Why Romney Welcomes the Boos

Mitt Romney was booed. It was a good day for Mitt Romney.

When the Republican nominee told the NAACP that he was committed to eliminating Obamacare, audience members shouted out. The negative reception might have been momentarily jarring to the candidate, but the moment had a political upside. It offered a chance for a candidate criticized for his malleability to look principled in the face of opposition. That might not have mattered to the audience in the auditorium, but as Romney advisers explain, this speech was not just aimed at the people sitting in their seats or African American voters in general. […]

Romney was also applauded by the NAACP audience, as his supporters were quick to point out. True, but it’s in their candidate’s interest to get booed and to have that booing reported. Quiet golf clapping and even sustained applause would rob Romney of explaining how steadfast he is going to be in the interviews that followed. It would weaken the Daniel in the Lion’s Den story. […]

The boos are particularly helpful in building ties with conservatives who prize constancy in the face of opposition among all political attributes and who have specific concerns about Romney’s commitment to repealing the president’s health care plan.

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Most certainly. I expect that Romney getting booed will play well in online hate-fests.