Romney Etch-a-Sketch Comment By Adviser Sparks Outcry, Laughs, Head-Scratching
by Free Britney at .Note to Mitt Romney advisers: When your candidate already has a reputation as a middle-of-the-road, flip-flopping technocrat with zero core beliefs, likening him to an Etch-A-Sketch is probably ill-advised, no matter the context.
Eric Fehrnstrom learned this the hard way Wednesday.
CNN asked whether his candidate, who's gone out of his way to appeal to conservatives this winter, would later tack more to the political center against President Obama.
"I think you hit a reset button for a fall campaign," Fehrnstrom said. "Everything changes. It's like an Etch A Sketch. You can shake it up and we start all over again."
In his slight defense, Fehrnstrom was likely referring to media coverage, campaign themes and issues in the landscape of Romney and Obama going head to head.
Still, the Etch-A-Sketch has now become a new nickname for the Republican presidential candidate himself, who's long been accused of being its political equivalent.
Many analysts shook their heads, but others weren't so amused.
The remark drew a stinging response from the head of the nation's largest reproductive rights group, who said women voters will not accept flip-flops on issues.
"We will make damn sure women know where Mitt Romney stands" on matters related to women's health, said Nancy Keenan, head of NARAL Pro-Choice America.She addressed more than 1,000 women at the group's annual Power of Choice lunch at the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco, shortly after Fehrnstrom's gaffe.
Etch-A-Sketch references aside, Romney cruised to victory in Illinois Tuesday and made his most compelling case yet that he will be the Republican nominee.
All but assured of vanquishing (or just plain outlasting through attrition) Rick Santorum, Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul, he will likely wrap this thing up. Eventually.
President Obama's team is likely working up an Etch-A-Sketch-themed campaign ad to run against him, but Romney is on track to get that one-on-one battle.
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Comments (13 Total)
Ugh. Honestly, I'm beginning to think that Huckabee is a DNC plant, or maybe just a flack secern for McCain. It could be that he's now getting more attention and as a result his views are in turn getting greater scrutiny, but the weirdness factor here just keeps going up. It almost does seem like he's been put in place to serve as something easy for the DNC candidate to shoot down in the general election.It turns out that Japan has slightly higher corporate taxes than us, at least according to the information I have available right now (and this is amongst the OECD member countries, too). I think the Europeans and Canadians might envy our personal income tax rates, but as far as corporations are concerned, they give up a larger percentage of their income to the U.S. government than elsewhere. That alone is a major drag on growth in our economy. I'm hoping that Romney can level the playing field between our economy and that of our foreign competitors some.
Why dance around,Oboma is out to put us under,his backers and the money that has put him where he is. Just look at every thing he has put to us,Deeper and deeper,he is brings us down.
I agree- There is nothing wrong with Ron Paul that we could not live with! Thing is - He can't win! His supporters are as Loyal as any yet they only carry one vote and there just isn't enough of them. The environment? Look- No one but Europe is playing this game. Countries are Drilling near us anyway. China & South American don't give a damn about the environment. Obama will screw this country Completly up in 4 more. We will be at a standstill in every way economically. You will have to stay home and protect your homes. Obama will " Fear" you into voting for him with his TV ADS - you can bet on it! This Cancer has to go- Anybody but Him. How can anybody talk about Mitt- if they voted for this Joke Obama!
@ Rex BTW...what's Obama done for the environment..I mean, aside from throwing away approx. $100 billion on failed green energy companies and shaping a failed energy policy that has us pumpin' gas at twice the price since he took office!?! Green energy is important to develop, but Obama has failed in getting it going with success! Face it! We still have to rely on fossil fuel for the time being. We need to let the private sector develop green energy & our govt. needs to stop trying to unsuccessfully pick winners in the industry. Along with that, Obama must be stopped from doling out our tax dollars to his political cronies in the green industry only to watch their companies crash' burn and with that more people forced onto the unemployment rolls!
@Rex Yeah, Ron Paul has real a chance at winning! YOU wake up! If you don't like what you see in the WH you better face it...you'll need to put your support into someone other than in the incumbent AND Ron Paul! Or sit it out come November this year! Don't get me wrong...Paul's got good ideas, he just can't win. Sad, but true and there's no need tryin' to think it can magically turn around for him because it simply won't.