A note about this week's comic.
Many people have said that whatever bullying MItt Romney did as a teenager is irrelevant to his qualifications for president. And to some degree, I agree. One misdeed committed as a child can't define what kind of person and leader someone is at 65. But I think there are two very important points that run counter to that.
First, Romney's reaction to the revelation does have bearing on his current character. He claims he doesn't remember the incident, and that's either a lie or it displays a callousness that goes beyond ordinary teen bullying. On the other end of the specturm, let's say he was the one who brought up the story, say, in an autobiography, and said how ashamed he was of it, and how it taught him something. I think many people currently concerned about the incident would instead see it as a positive, humanizing story.
But second, and the reason I did this comic on the topic: it fits so perfectly into an existing narrative of who Mitt Romney is. Like it or not, these campaigns are not job applications; they're theater. The country is telling a story about what it is, where it's going, and who these two people are who are vying to lead it. Can anyone really believe that Barack Obama wasn't elected because of the compelling narrative of his life and what it would mean for that man to be President at this time?
One storyline that has clearly emerged on Mitt Romney is that he is a man who grew up privileged and entitled, who succeeded based on those advantages, and who is clueless about what it means to be a disadvantaged outsider in this country. There are countless examples of things he's said and done on the campaign trail, and in his life, that have been seized upon to support that narrative. This bullying story fits this narrative, not only because he commited a cruel act against someone he perceived as a misfit, but because he probably did so, as the governor's son, without the slightest concern that he would pay any price for it.
This narrative, along with the opposing narrative -- a man from an accomplished family who went on to succeed in business, displaying competence and strength -- are how this campaign and election are going to play out over the next few months. And these opposing narratives have a direct relationship with central policy debate of the election. Is the Republican plan to cut taxes on the rich and reduce services to the poor and middle class a competent, properly tough path that will help the entire nation, or is it another case of the advantaged imposing its will on the disadvantaged in the false name of a boot-strap based meritocracy that is either a fantasy or a cruel lie of the privileged?
So, do I think the bullying episode of 50 years ago disqualifies Mitt Romney to be president? Of couse not, but it's a fascinating and relevant aspect of the next few months' national struggle to define who we are and where we're going.
Plus it gave me the chance to draw in the style of the great Dennis the Menace comic books.
L'IL MITT, IN "THE BARBER OF BLOOMFIELD HILLS"
Click here to read on Boing Boing.
Click here to read on GoComics.
Click here to read on Daily Kos. (COMING)
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