Lawrence O'Donnell: 'Romney Is the Single Most Cynical Presidential Candidacy We Have Ever Seen'
MSNBC's Lawrence O'Donnell said Friday, "Mitt Romney is the single most cynical presidential candidacy we have ever seen."
Appearing on Morning Joe, the unabashed Obama lover doubled down claiming, "We have never seen such an empty, cynical candidacy in the history of presidential campaigning" (video follows with transcript and commentary):
LAWRENCE O’DONNELL: Mitt Romney is the single most cynical presidential candidacy we have ever seen. Ever.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Wow!
O’DONNELL: This is a guy who said, “I want to be president. So the first thing I’m going to do is run for senate in Massachusetts. I have to run against Teddy Kennedy. I guess it’s a liberal state. Maybe I’ll try to run to his left. No one’s tried that, okay?” Crazy. “Then I’m going to run for governor. I’ll say whatever I have to do to be governor of Massachusetts. I don’t believe anything, so I’ll say whatever I have to do. Now it’s time to run for president, and the problem is I said all of those things running against Teddy and running for governor, I’ll just say whatever they want to hear now.”
We have never seen such an empty, cynical candidacy in the history of presidential campaigning, and this is how far it gets. Can it get all the way to the Republican nomination? It’s starting to look like maybe it won’t.
Actually, depending on how this upcoming election goes, history might find Obama's candidacy the single most cynical.
Here was a man with little over two years of undistinguished service in the United States Senate following eight years of voting "present" in the Illinois Senate.
His entire campaign was based on the cynical belief that liberal and moderate Americans would vote for him because of the color of his skin and that the media would completely ignore all of his shortcomings and controversial relationships as they assisted in developing his image as the messiah.
That seems far more cynical than a politician changing his views with age and differing societal mores, doesn't it?
Also more cynical was Bill Clinton's candidacy which was partially based on giving Americans a tax cut which he largely flipflopped on roughly three weeks after he was elected - and almost two months prior to his inauguration - deciding instead to raise taxes on those making over a certain amount.
This may have been the fastest a presidential candidate went back on a campaign promise in our nation's history.
Now that's what I call cynical.
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Comments
Just......
Submitted by UpNorth on Fri, 02/17/2012 - 1:07pm.
Nope, I can't even find a word describing Larry and his twisted view of things.
What's "cynical" about it?
Submitted by CobraMan on Fri, 02/17/2012 - 1:16pm.
What's "cynical" about his candidacy? Isn't he old enough or something?
Hay, O'Donnell, this is America. Just about anyone who's old enough, and a natural born citizen, can become a Presidential Candidate. There's nothing cynical about it. You;re describing his candidacy as if it shouldn't be allowed or something. That he somehow doesn't fit the "template" for a Republican candidate. Now THAT'S cynical. This may come as a surprise to you, but there's no "ideological litmus test" for Republicans.
The Citizens of each State shall be entitled to all Privileges and Immunities of Citizens in the several States. The US Constitution
Unless you're a fetus. The US Supreme Court
Or Anwar al-Awlaki.
No litmus test?
Submitted by mandrake on Fri, 02/17/2012 - 1:26pm.
Really? How about 'pro-life' or Anti-taxes or single payer health insurance..I could go on, but I think you get my point. There are lots of 'litmus tests' out there.
Oh, and the latest one seems to be anti-contraception.
lots of litmus.
"Anti-contraception" Really?
Submitted by UpNorth on Fri, 02/17/2012 - 4:13pm.
I guess you'll furnish quotes where a Republican candidate said that no woman should ever be allowed any form of contraception, that that's what he or she is going to run on? Or, are you just repeating the talking points from the DNC and MM?
Ok, I'll take that back
Submitted by mandrake on Fri, 02/17/2012 - 5:07pm.
But I think the original point was about 'litmus tests' Do any of the others fails the RINO test?
Lot's of Republicans too
Submitted by CobraMan on Sat, 02/18/2012 - 1:08pm.
There's lots of Republicans too, from pro-life to pro-choice. From hard core conservatives to, what did you call them? RINO's. Just those RINO's alone tells us there's not litmus test for Republicans.
Any litmus test YOU apply is your litmus test, and yours alone.
The Citizens of each State shall be entitled to all Privileges and Immunities of Citizens in the several States. The US Constitution
Unless you're a fetus. The US Supreme Court
Or Anwar al-Awlaki.
"I'll just say what they wanna' hear now"....
Submitted by NeoKong on Fri, 02/17/2012 - 1:13pm.
No Larry....we have never seen that before.
<.02%
Submitted by CJohnson on Fri, 02/17/2012 - 1:33pm.
Larry was sober enough to pronounce a 'big word'? I was expecting 'Romney's a real bummer, man.' What time is he on?
NBC is the single most cynical network
Submitted by frank14 on Fri, 02/17/2012 - 1:33pm.
...Pretending to be objective news while taking their marching orders from George Soros at Media Mutters.
I agree, Noel
Submitted by Galvanic on Fri, 02/17/2012 - 1:41pm.
Regarding Obama, he's dodging his '08 campaign promises by either (a) blaming Bush and the bad economy ("It was worse than we thought"), or (b) asking for 4 more years to do what he promised to accomplish in the first four. That's pretty cynical.
Obama 2012 boils down to this: "Hey, remember how great you felt when you elected me in November 2008? Well, re-elect me and feel good all over again."
Larry
Submitted by grammajane on Fri, 02/17/2012 - 2:08pm.
button your shirt. As unprofessional as you are, the open shirt makes it worse. Isn't Media Matters paying you enough to afford a tie??
It's media chic
Submitted by Galvanic on Fri, 02/17/2012 - 3:56pm.
And standard attire for men on Morning Joe.
larry, larry, larry
Submitted by amyshulk on Sat, 02/18/2012 - 1:41am.
Projection? And you are the SMART one???
Ronald Reagan