Tired of bashing Romney

Frankly, I'm beginning to weary of my Johnny-One-Note approach to Romney bashing.   But, like the patient said to the psychologist who wondered why he saw something sexual in every Rorshach card: "You're the one showing me the dirty pictures, Doc."

Well, Romney just keeps on showing his ineptitude, and I can't help calling 'em like I see 'em.

It's got Republicans worried to the point of many pundits being openly critical.  And I love every minute of it, but it is getting to be a bit monotonous.   I wish we could at least just get on to the debates.

Here's what seems to be happening:   the primaries couldn't come up with one candidate that had broad appeal to the disparate Republicans, so they chose the one nobody much likes but who seemed most likely to beat Obama.

So Romney wants to present himself not as an ideologue but as a pragmatic manager who would run the presidency like a business.

The trouble is:   as the election nears, the voters want something other than "trust me, I have a plan;  but I'm not going to tell you what it is, because it might upset one or the other faction.   And besides, the Democrats will just pick it to pieces."

Then along comes trouble, in various guises that give Romney chances to prove himself as presidential material -- and he fails, again and again.   He goes to London and winds up insulting the Olympic hosts in order to prove his superiority as a manager.   Turns out the Brits did a terrific job, things came off brilliantly, and Romney looked like the self-righteous prig that he is.

Then Romney picked Paul Ryan, which gave people a thrill that the ticket might really stand for something bold.   That hope quickly faded when the campaign insisted that Ryan neuter himself and endorse . . . what, exactly?   It's not clear what, because Romney isn't saying what he would do.

Then the media began trying to get him to give some hints about his policies.   The answer always was either bungled or "those details will come later."   He doesn't even seem to know his own talking points.

Then the Republicans had a lack-luster convention, allowing Clint Eastwood to grab all the headlines.   Who even talked about Romney's speech?  It was all about Eastwood and the empty chair stunt.

Then the Democrats had a bang-up, impressive convention with superstars Michelle and Julian and Bill.   It didn't matter that Obama couldn't quite match his 2008 acceptance speech.  The convention was still on a high from what preceded.

Then the Middle East blew up into anti-American protests and violence, including the assassination of our ambassador in Libya.   And Romney bungled that one very badly, bringing down Republican disbelief that he could be so insensitive and thoughtless.  It wasn't just an off the cuff remark;  it was vetted by his foreign policy advisers -- so it bodes ill for the future if he wins.  And people worry about things like that.

So now the Romney campaign seems adrift, with an inept candidate hell-bent on proving his unsuitability as a diplomat and commander in chief who would revert to Bush-era cowboy posturing in the world.  And even before that, his economic numbers just don't add up to his claims, and nobody believes he can do what he promises.

The debates should ice this one away.  Could we just skip over until October 3rd, please, and get on with it?

Ralp