Quirky late-night TV host David Letterman has a perennial audience favorite, "Stupid Dog Tricks," wherein canines perform wacky feats for laughs. Imagine the bottomless supply of material for an equivalent bit, "Stupid Political Tricks," for laughs?
An inaugural installment is just waiting to be programmed involving Mitt Romney, Massachusetts' gift to the foot-in-mouth politics of blundering and flip-flopping, the man who lost the dog-owner vote when he confirmed with unfeeling delight—but found no fault in—his pet dog being strapped to the top of the family car during a trip.
As further proof that being a millionaire several times over doesn't guarantee common sense, Romney has done it again.
The best way to explain his new blunder is for computer users to type in www.idahodemocrats.com and see what happens.
For the computer deprived, what pops up is not a Democratic Web site but the glorious image of lantern-jawed Republican Mitt Romney looking into the clouds plus a page full of his Free Strong America PAC political moralizing and lectures, including videos.
Romney commandeered not only "Idaho Democrats" as a fake front for his Republican spiel, but has also done it in Nevada, Arizona, Colorado and New Mexico, states I checked for his deception. He may have done the same elsewhere. I'm told the Idaho Democratic Party asked Romney to abandon the deceit but his people refused.
Democrats need not bother. Would anyone in Idaho or any other state misdirected to Republican Romney's Internet site really sign up and send him a donation and ultimately vote for him, especially after being annoyingly hoodwinked?
Romney and his intimates show a childish lack of common sense. Furthermore, with this shell game, Romney only hardens his image as an oily, shifty politician stooping to any trick to shove himself into voters' faces.
Not even ardent conservative activists that Romney considers natural allies have much fondness for him. At the Conservative Political Action Conference's Washington gathering last week, Romney picked up 22 percent of the delegates in an informal straw poll of likely GOP presidential nominees, second to the 31 percent for libertarian populist Rep. Ron Paul. That's a painful rebuke for Romney, who still believes he's riding a tidal wave of popularity right smack into the White House.
If Romney tries for the political brass ring again in 2012, it'll only be his second attempt. Minnesota Gov. Harold Stassen tried for the GOP presidential nomination 12 times before calling it quits.
Oy.
