Republican Utah Sen. Mitt Romney is the forgiving type. Maybe a little too forgiving.
Romney released a statement on Tuesday decrying the current state of political discourse in the United States. His statement is careful to accuse both President Trump and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of engaging in some of the worst, most “vile” rhetoric.
But more interesting than Romney’s list of offenders is that he conspicuously portrays Democratic nominee Joe Biden as being supposedly above the fray. The problem here is that Biden really is not above getting in the mud. You would think that Romney, of all people, whom Biden claimed in 2012 would put black people “back in chains,” would know this.
“I have stayed quiet with the approach of the election,” reads the senator’s statement. “But I’m troubled by our politics, as it has moved away from spirited debate to a vile, vituperative, hate-filled morass that is unbecoming of any free nation — let alone the birthplace of modern democracy.”
It adds, “The president calls the Democratic vice-presidential candidate ‘a monster;’ he repeatedly labels the speaker of the House ‘crazy;’ he calls for the Justice Department to put the prior president in jail; he attacks the governor of Michigan on the very day a plot is discovered to kidnap her.”
All true. Romney then notes that Democratic lawmakers are no angels.
“Democrats launch blistering attacks of their own,” said Romney. “Pelosi tears up the president’s State of the Union speech on national television.”
These things are true as well.
But then Romney asserts that the Democratic Party’s “presidential nominee refuses to stoop as low as others.”
Unlike the senator’s previous statements, this is not exactly true.
Let’s not forget that it was Biden who had several outbursts during that travesty of a first presidential debate. Let’s not forget that while on a national stage, it was Biden who called his perfectly belligerent opponent a “racist,” a “liar,” a “clown,” and the “worst president America has ever had.” Biden even told the president to “shut up” and to “keep yapping.”
Romney’s note, though heavy on the Trump examples, also misses an opportunity to remind readers that it was the speaker of the House who referred to her political opponents recently as “domestic enemies.” This seems as bad if not worse than Trump referring to Sen. Kamala Harris of California as a “monster.”
The Utah senator’s statement continues, concluding with a call for everyone to calm down.
“The rabid attacks kindle the conspiracy mongers and the haters who take the small and predictable step from intemperate word to dangerous action,” Romney said. “The world is watching America with abject horror; more consequentially, our children are watching. Many Americans are frightened for our country — so divided, so angry, so mean, so violent.”
His statement ends, “It is time to lower the heat. Leaders must tone it down. Leaders from the top and leaders of all stripes: Parents, bosses, reporters, columnists, professors, union chiefs, everyone. The consequence of the crescendo of anger leads to a very bad place. No sane person can want that.”
The man is not wrong, though it is puzzling that he would incorrectly characterize Biden as being particularly noble. Perhaps Romney has a blind spot, or perhaps he wants so badly for the nation’s capital to return to some sense of normalcy that he is subconsciously overlooking Biden’s faults. At any rate, no matter who wins this November, the senator’s request will surely go unheeded. Things do not get any less ugly from here, and Romney may be the only person in Washington who does not see that.
