Matt Lauer Nails Romney

This Matt Lauer interview with Mitt Romney on the Today Show yesterday was among the most revealing candidate interviews I’ve seen in a long time.  Lauer’s question about income inequality was perfectly formulated and clearly set Romney on his heels.  You can see it  in his eyes.  As a result, it showed how the Romney campaign planned to deal with this issue that was placed front and center in the campaign since Occupy Wall Street (OWS) started setting up their tents in Zuccotti Park in New York.

What the interview demonstrated is that Romney has nothing, absolutely nothing, beyond accusing those focusing on income inequality as full of envy and conducting class warfare.  It reminds me of kids who  get a great toy and say to playmates they don’t like, “You’re just jealous!”  He thinks he can get away with avoiding any substantive discussion of the issue by questioning the motives of his adversaries.  They will presumably recoil at seeming envious and drop the issue.   This, despite the fact that every poll that has been taken shows a majority of the voters agree with the OWS critique of our current situation.

Here’s a prediction.  The next time Romney is asked whether the discussion about fairness in income distribution can be motivated by something other than envy, he will have another response.  His response will be that it is entirely fair to discuss the issue, but that Obama and the Democrats are doing it in some inappropriate way.  He sort of tries that here, saying it should be discussed in “quiet rooms.”  Right, it should only be discussed in the libraries in the estates of his friends where they can conclude that their critics are “just jealous!”

Romney’s handlers clearly know he blew the interview with Lauer and will “tweak” his message accordingly.  But, trust me, they will be doing everything they can to de-legitimize this issue because it can kill them.

Tags: income inequality, presidential campaign, Romney

Category: Politics, republicans