NEW YORK BOSTON |#Popular: Irish Celebrity Gossip Irish in US Politics Irish Festivals Irish Roots Irish Entertainment Offbeat Irish

Home Page > Blogs > Entertainment blogs > Manhattan Diary > Romneyshambles - Mitt Romney stuns Whitehall and London

Manhattan Diary by Cahir O'Doherty

Romneyshambles - Mitt Romney stuns Whitehall and London

Posted on Friday, July 27, 2012 at 03:33 AM

Larger Text

E-mail

95 Comments

RSS

Archives

Beginning his tour of England by querying the nation's readiness to host the Olympics, Mitt Romney's charm offensive has offended more people than he has charmed.

Governor Brylcreem is one Anglo Saxon descendent who apparently forgets how to communicate with his own Anglo Saxon forebears.

In fact, diplomats at Whitehall are openly claiming that he makes Sarah Palin look like the political sage of our era. Romney's visit is a 'total car crash,' they scoffed to the right leaning Daily Mail.

Romney began his trip with one of his campaign aides claiming a Romney presidency would strengthen the already strong relationship between the US and UK, because Romney has white English ancestors and Barack Obama does not.

Perhaps that was a veiled appeal to the KKK vote back home, but it sank like a led balloon in London.

Meeting with British Prime Minister David Cameron should have been an opportunity for Romney to reaffirm America's links to a traditional ally, but instead it became a bitch fest more suited to Downton Abbey.

Note to Romney, peeing from an elevated height on the nation you are about to visit is not politically smart.

Twitter predictably exploded with both anger and glee over Romney's increasing-by-the-hour series of cringe inducing gaffes.

The hashtag #Romneyshambles was quickly coined and followed by #AmericanBorat, a nod to comedian Sacha Baron Cohen's hapless journalist doubtfully representing the Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan.

'You can tell Mitt Romney's doing badly when he starts getting booed by rich white people,' tweeted one commentator.

'Not since 1941 has London seen a bombing as thorough as Mitt Romney's,' tweeted another.

In a pointed reference to Romney's controversial exit from Bain Capital and the questions still surrounding his tax returns one tweeter snarked: 'Mitt Romney retroactively cancels visit to London…'

The scale of the rupture that has opened between him and the Brits can not be over emphasized. This should have been a cakewalk. Instead it represents the most disastrous American political introduction in living memory. News outlets were openly dubbing him 'Mitt the Twitt.'

Within a six hour period Romney was criticized by the British Prime Minister, mocked by the Mayor of London, got the name of the country wrong, apparently forget the name of the Labor Party leader Ed Miliband and refused to take any questions from the assembled US press pool.

Interestingly, Romney managed to unite both the British right and left in open disdain for his less than nimble roll out. Perhaps they have got wind of what he wrote about their scepter'd isle in his 2010 book, 'No Apology: The Case for American Greatness'.

'England is just a small island. Its roads and houses are small. With few exceptions, it doesn't make things that people in the rest of the world want to buy. And if it hadn't been separated from the continent by water, it almost certainly would have been lost to Hitler's ambitions…'

Way to warm up a crowd, Mitt.

E-mail

95 Comments

15 - 95 | See all comments

seanomelb | Aug 03, 2012, 09:14 AM EDT

I understand your distress at the English/Irish dilemma and not knowing the english for certain geometrical shapes I have had the same experiences.In high school having an Irish/Latin dictionary and reading the life of Julius Caesar through the medium of Latin/Irish certainly seemed like the theatre of the absurd or performing the "Merchant of Venice" in Gaelic didn't seem to do the bard justice.I agree that the methods of teaching Irish was somehow flawed.I was in trouble with our history teacher for a dissertation he politically disagreed with.But its no use blaming a generation of teachers who lived through troubled times for teaching Irish history from their perspective the hurt was still fresh in their minds.I always found it disconcerting why history stopped at 1921 as if it didn't exist after that time.You take care now!!

Report abuse

EamonnDublin | Aug 03, 2012, 03:44 AM EDT

Hi Seán - You were lucky. I went from 5A to England, almost 15, went on September 3rd and would have been sitting my Inter the following June. As we learned all through Irish (as you know), I never heard of an isosceles triangle, or an equilateral triangle until I went to school in Leeds, started on 7th September! Irish history in England was simply "a rebellion in Dublin in 1916 was put down within a week"! "Please Father", says I, "there are books written about the Easter Rebellion in Ireland". "Gavin", says he, "you are in England now". The changeover from Irish to English was a major shock, in many unexpected ways. And you wonder why I'm "bitter and twisted"!!! BTW, it was "The White Spot" and "Hart's Corner" - the old dementia must have set in over there in Melbourne! BTW, Barber didn't teach our class full time, he just came in now and again. Good to hear you had a good life (and still are) in Melbourne. Great city - two uncles of my wife live there. I suppose you were there when the bould Ronnie won gold in the 1500 metres in 1956? I was too young!!! Take care my friend, Best Regards to you and yours. Éamonn.

Report abuse

seanomelb | Aug 02, 2012, 07:31 PM EDT

Now Eamonn don't be so bitter and twisted Egan would turn in his grave at your remarks. I think you should toddle down to "The Spot" or Hartes Cnr. for a big five.LOL I was a good student Eamonn and fortunately never had Egan as a teacher went straight from grade 5A to the scholarship class.He must have left you with a narrow point of view.BTW 93! thats a cheap shot you can do better than that.4 more years for integrity and Obama.

Report abuse

EamonnDublin | Aug 02, 2012, 03:46 AM EDT

Jays, Seán! St. Vincent's did a bad job on you! Do you REALLY think the O'Bee man has "integrity"? Maybe it's too much standing on your head down under? Best wishes on your retirement. What are you now - 93? Best Regards, Éamonn. By the way, I know the Obama family very well - his mother used to wash for us. Éamonn.

Report abuse

seanomelb | Aug 02, 2012, 02:15 AM EDT

Bush ran a business in partnership with the Bin Laden family and Moneyr sacked thousands. How easy it is to be evasive and one eyed. Some business people have no morals or ideals other than making money.As a retired business man I want four ore years of integrity under Obama.

Report abuse

Donegal6 | Aug 02, 2012, 12:57 AM EDT

The commentator refers to Romney as a buffoon. Have you successfully run several multi-million dollar enterprises?? Did George Bush?? compare apples and apples. Obama is a hard core marxist with a big anti-white chip on his shoulder. White working people are being eaten alive by taxes and as for all the poor illegal alien Mexican's streaming across our wide open border( all democrats to be)they have no trouble at all getting 5 star health care, which is financially hemorrhaging American hospitals. The people that are getting screwed are the working families that Obamacare will taxes to oblivion to pay for one's that have " worked enough" The US needs a large anti-worm pill to remove all the illegitimate hand out recipients and their cheerleader in the Whitehouse. I'm not thrilled with Romney due to some flip flopping, as they all unfortunately do, to please the crowd before them. But following the Obama path to marxism makes anything Romney puts on the table lot more appetizing IMHO.

Report abuse

Donegal6 | Aug 02, 2012, 12:05 AM EDT

Perhaps that was a veiled appeal to the KKK vote back home, but it sank like a led balloon in London. TYPO lead not led He wants personal accountability and lower taxes. What's wrong with him. We need to raise taxes the 48% of American's that pay any and let the rest sleep in and get "free everything" He's so stupid he has successfully run large companies and made more money than all of on this site put together. But all that aside, I appreciate YObama getting out of the wars completely by now and all the other promises non of which came through. I think Romney was stupid making a big deal out of anglo-saxon heritage. First most white people are genetically extremely similar so the distinctions between groups is idiotic. We are ALL part of a tiny a dwindling subset of people. One day everyone will look like Tiger woods and Obama. It is the end game of diversity. He also alienates Irish Americans because millions of us are not fond of the Royals and their ill gotten wealth, and policies of toward the Irish for hundreds of years.

Report abuse

BrianO | Aug 01, 2012, 06:45 PM EDT

Was it the sparkle in Obamas eyes that first drew you to him, Cahir. I've gotten over the heartbreak of our naked emperor, alas, I feel you never will.

Report abuse

EamonnDublin | Aug 01, 2012, 04:12 PM EDT

"EiriAmach" - Why do you ignore the fact that I clearly stated "MOST" of the media? When "MOST" is included, as I did, then you will obviously realise that I read/heard about Christians being killed in the media that DID report on it. As for the comments on "Irish Central" making a difference in the broader scheme of things, I don't really think that the IC readership (88 comments to date on this particular subject) will make much difference. I would prefer to stick to making my comments in written and spoken media that has a far larger following than IC, which I do regularly. Also, a lot of the comments on here are totally overboard, with more personal insults than insightful observations. I find that quite repulsive and time-wasting. Éamonn, Dublin, Ireland.

Report abuse

eiriamach | Aug 01, 2012, 01:23 PM EDT

EamonnDublin, if the media had not reported the killings and oppression of Christians in the Middle East and Africa, how would you know about them? Within the past 24 hours, Responsible for Equality and Liberty (R.E.A.L.) has released reports on Muslims killed in Myanmar and protestors killed in Darfur, as part of the (Christian) group's ongoing focus on conflicts that oppress not only Christians but also Muslims and others. That's the point: Too often on IC, Catholics rush to the defense of their own group and ignore diatribes against others. In my experience the line between hate speech and hate crimes as well as intolerant behavior is very tenuous. I can support oppressed Christians in the Middle East only indirectly, through groups such as Amnesty Intern'l and R.E.A.L. But I can directly oppose bigotry right in front my face every day on IC! Granted, we need to focus more on one, but we can never afford to ignore the other. Bigotry in any manifestation is evil and dangerous. But if there's "no point in annoying yourself," you will ignore it and IC will receive more visits from Stormfront types who think this is fertile ground for recruiting. Regards, eiriamach.

Report abuse

EamonnDublin | Aug 01, 2012, 12:54 PM EDT

"Eiriamach" - Why do you think I have read "WizardofOz's" comment? I didn't. Still haven't. THAT is the reason I didn't "react negatively" to it! And, as I am a very strong supporter of Israel - I even attended the Israeli Ambassador's Israeli Independence Day celebrations in Dublin a few weeks ago, (and as you have informed me that his comment is anti-Semitic) I now won't even look for WizardofOz's comment - no point in annoying myself. As for "KatieMurphy"'s bombast, you are, of course, entitled to your opinion. I am a great believer in free speech. On this board, and on others, one sees the most amazing comments - biased, neutral, bigoted, angry, polite, the whole spectrum. I give my view, you give yours. Any idiot bigot can throw in his or her bile into the mix. Now, have you any views on the ongoing killings of Christians by Muslims in the Middle East and Africa - and do you have any opinions on the reason for most of the media keeping its gob firmly closed on the subject? Best Wishes, Éamonn, Dublin, Ireland.

Report abuse

eiriamach | Aug 01, 2012, 10:16 AM EDT

EamonnDublin, I also find no bombast in KatieMurphy's posting. She summarized well known events that news media have carried, and she provided plausible interpretations. The evaluative words she used are appropriate to the behaviors described; the language is not excessive, and there are no ad hominem attacks. I would question the humanity of anyone who could read the same news reports without reacting negatively, and strongly, to the behaviors they describe. But seriously, I seriously need to understand, seriously, how you can criticize KatieMurphy and NOT react to wizardofoz's patent racism? If anything ought to "alienate a lot of people," it is that despicable anti-Semitism.

Report abuse

EamonnDublin | Aug 01, 2012, 04:34 AM EDT

"Sparklemagic" - I suggest, politely, that you look up the meaning(s) of the word "bombast". I said "less bombast, more gentle persuasion" (less rant, more gentle persuasion). The "gentle persuasion bit is the bit that signifies which meaning I am giving "bombast", i.e., the opposite of "gentle persuasion". In that context, it doesn't matter one iota whether or not "KatieMurphy" is talking facts. It's the way she is putting her views across that would alienate a lot of people - she comes over as being bombastic. That almost invariably loses a debate. Éamonn, Dublin, Ireland.

Report abuse

EamonnDublin | Aug 01, 2012, 03:40 AM EDT

Small world, Seán!! Delighted to hear we were schoolmates, of a sort! I lived on Iona Villas, off Iona Road. Walk to school, walk home for dinner (in the middle of the day in those days!), walk back to school and walk home again. Glory days!! Did you go to St. V's secondary? The Gant, Molly and Maggie - the Kerry brothers (lay teachers, not CBs), and the best athletics team in the country! I went to England when I was fifteen, went to a Jesuit grammar school. It was like moving from a concentration camp to a holiday camp (nice and good though St. V's was. We'll have to start our own thread! What years were you there? Good luck to you mate (as they say in Leeds, where I went to - and in Australia - something more in common! Have to go - surf's up! God Bless, Éamonn.

Report abuse

seanomelb | Jul 31, 2012, 07:06 PM EDT

I'm shocked Eamonn we both went to st.V's Glasnevin.My favourite teacher was Mr.Flood. WE lived in Finglas when I was at school.

Report abuse