[AZModerate]

So, the climax of Mitt Romney's gaffe-ridden trip abroad seemed to be "Kiss my ass!" According to one columnist:

For most of the campaign so far, Romney has pursued a media strategy that has become increasingly typical of Republican presidential candidates: Speak with Fox News, and avoid the rest of the national press corps. That is because Fox journalists (an oxymoron?) are far less likely to ask questions that the candidate doesn't wish to answer...The emerging truth about the man who will soon accept the Republican presidential nomination is that -- like Sarah Palin -- his handlers cannot trust him to cope with unscripted questions.

Fear and Loathing in the Romney Campaign

The only problem is, we've already seen how well this kind of attitude worked for McCain/Palin, and Sharon Angle. Does the Romney campaign really think that shutting out the non-FOX press is going to be a winning strategy for the candidate who wants to be President?

[Daktoria]

My memory's a bit foggy. Can you show when Palin shut out the press? I don't remember her even being that intelligent.

[AZModerate]

My memory's a bit foggy. Can you show when Palin shut out the press? I don't remember her even being that intelligent.

You don't remember that after the Couric debacle, it was months before they let her near a camera unscripted, again?

[Daktoria]

Palin isn't really a memorable character. She's an embarrassment, so she's not worth remembering.

I do remember the SNL skit though. Why Tina Fey did it, I don't know. She's rather conservative as well.

[Ignite]

They aren't even close to being the same. Just more liberal propaganda bullshit here folks.

[AZModerate]

They aren't even close to being the same. Just more liberal propaganda bullshit here folks.

Actually, you're right, Ignite. Romney wasn't as reminiscent of Sarah Palin nearly as much as he was of Sharon Angle - Run, Willard, run!!

[Scamp]

So, the climax of Mitt Romney's gaffe-ridden trip abroad seemed to be "Kiss my ass!" According to one columnist:

Romney never said that

Next.

[Plutus Aurelius]

Most high profile right wingers dare not allow free access to the press. 99% of their agendas are indefensible up front, and it's pure suicide to allow questions, let alone answer those questions!

[AZModerate]

Romney never said that

Next.

You're right. So, Gorka has been fired, right? On, no! He's still on the Romney staff, suggesting that Romney had no problem with Gorka's aggressive, crude outburst. Guess what? The candidates are responsible for the actions of their staff.

next.

[The Immortal Goon]

The contempt of the press also solidifies the conservative base, who believe there's a conspiracy afoot. What you feel isn't backed up by facts? Who told you these "facts?" the media? They're involved with the conspiracy.

An expert in the issue at hand? Didn't you know academics and experts are part of the conspiracy?

It's something everyone learns in school? Well, obviously schools are involved in the conspiracy too.

No, trust your most base and infounded assumptions. We will keep fighting for you, just don't listen to anyone but us, they're part of a conspiracy against you.

[Soixante-Retard]

Say what you like about Romney, but he is no Palin. He's far smarter and more aware than that Tina Fey look-a-like (mind you, that's not hard). When I think of someone comparable and similar to Romney in gaffe-making, I think of Biden.

[AZModerate]

Say what you like about Romney, but he is no Palin. He's far smarter and more aware than that Tina Fey look-a-like (mind you, that's not hard). When I think of someone comparable and similar to Romney in gaffe-making, I think of Biden.

Actually, as I pointed out earlier, I think Sharon Angle. And it appears to be her playbook that Romney is taking his current stance with the press from.

[Soixante-Retard]

You've lost me there AZ, haven't heard of Sharron Angle before you mentioned her. I will have to youtube her to see some gaffes.

[AZModerate]

You've lost me there AZ, haven't heard of Sharron Angle before you mentioned her. I will have to youtube her to see some gaffes.

I wasn't referring so much to her gaffes, although those are amusing. I was actually referring to her method of simply pretending that the press wasn't saying anything, whenever asked a question she didn't particularly like, or want to have to answer.

[Oleh Hadash]

Here's a challenge for the leftists in this thread.

Show me *one* supposed gaffe from Romney's successful foreign tour, and I will address it thoroughly.

[AZModerate]

Here's a challenge for the leftists in this thread.

Show me *one* supposed gaffe from Romney's successful foreign tour, and I will address it thoroughly.

Here's an easy one. Now, I realise that this is probably a difficult one for US citizens to even comprehend, let alone understand the impact of. After all, we all know that Leon Panetta is the director of the CIA, right? So what's the big deal? Well, Romney's off-the-cuff comment represents the egregious lack of understanding of the complexities of the the cultures of even our most intimate allies. I mean, talking so openly, and non-nonchalantly, about MI-6 would be rather like cavalierly revealing the identity of the American field operative of our CIA desk in, say, Islamibad. You have to remember, the British government didn't even acknowledge the existence of MI-6 until, like, 1996.

You think I'm wrong? I dare you to find some reference to the name of the director of MI-6 that Romney so casually mentioned meeting with. I'd be willing to bet my last dollar that you won't find it. Trust me when I tell you that little gaffe cause Britain to collectively gasp in horror.

[Oleh Hadash]

Here's an easy one. Now, I realise that this is probably a difficult one for US citizens to even comprehend, let alone understand the impact of. After all, we all know that Leon Panetta is the director of the CIA, right? So what's the big deal? Well, Romney's off-the-cuff comment represents the egregious lack of understanding of the complexities of the the cultures of even our most intimate allies. I mean, talking so openly, and non-nonchalantly, about MI-6 would be rather like cavalierly revealing the identity of the American field operative of our CIA desk in, say, Islamibad. You have to remember, the British government didn't even acknowledge the existence of MI-6 until, like, 1996.

You think I'm wrong? I dare you to find some reference to the name of the director of MI-6 that Romney so casually mentioned meeting with. I'd be willing to bet my last dollar that you won't find it. Trust me when I tell you that little gaffe cause Britain to collectively gasp in horror.

Here's John Sawers giving a public speech as head of Mi6 in 2010 - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11643633.

Contrary to your claims, John Sawers' position as head of Mi6 is public knowledge. A simple Google search reveals 219 000 results. Where in the world did you get the idea that his identity is a secret? This fact alone sort of dismantles your entire attempt to manufacture a gaffe from Romney during his successful foreign trip. There is also nothing untoward about Romney stating that he appreciated meeting with this man while on his foreign trip after the fact.

I wonder if you made a post about Obama describing Nazi death camps in occupied Poland as "Polish death camps", and referred to that gaffe. Or his recent gaffe where he confused a million with a billion when proudly proclaiming that he was signing off on a $75 million appropriation for missile defence in Israel in order to boost up his pro-Israel credibility. I'd be willing to bet my last dollar that you didn't. Come to think of it, it seems like you owe me a dollar.

You failed this attempt, want to try again?

[AZModerate]

Here's John Sawers giving a public speech as head of Mi6 in 2010 - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11643633.

Contrary to your claims, John Sawers' position as head of Mi6 is public knowledge. A simple Google search reveals 219 000 results. Where in the world did you get the idea that his identity is a secret? This fact alone sort of dismantles your entire attempt to manufacture a gaffe from Romney during his successful foreign trip. There is also nothing untoward about Romney stating that he appreciated meeting with this man while on his foreign trip after the fact.

I wonder if you made a post about Obama describing Nazi death camps in occupied Poland as "Polish death camps", and referred to that gaffe. Or his recent gaffe where he confused a million with a billion when proudly proclaiming that he was signing off on a $75 million appropriation for missile defence in Israel in order to boost up his pro-Israel credibility. I'd be willing to bet my last dollar that you didn't. Come to think of it, it seems like you owe me a dollar.

You failed this attempt, want to try again?

So, if meeting with the head of MI6 is such a non-issue, why is it that MI6 wouldn't even confirm that such a meeting happened? Seems to me the British thought it was a big fucking deal, even if you don't. This isn't a "gaffe' that the Americans pointed out. It was one that the British were aghast, and disgusted with. I don't think I owe you that dollar, yet. The only people who didn't think this was a big deal, are the Republicans trying to mitigate Romney's clusterfuck of a trip.

[Rilzik]

Not to mention it's listed on the super secret Wikipedia, sourced to The London Times (2009)

In fact Wiki has a list of Mi-6 chiefs going back to 1909.

[Oleh Hadash]

So, if meeting with the head of MI6 is such a non-issue, why is it that MI6 wouldn't even confirm that such a meeting happened? Seems to me the British thought it was a big fucking deal, even if you don't. This isn't a "gaffe' that the Americans pointed out. It was one that the British were aghast, and disgusted with. I don't think I owe you that dollar, yet. The only people who didn't think this was a big deal, are the Republicans trying to mitigate Romney's clusterfuck of a trip.

Mi6 obviously has a policy they follow about not commenting on meetings. Is Romney to follow that policy? He had a meeting with Sawers, whose identity is public knowledge, and made a brief comment about it. I could care less what the leftist British press reports and how they try to spin it, let alone the disgraced CBS.

You're now changing your story. You initially stated that the John Sawers' identity is confidential, and you stated that you'd "bet your last dollar" that there is no open information about him and his position as the head of Mi6 available. This is blatantly untrue. This was the crux of your false narrative, where you asserted that Romney unwittingly revealed one of the UK's most closely guarded national secrets. That's demonstrably false. You're welcome to try to manufacture another gaffe, but I will not engage you in some sort of circular and moronic exchange where you obstinately cling to an untenable position.