defending Mitt Romney
I must say that I find Mitt Romney’s answer to the question of what his favorite book is, the answer being Battlefield Earth by L Ron Hubbard — with the caveat that he doesn’t think much of the religion or Hubbard, kind of refreshing. It is impossible to peg this answer in any way as being in any way pandering, which means that … Mitt Romney evidently answered the question honestly, smirking from science fiction fans and anyone else be damned. It’s not a George W Bush Summer reading list created for public consumption, believable to nobody.
To mock this answer is to run into the age old riddle of politics: we either want completely polished and smooth politicians and attack mericilessly anything that smacks of a gaffe, or we want to pry the consultants away.
May 2nd, 2007 at 12:20 pm
Good point. For clarification, he did say that his favorite book is the Bible and referred to “Battlefield Earth” as a favorite novel. It seems to me sort of similar to me liking H.G. Wells “Time machine,” which anyone knows who has read it is a silly book, full of silly communist ideas, that ends in an abrupt and unsatisfying manner. It is truly one of my favorite novels (although a little slim to refer to as a novel). I also like a whole slew of strange philosophy. If I answered honestly, they would probably make mince meat of me.