Romney apologizes after report of bullying as a teen

Discussion in 'Elections & Campaigns' started by reckoning, May 10, 2012.

  1. reckoning

    reckoning New Member

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  2. LowKey

    LowKey Well-Known Member

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    This isn't going to be pretty that's for sure.
     
  3. Woogs

    Woogs Well-Known Member

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    I read the Post story on this, and Romney's behavior goes beyond a stupid prank.

    A couple of bits from the article:

    A few days later, Friedemann entered Stevens Hall off the school’s collegiate quad to find Romney marching out of his own room ahead of a prep school posse shouting about their plan to cut Lauber’s hair. Friedemann followed them to a nearby room where they came upon Lauber, tackled him and pinned him to the ground. As Lauber, his eyes filling with tears, screamed for help, Romney repeatedly clipped his hair with a pair of scissors.

    The incident was recalled similarly by five students, who gave their accounts independently of one another
    .

    Romney is now the presumed Republican presidential nominee. His campaign spokeswoman, Andrea Saul, said in a statement that “anyone who knows Mitt Romney knows that he doesn’t have a mean-spirited bone in his body. The stories of fifty years ago seem exaggerated and off base and Governor Romney has no memory of participating in these incidents.”

    I know Mitt would love to forget this, but it's VERY doubtful that he has.

    Link to the Washington Post article:

    http://www.washingtonpost.com/polit...ng-incidents/2012/05/10/gIQA3WOKFU_story.html
     
  4. LowKey

    LowKey Well-Known Member

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    It's especially damaging because it fits right into the persona his opponents are trying to craft for him. A spoiled prep school kid attacking another kid for being a queer. Might be hard to shake it off if this gets legs.
     
  5. Beevee

    Beevee Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    Does any of this really matter?

    You must remember that Romney was born in the US and that's all that really counts.
     
    Makedde and (deleted member) like this.
  6. kenrichaed

    kenrichaed Banned

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    I don't think it'll be that bad. Its fairly early in the race and people will forget about it.

    They forgave Obama for snorting coke so I doubt that this incident well do much to hurt Romney.
     
  7. LowKey

    LowKey Well-Known Member

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    They never forgave Obama for anything without grilling him on it for it while. It will go away, but it will come up in the debates, and periodically after that. By itself it won't be that damaging but if anything else comes out though that fits in with this kind of behavior it only amplifies.
     
  8. kenrichaed

    kenrichaed Banned

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    It may have some traction but it was 50 years ago. Romney can explain it away as a stupid kid thing. I doubt it will do much to hurt him.

    I'm just surprised that the dems didn't keep this quiet till later in the election though. Its probably going to fizzle out by the time November comes.
     
  9. FreshAir

    FreshAir Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    so he denied it, then finally admitted it....???
     
  10. FreshAir

    FreshAir Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    they forgave bush for being arrested for drunk driving...
     
  11. LowKey

    LowKey Well-Known Member

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    Possibly it's all going to be in how Romney handles it. He still has control of it right now, but eventually he's going to have to say something about it front of a camera and thats where he can make it all better or make it much worse.
     
  12. jack4freedom

    jack4freedom Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    He has already handled it badly by laughing it off and saying he doesn't remember doing it on the radio with FOX New's Brian Kilmeade. He was obviously lying as that isn't the kind of thing that slips your mind unless you are a deranged ******** who does these sorts of things frequently. He should have owned up to it and said that he was deeply ashamed of it. He should have looked up his former classmate and apologized to him decades ago. He comes off as saying yeah, I did it, big friggin' deal.
     
  13. LowKey

    LowKey Well-Known Member

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    Not a good start there no.
     
  14. dujac

    dujac Well-Known Member

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    i think it's pretty courageous of romney to apologize for doing dumb things in high school

    "Back in high school, I did some dumb things, and if anybody was hurt by that or offended, obviously I apologize," Romney, 65, said in an interview on Fox News Radio yesterday.

    The harassment story was "not a particularly helpful one" for Romney, said John Pitney, a professor of politics at Claremont McKenna College in California. Still, he said, "I think a lot of us probably have forgotten some of the nasty stuff we have done in high school."

    http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2012/05/10/bloomberg_articlesM3TE0K6K511W01-M3U5N.DTL#ixzz1uXF7dJ1f
     
  15. FreshAir

    FreshAir Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    yep, had he not denied it at first would of went better for him
     
  16. Ronald0

    Ronald0 New Member

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    Really? Any adult would admit they did stupid things in school but this incident was despicable. Yet he denies remembering the incident even occurred. Doesn't sound like much of an apology to me. Just another lie. If Romney had manned up and specifically apologized for the incident in question, I would have given him the benefit of doubt but seems to me he's the same bully. As someone said it above, "He comes off as saying yeah, I did it, big friggin' deal."
     
  17. Makedde

    Makedde New Member Past Donor

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    I guess now we all know how Romney really feels about homosexuals. The gay community will kick up a stink and won't let him forget about this.
     
  18. dujac

    dujac Well-Known Member

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    i don't have a tv, so i don't watch the news very often

    romney made a mistake denying it at first, it that's what happened

    but, i think it did take courage to apologize and think it would be a good

    idea for romney to apologize the the person he bullied, but i doubt that'll happen
     
  19. Angedras

    Angedras New Member

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    I believe the whole reporting of the incident to be laughable, and obviously nothing more than a deliberate attempt to distract from the abysmal state of U.S. economy (fledgling recovery) in general.

    How petty of some to excuse poor behavior on the part of today's youth, yet seek to vilify perhaps even demonize Romney, about an incident that happened nearly 50 years ago.

    *sigh*
     
  20. Krypt

    Krypt New Member

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    I find the whole thing to be disgusting...doesn't matter if it happened 50 minutes ago or 50 years ago...

    Just another bit of truth from the real Romney shining through the shroud....piece of trash that he is...
     
  21. dujac

    dujac Well-Known Member

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    it's called politics and is nothing new

    are you a neophyte?



    i'll bet you'd like to forget ron paul's newsletters though
     
  22. Angedras

    Angedras New Member

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    Respectfully, I have to disagree. Persons are entitled to changes of thought and behavior as society itself evolves. Otherwise our whole concept of reform would be meaningless.



    Yes Dujac, I agree, really not anything new.

    ...nonetheless, distasteful.

    ~~~~~~~~~

    Regards, to each of you.
     
  23. dujac

    dujac Well-Known Member

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    the topic comes under the heading of 'past mistakes'


    i'm pretty sure he feels the same way about ron paul and his old newsletters, but won't admit it here
     
  24. Smartmouthwoman

    Smartmouthwoman Bless your heart Past Donor

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    Romney pulls high school pranks... Obama admits to doing drugs. Which one does the Washington Post report on?

    [video=youtube;VXdkxLDdxMA]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXdkxLDdxMA&feature=player_embedded[/video]
     
  25. elijah

    elijah New Member

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    So the gay community was going to vote for him??
     

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