Another interesting analysis of why Mitt Romney is looking more and more uncomfortable on the public stage and making more and more mistakes….
I just hope people are paying attention and asking themselves if this man really is capable of being President in a diverse and changing world….
It’s obvious to me Romney is only really comfortable with the wealthy elite, his family and other Mormons. How can people expect him to “get” their lives and problems if he lives in such a small bubble. Of course, he screws up when he steps outside this small world….
It’s the only world he knows…
From Justin Frank at Salon.com:
But what is not hard to do is to think about what most likely motivates this behavior that puzzles so many in the media – including supporters who are frustrated with Romney’s unwillingness to disclose more of his tax returns. I think the force behind this behavior is massive anxiety, pure and simple. He is anxious about revealing who he is and about interacting with people he doesn’t know. He appears to have much less experience than Obama in interacting with people from all walks of life. Basically, he is uncomfortable except within his own family and in the presence of those who share his wealthy background and Mormon faith. There are many ways to defend against overwhelming anxiety, one of which is to act certain about every answer given.
What comes out besides this sense of smiling certainty are signs of anxious contempt toward others – whether it is how the British run their Games or saying that kids who can’t afford college should borrow money from their parents. Put together, these and many similar statements – his pleasure at firing people or his belief that corporations are people (is that why he can comfortably bankrupt some?) – are all evidence of a hostility not dissimilar to stories about his bullying of others during his prep school days. At this stage, I suspect Mitt Romney is too anxious to be an effective president.