The Baseness of the Braggart

Not happy with thrashing his lethargic opponent, the Republican candidate for the U.S. presidency, Willard Mittford Romney, was tough against Spain during the first presidential debate. With escalating coolness and indifference to the possible consequences that his seven impertinent words could have on the immediate financial future of Spain, Romney dealt an undeserved blow.

In the U.S. the blow was completely overlooked, because Spain rarely is news in this country, even when the news is bad. In Spain, with good reason, Romney’s offensive comments have been interpreted as a hostile act that could hurt Spain’s image in the world. Immediately, but with restraint, Dolores de Cospedel, secretary of the Popular Party, responded by demanding prudence: “Spain is not on fire from all sides like some on the outside would have you believe.”

There have also been recriminations directed at Romney in the Spanish press pointing out that “a good part of the margin that Spain has to get out of its crisis depends on its image around the world.” Antonio Cano, the correspondent for El Pais in Washington, wrote: “If Romney wins the elections and is elected president of the United States, how will he manage relations with Spain, a member of NATO, a territory with strategic North American military bases, a primary ally of the United States? For me, the unwarranted aggression toward Spain is like kicking someone who is on the floor after being beaten.” But Romney’s low blow is not at odds with his history of “good boy” arrogance, bullying and trouble-making.

Those who knew a young Romney said that in secondary school, he liked to deal similar cunning blows. In an article published in The Washington Post, some of his school companions said that he used to have fun harassing a gay student.

They described how he roared with laughter after causing a blind teacher to crash into a closed door. They also said that on occasion he also led a group of “good boys” in catching, terrorizing and later shaving a young man that had the audacity to dye his hair. “I participated in a lot of hijinks and pranks …” Romney said with a laugh, when asked in an interview if the allegations were true.*

Minimum Tolerance

Another possible explanation for Romney’s attack on Spain could be that his level of compassion for the people and countries that suffer in an economic downturn is minimal. Romney and his friends like to brag about their wealth: Apart from his millions of dollars, Romney has six mansions in the U.S. and also the same number of Cadillacs, Mustangs and Dodges. Among the Romney family pastimes are practicing dressage with their thoroughbred horses and watching football from luxury boxes at sports stadiums.

Romney does not worry about the poor – at least according to what he told CNN reporter Soledad O’Brien. He is not interested in “the 47 percent” he said in a video published by Mother Jones magazine, “who will vote for the president no matter what …. who are dependent upon government, who believe that they are victims, who believe that government has a responsibility to care for them, who believe that they are entitled to health care, to food, to housing, to you name it …. These are people who pay no income tax …. I’ll never convince them that they should take personal responsibility and care for their lives.” It’s crystal-clear that Romney despises people who are not like him and his friends.

Another way of interpreting the blow against Spain is that Romney was using the crisis to accuse Obama of trying to implement a failed European style economic model in the U.S. For the American right, in Europe there are no substantive differences between distinct countries because their economies are all dominated by the “welfare state.” And for a big percentage of the members of the Republican Party, the same who believe in American exceptionalism, Obama was not only not born in the U.S. but also misled voters by never confessing that the central objective of his administration is to implement European-style socialism in the U.S.

Political Opportunist

I still think that the weight of the debates is relative and that in this election their weight will be close to zero. I think that the fields have been defined and that the vast majority of the voters have already decided for whom they will vote.

I just hope that they will vote for Obama, the candidate who has staked his political career next to the 30 million people who will have health insurance if he is re-elected, the millions of young people who will be covered by their parents’ insurance and the people with pre-existing conditions who can no longer be excluded by insurers, and the only candidate that guarantees that the “dreamers” will not be deported.

Those who know history know that the negative effect of the vileness that Romney showed toward Spain is barely a dent in a story that is measured in centuries. The greatness of Spain does not fade [when] faced with a temporary economic crisis nor is it diminished by the low blows of a political opportunist.

*Translator’s note: The author appears to have intended to reference this quote, although what he literally quoted Romney as saying is different.