The New York Times reviews Mitt Romney 2.0 today in much the same way you’d review a new version of an iPad or an update of Microsoft Word. Verdict: He’s layered a slightly retooled UI onto the same old chassis, and it’s an awkward fit. The man can’t make small talk, tosses weird wonkery around whether it’s appropriate or not, and doesn’t seem to quite understand the concept of humor. Occasionally, though, I think this serves him well:
A few moments later, a voter named David Rivers asked Mr. Romney whether there would be place for Mr. Paul, a Texas congressman, in a Romney White House. Mr. Romney treated the question as a joke, letting out a laugh and walking on by.
“I was actually kind of serious,” Mr. Rivers said in an interview afterward.
Seriously, what the hell can you say to something like that? I’m thinking of making him ambassador to Mars? Really, a nervous chuckle and a quick getaway was the only decent response.
