Happy Birthday Romney
Mitt Romney turns 65 today (not that there’s anything wrong with that). Whatever you think of his politics, a better-looking 65-year-old you’d be hard-pressed to find.
Rick Santorum wished him a happy birthday. Sweet.
And this Mother Jones editorial fellow’s got a birthday playlist for him that’s only somewhat nasty. Sweeter.
But according to Romney, what would be sweetest of all would be a winning March 13 (Alabama, Mississippi):
Thanks so much for giving me this birthday present. Hopefully, I can unwrap it tomorrow.
And I read through half of this article about Romney’s great sense of humor before I decided it wasn’t a spoof. Come to think of it, though, when I saw Romney in person, he got a few good quips in, as did his wife Ann, who was the more relaxed speaker.
[NOTE: I’m giving in and adding a “Romney” category to the right sidebar.]
“… a better-looking 65-year-old you’d be hard-pressed to find.”
I. Beg. Your. Pardon.
I can see I’m going to have to start sending pictures around. Again.
Any time Mitt appears with Ann he looks better, more charming and relaxed. They really ought to put her out there more often…it can only help.
On his sense of humor, I really had no idea until recently that he had that dry wit. It was his comments after the “hair on fire” remark that made me take notice (reported in the WaPo):
“It’s very easy to excite the base with incendiary comments,” Romney told reporters. “We’ve seen throughout the campaign that if you’re willing to say really outrageous things that are accusatory and attacking President Obama that you’re going to jump up in the polls. You know, I’m not willing to light my hair on fire to try and get support. I am who I am.” A few minutes later, when a reporter brought up Romney’s comment about lighting his hair on fire, the well-coiffed candidate interjected: “I’m not going to do it. I don’t care how hard you ask. It would be a big fire, I assure you.”
Ann Althouse commented on his sense of humor here:
http://althouse.blogspot.com/2012/02/romney-says-im-not-willing-to-light-my.html
Of course, we we see him on Letterman and Colbert and Conan, etc? I have to wonder. Doesn’t fit the “narrative.”
It seems to me that persons who are internally weak, especially when they have power, use humor to attack others; whereas those who are internally strong are more gentle in their use of humor and often direct it at themselves.
Abraham Lincoln, when accused by Stephen Douglas of being two-faced, responded ‘If I had another face, do you think I’d wear this one?’
I wonder if any current candidate, Obama or any of the Republicans, is able to disarm an adversary with such self-referential humor. I think if any of them were to use humor, it would be to attack. At least, that is what I have seen so far.
Best wishes,
Jim
Jim Nicholas
It seems to me that persons who are internally weak, especially when they have power, use humor to attack others; whereas those who are internally strong are more gentle in their use of humor and often direct it at themselves.
Consider Dubya’s sense of humor.
Humor and more of it will greatly help Romney.
Gringo,
I agree about Dubya’s sense of humor.
This link is not about humor but probably touches on a similar inner strength: Bush helping old adversary Senator Byrd and Sgt Crowley helping adversary Professor Gates.
http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2009/07/obamas_revealing_body_language.html