When President Obama arrived at George Mason University on Friday, he threw a verbal grenade at Mitt Romney that liberal blogs had been entertaining for some time beforehand: “Romnesia.”
By now you’re probably already familiar with the quote, but for clarities sake, here it is again: “If you come down with a case of Romnesia and you can’t seem to remember the policies that are still on your website or the promises that you’ve made over the six years that you’ve been running for president, here’s the good news: Obamacare covers pre-existing conditions.”
Merely two days after President Obama’s utterance of this word, its use, and the discussion about its use, has appeared to “go viral.” Not only is “Romnesia” a catchy phrase, its one word that summarizes the fractured, round-about, disjointed, and contradictory policy positions of the former governor of Massachusetts.
Because of Romney’s contradictory policy positions and his inability to stand up to the most radical elements in his party, at least two major newspapers, one symbolic and one very salient for the upcoming election, have endorsed President Obama for president.
On Friday, the Salt Lake Tribune publicly endorsed President Obama for reelection in an editorial aptly named “Too Many Mitts.” As the heartland for Romney’s own religion, Mormonism, the Tribune’s rebuttal of Romney and ultimate endorsement of President Obama comes as a withering symbolic blow to the formers campaign.
On Saturday, as well, the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Ohio’s largest newspaper, also endorsed President Obama for reelection in an editorial. The editorial noted, “But Romney’s frequent changes raise questions about his core principles and make his lack of policy details all the more troubling. They make you wonder if he would stand up to the more extreme elements in his own party, especially to the House Republicans who undercut Ohioan John Boehner’s attempts to negotiate a deficit and debt deal.”[3]
As a key battleground state in the upcoming presidential election, the Plain Dealer’s endorsement of President Obama may have provided the final nail in the coffin for Romney’s already slim chances of winning Ohio.
If and when President Obama wins this November, “Romnesia” will almost certainly be pinned in the history books as the summarizing concept that encompasses 6 years worth of policy flip-flopping and subsequent voter disapproval. It’s potency as a phrase that can sum up Romney’s greatest flaws in three syllables is as brilliant as it is devastating for the Romney campaign.
You can shake off a bad debate performance, but you just can’t get rid of that awful condition of Romnesia. Now that the malady has been easily identified, voters can take the appropriate action at the polls November 6th.
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