Lefty Attack: Mitt Romney “Darkened” Skin Before Univision Event

Townhall.com ^ | September 22, 2012 | Daniel Doherty

[Kaslin]

At a time when 23 million Americans are unemployed and unemployed, the national debt is exploding, and poverty rates are the highest they’ve ever been, the national media should be focused on issues of paramount importance. That didn’t happen on Friday. Instead, at a “Meet the Candidate” event in Florida sponsored by Univision, a bunch of Lefty bloggers accused Governor Romney of “darkening his skin” in order to curry favor with Latino voters. Appalling:

Mitt Romney appeared on Univision's "Meet the Candidate" event on Wednesday evening to talk about issues of importance to Latino voters, including immigration, education and foreign policy. But thousands of bloggers, Facebook subscribers and Twitter users across the country focused more on the candidate's complexion than on his message.

Social media platforms were abuzz on Wednesday with the insinuation that the GOP candidate had somehow darkened his skin before coming on Univision's forum. The accusation was reported on by The Huffington Post, Gawker and Wonkette, among others, receiving thousands of comments on the sites combined.

So is it true? Of course not:

Here at ABC/Univision, we wanted to clear the air a bit and find out what really happened.

So we asked the man who saw it first hand -- makeup artist Lazz Rodriguez, who applied powder and concealer to the candidate's skin that night. The verdict?

"When he walked in, I remember thinking, 'Wow this is tanner than I thought he was,' but I think he's just been outside a lot lately for his campaign," Rodriguez noted. "It was definitely a real tan."

Rodriguez has been a makeup artist for 25 years, and has applied cosmetics to hundreds of famous faces, including many celebrities and politicians, and a handful of presidents.

….

Rodriguez says that his makeup of choice for the evening was MAC NW30, a medium-range loose powder that he applies to "cut the glare" of stage lights.

The ABC/Univision News team decided to investigate the claims that Romney was wearing powder that was too dark, stopping in at the local Miami MAC store after Thursday's "Meet the Candidate" event with Obama to test out the exact make and model. Indeed, we concluded after various trials that the NW30 was a medium-ranged hue that looked natural on a range of beige skin tones. The color was perhaps a tad too dark on Politics Editor Jordan Fabian, just about right on reporter Julia Saenz, and a shade too light on Miami-boy and Managing Editor Fernando Rodriguez-Vila. But, even when we caked the stuff on, NW30 wasn't notably dark on a range of skin tones under harsh lights.

…

"I also don't want this to jeopardize a career I've worked so hard to build in this field," he said. "He was tan from being out in the sun on the campaign trail -- that's the only possible explanation."

I’m a bit surprised by the frivolity of these accusations. Then again, if the guy I was supporting for president (a candidate who campaigned on the slogan “Hope & Change” in 2008) admitted during a Q & A session “you can’t change Washington from the inside,” it’s easy to understand why liberals are freaking out. Forward!

[moovova]

As long as Romney paid Obama’s 10% tanning bed tax, what’s the difference?

Sheesh...you’d think these people would be worried about jobs or the nat’l debt or...but no, they walk around with their index finger stuck up their nose, scratching their brain.

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

You posted this about 20 seconds after I posted #16, I love it. And who are the crackheads clapping and cheering this condescending garbage like it’s the best thing ever? I forgot, the OWS crowd will cheer anything when they get a free lunch and an hour to hang out somewhere that’s air-conditioned.

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

Whatever do you mean? Here's Ms. Healthy-Eating now:

I don't think it's the angle, here's a straight-on shot:

Does this plane make my butt look big?

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

This was when Kerry’s handlers were trying to pass him off as Mr. Athletic (a.k.a. The Most Interesting Man In The World). Toward the end of the campaign he was looking like his gas barbeque blew up in his face.

[ConservativeStatement]

GMTA. :-)

I wish I knew the answer other than to say many people react to what others do. Obama could talk about his favorite gum flavor and some people would think it is a statement of intelligence.

[skr]

Lol!

[TheOldLady]

That woman really tanned herself that shade.

George Hamilton’s “tan” there is ‘shopped.

[Carriage Hill]

They’re both going to have whopping cases of melanoma, from that, I’d bet.

[TheOldLady]

That would come as no surprise.

That unfortunate woman’s face looks like an old shoe already. She tried to addict her own daughter to tanning as well, but I believe that CPS stopped her. There was a thread on FR about it, but I don’t have the link, sorry.

[Carriage Hill]

I vaguely remember the thread, weeks ago. I just thought it was “slightly” Photoshopped; I’ve never seen anyone look like that from tanning. It was so abnormal, it looked surreal. It still does. I think she truly needs psychiatric help; that’s very self-destructive behavior. No wonder CPS took her kid(s) away.

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

Yep, we’re always being told that he’s so smart and articulate. For those that think that, I’d like to break out the clip of him being asked (in front of a bunch of 5th graders) which founding father he’d like to sit down and have dinner with. O sat there for at least 20 seconds “uhhh, ummmm, uhhh...” and never could answer.

I heard audio of it on Laura Ingraham in early 2009. I’ve never seen a video clip. I can’t find anything about it on the internet but there’s gotta be a clip around somewhere.

[TheOldLady]

I guess an addiction is an addiction. Most of them are self destructive. I’m sad for her daughter, who has much less of a chance for a normal life. People like this always leave their children with issues.

[Carriage Hill]

Spot on analysis; what a shame for the daughter.