Whatever happened to the notion of the "favorite son"? You know: the idea that a candidate's home state rallies around him. When it comes to former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, the Boston Globe seems to be adopting a mirror-image attitude. Call it the "disfavored son" approach to politics.
In perhaps the lamest bit of investigative journalism to stumble down the pike in a long time, months ago, as I noted here, the Globe breathlessly revealed not that Romney had hired illegal immigrants, but that the landscaping company tending his home had done so. Remember to run a thorough INS check on the guy who takes your order next time you drive through McDonald's -- wouldn't want to undermine your future candidacy.
The Globe is back at it again this morning with a story headlined Romney's record on guns questioned. Its gist: that Romney is not quite the great hunter he has made himself out to be.
Now, granted, the Globe would surely argue that the issues here are flip-flopping and the accuracy of a candidate's statements about his past. Even so, the spectacle of a liberal paper like the Globe, which has surely lined up on the anti-Second Amendment side of most issues, implictly criticizing Romney for insufficient gun ownership and usage has a certain through-the-looking glass quality to it.
Contact Mark at mark@gunhill.net
