Romney's Rose Colored Glasses

On Campaign Stump, Romney Preaches the Importance of Optimism by Michael Luo

Read Article at NYTimes.com

"The question put to Mitt Romney at the Republican presidential debate in Michigan several weeks ago seemed to be a golden opportunity for him to show off his vaunted analytical side. Maria Bartiromo, a CNBC commentator, asked the candidate what he thought posed “the greatest long-term threat” to the American economy.

But instead of summoning a litany of facts and statistics, Mr. Romney suggested that the greatest threat was this: 'Our sense of optimism. America has to be optimistic and recognize that there’s nothing we can’t overcome.'"

Once again a New York Times journalist uses the word "seemed", a word I pray readers immediately discern as inherently biased, and a word that every writer in Journalism 101 knows to avoid. If something "seems" to be something, then it is not definitively that thing; therefore, it is inappropriate in fact or truth-based journalism. It is a matter of personal interpretation, which has become somewhat of an increasingly frequent habit in the media.
The journalist also implies through his sentence, 'But instead of summoning a litany of facts and statistics," that this is what a typical politician would/should do in his situation, which might appear a tad ironic since the Democratic approach often favors character attacks over statistics. To me, it seemed (see, I can use this word because I use the preface "to me", and also never professed unbiased analysis) that this sentence serves to enfeeble his response to mere propaganda aimed to target Americans' patriotic, can-do sentiments, not their intellect.

"The gauzy answer might have surprised some observers, but the comments fit into the sunny mien that Mr. Romney, a former Massachusetts governor, has tried, with varying degrees of success, to carry off since the beginning of his campaign."

My previous sentence (that the last paragraph enfeebles his response) is only supported by Luo's word choice, "gauzy". Gauzy means thin, transparent...like gauze. This also implies a certain weakness. And as always with the New York Times, it implies personal interpretation. The journalist also interprets that Mr. Romney has purposefully acted buoyantly optimistic (since if it were natural, he wouldn't have "tried"), but that he's only been somewhat successful. Apparently, there has been some study testing how successfully Romney can appear optimistic, or Luo has some kind of hope-o-meter that he compares to Romney's approval ratings. Or, just maybe--hypothetically let's say-- he's just interpreting based on his own observations? Oh no, no! Not possible in the New York Times!



"But Mr. Romney’s campaign believes that harnessing positive language is an effective way for him to distinguish himself from his rivals, like Rudolph W. Giuliani, whose relentless focus on the threat of Islamic terrorism can feel dark to some, and Senator John McCain, who has maintained a dour resolve about the Iraq war."

Words that are inherently biased/subjective:

1. Believes- To accept as true or real; however, this is another word to be evaded, as taught in Journalism 101. One cannot assume another believes something without a direct quotation. In this case, what the journalist posits as the campaign's belief contradicts the quotation he publishes. It's just shameless!

2. Relentless- Unyielding in severity or strictness; unrelenting. Not much needs to be said here; this is clearly subjective.

3. Dour- Marked by sternness or harshness; forbidding. Also subjective.

* From American Heritage Dictionary

Phrases that, because of the previous words, are therefore inherently biased/subjective:

1. "believes that harnessing positive language is an effective way for him to distinguish himself from his rivals."

2. "whose relentless focus on the threat of Islamic terrorism can feel dark to some."

3. "who has maintained a dour resolve about the Iraq war."

Wow! This means the only unbiased words in that sentence are "But Mr. Romney's...like Rudolph W. Giuliani...and Senator John McCain."


Pathetic.