The missing trials and tribulations of Mittens

It can be interesting to look at a person’s life and see what shaped them. It could be that a person escaped a life of crushing poverty or political oppression. They may have served in the armed forces, fought in a way, or worked overseas in the Peace Corps. Maybe they had to deal with a severe illness or the loss of a loved one.

For Mitt Romney, the answer seems to be “none of the above.” What was his life experience, maybe being teased by the other kids at his preppie high school because his dad didn’t work for one of the Big Three car companies? Being beaten like a gong by Teddy Kennedy in the Massachusetts Senate race in 1992? Suffering a bad paper cut at Bain Capital when he was figuring out how to loot yet another company?

Hell, even the last beswaddled privileged brat that the GOP nominated to be president played around in the Air National Guard (deserting for the last two years) and quit drinking (maybe). Both Dubya and Mittens seem to both have had an outsized chip on their shoulder because their fathers lost an election.

Mitt was truly born five steps from the goal line, and he seems to be extremely proud that he was able to make the step from being born of privilege to becoming really wealthy.

Other than being a corporate pirate (and running the frozen Olympics in the middle of nowhere, as the Brits love to point out), what has he done? We do know that he wouldn’t face the judgment of the voters in Massachusetts for re-election. And he’s been running as far away from what he did there as he can.

So, you guys on the Right, why Mitt? Is the only thing he truly has is he’s not Obama? And if that’s it, then think back to 2004 when you charged that Kerry’s sole point was that he wasn’t Bush and explain away your hypocrisy now.

(Cross-posted at Just an Earth-Bound Misfit, I.)