Posted on 07/27/2012 6:00:55 AM PDT by C19fan
Top political figures in Britain have been queuing up to criticise Mitt Romney after he kicked off his first foreign tour by publicly questioning whether London would be able to run the Olympics smoothly. The most high-profile humiliation came when thousands of Brits jeered him after London's Mayor Boris Johnson mocked him at a concert to mark the end of the Olympic Torch relay. However, behind the scenes officials were even more scathing about the Republican presidential hopeful, describing his visit as a 'car crash' and comparing him unfavourably to Sarah Palin. Another official who met with the former Governor of Massachusetts said he was 'apparently devoid of charm, warmth, humour or sincerity'.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
‘It’s hard to know just how well it will turn out.’ From personal experience it is difficult to tell ahead of time how something will turn out. When it’s an Olympic Games this is especially true. The accounting peons won’t be done adding one and one till months after the games are over. Then is when you find if you have a bottom line or not. Romney, having been there done that, was speaking from experience.
Now that I have defended that fool Romney, lets get something straight. No candidate since Reagan for either of the top two offices in this nation has come as high as Palin’s knees with Romney unable to surmount her little toe. Romney is the weakest candidate the political elite could find and they are terrified that he isn’t weaker than Obama.
The archery events were previously advertised as ‘unticketed’ meaning, to them, that it was closed. Hundreds showed up today thinking they didn’t need a ticket to get in. They were all unhappily turned away. Plain English is apparently no so plain these days. Maybe Mitt is on to something.
If you are going to indulge in such kneejerk attitudes to an entire country, we are in no hurry to have you.
‘Quoting Joe Biden, that was a big effin’ deal when the South Korean flag was displayed before the North Korean soccer game.’
No it wasnt, it was a minor error on the Hampden scoreboard. Only the frankly ridiculous North Koreans (who are a bizarre people straight out of an Orwell novel) would make such a hysterical overreaction.
He was in our country. Not his own.
As such, it came across as rude and lacking in respect for his hosts.
I never said Americans were perfect. You Brits are certainly capable of doing fine work. The olympics is not a good example.
***Meanwhile, the Salt Lake City Games were saved (by Romney’s leadership, no less) and produced a profit.***
Wasn’t there a scandal at SLC Olympics about bribing people with BHP pistols as gifts?
And so...I guess the REAL answer is: If you don’t want the truth...don’t ask the question. But then again...I’m not a hypocrit...I’m a straight shooter. If Tony Blair had been asked the question back in ‘99...I would not have thought him rude or pompous if he had said the same. I would had thought him honest. Guess that’s just me.
The Daily Mail is playing ‘lets you and him fight’. Don’t let them set their agenda.
Sarah Palin, car crash???
SHE is the one that kept John McCain somewhat in that race!
The ‘caving’ came from the IOC, it has damn all to do with us. And there has been nothing in the media about such British ‘caving’. So stop spreading your BS.
I am getting utterly and completely sick of the Anglophobia on FR, esp when people like you accuse us of antisemitism.
Jesus, I’d see less Anglophobia on an Irish pro-IRA site.
Why should young British men and women fight and die, as they have alongside Americans, in two wars in the last ten years, when Britain, America’s best ally, gets the disgusting vitriol that seems to be all over FreeRepublic?.
If you hate the UK so much, kindly take your Olympic team home. Today.
OK. Apologies extended.
OTOH, how can responsible politicians get their panties in a twist over a mild response that an American politician gave to a reporter?
Are people a little ‘jumpy’ over there? (I guess I’m guilty of the same.)
Because we lost 400K dead in two wars because of sentimental ties to our cousins an ocean away. And we'd jump in again if Britain's sovereignty were ever threatened. I find it vaguely amusing how Brits can dish it out but can't take it. What ever happened to the stiff upper lip?
“However, he needs to be more diplomatic!!!!”
Perhaps a no-win situation for Romney. Given the problems already reported on the Olympic preparations, how could he possibly say he thought everything was fine.
We’ll know Romney did well if Obama doesn’t make a commercial containing Romney’s Olympic remarks.
The United States had 500,00 military deaths, Great Britain had 326,000 Military Deaths.
After we bailed Europe out, we rebuilt them:
As the war-torn nations of Europe faced famine and economic crisis in the wake of World War II, the United States proposed to rebuild the continent in the interest of political stability and a healthy world economy. On June 5, 1947, in a commencement address at Harvard University, Secretary of State George C. Marshall first called for American assistance in restoring the economic infrastructure of Europe. Western Europe responded favorably, and the Truman administration proposed legislation. The resulting Economic Cooperation Act of 1948 restored European agricultural and industrial productivity. Credited with preventing famine and political chaos, the plan later earned General Marshall a Nobel Peace Prize
So far all they’ve had go wrong is an Olympics construction “budget overrun” of $14.4 billion spent as opposed to the $3.7 billion alloted.
And the security firm hired by the Brits which was supposed to provide 10,400 skilled guards failed to deliver, showing up with under 6,000 hastily trained rent-a-cops so far.
And already the genius Olympic officials caused the North Koreans to keep their womens’ soccer team from the field after the South Korean flag was mistakenly displayed on the overhead scoreboard screen-—Cameron himself came forth and groveled to North Korea about that one.
And lastly—or firstly—the dumbass Brit “Culture Secretary” Jeremy Hunt shook the opening Olympic bell too furiously at a public event and ripped it from its base, flinging it into a wide-eyed crowd.
What did the manly, resolute, ever-ready Sec. Hunt exclaim as the audience ducked and covered? “Oh, oh dear! Are you all right? Health and safety!”
Health and safety??
Oh yeah...things are going swimmingly there in London town.
C’mon man - stone up a bit. Some intemperate remarks in the British press inspired some intemperate remarks at FreeRepublic. None of this erases the kinship we hold dear. I’m proud of my Scot roots and nothing the lefty press can say will change any of that.
Someone else noted that it looked like the daily mail was playing, “Let’s you and him fight” and that’s what I’m getting from all of this.
Frankly, I rarely ever take my cues from the libs...
You're wasting keystrokes. The British narrative is that we got into the war late, as if it were some kind of mutually-agreed upon game to which we had been tardy. In truth, we fought Germany mainly because of sentimental ties to Britain (in spite of equally strong sentimental ties to Ireland, Italy and Germany), but the average Brit seems to think we were late to the game, as if it were any of our business, in the first place.
The H&S remark was clearly meant as a joke.
This govt has been REPEALING many stupid h&s laws brought in by Labour 1997-2010.
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