I'd like to think that Romney's position on the release of past tax returns is a clever ploy meant to lure democrats into making foolish claims and accusations, trick them into revealing just how much of their reelection strategy is based on demonizing Romney and demonizing wealth, goad them into putting on garish display just how much their core beliefs are founded on a distrust of business and the ambitious people who have found success therein - I'd like to think it's a clever ploy to trick Obama into the corner of portraying a failure to disclose as an admission of guilt and then turning the charge back on him as regards his sealed academic records - I'd like to think these things because I'd like to believe that the Romney team understands that Obama will do and say absolutely anything to win and the press will keep handing him the blank cheques to do it - but one just doesn't get the feeling such is the case.
Now it is true that maybe the Romney team has reasoned that the mean spirited and deceitful nature of the Obama campaign will in the long run turn off more voters than it turns on - and that's fine, that would be a strategy based on a clear eyed understanding of your opponent and may indeed be the smart strategy if it is in fact the strategy - I'm just not sure it is, and I go to the recent foreign tour as evidence - the Romney camp seemed to be sincerely shocked that the press would go out of its way to characterize the trip as a gaffe filled disaster - if this putative strategy is based on a clear eyed understanding of the obstacles in your way, how can it be you're shocked by the antics of a liberal biassed media?
It baffles - and concerns.
