a Russian spy (Romney is meeting Walesa tomorrow) and the PO government for being traitors (Romney is meeting prime minister Tusk whom he considers - and rightly so - a conservative Atlanticist).

It's going to be fun watching Romney try to blindly navigate Polish politics' idiocy.

It's only fair, as many Americans have had to navigate the idiocy that is Romney's politics these last few months.

[Neil]

Well, if so, why the hell do it? Not to mention, I'm pretty sure the soundbites of Cameron and Johnson dissing him will find a way into some Obama ad.

Why?  What sort of American would change his vote based on the words of some foreigners they've never heard of?

Keep hammering on the out of touch blue-blood thing.  That's how you beat him.

[CountDeMoney]

Keep hammering on the out of touch blue-blood thing.  That's how you beat him.

Which is why he's going to pick Pawlenty as his running mate.  He's plain folk, and locks up the evangelicals.

[Martinus]

Well, if so, why the hell do it? Not to mention, I'm pretty sure the soundbites of Cameron and Johnson dissing him will find a way into some Obama ad.

Why?  What sort of American would change his vote based on the words of some foreigners they've never heard of?

Why the hell is he doing the trip then? He is doing it for domestic consumption, sure, but the purpose is to show voters that he is capable in foreign politics (implied: unlike Obama). If Obama shows that the people he actually visited laugh at him and consider him a moron, that goal is not met.

[Martinus]

These guys also hate Walesa and consider him a Russian spy

It's our birther equivalent.

Incidentally, I wonder if nations like the UK or France also have a vocal minority of conspiracy theory retards in their politics? It does not seem to be the case - probably another way in which Poles are more similar to Americans than to Western Europeans.

[Syt]

Not vocal, but I've seen a few internet comments recently that Adenauer was an idiot anf irresponsible towards future generations for getting Germany into this whole EU mess.

[Neil]

Well, if so, why the hell do it? Not to mention, I'm pretty sure the soundbites of Cameron and Johnson dissing him will find a way into some Obama ad.

Why?  What sort of American would change his vote based on the words of some foreigners they've never heard of?

Why the hell is he doing the trip then? He is doing it for domestic consumption, sure, but the purpose is to show voters that he is capable in foreign politics (implied: unlike Obama). If Obama shows that the people he actually visited laugh at him and consider him a moron, that goal is not met.

His campaign is making a grave miscalculation.  Because foreign policy was one area where McCain trounced Obama in every possible respect, they're trying to show that Mitt is also a foreign policy guy.  Just the fact that he's going and meeting with people is enough.  It doesn't matter that they laugh at him, or that nothing substantial is said.  None of that will fit into the soundbite.  The only thing that matters is that the Republicans continue to be seen as the party of sound foreign policy.  It's not really important because most (but not all) of the US voters for whom foreign policy was important were Republican-leaners looking to justify a McCain/Palin vote.

[Barrister]

Well, if so, why the hell do it? Not to mention, I'm pretty sure the soundbites of Cameron and Johnson dissing him will find a way into some Obama ad.

Why?  What sort of American would change his vote based on the words of some foreigners they've never heard of?

Why the hell is he doing the trip then? He is doing it for domestic consumption, sure, but the purpose is to show voters that he is capable in foreign politics (implied: unlike Obama). If Obama shows that the people he actually visited laugh at him and consider him a moron, that goal is not met.

His campaign is making a grave miscalculation.  Because foreign policy was one area where McCain trounced Obama in every possible respect, they're trying to show that Mitt is also a foreign policy guy.  Just the fact that he's going and meeting with people is enough.  It doesn't matter that they laugh at him, or that nothing substantial is said.  None of that will fit into the soundbite.  The only thing that matters is that the Republicans continue to be seen as the party of sound foreign policy.  It's not really important because most (but not all) of the US voters for whom foreign policy was important were Republican-leaners looking to justify a McCain/Palin vote.

I don't think this trip is intended to make Romney out as a foreign policy genius (and indeed if it was it is failing miserably).

I suspect the trip is just to show that he is competent on foreign policy.  Nobody is going to vote for Romney for his foreign policy skills, but people might vote against him unless satisfied he has sufficient chops to be the Leader of the Free World(tm).

[garbon]

Isn't that what Neil said?

[Barrister]

Isn't that what Neil said?

No, because he said Romney's campaign is making a miscalculation.  I think Romney's campaign is aware of the factors Neil mentioned, which is why they're making this trip in the dog days of summer.

[garbon]

I thought that bit was towards Obama as the rest of Neil's post seems congruent to what you said.

[Sheilbh]

Why the hell is he doing the trip then? He is doing it for domestic consumption, sure, but the purpose is to show voters that he is capable in foreign politics (implied: unlike Obama). If Obama shows that the people he actually visited laugh at him and consider him a moron, that goal is not met.

He's showing that he's got some foreign policy competence.  This isn't in implied contrast to Obama, but for its own sake.  Romney's a Governor running against a sitting President.  His political record is entirely domestic.  This trip is just to burnish his foreign policy credentials.

The implied contrast with Obama is that the Republican critique of Obama has been (don't laugh) that he's insufficiently respectful to American allies.  That he kind of left them to do their own thing and doesn't return their calls.  Obama's too interested in new friends and apology tours.

In terms of showing his foreign policy skills and ability to travel nimbly through potential controversies and of respecting America's allies, this trip seems to have been a disaster.  That won't matter at all in the election.

[CountDeMoney]

In terms of showing his foreign policy skills and ability to travel nimbly through potential controversies and of respecting America's allies, this trip seems to have been a disaster.  That won't matter at all in the election.

Well, the latest polls indicate that Obama's -10 points behind in the Jew vote, as compared to the numbers he carried with in 2008;  apparently by asking Israel to try to do their part in the peace process, Obama's abandoned them to their fate to Iran and the Arab Wilderness.

Then again, there's really nothing Romney has said to the Jews that actually separates him from the current US policy towards Iran.  Since he offers no doctrinal or policy points of substance to say what he's going to do or how he's going to do it that hasn't already been done by the previous two administrations, the only thing Mittens has going for him is increased and overblown rhetoric, which carries its own baggage.

[Martinus]

In terms of showing his foreign policy skills and ability to travel nimbly through potential controversies and of respecting America's allies, this trip seems to have been a disaster.  That won't matter at all in the election.

Well, the latest polls indicate that Obama's -10 points behind in the Jew vote, as compared to the numbers he carried with in 2008;  apparently by asking Israel to try to do their part in the peace process, Obama's abandoned them to their fate to Iran and the Arab Wilderness.

Then again, there's really nothing Romney has said to the Jews that actually separates him from the current US policy towards Iran.  Since he offers no doctrinal or policy points of substance to say what he's going to do or how he's going to do it that hasn't already been done by the previous two administrations, the only thing Mittens has going for him is increased and overblown rhetoric, which carries its own baggage.

But at least Romney's people are trying to secure some sort of salvation for dead Jews, rather than being happy with them being condemned for eternity for killing Jesus.

Only the Mormons and Benedict XVI now care about dead Jews, really.

[Martinus]

Apparently, Romney was greeted at the Lech Walesa airport by "Obama, Obama" cries and a huge banner reading "Poland's choice: Ron Paul".