Romney in London: Not a Smashing Success So Far
The first stop — Britain — in Mitt Romney’s foreign tour certainly is starting out rockier than nearly anyone expected.
First there was the kerfuffle over remarks, attributed by a British newspaper to an anonymous campaign adviser, that Romney understood the shared “Anglo-Saxon heritage” between the U.S. and Britain in a way President Obama didn’t. Those comments were viewed as racist by some and were disowned by the Romney campaign.
Then the candidate himself caused a dust-up by saying he found “disconcerting” security and other glitches in the run-up to Friday’s opening ceremony. It didn’t help that at the same time, he appeared to express doubt about the eventual success of the games:
“You know, it’s hard to know just how well it will turn out,” Romney said.
British Prime Minister David Cameron skewered Romney with a comment that would have done Winston Churchill proud:
“We are holding an Olympic Games in one of the busiest, most active, bustling cities anywhere in the world. Of course it’s easier if you hold an Olympic Games in the middle of nowhere.”
As in Salt Lake City, Utah, was the clear meaning, where the 2002 games Romney oversaw were held.