Reset

Mitt Romney is a human reset button. Now, as if it never happened, it's his claim that 47% of Americans are irresponsible losers. Initially he only said it was inelegantly stated, but stood by the characterization. Now, after discovering that if he totally sheds his teabagger underwear he's more likable, it's gone like every other position he's ever taken.

"Well, clearly in a campaign, with hundreds if not thousands of speeches and question-and-answer sessions, now and then you're going to say something that doesn't come out right," Romney said. "In this case, I said something that's just completely wrong."

And with the wave of a ham-hand, it disappears like Kaiser Sose. How do you say something like that, something so derisive and dismissive, if you don't believe it? But henceforth -- count on it! -- anyone who brings it up will be accused of lying, or dwelling in the past. All seventeen days of it. Mitt Romney stands for nothing. Literally, without exaggeration, there's nothing he's ever said that he hasn't flipped on its head, denied, or ignored when it suits his perceived self-interest.

The Rominee's speech to his wealthy string-pullers said exactly what he decided they wanted to hear, fed perfectly into the teabaggeresque sense of aggrievement and entitlement; mouthed the current R idea that everyone who's not like them is reprehensible and undeserving. Of help. Of respect. If he said it and didn't believe it, he's a lying, pandering, amoral asshole. If he meant it then, what would have changed his mind now? Could he really say something that specific, that horrible, and now claim it was completely wrong? Will he call all those fats cat, who ejaculated money when he said it, and tell them they can have their money back? "I'll never get them to take responsibility for their lives," he said. Something that specific, eructated to a group of millionaire supporters? Just slipped out? Didn't mean it at all? Meant the opposite? Lots of speeches, little tired, meant to talk about the weather. Right.

Perhaps there have been presidential candidates as dishonest as Mitt Romney, although I can't think who. Richard Nixon didn't lie about every single thing. Clinton lied about a blow job. But there's never ever, and, hopefully, never will be again, a man who will literally say anything at one point, then the exact opposite moments later, when his finger in the wind suggests it, without thinking a thing of it. No matter what it is, he'll change it, yessiree bob. He has no core beliefs. How could he? He's changed his stance on literally everything. He did it during the debate, and he's doing it again with this pretense. Who is Mitt Romney? What does he stand for? Is there a single political stance he's taken that he's stuck with, ever? Any at all? Is there any basis on which to judge him other than as a liar who'll say anything? How could anyone trust what he says, ever, on anything? And yet there are those who support him, call him "squeaky clean," matter of fact. Yeah. Guess so. He's washed away everything he ever did or said.

What position of his can a supporter support with confidence that he means it? Well, you gotta give him this much: at some point or other in his political pandering he's said something with which anyone could agree. Maybe not for long; but he's said it and claimed to believe it. The man who believes in everything believes in nothing. The man who lies today about what he said yesterday, will lie tomorrow about what he said today. Mitt Romney owns, what, seven mansions? And yet where ever he is, there's no one home.

To teabaggers, I guess it's enough that he's not that black guy. The rest? Well, if there's nothing left to like since his debate flips, they know all they have to do is wait for a few minutes. And if he's running away from them now like a bully who got punched in the nose, well, if they scream loud enough, he'll be back. Because there's never been a position he's been unwilling to change. He's the most inconsistent and value-bereft politician ever; and not only does he not care: It doesn't even occur to him that there's anything wrong with it. It's just business. Like Bain. It's never about you. It's always about him.

[Image source]