Mitt Romney the Intimidator

LJWorld.com weblogs Science Becoming Religion

Posted by Reasonmclucus October 5, 2012 at 12:13 a.m.

Megyn Kelly on Fox made an interesting observation on the first debate. Mitt Romney would watch Barack Obama during the debate while Obama tended to look at Jim Lehrer or the cameras. I had halfway noticed this situation during the debate but didn't really consider the implications until she commented.

I went back and fast forwarded through the debate. Romney would look at Obama for significant periods, but Obama only occasionally glanced at Romney before looking away or looking down.

An obvious explanation for Obama not looking at Romney is that Obama felt intimidated by Romney. The debates cannot resolve differences on issues because the responses are too short. Romney apparently recognizes that the debates allow a candidate to show who has the strongest personality and would be best able to stand up to the leaders of other countries, the leaders of special interest groups and congressional opponents.

Watching one's opponent is important in verbal combat as well as in physical combat. A boxer watches his opponent to look for an opening for a punch or an indication of what type of punch the opponent may throw. A verbal combatant watches body language and facial expression for signs of weakness.

I was a boxing fan when Mohammad Ali was the champ. I still recall him trying to stare down opponents to try to shake their self confidence. Romney at times seemed to be trying to stare down Obama who occasionally glanced at Romney and then quickly looked away.

Romney obviously understands personal conflicts in a political, or business, situation and how to appear to be a tough opponent. Obama does not.

The 1962 Cuban missile crisis occurred because Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev felt American President John F. Kennedy could be intimidated. The recent attack on the American consulate in Libya may have occurred because al Qaeda believes Obama can be intimidated.

Before the debate I was planning to vote for Romney only as a means of getting Obama out of the White House. Now I will vote for Romney the Intimidator to be our leader in foreign affairs.

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gl0ck0wn3r 7 months, 2 weeks ago

Extending this argument, perhaps the writer - using the term loosely - would feel even more strongly if Romney peed on everything and everyone in the room to mark his territory as the dominant dog?

ASanePerson 7 months, 2 weeks ago

I'm Sorry, but having watched the debate and seen Mr. Romney in person previously,

The title really should read "Mitt Romney the Liar"

Yes I know that is inflammatory, and we don't need any more of that, but I sincerely don't know what else to all it when a candidate changes their whole platform, and then denies they proposed what they had said up to that time.... Really... The only word for that is lying...

That is exactly what Mitt Romney did at the debate last week. I am REALLY surprised that more people aren't calling him out on that!! Having seen the "previous" platform live an in person, and then seeing the debate live, I was truly astonished.

I believe honesty is a basic requirement of a candidate, and far trumps any sneaky "game changer" moments.... After all we are talking about a job here, and it is that of the presidency, which is the most important job in the world... It isn't a game show, and I am not looking for someone sneaky to be in that position...

My 2 cents

DoubtingThomas 7 months, 2 weeks ago

Unfortunately, lies or not, it is what some people WANT to here. Facts are irrelevant. No wonder education is no longer being funded.

LosMortales 7 months, 2 weeks ago

During Wednesday night's debate, Mitt Romney's position on each topic was consistently the same, and it was simple: States' Rights. Now, the race is defined as States Rights vs. Big Federal Government. Romney is an agent of the Mormon Church, which idolizes states' rights. To gain an existential understanding of the cult that produced Mitt Romney, and to get your socks scared off, read The Assassination of Spiro Agnew, available in paperback and e-book at:

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=The+Assassination+of+Spiro+Agnew

Its unwilling, part-Mexican Mormon assassin dramatizes the Mormon superiority complex, manifesting it as racism, sexism, jingoism and an anti-federal government temperament. His research in the new library reveals ominous similarities between Islam and Mormonism. The spiritual power behind the cult, which is not the Holy Ghost, acts out.

“With a clarity of language and vision unsurpassed in contemporary American prose, Steven Janiszewski's Assassination of Spiro Agnew takes us into a U.S. mazed with madness and Mormonism and all things Utah, a U.S. that was then and still is. Do we need a novel, even as brilliant as this one, about a young man on a divine mission to assassinate the Vice President because he is too liberal? Yes, now more than ever. Readers, welcome to a masterpiece.” Tom Whalen www.tomwhalen.com>

Read The Assassination of Spiro Agnew.

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