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Lamest Attack of the Day: Name an Olympics You've Changed

January 07, 2008 9:05 PM

It's been a day full of weird and nasty attacks. But Mitt Romney's today against Barack Obama just may take the cake: "Name an Olympics...you've changed!"

Yeesh.

(Full quote, per ABC News' Matt Stuart: "Barack, name something you've changed. Name a business you've changed. Name an Olympics or a volunteer organization you've changed. Name something in Washington you've changed. Name something you've changed. You think we have to change, but you've never done it. I've done it. It's how I spent my life. Dealing with innovation. Dealing with change. Making things better. And I think when you compare the experience of bringing change with just ideas about turning left, we're gonna win that national election in November of '08...")

I changed the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. By attending it, it was not the same as if I had been elsewhere.

-- jpt

January 7, 2008 | Permalink | User Comments (13)

User Comments

I see that you think your presence at the Salt Lake Olympics Was equivalent to Mitt Romney actually running it. This comparison seems equivalent to Joel Stein equating his getting a computer virus to our troops being deployed to Iraq. Do you remember what was happening within the International Olympic Committee prior to Mitt coming in to clean up the bribes, graft and corruption so that you would actually have an Olympics to attend? Perhaps you could use some time back at the fact checking desk doing a little research. Your bias is glaring.
Just think, if Mitt gets elected you’ll have at least 4 years to try and tear him down.
P.S. Love the censorship BTW

Posted by: GEO | Jan 8, 2008 10:40:35 PM

Joel - Why is he a Flip-Flopper?? Out of Touch?? Doomed (well i guess like the rest of us if Obama gets elected)

R Kellar - Do you realize what he did for the Olympics? Before he was running or thought of running he was complimented on it. Romney has True Experience.

So heres at tidbit of info - We are not voting for the Best Actor (if we were I would give it to Obama) We are voting for an Executive!!!! Executive Branch Get IT!!

Posted by: spock | Jan 8, 2008 10:40:39 AM

yeah! competence is overrated! lets elect some one who makes us feel warm and fuzzy.

Posted by: cordelia525 | Jan 8, 2008 10:31:25 AM

Romney believes that God planted a little gold book in a mountain near Rochester, where it was found less than 200 years ago. He also believes that Joseph Smith discovered this book and read it through a pair of stone spectacles. I don't know what else to say.

Posted by: DKNY | Jan 8, 2008 8:20:35 AM

Romney has changed many great companies and the Olympics for the better. He actually would take companies that were doing terrible and fix them. Staples and Domino's Pizza are a few examples. That is a gift to be able to do that. Romney gets results personally, financially, socially, etc. The man aims big and achieves. He is inspiring. We need inspiration and fixing right now. Our country needs a powerful, moral leader like Mitt Romney.

Posted by: Beth Anderson | Jan 8, 2008 2:15:52 AM

It was a valid line of commentary. Those are the things Mr. Romney has fixed/changed. What has Obama fixed/changed? He organized political rallies in Chicago.

Has he saved large companies? Has he helped save companies (that create and keep jobs and livelihoods?) No. Neither have I. I am not qualified for President. To Mr. BHO, you are a great energizer, but what have you done? And more, what will you do? I do not need more government "Help"
(I'm with the government, and I'm here to help?) Seriously, I don't. I want more private enterprise, less needless regulation. I want clean air and water, of course, but does anyone think the government (at any level) runs anything well? Obama wants the government to do more things for us?

The federal government is not some ideological theory land. It is the largest enterprise on the planet, and we need someone who is innovative and can lead such a creature. Mitt has led large entities and has succeeded doing it. He will succeed as president, as well.

Posted by: Apollo | Jan 8, 2008 1:47:01 AM

The Olympics in question were riddled with corruption. What did Mitt do to change them?

Posted by: azul | Jan 8, 2008 1:46:17 AM

Romney just doesn't get it. He annoys people by constantly switching his positions on abortion, gay rights, tax cuts, immigration, almost everything. That's why people think he's phony - because he tries to be all things to all people. What a complete loser.

Posted by: Joel | Jan 8, 2008 1:41:47 AM


"I changed the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. By attending it, it was not the same as if I had been elsewhere."

And you think Romney is lame???? Please...get a life. Only in the most trival metaphysical sense did you change the 1996 Olympics. Trust me on this, you're looking a little Narcissistic on this.

Posted by: R Kellar | Jan 8, 2008 1:37:35 AM

Further proof that Romney is:

1) a total flip-flopper

2) completely out of touch

3) doomed.

Posted by: Joel | Jan 8, 2008 1:31:16 AM

Lee, very well put! Romney is without a doubt a man who has clearly proven that he can make changes for the better. Anybody out there who's never started their own business, or chaired a major event hasn't got a clue has to the complexity of leadership qualifications it takes to do so.

Romney by far is the most well rounded candidate in talking about the individual issues.

Posted by: Cindy Cortese | Jan 7, 2008 10:46:00 PM

How about the Coburn-Obama Spending Transparency Bill?

Posted by: Shua Nedy | Jan 7, 2008 9:38:24 PM

Mr. Tapper, your observations are often sound, but this one makes you appear as mentally exhausted as the candidates you cover (are tears next?). Whatever you think of Romney, the quote you conveyed is an effective line of attack against Obama. Certainly far more pithy and substantive than anything Hillary has come up with. If Romney garners the Republican nomination, and names a running mate with strong national security credentials, it's probably the only potentially winning message for the GOP.

Posted by: LEE SPIECKERMAN | Jan 7, 2008 9:26:43 PM

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