Alex Massie Alex Massie

Mitt Romney’s Haggis Problem

Michael Kinsley begins his latest Bloomberg column with an observation so old it’s even been made in these parts: If Mitt Romey ever becomes President, it will be because his supporters are convinced that he’s a liar.

True enough. Kinsley continues:

Romney’s campaign is hoping he gets through the primaries without losing his appeal to independents and moderate Democrats in the general election. Meantime, his attempts to enlist the right are like serving haggis (sheep’s stomach stuffed with oatmeal — yum!) to your distant cousins from Scotland when they visit. You can’t stand the stuff, but they’re supposed to like it.

If you can ignore that ignorantly sarcastic “yum!” you’ll agree that Kinsley’s haggis-point is accurate. In fact it’s even more useful than I fancy (even) Kinsley realises. Romney is indeed in the position of selling haggis to his visiting Scotch relatives and they know there’s a difference between real haggis and would-be haggis.

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