The Romney's Common Touch

It is kind of funny to hear Mitt Romney talk about President Obama's otherness, his supposed penchant for European ways over American ways. I suppose it is better than attributing the difference to Kenyan post-colonial ideology, but still, it is hard to paint Obama's major policies as somehow un-American. Democrats - and some Republicans - have been pushing for universal health insurance for decades.

But, Romney deploys this language to try and connect with average Americans. Sadly for him, his efforts are continually frustrated by his own cosmopolitan self, e.g., the video of him speaking in very fine French, inviting the citizens of La Republique to attend the Salt Lake City Winter Olymics. Or, his confession that he likes firing people who work for him. Or, his mention of the fact that his wife drives two Cadillacs.

Now, comes the news that one of Ann Romney's horses, Rafilca, has been selected as part of the U.S. equestrian team for next month's World Cup. The horse's rider, Jan Ebeling, is Romney's riding partner and trainer, and both horse and rider are hoping for a shot at the Olympics in London this summer. The contest in which they perform? Dressage, a word we do not even bother to translate from the French. The horse is beautiful and the rider masterful, as you can see in this video. But, not exactly the "common touch."