Romney’s Persecution Complex

by Stuart Shapiro

Let me say first that I would never run for President.  Baring your soul and everything you’ve ever done for all to examine seems so unpleasant that it far outweighs any attraction.  That said, the candidates know what they are in for.  It has become clear in the last few weeks that Romney just doesn’t understand why everyone isn’t bowing down before him.  From the 47% comments to Ann Romney’s accusations about conservatives it is clear that the Romneys see criticisms as evidence of fault by the critic, not themselves.  Amy Davidson summarizes what this says about Romney:

Any gratitude toward the country we’ve all built, Romney seems to be saying, is misplaced. Instead, the feelings Romney regards as proper ones for the rest of us to assume are a cheerful appreciation of the wealthy and an eager resolve to be just like Mitt—and also a little nicer to him. Romney has reduced the great issues of fairness and a just society to the rather boring question of whether people are being fair to him and his friends, and whether they admire his fine qualities. Among other things, this cannot help him electorally: What is less attractive than a manifestly lucky man sulking about how everyone is jealous of him?

By: Stuart Shapiro

Stuart is a professor and the Director of the Public Policy
program at the Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers
University. He teaches economics and cost-benefit analysis and studies
regulation in the United States at both the federal and state levels.
Prior to coming to Rutgers, Stuart worked for five years at the Office
of Management and Budget in Washington under Presidents Clinton and
George W. Bush.