Presidential Campaign Rich In Irony

MITT ROMNEY OFFERS BUSINESS EXPERIENCE AS A PLUS; BARACK OBAMA TRIES TO TURN IT AGAINST HIM

Political campaigns are often marked by irony and paradox.

It appears the 2012 presidential campaign may set a high-water mark for these characteristics.

Yes, there have been ample examples of irony in previous campaigns.

We need go back no further than 2004 when Vietnam veteran John Kerry was unprepared for the attacks directed at him in an attempt to discredit his military service. That “swift boat” strategy helped defi ne the Democratic nominee negatively, throwing Kerry off balance just as he emerged from a triumphant Democratic Convention, where his military service was highlighted.

Despite abundant past ironies and contradictions such as that, the 2012 campaign promises to be hard to top in this realm.

Just as Kerry’s campaign sought to make his military experience an asset, Mitt Romney’s campaign has tried to capitalize on his private-sector experience.

But the Obama campaign wants to defi ne Romney’s business role as a liability.

And Romney’s campaignfinds itself responding to questions about his stewardship of Bain Capital and when he left Bain, as well as his tax returns and overseas bank accounts.

This has, at least for now, become a principle element of the media’s campaign narrative.

One of his spokesmen said Romney had “retroactively retired” from Bain in February 1999 and had no role after that, during a period when Bain was involved in some controversial actions and investments.

However, there are at least 142 Bain documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission with Romney’s name or signature after that date.

I’m not sure exactly how one retroactively retires, though I’m sure many of us would like to havesuch authority.

There are other related ironies.

When Romney ran for governor of Massachusetts in 2002, some Democrats claimed he was ineligible because when he went to Utah in 1999 to take over the Olympics, he ceased to live and work in the state where he had built Bain Capital into a leading private equity firm. But the Romney side maintained Massachusetts was “the center of his social, civic and business life.”

Romney, deemed eligible, was elected governor and his role in that oft ce leaves us with still more ironies.

As governor his signature achievement was his health care law - remarkably similar to Barack Obama’s later Aff ordable Care Act, and not dissimilar to a number of Republican proposals over the years, including the infamous individual mandate, which had a strong conservative pedigree.

The Obama plan, however, is the centerpiece of the campaign in opposition to the president. So Romney is in the ironic position of explaining why the Massachusetts plan isgood and the Obama plan is bad.

And that challenge became more tricky after the Supreme Court’s decision upholding most of the Obama plan, contrary to the expectations of many Republicans who were certain it would be ruled unconstitutional.

This was all the more ironic because the decisive court opinion was rendered by Chief Justice John Roberts, widely considered to be a staunch conservative.

Ironically for Obama, Roberts said the mandate was a tax, while the president had maintained the provision involved a penalty, not a tax. But then, if it is a tax in the Obama plan, why isn’t it a tax in the Romney Massachusetts plan?

Then there are all sorts of ironies in the discussion about what is or isn’t a tax increase, and in those overworked, underjustifi ed talking points about job killers and job creators.

The Romney team suggests it is ironic the Obama campaign is focusing more attention on Romney’s record than on the president’s. And it isironic that for now there is more attention on the past than on the future.

Yes, Romney promises to repeal the health care law on his first day in oft ce, but that is virtually impossible.

Another irony: Incumbent presidential candidates usually have a vast fundraising edge, but it appears Romney may top Obama in campaign money.

Most people agree on the need for greater transparency in politics and government. However, a Republican fi libuster has blocked consideration of a bill that would require broad disclosure of campaign donors.

Likewise, many bemoan the polarization of today’s politics, but the campaign doesn’t seem to be doing anything to alleviate that.

There are many other examples of ironies, paradoxes and contradictions. But perhaps the greatest irony is the election might not resolve much. Current trends indicate not only a close presidential race, but the likelihood of a continued narrow division within Congress and more gridlock.

HOYT PURVIS IS A JOURNALISM AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS PROFESSOR.

Opinion, Pages 13 on 07/22/2012

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