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George Will: Romney Around Conservatives Is Like A Tourist Who ‘Doesn’t Speak The Language’

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Is Mitt Romney a conservative or not? This is a question that will haunt the Republican presidential candidate from now until November (assuming he makes it to the general election). Some people have argued Romney is coming around to the conservative position, others think Romney is just a moderate in conservative skin. George Will went with the latter presumption on This Week today, likening Romney to a foreigner in a distant land where he doesn’t know how to communicate well with the locals.

RELATED: Chris Matthews & Panel On Mitt Romney: ‘What Hasn’t He Done To Appeal To The Right?’

George Stephanopoulos brought up Rick Santorum‘s clean sweep in the Midwest last week, and how much it may have damaged Mitt Romney’s candidacy in the process. Will stated quite plainly that the best candidate the GOP has right now “has the last name Romney and the first name Not.”

“Romney carried no counties in Minnesota. He lost 48 out of 64 counties in Colorado. In Missouri, where five times more people voted than in Minnesota and in Colorado combined, Romney loses 2 to 1 to Santorum.”

Stephanopoulos later asked if Romney would face any backlash if he goes negative against his rivals. Will noted that as of now, Romney is less popular in crucial states like Florida and Iowa, states where he had to go negative on his rivals. Liz Cheney thought by winning the CPAC straw poll, Romney was making a steady comeback in the party. And as for all the negative campaigning, Cheney predicted a lot more of that would start to pop up come the general election.

The panel had a good laugh over Romney’s “severely conservative” CPAC line, and Will noted that the line was probably ad-libbed in order to win over a crowd that he normally has a problem communicating with.

“He seems, around conservatives, to be like a well-meaning, earnest tourist in a country where he doesn’t speak the language. And he’s trying hard to connect with them and he says, ‘My father grew up poor.’ Please.”

RELATED: Sarah Palin: ‘I’m Not Convinced’ Mitt Romney Is A Conservative

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  • Anonymous

    When you’re a complete invention and most of your policy positions have been altered and crafted to pander to the radical righties who dominate the primaries, what do you expect?

  • Anonymous

    How are Conservatives going to spend months calling Mitt a fake conservative – a phony – but then back him in the general? 

  • http://profile.yahoo.com/3EV7LMBN3SWQMEVDJCAKUCTCKM Top

    Why is Disgust telling me to “Please wait…” before I can post?

    Are they laughing so hard they can’t allow me to join in?

     

  • Anonymous

     Romney sure is a weirdo.

  • Gloves Beau Donahue

    Oh Good Lord on a skateboard.

    The election is about removing a corrupt, falied nut from the White House.

    Yakity yak about this nonsense for 8 more months ?

    Romney will reverse Obama’s destruction in short order.

  • http://profile.yahoo.com/3EV7LMBN3SWQMEVDJCAKUCTCKM Top

     OK, Gloves.

    Now I have down you along with the other morons supporting a non-conservative Mittens.

    Limpo, Alaska Snooki, and George Will doubt your clownservative cred.

  • Anonymous

    Who is more deserving of the Nobel Peace Prize, Obama or Mitt? Be Honest. I don’t much care for Mitt, but I myself am more deserving of the peace prize than Obama is. Off topic? Yes, all of the stories here are. : ) Peace

  • Anonymous

    Romney is as comfortable around conservatives as Sarah Palin is in a library.

     I’m starting to think George Will is just going to say “Screw it” and vote for Barack Obama.

  • Anonymous

    Get a life. : ) Peace

  • http://profile.yahoo.com/3EV7LMBN3SWQMEVDJCAKUCTCKM Top

    Both the highbrow and the lowbrow clownservatives are saying Mittens ain’t good enough.

    What else do you clownservatives have?

    Let me give you a clue  ————————————————————>

    ————————————————————————————————————————>

  • Anonymous

    Clever gunsel, I’ve never heard anything like that said! Never! Peace

  • Carl Emmoth

    The topic is not about Obama but Romney. I will help you, what do you think of Romney?

  • Anonymous

    A candidate who will take a baseball bat to Brick OBAMO is what’s needed, and Romney won’t. That’s why limp-wristed OBAMO-lovers are shooting down all threats to Romney. Happily, it won’t matter who goes up against OBAMO; people are sick of his schtick. 

  • Carl Emmoth

    We should stay on topic, that is Romney who’s really having trouble convincing R of anything except that he is rich.

  • Anonymous

    Fast n furious. Peace

  • Чёрт Возьми

     I’m  sure you will be saying the same thing four years from now.
    Others will be saying “Do you remember Romney?”

  • Anonymous

    They’ll do it, but he’ll lose. Just like McCain.

  • Centrist79

    Great analogy by Mr. Will.

  • Anonymous

    Typical right-winger….too stupid to comment on the topic so he spends his day commenting on the comments.  Peace

  • Anonymous

    Sarah Palin is the topic? Rent friggin free! I’m a Vietnam Marine Corps Vet who was smart enough to get out alive. If I was standing before you you would speak very differently to me. Peace my Brother

  • Anonymous

     lol @ internet tough guy

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_TWK2YYJTTIDLZIVV7NKZM23Z6Q Tyler

    George Will has it right.  Romney needs to change direction and fast.  

  • The Real Royal Emperor

    Can you provide us a link or two to back this up, Big Petty?

  • Gloves Beau Donahue

    Can do.
     
    But won’t.

  • Anonymous

    Interesting coment for a wanna be comedy writer.

  • Anonymous

    You and a few million other Vietnam vets. Go blow your vet horn somewhere else. You are embarrassing the rest of us.

  • http://profile.yahoo.com/3EV7LMBN3SWQMEVDJCAKUCTCKM Top

     Spare your shame.

    Go whine alone in your corner, Blobes.

  • Anonymous

    No. You must be laughing at yourself.

  • http://profile.yahoo.com/3EV7LMBN3SWQMEVDJCAKUCTCKM Top

     Here:

    ———————————————————————————————————–>

    ———————————————————————————————————————-?

    ——————————————————————————————————————————->

    Maybe here

    ><+=/+*^

    Good luck Mittens!

  • Anonymous

    I never called you stupid. You are a very unhappy Brother, clearly, but it is not because of me. This is the first day I have posted anything here. I posted on the topics AND the comments, just like YOU do! You are a stereotyping, ignorant, miserable thinskined person. Your “typical right winger too stupid” post commenting on my comment to chastise me for commenting on a comment proves it! : ) : ) : )
    Peace my brother, who never had the courage to serve but can type the insult ‘stupid’.

  • Anonymous

    The above comment goes for you too eddythecatty. Peace

  • Anonymous

    Your false statement that me and a ‘few million’ other Vietnam vets served proves that you never served.
    Peace

  • Mo Fokker

    Big Petty’s LInking days are over, although I think I saw a link to youtube somewhere, so that may be the exception.

  • Anonymous

    I prefer whichever candidate will take a baseball to you and yours, pal. 

  • Anonymous

    Which Mitt? be more specific.

  • Anonymous

    Yeah, it’s really weird that’s not going anywhere. If the House has evidence of wrongdoing why don’t they come out with it? Why aren’t they calling for prosecutions? It’s almost like the Republicans are taking a longstanding strategy–allowing criminals to commit a crime and then following them in an attempt to catch bigger fish–a strategy that the DOJ and Republican lawmakers used under GWB (not to mention its use in the 1980s drug war)–and harping on it to create a faux political scandal for political purposes. 

    The Bush admin used the same tactic. Since the 1980s at least, DOJ and DEA has also allowed criminals to launder money. They even let terrorists commit crimes in order to follow them. There are even some movies made about this strategy (Rush, for example) and a lot of books. Where was the outrage in the 1980s, 1990s and GWB years? Why now? 

    Why doesn’t Issa talk about being briefed on Fast and Furious before 2010? Why don’t they care about the same program under a different name that started in the Bush years?

    “Peace” 

  • Anonymous

    Romney has never spoke the language, and He is a tourist in the Republican Party, as he is a illegal boarder crosser from the liberal side of the river.

  • Anonymous

    I don’t know many Vietnam vets (and I know more than a few, all in their 60s) who use the terms “Yo” and “Awesome.” 

    I also can’t think of a single one who would claim the only reason they survived is that they were “smart enough to get out alive” since people got killed indiscriminately. 

  • Anonymous

     lmao…. you republicans sure get desperate when all your candidates suck….

    McCain beat Romney in 08… Obama beat McCain… and you guys are running Romney again? the creator of Obamacare… good luck.

  • Anonymous

    You are partly correct. Peace

  • Anonymous

    Never served? 1st Air Cav, An Khe, ’67-68′, TET offensive, Bronze star, CIB. Our time there had absolutly nothing to do with protecting America. All the US was doing was continuing the French war and began when Eisenhower involved us with advisors. Another example of America sticking it’s nose where it didn’t belong. Vietnam is now one of our trading partners.

  • Anonymous

    Again with the stereotyping. Gunsel was calling me stupid. I guess you missed that part.  You said you don’t know many Vietnam vets. That part I believe. Edddy the cat said there were three million of us. There wasn’t. Your obama can’t even pronounce the word Corps. Think about it please. Gunsel calls me stupid, you and eddy pile on because I respond?  Peace Bro.

  • Anonymous

    Yeah, It was a friggin cluster#uck. You are defending a poster who called me stupid by calling me an embarassment. Really Bro, It don’t mean s#it to me. I was in the Corps, Obama can’t even pronounce it and he’s the friggin CIC! WTF? I wasn’t defending the cluster, I was defending myself. You Gunsel and Mencious can go shine obama’s phoney peace prize for all I care. Three million of us. : ) ; ) : )
    Peace my brother

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Jj-Wisniewski/100002654075475 Jj Wisniewski

    And, I thought, we, independents felt that way about Romney, the conservative, only when it’s convenient.

  • DoNotMindMe

    I think he favors Romney over Obama despite his perceived lack of Conservative credentials. He made that pretty clear. 

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_6NVQXKGM4GSM6RZ7ZW3BQ2D73I Kim

    My friend just met a chocolate man on Blackwhitemeet.COMit’s where for men and women looking for interracial’ship for a fabulous lifestyle
    It’s a nice place for black white sing’les, to interact with each other…no bounds or extremes in front of true love.

  • Anonymous

    Was George Will having a senior moment?

    Missouri was a straw poll.  The other two were a net gain of zero delegates.

    Romney won the CPAC straw poll.  Romney won a non-binding Maine caucus.  How is that different than the Santorum victories?

  • Anonymous

    You are a perfect example of how the Corps brainwashes young men. 40 years later and you still think that you made a difference. Simper Fi means stupefy. The President was left with two totally unjustified and senseless wars and he is finally bringing us peace, and remember, the Prize was awarded long before this. How does your pencil neck support such a fat jar head?

  • Anonymous

    The have short memories and are very good of fooling themselves into believing anything.

  • Keane

    This election isn’t about Mitt Romney. It’s about Barack Obama. It doesn’t matter who the GOP nominates. The strategy is to attack Obama.

  • Anonymous

    I just gave you a thumbs up because you are a perfect example of a braindirtied fool who can’t even read! You are making up s#it I never said. I never said I made a difference. I know you never served. Gunsel just insults ‘online’, you just insult ‘online’, Mencious just insults ‘online’ all safe at home. Obama started other wars as well. Dronin’ in Paki, bombin’ in the Lib, escalatin’ in the Afgan, he even increased troop levels in the Raq for a long time. Assasinatin’ left and right, overthrowin heads of state, covert s#it in South America, runnin’ guns to Mexican drug cartels while at the same time sendin’ swat teams in to kick doors in at legal medical marajuana dispenseries after promising he wound not do any of this! : ) : ) : )
    BTW my neck is thick and I’m triple extra handsome. You should stop fixatin’ on my body and stop talkin’ ’bout my horn and blowin’ it. Please. Homey don’t play dat. Instead, Einstein, go shine obama’s peace prize vigorously. I knew obama was just gonna be bush on steroids so I just laughed when he got the peace prize. Gitmo closin’ obama believin’ fools, patriot act stopin’ obama fools, trials for everybody believin’ clowns now know they got screwed by obama. I knew, in part due to my years of service, that obama was playin’ the dopes just like all the pols before him. You STILL don’t know! Who is STUPIFIED!?!??? Oh, I’ll answer that for ya ’cause you’ll get it wrong. You are.
    Peace my brother

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001154023994 Daniel Thompson

    Its understandable George, crazy’s very hard to learn it if wasn’t your native language growing up. Conservatives must be suspicious of Mitt Romney’s common sense accent he acquired back in the 1990′s when he was at least somewhat sane, and of course Obama must be totallly incomprehensible to them.

  • Anonymous

    You either need to stop making comments when you are under the influence of who knows what or get an education.You are unable to compose a complete sentence, spell correctly, or provide anything resembling a logical arguement. ” a braindirtied fool”. ” Dronin’ in Paki, bombin’ in the Lib, escalatin’ in the Afgan”. Time to visit the VA. They can help you, honest.

  • The Real Royal Emperor

    First: Margin.

    Second: Sanitarium’s wins made him seem viable.

    Third: Willard’s losses destroyed the aura of inevitability he worked so hard to create.

    Any more questions?

  • The Real Royal Emperor

    The liberal side of the river? It was Willard’s family “what come from Mexico”.

  • shonangreg

     GBSBRBJ is not a Republican. He is obviously a Communist who is pretending to be a Republican and acting as stupid as possible to discredit conservatism. At least that is the most benevolent interpretation I can come up with . . . I wish conservatives would start slapping down the idiots in their rank. We would all be the better for it.

  • Anonymous

    I know.  Now can you name a half dozen people who pointed out that Santorum’s wins were in non-binding contests?

    I’d hate to have to keep up the charade that Romney isn’t going to win the nomination, but I don’t do it for a living.

  • Anonymous

    Didn’t Will mean “Romney Around Human Beings Is Like A Robot Who Doesn’t Speak The Language”?

  • Anonymous

    Wow, now even the snooty Republican establishment is turning on Romney. Next up, Mormon Church will say Mitt isnt Mormon enough.

  • Anonymous

    I think Romney will win the nom but the problem is that it will be very little enthusiasm. If he hasn’t riled up the base yet, he’s going to have to continue to campaign for them in the generals & that puts off independents. Most importantly, it opens the door to a conservative 3rd party & you don’t want to chance that with Ron Paul around.

  • Anonymous

    I think conservatives are upset that the Republicans are abandoning all the things they have been yelling about & making signs for the past 3 years. Now reality is striking & they don’t want to accept it: Obama was right all along.

  • Anonymous

    If you research any of these talking heads  you’ll see they are already invested in some other candidate, or they are inside-the-beltway elitists who have never had a kind thing to say about an outsider Republican in their miserable but much lauded by the left careers. 

  • Anonymous

    As I have opined about before – I am glad Romney does not speak like a politician.  You see, I think we are all so used to candidates talking like “politicians” – and acting like politicians.  Because, for the most part – they ARE POLITICIANS.

    And that dear posters, is how we got into this mess in the first place.  We need someone in the WH that has actually lived and worked in the private sector.  Who understands what it will take to really turn this economy around – not just a politician who uses the same tired old sound bytes to “talk” about the economy.

    So Mr. Will – I say “Thank God, Romney doesn’t talk like a politician”.  Maybe – just maybe – he won’t act like one either.

  • Anonymous

    The best way to prevent a person who decided to enter politics to become a “POLITICIAN” is term limits. If two terms is enough for a President, it should and must be good for a Senator and a Representative, as well.

    Whose benefit does it serve to see fossils like Harry Reid, John McCain, Charlie Rangel, Mitch McConnell, Maxine Waters, Nancy Pelosi, etc. etc.?

    If these parasites – and many, many others – had any decency, they would remove their flee-infested, arthritic bodies along with their diminishing minds and the left-overs of their self-respect from Washington.   

  • Anonymous

    Being with an outsider isn’t very beneficial to a journslist’s career.

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