The Day The Dolphin Cried

David Weigel | March 19, 2007

Since I saw two Mitt Romney commercials while staying in Florida this weekend (the man has money to burn), I chuckle at this story:

Romney delivered a speech to the Miami-Dade Republican Party March 9 that was heavy on anti-communist rhetoric but light on policy details. He also condemned the Venezuelan president who has embraced Castro. That's when he tripped.

''Hugo Chávez has tried to steal an inspiring phrase -- Patria o muerte, venceremos,'' Romney said. "It does not belong to him. It belongs to a free Cuba.''

No, it doesn't, said University of Miami Professor Jaime Suchlicki.

''It belongs to Fidel,'' said Suchlicki, an expert on Cuban history. "I don't know where [Romney] got that.''

Romney fan Kathryn Jean Lopez laughs it off: "Mitt Romney is better in English." He's said this before with a slightly cleaner phrasing and didn't get into any trouble. At best, this buttresses the image Romney has as a "presidential"-looking guy who'll say anything his consultants tell him to get elected.

(Via Wonkette.)

Comments

|3.19.07 @ 3:20PM|#

It just goes to show you that you can never go wrong trusiting a pupil-less anthropomorphic aquatic mammal.

|3.19.07 @ 3:34PM|#

poor Romney

|3.19.07 @ 3:43PM|#

Not that I care one bit about Romney, but in his defense, the saying, "patria or muerte, venceremos" was the battle cry of the revolution to oust the Batista government in Cuba. Given the context that the revolution was trying to free Cuba from a brutal dictator, Romney would be right in saying the phrase belonged to a free Cuba. Such would have been the case had Castro not turned to Communism.

|3.19.07 @ 3:52PM|#

I actually kinda like Romney, but any excuse to flog that dolphin picture is cool in my book.

|3.19.07 @ 4:01PM|#

Here is what Romney said verbatim:

Romney: "I said at the outset that the threat in Latin America is unprecedented. I say that because the Castros have a second tyrant and he has great wealth, from oil. We must stand just as firm against caudillos like Hugo Chavez, tutored by Fidel Castro. Chavez and Castro are brothers in blood, intent on personal gratification at the expense of their people. Hugo Chavez and Fidel Castro have stolen the phrase - 'Patria o muerte, venceremos.' This phrase should not be used by dictators, but by liberators.

"There are two spheres of influence in the Western Hemisphere. One is dark, bellicose and spreads misery by denying people basic freedoms; the other shines like a powerful light, is peaceful and wants only for its people to live in liberty and prosper.

Me: From what I see it says that DICTATORS shouldn't be using this phrase and that it should be used by LIBERATORS.

What's the deal? The first problem is that this sounds like some propoganda from the left to me that you all soaked up as usual.

The second is that you should get your facts right or your credibility will continue to be a problem, if you really care about it.

Conservative Gladiator

I. Self. Divine.|3.19.07 @ 4:06PM|#

Conservative Gladiator: If you had bothered to RTFA, you would know that the quote you pasted was from a DIFFERENT speech in which Romney made the same point in a much better-worded manner.

|3.19.07 @ 4:35PM|#

Conservative Gladiator:

I can think of one other historical world leader who pushed the idea of worshipping the fatherland more than Castro. Here's a hint: he wasn't a liberator.

|3.19.07 @ 5:27PM|#

Here's a hint: he wasn't a liberator.

And, in the end, neither was Castro.

|3.19.07 @ 5:35PM|#

I don't know much about Romney, but I'm a little surprised to see Republicans embrace furries so.

...I assume they'll follow suit with other groups shortly. Gays, lesbians, bisexuals and those who identify as "transgender" are all breathing a collective sigh of relief, I'm sure.

|3.19.07 @ 6:02PM|#

RC Dean: that's the point. The phrase, regardless of who uttered it, is a dictatorial phrase, no question about it. Fatherland or death? Whoa....

|3.19.07 @ 6:04PM|#

There are two spheres of influence in the Western Hemisphere. One is dark, bellicose and spreads misery by denying people basic freedoms; the other shines like a powerful light, is peaceful and wants only for its people to live in liberty and prosper.

Ok, what country is that?

|3.19.07 @ 6:26PM|#

1. The people Romney was trying to pander to are they type who would take a flub like that very personally. Poor Romney.

2. If only the Republican screw-ups about liberation were all this rhetorical.

|3.19.07 @ 7:54PM|#

...this buttresses the image Romney has as a "presidential"-looking guy who'll say anything his consultants tell him to get elected.

Right. As opposed to all the other candidates, who speak only from deeply held philosphical convictions regardless of the potential consequences to their election chances.

|3.20.07 @ 12:54AM|#

"I.Self.Divine" and everyone else.

I gave you the part of the speech that was supposedly so funny. READ IT! and tell me if it's funny! You I.S.D. seem to think that there was another. Please contact your friend at the Miami Herald named "Beth" and ask her for the recording of what and you're talking about. There's another blogger who I respect that when I pointed this out owned up to taking "Beth's" word and made a correction. He decided to contact Beth to give her side of the story and I haven't heard from either yet but I'm sure that we won't be hearing from "Beth" at the Miami Herald anytime soon.

Please people, at least I have the cojones to admit that I support Romney and that I'll point out "propaganda" when I see it and if it was different than what I heard from the speech and read in the transcript I'll be man to admit it but as it stands you have it right there. I gave it to you and you still side with "Beth" from the Miami Herald who doesn't even quote what he actually said in a full paragraph or even more than three words. Hers is the worse kind of writing and journalistic ignorance I've seen. Wait that's being too nice to assume that what she did was out of ignorance. It's better to just say that it was AWFUL and ethically challenged. Hopefully you're the ignorant ones. If not then you're all being dishonest.

You people make me laugh...

|3.20.07 @ 10:06AM|#

Conservative Gladiator:

Instead of rolling your eyes and saying all politicians have little missteps, you are defending his use of dictator's language. Yeah, Fatherland or Death should be used by liberators about as much as Sieg Heil should be used by the winner of the spelling bee. It means "Hail to Victory" afterall....

Just admit that the guy flubbed it and move on. Jeez. When you go all out to defend a stupid comment like this, which is about as consequential as a dust mote, it just makes you look like the same class of Republicans that just got canned.