Romney Speech “Infantilizing”

by Stuart Shapiro

After Paul Ryan’s speech of lies and Clint Eastwood’s embarrassment, Governor Romney’s speech came as something of a relief.  His personal stories were touching and his delivery, uncommonly good for him.  However, the problem was, it was a classical political speech, promising everything and not detailing any sacrifices he would ask.  Noah Millman (at the American Conservative) went even farther:

…quite plainly, Mitt Romney has no intention of saying anything that his audience doesn’t want to hear, and what he thinks his audience wants to hear is that America is great, and the only reason everything isn’t hunky dory is that we are led by a man who doesn’t understand that America is great. So believe in Mitt Romney, who believes in America, and trust that he will do the right things to steer America toward brighter shores.

That’s the whole speech, and it’s the whole campaign. It’s really that infantilizing.

Romney will cut benefits that help millions of Americans.  He will reduce taxes on the wealthiest.  He will reduce protections for public health.  But that doesn’t play well on the campaign trail.  So instead he speaks in platitudes and hopes no one will ask what his plans are.

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.