Dom Giordano: Where Was This Mitt?
By Dom Giordano
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Where was this Mitt? I'm talking about the Mitt Romney that I saw in a new documentary that followed the Romney family behind the scenes through the presidential campaigns of 2008 and 2012 and debuted on Netflix last Friday. This Mitt was the caring, thoughtful family guy not the caricature that the Obama campaign spent millions of dollars to foist on American voters.
We saw a bit of the real Mitt at the Republican convention in Tampa through stories of people whose lives he had touched. The stories of Mitt spending not only money but his time to aid children and others. This was too little and too late.
While watching this competent good guy Mitt it occurred to me that Mitt seemed to think that the presidential race against President Obama was a big job interview not a popularity contest. Mitt certainly is not cool or hip. He is more the polar opposite of the celebrity culture in politics today.
The scene I loved the most was seeing Mitt in full formal dress try to iron a sleeve of his shirt while he was wearing his coat and shirt. Some see this as an out of touch rich guy who doesn't know how to iron. I saw him as everyman willing to get a slight skin burn in order to quickly flatten a balky shirt sleeve.
I hope you have a chance to see this Mitt. He would have made a good president.
