Mitt Romney Not the Man His Father Was

     I was just watching Melissa Harris-Perry"s new show on MSNBC. It's a great show, coming right after the great Chris Hayes. She played a video of George Romney's speech he gave in 1967 and was really quite struck with how good he sounds.

     Seriously, if he were alive and out talking today I'd vote for him. He declared in a passionate, fiery voice, "Either America values all people regardless of race or it doesn't." In 1964 he supported the Civil Rights Act and was a clear, Rockefeller Republican. Melissa also had footage of Rockefeller at the 1964 convention and he too sounded so good I'd elect him to something now if only I could.

    Then recall that at a debate when Romney was asked if he like his father would release his taxes for multiple years he came back with "maybe." Keep in mind that George Romney was a pioneer in offering multiple years of his taxes, stating that just one year can be a fluke.

    It is striking how much /Romney is a step down from Geroge Romney. To be sure the elder Romney lost. The Rockefellers were right but they lost. The lesson of sons with fathers who lose-like Dubyah-seems to be that they should shift Right. And the country certainly has shifted Right since then though there's reason to hope that has been changing since 2008, and the rise of Occupy Wall. Street. Perhaps the start began even in 2000 with the stolen election.

    But watching George Romney you are even more struck by just how utterly bankrupt Mitt is. When he tries to relate to voters he's like Chris Mathews says-kind of like a conehead.

     www.youtube.com/watch?v=fSdSiBehQpI