[MonkeyKing]

"Yeah, it happened and it was wrong."

Story is over, boom, done. But instead you come with this "I don't remember" bullshit when there's a handful of people that DO remember exactly what went down. Now you look like a phony ass liar.

That's really Mitt's problem.

[diffusionx]

Why is it that Republicans keep nominating sociopathic bullies? I bet this will appeal to the same 20-percenters who still liked Bush in 2007.

[Azih]

Boggles my mind how people are comparing mature ethics and morals of 2012 to the ethics and morals of a teenager in 1965. Get some perspective people. The sister denies that the guy had any effeminate tendencies at all.

Did he have floppy hair over one eye? I don't think Romney is denying that he took a pair of scissors to some guy's hair in high school. Just downplaying it as a prank. Guy was a jerk in high school for sure.

[Eschaton]

He hates DOGS? What a horrible, horrible person.

hating dogs is almost an objective measure of this

[Lax Mike]

Again, this "kid" stuff doesn't fly. Tell me, were someone to commit a crime or some sort of assault (which this was) would he be tried as a minor, or an adult?

The point isn't that someone's actions have less consequences because they're young, it's that it is ridiculous to judge someone based off of something they did as a young, reckless, and stupid teenager (see: Attacks on Obama for Drug use).

Are we really supposed to hold something that happened close to 50 years ago against Romney, (the same Romney that has been attacked as a notorious flip-flopper to on nearly issue) because apparently now he's a stubborn maniac who has not changed his views in half a century?

[Clevinger]

I fail to see the big deal about this. As far as "bullying" goes, getting a haircut ranks pretty low on the list.

Being pinned down while some bullies mess around with scissors close to your eyes is kind of a big deal. At least it would be for me, since that situation could have easily led to the kid being blinded in one eye if his head jerked the wrong way in the struggle or if the scissor holder stumbled or something. It shouldn't have anything to do with this election, but it's still pretty shitty for an 18 year old to do.

[Neo C.]

I heard and witnessed many actions of bullies during my school time, but nothing came close to cutting someone's hair with the help of his bully friend.
And Lauber's family is probably republican, it was an elite school he visited.

[glaurung]

Romney would get so banned if he was on GAF.

[NH Apache]

Did he have floppy hair over one eye? I don't think Romney is denying that he took a pair of scissors to some guy's hair in high school. Just downplaying it as a prank. Guy was a jerk in high school for sure.

Ever see remember the titans? The disney movie?

Remember when they cut Cali boy's hair? Was that because he was gay or because it made him look like an unkempt hippy. Short hair was pretty big back then and it wasn't uncommon for people to have their hair cut non-voluntarily.

Again, I'm not endorsing what he did, but 1965 teen.

[Kinyou]

Romney would get so banned if he was on GAF.

Mitt Romney aka. fistfulofmetal

[Enron]

I heard and witnessed many actions of bullies during my school time, but nothing came close to cutting someone's hair with the help of his bully friend. And Lauber's family is probably republican, it was an elite school he visited.

Seriously? did you just seriously the accuse the family of pissing on their brother's memory because they are possibly Republican?

[AlexSmash]

Well, gays are voters too so that's maybe a couple % more votes right there for the taking! not sure how significant the gay population is in the US numberswise though

this statements dont affect gays only you know...

[Prez]

Ever see remember the titans? The disney movie? Remember when they cut Cali boy's hair? Was that because he was gay or because it made him look like an unkempt hippy. Short hair was pretty big back then and it wasn't uncommon for people to have their hair cut non-voluntarily. Again, I'm not endorsing what he did, but 1965 teen.

Short hair was big in 1965? You've got to be kidding me.

I fail to see the big deal about this. As far as "bullying" goes, getting a haircut ranks pretty low on the list. In fact if I'm picturing the style right, Romney was doing him a favor. It's a terrible look. It also says nothing about him being singled out for being gay. If anything it's prejudice of the story to assume the kid was gay and was singled out just because of his hairstyle. There were a lot of kids in my high school that I wanted to give haircuts too, none because I thought they were gay. There were also far worse instances of bullying going on too, like people getting filled up trash cans dumped on them or actually getting your ass kicked.

You think that somebody else's looks is any of your business. You also believe you have the right to change someone's looks against their will using force.

You seem like such a nice person.

[-COOLIO-]

fucked up

[BruiserBear]

It's funny how courtrooms around the world have proven time and time again how suspect eyewitness accounts of events can be, and yet we have lots of people in an uproar from the recounting of a story that happened 48 years ago, even down to quotes of what Romney said the day of the incident.


Politics. Where the absurd is considered normal.


Before you go accusing me of being a Romney fan, and you know you were going to, if I were voting I would vote for Obama. But I don't vote anymore, because our political system is a joke, and this story is just a small example of that.

[ssolitare]

Why did Fox news say that people didn't call homosexuals "gay" back then?

They called them "sissy, sissies".

[FunnyBunny]

"Yeah, it happened and it was wrong." Story is over, boom, done. But instead you come with this "I don't remember" bullshit when there's a handful of people that DO remember exactly what went down. Now you look like a phony ass liar. That's really Mitt's problem.

This.

For me, this story has become less about the cruel act of a teenager and more about his response to it as a man. It says something about Mitt Romney that he pulled the "I don't recall" card.

[MetatronM]

Romney MURDERED someone!?

I heard he helped Glenn Beck when he raped and murdered that girl in 1990!

[ElectricBlue187]

It's funny how courtrooms around the world have proven time and time again how suspect eyewitness accounts of events can be, and yet we have lots of people in an uproar from the recounting of a story that happened 48 years ago, even down to quotes of what Romney said the day of the incident. Politics. Where the absurd is considered normal.

This isn't a dude saying he knew Romney 50 years ago and recounting this story, this is many of his classmates from different political views all having the exact same recollection, except for Romney who is trying to act like it didn't happen without saying it didn't happen.

[Schattenjäger]

Boggles my mind how people are comparing mature ethics and morals of 2012 to the ethics and morals of a teenager in 1965. Get some perspective people. The sister denies that the guy had any effeminate tendencies at all. Also, to everyone that now despises Romney for his stance on LGBTs, I wonder how you felt just one week ago about Obama.

Thank you - this story is just really suspicious - especially considering the timing
Politics as usual

[Azih]

This isn't a dude saying he knew Romney 50 years ago and recounting this story, this is many of his classmates from different political views all having the exact same recollection, except for Romney who is trying to act like it didn't happen without saying it didn't happen.

Bruiser is right that eyewitness testimony ain't reliable though.

Then again Romney isn't denying this.

Of course does being a jerk in high school matter in the race for POTUS?

[Clevinger]

Why did Fox news say that people didn't call homosexuals "gay" back then? They called them "sissy, sissies".

And queer. Fun story: George W. Bush had a similar incident play out in his time in college, only it ended much differently. Some of his Yale buddies were calling a gay guy a queer as he walked by and he snapped at them and told them to shut up.

[Kinyou]

It's funny how courtrooms around the world have proven time and time again how suspect eyewitness accounts of events can be, and yet we have lots of people in an uproar from the recounting of a story that happened 48 years ago, even down to quotes of what Romney said the day of the incident. Politics. Where the absurd is considered normal. Before you go accusing me of being a Romney fan, and you know you were going to, if I were voting I would vote for Obama. But I don't vote anymore, because our political system is a joke, and this story is just a small example of that.

Some of them were actively participating during the "prank"

"It happened very quickly, and to this day it troubles me," said Thomas Buford, the school's wrestling champion and now a retired prosecutor, who said he joined Romney in restraining Lauber.

That's more than just an eyewitness. I mean usually you can remember stuff you did yourself pretty well.

[ElectricBlue187]

Bruiser is right that eyewitness testimony ain't reliable though. Then again Romney isn't denying this. Of course does being a jerk in high school matter in the race for POTUS?

Yes it does. Whether it should is an entirely different question

[NH Apache]

Yes it does. Whether it should is an entirely different question

Well, I would say that it is subjective. I kinda like to vote for a person for their policies rather than what they did 47 years ago.

you guys should read up on mark wahlberg's teenage years.

Yeah, but he is still an ass.

[theignoramus]

you guys should read up on mark wahlberg's teenage years.

[Dreams-Visions]

While I don't care for Mitt Romney in the slightest, I generally don't hold stuff against people that they did when they were teenagers. Almost all teens are mean, awful shits, and very few of us can look back at our teenage years and be 100% proud of our behavior. But anything college onward is fair game.

+1

Next hit job story, please.

[divisionbyzorro]

This story means exactly what the reader wants it to mean.

If you like Romney, it means nothing because it happened forever ago. None of us are the same person that we were in high school, so it's silly to make a big deal of it and this is evidence of the liberal media's hatred of Republicans.

If you hate Romney, it's evidence of his despicable nature going all the way back to childhood, and should be a chilling warning for the type of president that he would make.

I actually quite liked the report on this from the NBC Nightly News. It told the story, reminded you that Obama had also done his fair share of stuff as a kid that Republicans had made a big deal about, and then left you to draw your own conclusions.

[DY_nasty]

you guys should read up on mark wahlberg's teenage years.

#realtalk

[BruiserBear]

Some of them were actively participating during the "prank" That's more than just an eyewitness. I mean usually you can remember stuff you did yourself pretty well.

Yes, and I'm not suggesting it didn't happen. Obviously something did happen, and Romney admits to something going down.


But, for a newspaper to report on this story, complete with quotes, from a 48 year old high school incident, seems a little absurd to me. The fact that political types are running with it, and going on about how serious this is, and what it means in 2012, is rather amusing to me.

Something happened, but how good are people's memories nearly 50 years later? I would bet not that great. I did a few really stupid things as a kid, including my friend and I pinning down this kid in our neighborhood, and pulling down his pants a bit. It was a really stupid chlidhood joke, and I was later friends with that kid, but today I feel embarrassed thinking about it. Would that make me not qualified for president, because I did something dumb as a kid? I would think not.

Also funny, is that while I do remember being involved in that incident as a kid, I couldn't tell you any real details from it or anything that was said, and that was less than 30 years ago. 48 years later? Fuck, I can only imagine how foggy my memory of such an incident would be.

[WARP10CK]

The timing of this is a little too good Obama announces support for gay marriage, Mitt is accused of bullying a gay boy when he was younger.

It´s on now

[SwiftSketcher]

The point isn't that someone's actions have less consequences because they're young, it's that it is ridiculous to judge someone based off of something they did as a young, reckless, and stupid teenager (see: Attacks on Obama for Drug use). Are we really supposed to hold something that happened close to 50 years ago against Romney, (the same Romney that has been attacked as a notorious flip-flopper to on nearly issue) because apparently now he's a stubborn maniac who has not changed his views in half a century?

I guess we're certain he's fully transformed into some kind of saint since then? But no, you're right, this happened decades ago. So let's instead judge it on the fact that Romney's opponent was mature enough by that age to not assault someone based on looks.

I fail to see the big deal about this. As far as "bullying" goes, getting a haircut ranks pretty low on the list. In fact if I'm picturing the style right, Romney was doing him a favor. It's a terrible look.

Yeah I wish more 18 year olds today pinned down classmates with scissors and chop their hair off so they could improve their look.

[mr. puppy]

this wouldn't be so ridiculous if they didn't perfectly time it with obama going public about gay marriage. very clever politics.

[massoluk]

"Yeah, it happened and it was wrong." Story is over, boom, done. But instead you come with this "I don't remember" bullshit when there's a handful of people that DO remember exactly what went down. Now you look like a phony ass liar. That's really Mitt's problem.

My view exactly.

[captive]

i hope gaf is around when the facebook age people start running for president and other political positions.

Fucking 40 years ago, everyone here can tell me that they didn't do at least one stupid thing in highschool that wouldn't hold them in too positive a light now?

[Baconsammy]

I like how he plays off terrorizing other students as "pranks". If he wins and continues his attacks on women, will he label those as pranks as well? "Look, I'm pranking you with a trans-vaginal invasive ultrasound. Prank prank prank!"

I don't think Romney not remembering makes him a liar. I think it makes him a sociopath. A normal person remembers all the times he's victimized other people.

[kaching]

Of course does being a jerk in high school matter in the race for POTUS?

How he handles the resurfacing of this story certainly does. Evasive, non-specific apology where he claims not to recall this incident doesn't cut it, esp. when he doesn't deny it. Either he really doesn't remember, in which case what does it say about the man that an incident like this didn't weigh on his conscience enough to stick with him?...or he's lying.

[demon]

i hope gaf is around when the facebook age people start running for president and other political positions. Fucking 40 years ago, everyone here can tell me that they didn't do at least one stupid thing in highschool that wouldn't hold them in too positive a light now?

I did some stupid and regrettable things, but nothing cruel like this (and certainly not at 18). There's a difference.

[Kinyou]

Yes, and I'm not suggesting it didn't happen. Obviously something did happen, and Romney admits to something going down. But, for a newspaper to report on this story, complete with quotes, from a 48 year old high school incident, seems a little absurd to me. The fact that political types are running with it, and going on about how serious this is, and what it means in 2012, is rather amusing to me. Something happened, but how good are people's memories nearly 50 years later? I would bet not that great. I did a few really stupid things as a kid, including my friend and I pinning down this kid in our neighborhood, and pulling down his pants a bit. It was a really stupid chlidhood joke, and I was later friends with that kid, but today I feel embarrassed thinking about it. Would that make me not qualified for president, because I did something dumb as a kid? I would think not. Also funny, is that while I do remember being involved in that incident as a kid, I couldn't tell you any real details from it or anything that was said, and that was less than 30 years ago. 48 years later? Fuck, I can only imagine how foggy my memory of such an incident would be.

I guess you're right in that aspect that someone can regret something he did a long time ago, though my issue is that Romney isn't really acknowledging it. Doesn't seem like he's going to say "Yeah I did that and it was stupid and when I think back to it I regret it"

Instead he makes some weird statements

Asked whether he remembered the Lauber incident, he said: "You know, I don't."

Come on, he was 18 at the time, how can he not remember that it at least happened?

[massoluk]

i hope gaf is around when the facebook age people start running for president and other political positions. Fucking 40 years ago, everyone here can tell me that they didn't do at least one stupid thing in highschool that wouldn't hold them in too positive a light now?

I don't give a damn what he did as a kid, kid can be cruel and stupid. I give a damn he couldn't admit it as an adult.

[cartoon_soldier]

It's not what he did but his reaction to it. At a time when anti-gay bullying is an important topic of national conversation.

First they said, the whole thing is BS. Then they said they apologize for any pranks that may have hurt someone. They he said, he doesn't remember this specific incident. Then he said he doesn't remember the person being targeted for being Gay.

There was NO remorse

He laughed about it. He said it was a prank. That is not a prank.

Instead he could have said something like this, http://www.jamisonfoser.com/blog/201...ney-bully.html

A clear, forceful statement of regret and denunciation of bullying could have been incredibly powerful -- a welcome and valuable contribution to ongoing efforts to reduce the kind of anti-gay bullying Romney once led. It wouldn’t be an easy thing to do, but Presidents -- and people who want to be President -- sometimes have to do things that are hard. Instead, Romney offers a perfunctory apology -- while laughing -- for “hijinks and pranks” that “might have gone too far.” That doesn’t suggest much personal evolution. It certainly doesn’t do much to comfort current teens who are the victims of anti-gay bullying, or to dissuade their antagonists.

[captive]

I did some stupid and regrettable things, but nothing cruel like this (and certainly not at 18). There's a difference.

not really. If we prevented everyone from running for president that did stupid shit in highschool or even college the pool of people running would be very slim.


Fucking politics in this country are horrendous, instead of arguing issues, its all about well obama was born in kenya! obama is a muslim!!! romney did stupid shit 40 years ago!

[Enosh]

I doubt the people trying to write this off were ever bullied.

I was bullied
I got over it, the bullies grew up an and we are good friends now
and that was 10 not 40 years ago

[Gustav]

[kaching]

not really. If we prevented everyone from running for president that did stupid shit in highschool or even college the pool of people running would be very slim. Fucking politics in this country are horrendous, instead of arguing issues, its all about well obama was born in kenya! obama is a muslim!!! romney did stupid shit 40 years ago!

Nobody is preventing anything, and he might even get some votes for this from some quarters.

Every aspect of a presidential candidate gets scrutinized and we've got 6 months to go before the election. Nothing is off the table and there's plenty of time to see how they handle "real" issues as well.

[BruiserBear]

I guess you're right in that aspect that someone can regret something he did a long time ago, though my issue is that Romney isn't really acknowledging it. Doesn't seem like he's going to say "Yeah I did that and it was stupid and when I think back to it I regret it" Instead he makes some weird statements Come on, he was 18 at the time, how can he not remember that it at least happened?

Because the fact that he's even being asked about the incident 48 years later is absurd?


I almost don't blame him for not taking the question seriously. And frankly, he's damned if he does, damned if he doesn't, and we all know it.


Mitt Romney says he's not sure he remembers this incident happening. Liar!

Mitt Romney says he regrets having forcibly pinned down and cut the hair of a gay student in his high school days. Scumbag!

Let's not kid ourselves. This story came out as a hit job. His response means little at the end of the day. It's the accusation that matters. That's how it works in this fine era we live in today.

[cartoon_soldier]

Because the fact that he's even being asked about the incident 48 years later is absurd? I almost don't blame him for not taking the question seriously. And frankly, he's damned if he does, damned if he doesn't, and we all know it. Mitt Romney says he's not sure he remembers this incident happening. Liar! Mitt Romney says he regrets having forcibly pinned down and cut the hair of a gay student in his high school days. Scumbag! Let's not kid ourselves. This story came out as a hit job. His response means little at the end of the day. It's the accusation that matters. That's how it works in this fine era we live in today.

No, the response is what is giving the story legs. He had a choice, man up and speak out against anti-gay bullying, show how he has changed. Instead he thought it was just a prank.

We already know Romney is very good at lying, and this time he was caught blatantly lying that he didn't remember the incident.

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/archive....php?ref=fpblg

Also, response does matter. See Obama's speech on Race.

[massoluk]

Because the fact that he's even being asked about the incident 48 years later is absurd? I almost don't blame him for not taking the question seriously. And frankly, he's damned if he does, damned if he doesn't, and we all know it. Mitt Romney says he's not sure he remembers this incident happening. Liar! Mitt Romney says he regrets having forcibly pinned down and cut the hair of a gay student in his high school days. Scumbag! Let's not kid ourselves. This story came out as a hit job. His response means little at the end of the day. It's the accusation that matters. That's how it works in this fine era we live in today.

Mitt Romney: I was young and stupid. What I did was wrong and I continued to regret.
Me- Respect +

That's all it takes. Your first choice was never an option with so many collaborating witnesses.

[WickedCobra03]

This happened when he was 18. I'm not saying people can't change, but the 'kids' excuse doesn't fly. What he did was basically battery, especially at the age of 18.

Yeah man. When he says prank... that is something a 9-year old would do. But an 18 year old, I feel like that is showing. Not even that he doesn't like gays, just that he is a jackass to humans in general.

[Mr. B Natural]

Can't wait for the Candidate A calls Candidate B a "big doodoo head" thread. Then the Candidate B responds "I know you are but what am I?" thread to come right after.