WHY IT'S HARD TO TAKE ROMNEY SERIOUSLY. OK, I know that because he's up in the polls and fundraising, and has no personal skeletons (and less egregious policy skeletons) in his closet than Giuliani, I'm supposed to believe that Mitt Romney is the odds-on favorite for the Republican nomination. For reasons I can't articulate, I've been having trouble swallowing that idea. Now thanks to an ad by the Romney campaign itself, (via Jesse Singal via Matt) I think I can perhaps just let you see for yourself:
The ad, for those too lazy to watch it, shows fuzzy footage of a beach scene with cheesy music and a voice over (it's meant to be soothing, but instead just sounds phony) by Romney lamenting the dirty culture our children "swim in." Matt expresses my gut reaction precisely when he says this commercial, "reminds me of a euphemistic ad for an erectile dysfunction pill." Who was the last candidate that I can remember so closely mimicking Viagra in the way he marketed himself? Joe Lieberman, right before the 2006 Democratic Senatorial primary. You can watch the commercial here:
I can't be the only one who sees the similarity here. So excuse me for remaining skeptical of Romney's political prowess. --Ben Adler
