Sunday, October 28, 2012

The Mind of Mitt Romney

Doublethink, a word coined by George Orwell in his novel Nineteen Eighty-four, explains the act of simultaneously holding two mutually exclusive beliefs as the truth. The notion is related to, but distinct from hypocrisy and neutrality.

Romney- over the course of his campaign- often has forgotten what he has previously said and done; and then remembered it again when it was needed, as in the case of Obamacare. In the interim, he has advocated positions that are utterly contradictory. When Romney tells rich Americans that he doesn't care about working Americans, and then tells working Americans that he does care about them, the two contradictory beliefs create no conflict in his mind.

He appears to be conscious of complete truthfulness while telling carefully constructed lies. His performance in the debates, his statements in the Republican primary, his actions at Bain Capital, and his policies as Governor of Massachusetts, essentially cancel themselves out- that is, the conflicting statements, advocations, and policies. He knows they are contradictory positions and statements, yet he believes in them all.

Romney believes that democracy is undesirable. Right wing media has called it "mob rule" and Republicans, on the state levels, have made a concerted effort to suppress voting rights. At the same time, through the Tea Party and the same radical media, he believes that he is the guardian of democracy.

In my lifetime, never has there been a candidate for president who is so frighteningly contrary to the principals this country was founded upon. And what makes it especially disconcerting, by using Karl Rove's number one campaign tactic, the right wing accuses the Obama administration of behaving in this manner, though I seriously doubt they understand it. I feel especially sad for the majority of the supporters of the Romney/Ryan ticket who are victims of doublethink.

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