Not as smooth as you might think...
Posted: Tuesday, July 10, 2007 4:15 PM by Mark Murray
Filed Under:
Republicans
From NBC's Carrie Dann
A picture-perfect family, a resume of Olympic proportions, and an impressively thick mane of hair have prompted no small number of observers to call
Mitt Romney a "slick" or "polished" candidate. It may be true that his opinions on big-ticket items -- like terror and taxes -- usually appear well-cultivated and TV-ready. But bumps along the campaign trail are showing more and more that Romney might not be as smooth as his coiffe might have you believe.
The former Massachusetts governor has already attracted criticism for his less-than-perfect responses to his past hunting experiences (those varmints!) and the fuss over the unconventional travel arrangement for his old family dog ("He likes fresh air!"). And during his latest swing through Iowa last week, Romney stutter-stepped through his share of minor clumsy moments. The casualties of such instances are often Romney's own strengths. For example, he opened a meeting with supporters with an anecdote about his wife that was intended to highlight her easygoing companionship. But its brief hint of lewdness -- his story ends with a towel-clad Ann Romney mistaking a hotel maintenance man for husband -- hardly matched the squeaky-clean image of their marriage he's tried so conspicuously to build.
Romney's proneness to gaffes applies to the big-ticket topics, too. When he addressed global competition -- which should be one of the former tycoon's most robust issues -- he generalized that "Asian people are hard-working and numerous." And later, questioned about his campaign's Spanish language Web site, Romney appeared almost comically over-eager. "Oh, I do!... And I hope I get it in Chinese and in as many languages as we have people who vote. Cause I gotta tell ya, I want Spanish-speaking votes!"
But no setting more dramatically illustrated the roughness around Romney's edges last week than the one that pitted him against the man who made "Slick" his own. Romney appeared in the same Fourth of July parade in Clear Lake, IA, that featured Bill and Hillary Clinton. While the widely grinning Bill worked the parade crowd at a glacial pace, pausing for hugs and friendly chatter with adoring fans, Romney wasn't as smooth. He hustled down the line, breathlessly repeating general shouts of "Happy Fourth of July!" If Bill played the role of prom king, Mitt looked more the part of hassled student council president.
Of course, Romney's occasional gaffes and lack of polish could be seen as a breath of fresh air. They can be humorous and even humanizing for a candidate who might otherwise come across as overly rehearsed. But in this YouTube era, critics -- as we've already seen this campaign season -- will be eager to highlight a verbal blunder that could appear more sinister than merely artless. Slick or not, Romney and all of his competitors would be wise to watch their step.
