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MONTHLY ARCHIVES
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Mitt Keeps it Classy on Leno
January 19, 2008 8:33 AM
Takes the high road in describing the confrontation with AP reporter Glen Johnson, a tough and excellent reporter.
JAY LENO: I've got to ask you something. You had a run-in with an aggressive reporter yesterday. Tell us about that. Tell us what happened. We'll show the tape.
MITT ROMNEY: Well, you know, it's kind of a normal thing. These guys have a responsibility to be adversarial, and, you know, we don't treat them real well. The guys that follow us in the Presidential race come in a whole group. We put them in the back of the aircraft. We feed them lousy food. We wake them up early in the morning to go to events, and then as you'll see in this clip, I think, we don't give them chairs to sit on either. So they have a tough go of it, but they're doing their job.
JAY LENO: It's interesting because, you know, the report said, "Romney loses his cool." Well, I like it because it's a real moment. Take a look.
(Clip shown -- you can watch it HERE).
JAY LENO: You know what I like about it? I like it because it's real. I like the fact that the guy confronted you, and rather than just tell him to take a hike, you actually said you wanted to meet him later.
MITT ROMNEY: Yeah.
JAY LENO: Because losing it -- see, my dad would deck people.
(Laughter.)
My dad was a prizefighter. He bought a Wellpoint once at Sears, and it broke, and the guy yelled at my dad, and "Come here," and knocked the guy out.
(Laughter.)
That's losing your cool. Have you ever lost your cool? Have you ever just exploded at a guy?
MITT ROMNEY: Absolutely, but not a reporter. That's sort of the end of the campaign when that happenw -- or a voter. You don't do that -- either one. Sometimes the kids push me to the edge, but I learned not to lose my cool with the kids.
JAY LENO: But is that the type of thing where advisors go, "Oh, my God, this tape is ugly. You look like..."? I think it helps because it shows -- because everybody goes to the baby and the wave thing. I like under pressure.
MITT ROMNEY: I don't know if it helps or it hurts. You know, after a year of being out on the campaign trail, you just sort of do what you've got to do, and these guys have a tough job to do. I respect the fact they've got to ask me tough questions and get in my face, but if I don't agree, I'm going to come back hard as well. That's just the nature of the way it ought to be.
*
What do you think, vox populi?
- jpt
January 19, 2008 | Permalink | Share | User Comments (36)
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is still School what effect I even sour, about just their It is the wild
Posted by: appleyahoo | Mar 25, 2008 4:43:44 AM
Beautifully said CPNYC! THAT is what I am looking for in the next president. UNITE the state of America.
Posted by: Adam | Jan 21, 2008 3:08:16 PM
Mitt is one class act! The media continues to portray him as a medicore candidate by discrediting his landslide wins in Michigan and Nevada. I included a link in which I thought is very interesting. Glen Johnson, shame on you!
Posted by: Samuel | Jan 21, 2008 10:28:01 AM
I heard Romney on Fox this morning and the media was calling him to task on his record in Massachusetts. If you look at what he DID in the short term he was Governor, it is quite impressive. He inherited a huge mess and got Massachusetts back on track in the area of spending and education. Mitt was a champion of family values in a very liberal state. The media so wants McCain or Huckabee to win as they know they cannot compete against the Democrats. Don't believe everything you hear on the media. Look at the guy's voting record to see what a person will do when in the White House.
Posted by: jdmkun | Jan 20, 2008 3:44:49 PM
Glen Johnson is a Hillary fan that has been assigned to Mitt Romney. He rarely writes anything unbiased about him.
So when Mitt stands up, to what is essentially a Clinton surrogate, with such class, calm and strength, it's a real sign that he has what it takes to take on the Clinton machine.
Posted by: sheryl | Jan 20, 2008 12:52:01 PM
The one thing that I can see out of this whole incident is that Mitt Romney is no different than you and me except he finds a higher pride in pretending. Ya on the outside he is all spiffy but get him aside and you realise he does have special interest and he is just another dirty politician. This is the kind of person that got us in the position were in in the first place. Dont let a wolf in sheeps clothing snake his way to the White House again, we already have black and blue eyes from our last vote. Lets did deep and find a man or woman that can really do the job and bring respect back to the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!
Posted by: Baseline | Jan 20, 2008 12:04:20 PM
Romney was a mediocre governor of Massachusetts and has exaggerated his accomplishments there. He was unable to work effectively with the Democratic Houses and his vetoes were overturned 200 times. Bush has made a fine mess of things and I am not convinced Romney could make the big changes that are needed. Mitt is a venture capitalist. He has made a lot of money by laying off workers. None of his opponents like him which suggests he has some serious flaws.
Posted by: E. Elder | Jan 20, 2008 12:34:16 AM
Romney = Huxley's Brave New World
See the political/business pro at work.
Could be the the slickest, opportunistic crafter of speech and shifting policy talk since Ronnie. If you loved Reagan and Bush (spend our money and call me conservative) you'll love this monster.
Posted by: Billybob | Jan 20, 2008 12:16:31 AM
Yeah, this Romney character is starting to win me over. I'm an independent, and for me, when it comes down to it, for me, it's going to be which of these guys/gals would I trust my family to? Cuz that what we're voting for- these people have the power to make decisions that affect our families for generations in very direct ways. One thing I like about Romney is that he hasn't given up on or abandoned his family. I think he'd treat the country the same way- he'd put us ahead of himself. That's all we have to go on- he didn't leave his family for his ego- maybe he won't leave our country for his ego. I guess I say this because I recently read that McCain and Giuliani both dumped their first wives soon after they become "heroes" in their own minds. Romney became a hero in his own right (his career was turning around bankrupt businesses- interesting- isn't that what Washington is?) but he's stuck by his family, including his wife during a serious illness she had. Power almost always corrupts, but so far, I'm starting to believe that Romney isn't more genuine than the media and his opponents have tried to paint him as. Don't get me wrong, I do think marriages break up sometimes and I do have respect for Giuliani and McCain. It's just that I'm not going to NOT vote for someone who I think is too perfect. Good grief, if we could ever use a perfect presidential candidate, this is the time. Mitt Romney isn't perfect, but his weaknesses seem to be stronger than some of his opponent's strengths! I mean, the only thing they can dig up on the guy is that he put his dog on top of his car for a few hours! I've done worse than that and almost everyone else has (especially if we consider adultery worse than that). Mitt Romney is starting to win me over.
Posted by: Shaun Hansen | Jan 19, 2008 10:40:45 PM
Its interesting to me how CNN, and Google and ABC only showed Clintons victory in Navada not Mitts overwhelming win by numbers , not 39 votes here and there from voters( who are poor and need to be educated and helped) by right of their poverty are often ignorant of the big picture.As with the other states so far the numbers want a decent man like Mitt, the minority rabble-rowsers are loud and special interest supported.
Posted by: des | Jan 19, 2008 7:41:46 PM
Romney is just what this country needs to bring us back to the great country we can be.
He is honest, sincere, and SMART! He would be great for our economy and renewed hope.
Posted by: Linda Anderson | Jan 19, 2008 6:53:08 PM
The video clip of Romney responding to the reporter didn't even come close to qualifying as losing his cool. Romney is a class act while still reponding to the tough questions. Romney is the president we need for the future particularly to address the economic issues. Romney in 08!!!!
Posted by: jdmannsurf5 | Jan 19, 2008 6:47:51 PM
THANKS Mr. LENO FOR EXPOSING THIS GUY. TRUE COLORS ARE COMING OUT.
Posted by: BOBSTER II | Jan 19, 2008 6:29:22 PM
Yes. Romney is the man we need for president. This country needs him. Even those who don't agree with him, need him as the leader of our country. He would help our image world wide, and do more to help our economy than any of the other candidates, dem or republican. He has my vote!
Posted by: Nancy Henry | Jan 19, 2008 6:26:48 PM
The guy was lying when the reporter asked about lobbists in his compaign and he is strill lying now. He actually has over a dozen lobbists onboard but still deny's that fact. What a phoney. The Romney Fan Club comments appearing here show just how gullible can be. Can you folks say "LOSER"?
Posted by: JR | Jan 19, 2008 6:10:33 PM
After watching Mitt last night on Jay Leno I decided I'd better take a closer look at this guy. I have to admit that I have been skeptical of him; (probably thanks to the media) but, what I have learned about him thus far, has really impressed me.
I guess when he was turning around the Olympics he didn't accept his paychaeck, and as a Governor he didn't accept it either.
How cool would it be to have a President who isn't interested in that.
He is gonna get my vote this year.
Posted by: Michael | Jan 19, 2008 6:05:36 PM
Now that Romney won Nevada, it has just demonstrated again the "power of the Jay Leno show", as Leno himself claimed, considering that Huckabee won Iowa after appearing on the show. I know that all candidates have worked their tails off, but a little positive TV exposer certainly helps. Hopefully, news media will learn something from the Leno show and give candidates like Romney, Edwards and other media defined non-front runner more coverage.
Romney may very well beat the poll numbers in South Carolina too.
Posted by: JL | Jan 19, 2008 5:54:32 PM
Unless you have another favorite candidate.
Posted by: Jed | Jan 19, 2008 4:55:02 PM
Having read all the above comments, it's great to see how many people agree that Mitt is an extraordinary opportunity for America to get it right, and he has been unfairly suppressed and trashed by the media. For a wake-up call everyone should read my new book "PIPM Ultimatum" by Brad Tew.
Posted by: Brad Tew | Jan 19, 2008 3:48:17 PM
I've been taking my sweet time on deciding who to support in this race, republican or democrat... and my mind was made up once and for all last night watching Romney showing his cool. I'm excited to see how this turns out.
Posted by: independent | Jan 19, 2008 3:06:11 PM
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