Romney pisses of the UK on his first international visit.

Today Team Romney landed in the UK.. yesterday Romney had an interview on NBC where he stuck his own foot in his own mouth a couple of times on everything from the economy to the Colorado attack and to the Olympics.

But the one that concerns the Olympics is now turning into a major back track for the presidential candidate.

Olympics: Mitt Romney seeks to play down London 2012 comments - Telegraph

His words contrasted with an interview he gave to US television channel NBC News shortly before arriving in London, in which he played up the teething problems which have beset preparations for 2012, and appeared to suggest that Britons would not get behind the Games.
"Do they come together and celebrate the Olympic moment? That's something which we only find out once the Games actually begin," he said.
"It's hard to know just how well it will turn out. There are a few things that were disconcerting.
"The stories about the private security firm not having enough people, the supposed strike of the immigration and Customs officials - that obviously is not something which is encouraging."

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Now we all know that the run up to the Olympics have had some problems, but saying that I fully agree with Cameron on his point...

He point out that the 2012 Olympics were taking place in a busy city rather than “the middle of nowhere” – a remark was widely seen as a reference to the 2002 Winter Games in Salt Lake City, Utah, which Mr Romney was in charge of organising.

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Nice comeback by Cameron on that one hehe. Although it does not excuse Cameron's government for some of the ****-ups they have done lately, but to their credit they have "fixed" them as soon as they realized there was a problem. The issue of course was getting the realization of problems a week before the games.

Like it or not, Romney has shown he is not much of a diplomat and out of touch with reality... not a good start for the possible future President.

The UK is a disaster right now and they are (*&^%ing up the Olympics

Good for Romney

Non-issue. His statement isn't at all inflammatory or insulting. It's an observation of fact regarding a tenuous, stressful situation leading up to the London Games. And the Salt Lake City games weren't in the "middle of nowhere". For all the pressure put on Americans to know the geography of every other nation on the planet, it seems a little silly to make a stupid comment like Cameron's to diffuse the issues London has had.

Every Olympic program has run into issues. Questioning how well things will flow once they begin in London is not "Pissing on the UK".

Non-issue, thread should die a natural death. talking point threads should be ignored

Romney has the absolute authority to speak on Olympic issues and challenges. If the UK can't accept that their visitor trumps them in knowledge, skill, and ability, then that's their problem. The UK is known for being thin-skinned. None of us on the other side of the Atlantic should give one damn about their insecurities.

Bronson said:

The UK is a disaster right now and they are (*&^%ing up the Olympics

Good for Romney

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Yep...I think that they will not have a moment of silence for the 1972 Massacre of Isreali athletes and that Isreal has voiced concern over that and again concern about security is the reason Mitt is saying what he said..whcih is pretty vanilla stuff and he was "asked" so he gave an answer...

and F' Cameron anyway.. that guys a moron

London is going to have riots.. they have such a Muslim issue with them not wanting to integrate into society there, that its going to explode one day..

PeteEU said:

Today Team Romney landed in the UK.. yesterday Romney had an interview on NBC where he stuck his own foot in his own mouth a couple of times on everything from the economy to the Colorado attack and to the Olympics.

But the one that concerns the Olympics is now turning into a major back track for the presidential candidate.

Olympics: Mitt Romney seeks to play down London 2012 comments - Telegraph

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Now we all know that the run up to the Olympics have had some problems, but saying that I fully agree with Cameron on his point...



Nice comeback by Cameron on that one hehe. Although it does not excuse Cameron's government for some of the ****-ups they have done lately, but to their credit they have "fixed" them as soon as they realized there was a problem. The issue of course was getting the realization of problems a week before the games.

Like it or not, Romney has shown he is not much of a diplomat and out of touch with reality... not a good start for the possible future President.

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Holy **** dood...you are so completely desperate. Thats pathetic! :lamo

I don't think he needs to worry to much. Most Brits won't have the slightest idea who he is and most or those who do couldn't care less what he thinks about the Olympics.

tessaesque said:

And the Salt Lake City games weren't in the "middle of nowhere". For all the pressure put on Americans to know the geography of every other nation on the planet, it seems a little silly to make a stupid comment like Cameron's

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Yes, that stuck out to me, too. Though I suspect PeteEU bought into it.

LMFAO... I absolutely LOVE threads like these...

Hate to break it to you, but this is hardly Mitt Romney's first international visit... He's been doing business and negotiating high stakes deals in multiple countries for decades... He was also at the Olympics in China there in 08... did you hear any complaints then?

Cameron is a disaster, and less than a shadow of the greatness that his predecessor was... Sometimes when people want change, they might need to think twice... Cameron is a buddy of Obama... and going to support Obama in this election process... So feigning offense to a comment of Romney's is only part and parcel of modern politics... You might be new to this process, but Labor and Tory party reps in England and Democrat and Republican party reps in America have often helped to bolster their allies political careers...

Mitt Romney sizing up the situation regarding England's handling of the games is accurate, and poignant... He didn't dance around anyone's feelings, he got straight to the problem, and didn't get in the way of their handling of it... But, as we saw when he took over the organizing of the Salt Lake City Olympics... when he sees a problem, he gets it fixed... That's his leadership style... and its extremely effective... Unlike Obama's hollow rhetoric, Mitt Romney is a different style politician that would change the way things are done... by actually getting things done!

Furthermore, stories like this continue to point to the greater point, that the lack of substance behind any of the Democratic attacks against Romney add up to... Everything the Dems continue to drub up as problems, are just minor squabbling over the precise wording of statements... They do nothing to address solutions for the great problems facing our country today, or the presidents roll in creating them...

Right now we have a major fiscal crisis, a stagnant economy, and pending baby boom retirement problems right on the horizon which will further exacerbate the fiscal situation even further, potentially bankrupting us as a nation... Mitt Romney is the better candidate at handling these dilemmas, and nothing that the Democrats attempt to distract that issue have any real substance to them...

How does telling it straight about the problems organizing the Olympics in London effect a growing debt of $16T, a budgeted $1.1T deficit, 8% unemployment, a stagnant and slowing GDP close to 1% (which is lower than inflation), and gas prices well over $3.50 in many locations?

If you can't address these problems, it looks like Romney will be the one who does...

PeteEU said:

Today Team Romney landed in the UK.. yesterday Romney had an interview on NBC where he stuck his own foot in his own mouth a couple of times on everything from the economy to the Colorado attack and to the Olympics.

But the one that concerns the Olympics is now turning into a major back track for the presidential candidate.

Olympics: Mitt Romney seeks to play down London 2012 comments - Telegraph

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Now we all know that the run up to the Olympics have had some problems, but saying that I fully agree with Cameron on his point...



Nice comeback by Cameron on that one hehe. Although it does not excuse Cameron's government for some of the ****-ups they have done lately, but to their credit they have "fixed" them as soon as they realized there was a problem. The issue of course was getting the realization of problems a week before the games.

Like it or not, Romney has shown he is not much of a diplomat and out of touch with reality... not a good start for the possible future President.

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I don't know, there's not much here to this story. There are plenty of areas for critique of Romney, but this isn't in the ballpark with some of the more important points.

English take offense at something a Yank says. How unusual. A big whatever.

PeteEU said:

Today Team Romney landed in the UK.. yesterday Romney had an interview on NBC where he stuck his own foot in his own mouth a couple of times on everything from the economy to the Colorado attack and to the Olympics.

But the one that concerns the Olympics is now turning into a major back track for the presidential candidate.

Olympics: Mitt Romney seeks to play down London 2012 comments - Telegraph

[/FONT][/COLOR]
Now we all know that the run up to the Olympics have had some problems, but saying that I fully agree with Cameron on his point...



Nice comeback by Cameron on that one hehe. Although it does not excuse Cameron's government for some of the ****-ups they have done lately, but to their credit they have "fixed" them as soon as they realized there was a problem. The issue of course was getting the realization of problems a week before the games.

Like it or not, Romney has shown he is not much of a diplomat and out of touch with reality... not a good start for the possible future President.

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So your stance is to ignore the start problems England is having. You would rather sugar coat the situation? Personally, I hardly think the misspeak is any worse than some of Obama's actions.


(side note: didn't England upset North Korea by raising the wrong flag (South Korea).? I know England corrected the error and appologized.).

Ikari said:

I don't know, there's not much here to this story. There are plenty of areas for critique of Romney, but this isn't in the ballpark with some of the more important points.

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Seriously...I'm not seeing the horrible thing that Romney did.

PeteEU's trying to make this a "diplomacy" issue. Romney pointed out some possible problems that have been documented with regards to the Olympics and THAT'S a diplomatic flub? Sorry, you can't run with that as a quality example of Bad Diplomacy and then, if Republican's start bringing up statements and actions about Obama toward say Israel, suggest that Obama has no such issues.

Here's what he said

And in the short time you've been here in London, do they look ready to your experienced eye?

MITT ROMNEY:
You know, it's hard to know just how well it were turn out-- will turn out. There are a few things that were disconcerting, the stories about the-- private security firm not having enough people-- the sup-- supposed strike of the immigration and customs officials, that obviously is not something which is encouraging. Because in the games, there-- there are three parts that makes games successful.

Number one, of course, are the athletes. That's what overwhelmingly the games are about. Number two are the volunteers. And they'll have great volunteers here. But number three are the people of the-- of the country. Do they come together and celebrate the Olympic moment? And that's something which we only find out once the games actually begin.

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I'm not sure where the huge problem is there. He was asked if they looked ready. He gave an honest opinion based on a few factual issues stating they were disconcerting. He pointed out the games have great volunteers, so it wasn't all negative things he stated. And then he made a comment about coming together to celebrate the olympic moment and said you only find that out one the game begins.

Seriously...pin point me the issue here? The fact, when asked if they look ready, he pointed out a few potential factual trouble points that make him uneasy to say absolutely yes, but suggesting it's something we can't honestly know till things begin?

Romney's proud of the games he ran. He sees things in this games that he doesn't like. It's a natural reaction to backwards sorta criticize the way things are being done. Diplomatically, it's bad form, but it's not terrible. But there's nothing in Romney's resume' that suggests any diplomatic talent.

But it's a non issue. Independents won't pay attention, Obama supporters already think Romney's a bad fit for the office, and Romney supporters feel the same way... only they think Obama is worse.

1. It is an international incident. The British press were all over it and it was on international TV news as well... Romney rarely gets any airtime on those. Hence it is an international incident.

2. The Salt Lake City games, which Romney supposedly saved, was a minor event compared to the real Olympics. Cameron is right on this point. Salt Lake City is a minor town compared to London.

3. Cameron and his government are cluster****s, and I in no way will defend them on most of the crap they are pulling. They are the GOP of the UK and some even as wacko as the Tea Party. They should have made sure that the private contractors were meeting their commitments months ago, not 2 weeks before the games. They should have settled the border control issues long ago instead 2 days before the games. But saying that, Cameron and his government has actually very little to do with the games it self.

4. I also fully know the problems of the UK economy.. and I find it funny how conservatives on these boards go all rabid against the UK, a country they usually defend when talking about Europe, just because their own candidate is a moron and cant get his facts and opinions straight. Now THAT is pathetic to say the least. You guys do know that Cameron is more conservative than that bloweheart of a candidate you guy have? Hell there are Tory party members on TV today calling for "more Reaganomics" to fix the UK economy... sound familiar?

Just admit that it was yet another bonehead comment he came with and move on.

Come on folks: it's just common sense not to criticize the government of our closest ally when you're in town trying to show that you're not a complete foreign affairs boob. He could have commented on the Olympics without being so snotty. He could have even played up his own experience by saying something like, "people don't understand how many moving parts there are in an enterprise of this magnitude....," etc.

PeteEU said:

1. It is an international incident.

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the only proper response here is to laugh and ridicule you

Romney isn't saying anything that the Brits themselves haven't been saying.

nota bene said:

Romney isn't saying anything that the Brits themselves haven't been saying.

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Not the point. You can say things to your wife or kid that would piss you off it came from a stranger.

Boris Johnson mocked Romney during an Olympic ceremony in Hyde Park and Johnson said, “There’s guy called Mitt Romney who wants to know if we are ready. Are we ready? Yes we are!” Romney got off to a bad start with British Conservatives and he may have damaged the Anglo-American special relationship which he is supposed to repair.

PeteEU said:

4. I also fully know the problems of the UK economy.. and I find it funny how conservatives on these boards go all rabid against the UK, a country they usually defend when talking about Europe, just because their own candidate is a moron and cant get his facts and opinions straight. Now THAT is pathetic to say the least. You guys do know that Cameron is more conservative than that bloweheart of a candidate you guy have? Hell there are Tory party members on TV today calling for "more Reaganomics" to fix the UK economy... sound familiar?

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I asked you to pin point. You still haven't.

Please highlight which "facts" he stated that he didn't have straight?

Please highlight which "opinion" specifically you think he doesn't have straight and why?

AdamT said:

Come on folks: it's just common sense not to criticize the government of our closest ally when you're in town trying to show that you're not a complete foreign affairs boob. He could have commented on the Olympics without being so snotty. He could have even played up his own experience by saying something like, "people don't understand how many moving parts there are in an enterprise of this magnitude....," etc.

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Oh, I don't doubt he could've handled it better. But he hardly handled it horribly or he put his "foot in his mouth" as if he said some major gaffe or that it's a clear sign he's "not much of a diplomat". There was nothing scathing, it was not entirely negative, even the negative was expressed as giving a bit of pause at best. I'm not saying it was some diplomatic master stroke. It wasn't. It could've been handled better. But if THIS is how one measures being a "much of a diplomat" and putting one's foot in their mouth then I think think that opens up a far deeper rabbit hole on the side of those making those accusations.

Zyphlin said:

Oh, I don't doubt he could've handled it better. But he hardly handled it horribly or he put his "foot in his mouth" as if he said some major gaffe or that it's a clear sign he's "not much of a diplomat". There was nothing scathing, it was not entirely negative, even the negative was expressed as giving a bit of pause at best. I'm not saying it was some diplomatic master stroke. It wasn't. It could've been handled better. But if THIS is how one measures being a "much of a diplomat" and putting one's foot in their mouth then I think think that opens up a far deeper rabbit hole on the side of those making those accusations.

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Sure...it was nothing much....just enough to get the Mayor of London to publicly denounce Romney.

LOL.

Gimmesometruth said:

Sure...it was nothing much....just enough to get the Mayor of London to publicly denounce Romney.

LOL.

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Aww whatever will poor Romney do

The mayor in a country that is allowing patients to starve to death in it's hospitals has publicly denounced Romney because he didn't like his opinion