That’s the theme being advanced by the media for tonight; Ann Romney is going to talk about her husband Mitt as if he were a real, live, human being and not the evil, greedy, heartless capitalist the press just knows he is.
Given the twisted caricature of a man that the Obama campaign has portrayed him as — with the eager assistance of the press who never seem to tire of parroting the Obama campaign talking points about him — Ann Romney appears to have an impossible job. And the headlines from articles describing her speech, shows her just how much of an uphill climb she has.
“Ann Romney Takes Biggest Stage Yet to Humanize Mitt,” says Businessweek. “Humanizing Mitt Romney Means Talking More About Ann,” says the Atlantic Wire. “Ann Romney’s RNC task tonight: humanize Mitt,” coos the Virginian-Pilot.
Notice a pattern? Mitt Romney doesn’t need to be “humanized” — especially by the dehumanizing press who think nothing of shoving a microphone in front of a grieving widow to ask her how she “feels” at that moment. To anyone with two brain cells working, and who is not entranced by media accounts of the candidate, Mitt Romney is doing just fine as a human being, thank you. You don’t need to “humanize” someone whose supreme accomplishment in life is helping to raise obviously happy, productive, intelligent children. You don’t need to “humanize” someone who obviously cares deeply and with great passion about his country — passionate enough to endure the outrageous cartoonish profiles of him drawn by his opponent and a hostile media. Nor does Ann Romney need to “humanize” her husband who has stood by her and supported her through triumph and tragedy, a health crisis, the loss of a child, and God knows what other private travails that thankfully, we don’t need to hear about.
Romney’s reticence to talk about himself is a handicap in politics. It makes him appear aloof and unapproachable. And, when you combine that with immense wealth, we get epithets from the press like “patrician,” or “elitist.” Romney appears to be an extremely well grounded, stable, confident, competent man. If Ann Romney has to “humanize” him, it’s because the press and the Obama campaign have done their best to tear him down.
He has many faults, does Romney — some of which will not serve him well as president. But if the two of them together — husband and wife — can break through the screen set up by the press and the dirt thrown up by the Obama campaign that has prevented the American people from glimpsing the “real” Mitt Romney, the Republicans can be confident that their candidate will be on much firmer ground after the convention when the fall campaign will begin in earnest.
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