In Ann Romney: If elected, "mental well-being" Mitt's biggest challenge, we learn of Ann's concern about the potentially overwhelming emotional burdens Romney may face as president.
(CBS News) Ann Romney's biggest concern if her husband becomes president would be his ability to maintain his "mental well-being," she said in an interview Thursday with KTVN in Reno, Nev.
Asked what her primary worry would be should her husband succeed in defeating President Obama on Nov. 6, Mrs. Romney replied, "You know, I think my biggest concern, obviously, would just be for his mental well-being."
"I have all the confidence in the world in his ability, in his decisiveness and his leadership skills, in his understanding of the economy, in his understanding of what's missing right now in the economy - you know, pieces that are missing to get this jumpstarted," she continued. "So for me I think it would just be the emotional part of it." ... In a speech at Bartley Ranch in Reno earlier in the day, Mrs. Romney defended her husband. Criticism that the Republican presidential nominee is unrelatable, she said, is "off base."
This is my "it's a cookbook! moment" in this campaign. This is just too easy -- too tempting, that I can no longer believe this is really an election campaign, and that I am awake in normal reality.
Instead, I think we/I must be in some Twilight Zone like psychological test, where an advanced alien species is probing our innermost conflicts of conscience. Do you remember the "To Serve Man" story, where just as the hero is getting on the spaceship to go to the "friendly" alien planet, the researcher's assistant comes running up with the latest translation of the stolen alien book, entitled "To Serve Man", screaming that it was a cookbook, not a noble plan to help the human species advance to higher levels.
So, let me now scream to you, "It's a test! Resist the temptation to score cheap political points."
For me, meanness, bullying, and pettiness have always seemed like such primitive, ugly, and sad emotions that should be avoided by anyone aspiring to more noble states of consciousness and being; except, that is, when it comes to Republicans, and especially so during presidential elections.
After losing so many races since I first volunteered for George McGovern's campaign I've been stunned that we could loose so many races through what seemed to me to be GOP dirty tricks, when we had the obviously better candidates. So much so, that in each successive election I've allowed myself to become more and more like our "opponents" like Karl Rove. (I first typed "enemies", then quickly reminded myself, no, we are all Americans, after all, and noble, liberal, mature, progressive Democrats don't have enemies, only, lessor evolved GOP "adversary-participants" in a complex system that we must patiently help advance to higher states of consciousness. -- Gak!)
You can sense my inner turmoil.
Any moment I expect to "wake-up" and find I have actually been placed in one of those matrix-like computer body-glove interfaces, and I am in some Tibetan Book of the Dead afterlife scenario. Yes, that must be it. I must be dead, and there is some uncertainty about whether I should advance on to heaven, or be re-incarnated as a frog.
And, an overly sympathetic Saint Peter-like figure is trying to give me one last chance to take the high road, instead of the low road, and realize that all of my smug, "holier-than-thou" thoughts of my own moral superiority are shredded as I realize that my basic psychology is not discernibly different than the 3rd grade bullies that tormented me in kindergarden, or the mean girls I shook my head in dismay at in Drama Queen.
If I can only resist meanly exploiting this innocent expression of concern by poor Ann Romney for her beloved husband just to score political points we don't even seem to need, maybe there may be hope for me yet.
But, in the event this is a collective test, by Q like beings, and there may be hope you you as well, let me scream in warning, "It's a test! Resist the temptation to score easy political points!"
But, one thing I'm sure of now. This is not ordinary reality. Somethings going on.
7:24 PM PT: "It's a test!