Nothing is more ridiculous than the false machismo that Republican candidates for office think they have to flaunt to win the votes of certain people who are---unfortunately for them----a big piece of their constituency.
So first Mitt Romney told somebody in the press that he was a "lifelong hunter." Which is true in a way, since the first time was when he was 15 and the other time was last year. Also he joined the NRA last year as a "lifetime" member. Nice one. So you could describe him as a lifelong---or lifetime---hunter. Anyway, he's issued this clarifying statement.
[quote begins from Emily Udell, Huffington Post Wires (AP), Romney Aims Again to Explain Hunting."]
"I'm not a big-game hunter. I've made that very clear," he said. "I've always been a rodent and rabbit hunter. Small varmints, if you will. I began when I was 15 or so and I have hunted those kinds of varmints since then. More than two times."
[quote ends]
I am a rodent and rabbit lover and this sort of posturing just makes me want to slap him into next week. At the Huffington Post, these little cuties were shown on one side of his horrible anti-varmint posturing; and these were shown on the other.
For more, jump back to the introduction.
Also interesting, on top of the faux machismo, is the tendency of candidates to begin to talk like Yosemite Sam as election day approaches. "Varmints"?!
It is sad that killing small animals (or big ones) has become a badge of honor.
Posted by: Anna Murphy | April 12, 2007 at 10:45 PM