The REAL Mittens: An Addendum

I am sure I am not the first to write about this and it this case has been written more eloquently elsewhere, most likely by Ta-Nehisi Coates, but it fits in so nicely with what I wrote yesterday. The above depicts a familiar talking point for those who've been following the 2012 Presidential race. Or even before, actually. Conservatives, once they got tired demanding his birth certificate, have been loudly demanding the release of President Obama's various school transcripts. As shown above, we all know Mittens is BAWSE because he graduated BYU with high honors and HBS/HLS in the top 5% but how do we know that President Obama really DESERVED to be the first black Editor in Chief of the Harvard Law Review (because, y'know, they probably just give that away). The clear implication, though never expressly stated, is that we do not know if President Obama has deserved any of this because blahblahblah affirmative action. Up to and including the Presidency; which is nicely exhibited by the "in over his head" comments on the President.

On the other side, of COURSE Governor Romney has worked hard for/deserved everything he has achieved. And I'm sure he as (just like President Obama). But both Governor Romney himself and, seemingly, the right-wing talking heads discount all the built in advantages that he enjoyed throughout his life. Prep school. A stock portfolio bequeathment that he and his wife lived off of while in school. And I'm sure it probably does not hurt that your father was the CEO of American Motors and the Governor of Michigan. It seems, and I could very well be wrong, that in Mittens' mind, this was all predestined. He earned ALL of it, with no help whatsoever, and he DESERVES the Presidency.

In my mind, the Romneys' green paper was/is a lot more advantageous than Barack Obama's black skin. It'd be nice if some people would step back and realize that from time to time.


IMAGE: some moron from http://polination.files.wordpress.com.