Romney under fire for comments about London Olympics

[Jamie B]

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/romney-under-fire-comments-london-olympics-160305180.html

"You know, it's hard to know just how well it will turn out," Romney told NBC. "There are a few things that were disconcerting. The stories about the private security firm not having enough people, the supposed strike of the immigration and customs officials … that obviously is not something which is encouraging."

Open mouth, insert foot - welcome to the world of international politics, Mitt! 

[Fly320s]

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/romney-under-fire-comments-london-olympics-160305180.html

Open mouth, insert foot - welcome to the world of international politics, Mitt! 

I'm not seeing the gaff.

Bigger picture, smaller words, please.

[MechAg94]

Just an example of the press doing their best to invent gaffs by Romney to publicize rather than discuss Obama's idiocy or their own rigged poll numbers. 

[Regolith]

I'm not seeing the gaff.

Bigger picture, smaller words, please.

Yeah, definitely not obvious from the quoted text. Where is the context?

Edit: After RTFA, the context makes it even less of a gaffe. Ok, so he didn't think security was as great as it could have been. So *expletive deleted*ing what?

[seeker_two]

I heard the audio of the comments....if anything, it sounds like he's sticking up for the Brits.

Then again, the MSM reported that Obama wasn't against business, either....

[RoadKingLarry]

What I heard was comments about the news stories we've all heard about the problems they had.
Anybody gets there knickers in a twist over that can bloody well buggar off.

[longeyes]

Didn't he go because he is the guy who got the games to work?  It's on his resume, in bold type.  That was an "accident" waiting to happen.

[French G.]

So, we have a guy who has done this job, commenting on some of the minutia of the gargantuan task of running a games, seemed rather professional to me. Now you throw in some easily wounded Brits who never quite got over the revolt, add in a nice insult like only a Brit can, mash with 24 news cycle, poof! crisis!

Now then, the Obama attack team. You mean you guys that gave the Queen DVDs or sent Winston Churchill's bust home from the White House? Let the Dalai Lama in the back door? Bowed to damn near everyone on your worldwide tour of apology? Yeah, let's break out the foreign relations attacks on Romney, ought to be stunning. 

[Ron]

I agree with French.

Tempest in a teapot story manufactured and disseminated by liberal media, on both sides of the pond.

[makattak]

I agree with French.

Tempest in a teapot story manufactured and disseminated by liberal media on both sides of the pond.

They have to keep doing it though. They are thoroughly invested in Barack Obama and have no comprehension of "sunk costs."

[roo_ster]

They have to keep doing it though. They are thoroughly invested in Barack Obama and have no comprehension of "sunk costs."

WHich is why they are the chattering classes, not the productive classes.

[agricola]

Tempest in a teapot story manufactured and disseminated by liberal media, on both sides of the pond.

It was a bit more than just the liberal media having a go at him over here - Romney got slated by nearly everyone from across the political and journalistic spectrum both for this and a couple of other, more genuine, gaffes (such as apparently forgetting the leader of the oppositions name and calling him "Mr Leader").   

It is also worth asking what on earth his team are doing as well, because its not as if he should have had anything like difficulty over here - all he had to do was just have turn up, mouth a few pleasantries about how much he was looking forwards to the Games, make a few points about how the Coalition government was on the right track in trying to rein in spending etc and then bimble off to Poland. 

[TechMan]

Because he has idjiots on his team.  I did hear the "Mr. Leader" gaffe, which is truly a gaffe.  For goodness sakes have a note card with the person's name on it and memorize it before stepping in to the cameras.

[SADShooter]

It was a bit more than just the liberal media having a go at him over here - Romney got slated by nearly everyone from across the political and journalistic spectrum both for this and a couple of other, more genuine, gaffes (such as apparently forgetting the leader of the oppositions name and calling him "Mr Leader").   

It is also worth asking what on earth his team are doing as well, because its not as if he should have had anything like difficulty over here - all he had to do was just have turn up, mouth a few pleasantries about how much he was looking forwards to the Games, make a few points about how the Coalition government was on the right track in trying to rein in spending etc and then bimble off to Poland. 

agricola, I realize it's likely down to the special circumstance of being subject to HM, but I would like to thank you for your proper use of the word "rein". Misapplication of t'other term is a major peeve for me.

[Waitone]

Better yet, wave to the cameras and go about your business.  Makes no difference why Romney is making a foreign sweep, media will create a reason of its own.  UberBrit Piers Morgan thinks Romney's view is perhaps justified.

http://www.mediaite.com/tv/piers-morgan-defends-mitt-romneys-olympics-comments-he-was-just-speaking-the-truth/

[agricola]

Better yet, wave to the cameras and go about your business.  Makes no difference why Romney is making a foreign sweep, media will create a reason of its own.  UberBrit Piers Morgan thinks Romney's view is perhaps justified.

http://www.mediaite.com/tv/piers-morgan-defends-mitt-romneys-olympics-comments-he-was-just-speaking-the-truth/

Having Piers Morgan being - seemingly - the only person from these islands to come out and back Romney is an indication of perhaps how bad the situation has become.  As a case in point, did anyone see his (Morgans') laughable "interview" with John Lott last week? 

[seeker_two]

Because he has idjiots on his team.  I did hear the "Mr. Leader" gaffe, which is truly a gaffe.  For goodness sakes have a note card with the person's name on it and memorize it before stepping in to the cameras.

Maybe he can't pronounce "Illustrious Potentate" with his Massachusetts accent.....

[French G.]

such as apparently forgetting the leader of the oppositions name and calling him "Mr Leader"

Aww, cut the man a break. He's just prepping his November concession speech; from the election onward we will refer to the president as Dear Leader.

[MrsSmith]

What would happen if all the candidates were to simply stop talking. Maybe mainstream media would simply implode and vanish in a puff of hot air. Then life could go on as usual.

[SADShooter]

What would happen if all the candidates were to simply stop talking. Maybe mainstream media would simply implode and vanish in a puff of hot air. Then life could go on as usual.

Regrettably, not an option. Pundits and talking heads would simply speculate about what isn't being said. E.g.: "Obama mum on declining economic outlook", "Romney silent as questions persist", etc.

[MikeB]

As per usual most of the reports on this supposed Gaffe don't even give the whole quote or context.

"The stories about the private security firm not having enough people, the supposed strike of the immigration and customs officials, that obviously is not something which is encouraging," was the part I easily find. Both of those listed items were true. There was a problem with the security firm and there was a possibility of a strike. These were widely reported.

Now this:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/olympics/olympic-organizers-call-in-soldiers-students-to-help-fill-empty-seats/article4447478/?cmpid=rss1

They had to come up with a plan to fill seats? Romney may not have been so wrong.

As per usual, this wasn't so much of a Gaffe and more the media trying to find anything and everything they can possibly make hay out of when it comes to Romney. Personally I'm not a fan of the guy, but compared to the current POTUS; I think he will be an improvement.