Romney Hurts His Image in London by Criticizing Security at the Games

He was looking to improve his credentials in the area of international politics. It’s a trip to the United Kingdom, Israel and Poland, 100 days before the election, with which he hoped to have the same effect that Barack Obama had with a trip to Europe in 2008 before winning the presidency. But Mitt Romney has tripped over himself when he questioned the security methods at the Olympic Games that start this Friday in London. In the end, his trip has earned the Republican candidate tough criticism from British politicians and the media and has done little to portray him as a statesman with contacts on the international scene.

“It’s hard to know just how well it will turn out,” Romney said on Wednesday, the first day of his visit to the United Kingdom during an interview on the American television channel NBC, two days before the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games. “There are a few things that were disconcerting, the stories about the private security firm not having enough people — the supposed strike of the immigration and customs officials, that obviously is not something which is encouraging.”

They were harsh words coming from a candidate who boasts as an electoral credential the way he saved the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City from bankruptcy.

In the United Kingdom, Romney’s words caused confusion and provoked a bitter response. Prime Minister Cameron resorted to English irony, “We are holding an Olympic Games in one of the busiest, most active, bustling cities anywhere in the world. Of course it’s easier if you hold an Olympic Games in the middle of nowhere,” referring to Salt Lake City, capital of the state of Utah.

Then the mayor of London, Boris Johnson, who has never had a complex about speaking in public, took advantage of a concert on Thursday in Hyde Park to respond to the American politician. “There’s a guy called Mitt Romney who wants to know if we are ready. Are we ready? Yes we are!” the public rallied.

Johnson brought his words to a climax with a not so diplomatic comment assuring that the British team is “going to win more gold, silver and bronze medals than you would need to bail out Spain and Greece together.”

The British media, above all the most sensationalist, have responded with indignation.

“Who invited party pooper Romney?” asked the Daily Mail. “Mitt the twit,” headlined the Sun. “Nowhere man,” the most moderate London Times used to reference to him.

Nothing could be further from Obama’s visit to Berlin in 2008, when he spoke among cheers in the Tiergarten and during which he called upon the millions assembled to increase transatlantic cooperation to defeat terrorism.

After attending the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in London, Romney will travel to Israel on Saturday. There, he will be received by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Before returning to the United States, he will stop over in Poland, one of George W. Bush’s strongest allies in the so-called war against terrorism and in the Iraqi military operation.

Romney is known for his ad-libs during interviews and campaign events. In February, during an interview on CNN, he said, “I’m not concerned about the very poor.” Harsh words for an aspiring presidential candidate as well.