Mitt Romney: Can Such a 'Vacuous Figure' Lead the Strongest Nation? (Al Mesryoon, Egypt)

"His acceptance speech makes one wonder: Is it possible for such a vacuous figure to lead the most powerful nation on earth? ... With the end of the speech, a pressing question came to mind: Will this vacuous character become the first president to reduce America to weakness and deterioration ... and humiliation?"

Dr. Muhammad Hisham Ragheb

Translated By Casey Patrick Reilly

September 4, 2012

Egypt - Al Mesryoon - Original Article (Arabic)

I watched the end of the U.S. Republican Party Convention, which was held to officially nominate Mitt Romney to face Barack Obama in the next presidential election. Romneys speech at the end of the convention [watch below] was supposed to be the cornerstone of his campaign for the months remaining before the election, but the speech was weak in its entirety, and failed to offer a clear alternative to Obama's policies, even as it overindulged in attacking and ridiculing them. It was a speech full of bluster but bereft of content. The speech makes one wonder: Is it possible for such a vacuous figure to lead the most powerful nation on earth?

Many Republican Party leaders have complained about the fact that Romney lacks charisma, and that he is not beloved as a person. They have also complained of weakness in terms of the humanitarian aspects in his character thanks to a life lived isolated from the people, and advised him to focus on the issue in his [nomination acceptance] speech. And so he did. Indeed, he enunciated words of great humanitarianism, impressive even by the standards of American society. He spoke of his parents with great emotion, how they kept their marriage together for over 60 years; he spoke of how his father gave his mother a rose every day for dozens of years without fail, right up to the day he died; and he spoke of the challenges his wife faced as a housewife raising five children, and her courage, bravery and dedication. In terms of humanizing his image, he did well. But failed to provide any clear political vision. He also failed to identify any economic policies as a counterpoint to Obama's.

Romney mentioned his foreign policy only in passing, and he did it in a very suspicious manner. He mocked Obamas term, which he said "began with an apology tour" during which Obama said America "had dictated to other nations." Romney said he would begin his term with a statement that America (in the era of George W. Bush) has "freed other nations from dictators." (In reference to Iraq?) Romney didn't neglect attacking Obama for his tepid support for Israel and America's allies, and his leniency with Russia - and promised, if elected, to be less flexible and firmer with Russia!

Romney belongs to the Mormon Church, a sect established in 1830 that has a holy book other than the Bible and has lived largely isolated from other Christian denominations, nor does it allow followers of other sects into its churches. They prohibit wine, smoking, excessive displays of emotion and romantic relationships outside marriage, but allows polygamy (prohibited by law in the United States).

In 1966, Romney set everything aside for thirty months to go on a proselytizing mission to France and evangelize for this community, and he later became a bishop in the church. This religious background, in addition to the fact that Romney comes from such wealth, makes him seem grandiose in his interactions and to most people, highly objectionable.

Posted by Worldmeets.US

The void that Romney's speech consisted of is cause for concern, and the keynote speech that preceded his was downright strange: it came from that old Hollywood star Clint Eastwood. While the famed actor's words excited the audience and garnered the admiration of political pundits, his hollow speech was full of mockery inappropriate at such a major party convention. Eastwood put an empty chair next to him, and pretended that Obama was sitting there, and proceeded to hold a very casual discussion with mangled sentences and empty language. His lack of focus may have been due to a disease connected with aging. Overall, his speech, and Romney's speech which came later, left a clear image of political vacuousness, followed [in Tampa] by a cacophony of media and music.