Give Romney A Break

Romney is apparently gaffe prone to such a degree that it is now a given that he will lose the election as a result. What is it though that he has actually said? In one instance he told his audience of donors that the Middle East will "remain an unsolved problem.... and we kick the ball down the field and hope that ultimately, somehow, something will happen and resolve it. We don't want to go to war to try and resolve it imminently. So the only answer is show your strength. Again, American strength, American resolve, as the Palestinians someday reach the point where they want peace more than we're trying to push peace on them... and then it's worth having the discussion. Until then, it's just wishful thinking." Seems to me that Romney's assessment is spot on and that his comment about not going to war is responsible. Romney also said that Palestinians are committed to the destruction and elimination of Israel, that they have no interest whatsoever in establishing peace and that the pathway to peace is almost unthinkable to accomplish. Again these are accurate statements so where are the gaffes here? Romney has been refreshingly honest since we all know that the only peace Palestine is currently prepared to accept is one which involves Israel disappears completely. We are told that Romney made another gaffe when he said that "47% of Americans pay no income tax. So our message of low taxes doesn't connect. And [Obama] will be out there talking about tax cuts for the rich. I mean that's what [the Democrats] sell every four years. And so my job is not to worry about those people - I'll never convince them that they should take personal responsibility and care for their lives." Again where's the gaffe in this? It reads to me like another accurate statement. Romney is also being criticised for saying that the debt burdens of Western countries were caused by being over generous to too many out of an inadequate revenue stream. Osborne has been saying the same thing and is also being criticised for telling it as it is. Thomas Pascoe has an interesting piece in the Telegraph today on this which you can read here. Romney's statements demonstrate that he is a realist which after all the dream rubbish propagated by Obama is like a breath of fresh. One can only hope that Romney's honesty will be seen as attractive to the swing voters who decide elections since with all the potential flare points in the world we need a tough United States not the weak one that has been projected by the Obama regime.