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[Jackpot]

A story that should really resonate as I'm sure lots of people knew the sort of person who would carry out these kinds of actions in school. Would you want one of those people running the county?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/may/10/mitt-romney-apologises-high-school-prank

Mitt Romney issued an apology over his actions at high school after it was revealed that during his senior year he had played a leading role in a bullying incident against a fellow-pupil who was assumed to be gay.

After his campaign officials had insisted the presumptive Republican nominee for president had no recollection of any of the events detailed in the Washington Post story, Romney moved to limit the fallout on Thursday by using a radio interview to offer an apology to anyone hurt by what he referred to as "pranks".

The Post reported that Romney, returning in 1965 from holiday to the Cranbrook school in Michigan, one of the most exclusive in the country, took exception to a new pupil, John Lauber. According to fellow pupils, Romney was unhappy that Lauber had bleached-blonde hair that flopped over one eye.

"He can't look like that. That's wrong. Just look at him," an incensed Romney told one of his closest school-friends Matthew Friedemann, quoted in the Post article.

A few days later, Romney led a pack of fellow pupils to find Lauber, according to pupils involved. Lauber, his eyes filling with tears, was pinned down while Romney cut the offending hair with scissors.

Five students from the time offered corroborating accounts of the incident, four of them on the record. "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.

Buford said he subsequently looked out for Labuer, who had been "terrified" during the incident and apologised. "What a senseless, stupid, idiotic thing to do," Buford said. Lauber died in 2004.

During the radio interview on Thursday, Romney claimed that he was not overly worried about the Post piece. Asked whether he remembered the Lauber incident, he said: "You know, I don't."

He added that there was no homosexual connotation to the pranks he played. "Whether someone was homosexual, that was the furthest thing from my mind back in the 1960s, so that was not the case."

Romney appointed an openly gay man last month as his foreign affairs spokesman, Richard Grenell. It was short-lived. After a barrage of criticism from conservative religious groups, Grenell resigned last month.

The "prank" reads like it's straight out of a film or novel (Stephen King comes to mind) that's used to quickly characterise the 1-dimensional bully character.

Some may claim it's all in the past but people like that will still retain the same core personality even if it's slightly tempered by age.

 

[Data West]

How'd he die?

 

[Crumpet Trumpet]

Romney appointed an openly gay man last month as his foreign affairs spokesman, Richard Grenell. It was short-lived. After a barrage of criticism from conservative religious groups, Grenell resigned last month.

I just can't believe this is happening in 2012.

 

[Deleted member 1235]

so that's obamas angle!

'I like gays'

'Romney bullies gays'

genius.

 

[HK-47]

so that's obamas angle!

'I like gays'

'Romney bullies gays'

genius.

Man with a plan.

 

[WARP10CK]

so that's obamas angle!

'I like gays'

'Romney bullies gays'

genius.

Yeah this is really bad for Romney man what a crazy election year this has been so far.

 

[Winnie the Pimp]

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

 

[braves01]

so that's obamas angle!

'I like gays'

'Romney bullies gays'

genius.

Don't forget 'Romney hates women, poor people, and dogs.'

 

[HK-47]

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

I think its the bullying thats more harmful. Its a hot button issue right now.

 

[Vagabundo]

Did you just claim Steven King's antagonists are one dimensional?


Convenient that Romney doesn't remember and it's hard to apologise to a corpse Romney.

 

[MC Safety]

That's not a youthful indiscretion. That's not a prank, either.

That's battery.

Is it too late for the Republicans to vomit up another political nonentity, one who maybe believes in something beyond believing in anything that will get him elected? One who maybe isn't a total poop?

 

[DBT85]

Bullying is always just "pranks"... unless you're the kid being bullied of course. A shame he can't remember it at all when others involved seem to so vividly.

 

[Vagabundo]

That's not a youthful indiscretion. That's not a prank, either.

That's battery.

Is it too late for the Republicans to vomit up another political nonentity, one who maybe believes in something beyond believing in anything that will get him elected? One who maybe isn't a total poop?

Nope. They can do it at their big meeting thingy. Someone from the floor.

 

[Slayer-33]

Republican politicians surprice me every day (no they don't)

Jeez


Also pranks my ass

AND...

Holy shit at some of the bolded text... Fucking animal.

Gfg precidency run.

 

[nib95]

What a despicable human being. I don't know how the GOP manage to cough up such disgraceful politicians to head their side time and time again.

 

[AceBandage]

What a despicable human being. I don't know how the GOP manage to cough up such disgraceful politicians to head their side time and time again.

Easy. That's their gimmick.

 

[GhostWriter24]

Election over before it even began. Yikes.

 

[Kusagari]

Stories actually way worse than I expected.

Holding someone down against their will and cutting their hair off is not a prank, and actually goes far beyond calling someone a 'fag', which is what I expected.

 

[MC Safety]

Nope. They can do it at their big meeting thingy. Someone from the floor.

I'd rather have the guy who mops the floor than "Shit" Romney. At least then you wouldn't feel rotten casting a vote for the (non)victorious opposition.

Easy. That's their gimmick.

Oh, stop.

 

[Winnie the Pimp]

not surprising at all that a man like him used to be a bully...

in fact you could make a case for a lot of popular, rich guys that certainly did NOT get to that point in life by being timid little victims!

 

[Jackpot]

Convenient that Romney doesn't remember and it's hard to apologise to a corpse Romney.

He doesn't remember it, then apologises for "offending anyone" rather then his actions, yet 5 other pupils remember it and feel guilty over it.

 

[Trent Strong]

Where does it say he was bullied for looking gay?

 

[Kifimbo]

At some point, most people were bullied in school, and bullied someone. That's what kids do. Not only gay-looking kids, but fat, poor, tall, small, with freckles, with disabilities, red hair, not good in sports, etc. Doesn't make it right, of course, but blaming Romney for acting like a kid when he was a kid is dumb.

Romney appointed an openly gay man last month as his foreign affairs spokesman, Richard Grenell. It was short-lived. After a barrage of criticism from conservative religious groups, Grenell resigned last month.

This is awful however.

 

[Xun]

Good luck America.

Good luck.

 

[ChiTownBuffalo]

I think its telling that the friends who did this with him back then, are still haunted by it and forever regretful, yet Mittens doesn't seem to remember a damn thing.

Isn't Cranbrook the school that the antagonist in 8 Mile went to?

Mitt Romney: Sucka MC.

 

[Vagabundo]

He doesn't remember it, then apologises for "offending anyone" rather then his actions, yet 5 other pupils remember it and feel guilty over it.

Yeah, one even sought out the victim to apologise...

It's all hard to swallow.

 

[Replicant]

The guy who got bullied was probably not even gay. But this is the kind of fucked up mentality that some people in our society have. They think just because someone might be gay, they deserve to be treated like shit, to be bullied, to be mocked and made fun of.

Bullying in itself is a fucked up thing but to use being gay as something that the victim must be ashamed of is just plain nasty. They use sexual orientation of a minority, made fun of it and those who are associated with that image, be it straight or gay.

 

[Seanspeed]

Kids are stupid and mean. People change.

Dont get me wrong, I dislike Romney and I hope to god he never becomes President but stuff like this shouldn't be held against somebody.

 

[Rentahamster]

For what it's worth, the family of the guy who was bullied says that there are factual inaccuracies with the story, although they have yet to elaborate.

https://twitter.com/#!/AshleyRParker/status/200782908145938434

From John Lauber's family, the bullied victim in WaPo story: "We are aggrieved that John would be used to further a political agenda."

https://twitter.com/#!/AshleyRParker/status/200783038873993216

Also from John Lauber's family: "The portrayal of John is factually incorrect," but they would not elaborate on how it was inaccurate.

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politic...f-any-bullying-incident/#.T6yUKQh3n2E.twitter

“The family of John Lauber is releasing a statement saying the portrayal of John is factually incorrect and we are aggrieved that he would be used to further a political agenda. There will be no more comments from the family,” she said.

...

“Even if it did happen, John probably wouldn’t have said anything,” Christine Lauber said.

She added she and her sisters will likely put out a statement later via a family attorney.

“If he were still alive today, he would be furious [about the story],” she said with tears in her eyes.

 

[GamerSoul]

I don't even have to watch the daily show to understand Romney is really not looking too good these days.

 

[BigDug13]

Wow. I mean, taking into context that 1964 was covered in bullies and bullying and that appearing gay was WAY taboo in comparison to today. But still. Not good for a presidential candidate to have been basically the lead bully of a squad. The fact that he wasn't just one of the guys that held him down, he was the guy that chopped off the hair while his friends held him down. The fact that one of those friends decided to look out for the bullied party after feeling remorse, while Romney exhibited no such remorseful actions after the fact.

I'd much rather have a cultured man of multiple ethnicities and backgrounds who was immersed in multiple cultures and religions than a rich white bully who made a living by eliminating companies and firing their employees. Two degrees from Harvard to Obama's one trumps the "Liberal Elite" angle as well. I still don't understand who could think Romney would make a good president. His own party is begrudgingly accepting this outcome.

 

[Kusagari]

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.

 

[AceBandage]

Kids are stupid and mean. People change.

Dont get me wrong, I dislike Romney and I hope to god he never becomes President but stuff like this shouldn't be held against somebody.

He's still a bully, though.
Just, he does it politically, rather than physically.

 

[Draft]

http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/pranksters/2704

 

[Instigator]

Hecklers/protesters should appear at every Romney event with bleached-blonde hair that flopped over one eye.

 

[Monocle]

Kids are stupid and mean. People change.

Dont get me wrong, I dislike Romney and I hope to god he never becomes President but stuff like this shouldn't be held against somebody.

At what point does that logic fail? We've already established that bullies can change, but how about thieves? Domestic abusers? Murderers? All of these categories are contained in "people."

Personally, I wouldn't be so quick to give a guy with Romney's views the benefit of the doubt.

 

[GamerSoul]

Hecklers/protesters should appear at every Romney event with bleached-blonde hair that flopped over one eye.

lol ok this got me.

 

[braves01]

At some point, most people were bullied in school, and bullied someone. That's what kids do. Not only gay-looking kids, but fat, poor, tall, small, with freckles, with disabilities, red hair, not good in sports, etc. Doesn't make it right, of course, but blaming Romney for acting like a kid when he was a kid is

Lots of people are going to think a smart senior in high school should've known better though.

 

[Seanspeed]

He's still a bully, though.
Just, he does it politically, rather than physically.

You could say the same of pretty much any office-running politician, really. I dont think you can point to it and claim any pattern of behavior.

 

[not psycho]

A shame he can't remember it at all when others involved seem to so vividly.

"For you, the day Romney pinned you down and cut off your hair was the most important day of your life. But for me, it was Tuesday."

 

[Kinyou]

He doesn't remember it, then apologises for "offending anyone" rather then his actions, yet 5 other pupils remember it and feel guilty over it.

Yeah, don't know what's worse. The incident itself or that he tried to pretend that it never happened.

 

[marrec]

For what it's worth, the family of the guy who was bullied says that there are factual inaccuracies with the story, although they have yet to elaborate.

Sounds like they're voting republican.

 

[shoplifter]

Wow. I mean, taking into context that 1964 was covered in bullies and bullying and that appearing gay was WAY taboo in comparison to today. But still. Not good for a presidential candidate to have been basically the lead bully of a squad. The fact that he wasn't just one of the guys that held him down, he was the guy that chopped off the hair while his friends held him down.

That's called leadership. Don't you want a leader to run your country?

 

[KarmaCow]

Serious question, is Romney just a robot? It's the only thing that makes sense at this point.

 

[Rentahamster]

Sounds like they're voting republican.

Could be the case. Either way, I'm curious to see how this story develops.

 

[ReBurn]

At what point does that logic fail? We've already established that bullies can change, but how about thieves? Domestic abusers? Murderers? All of these categories are contained in "people."

Personally, I wouldn't be so quick to give a guy with Romney's views the benefit of the doubt.

It doesn't fail. Anyone can change. Not everyone does, but anyone can make a choice to change. I don't understand what particular categories of bad behavior have to do with anything.

Whether anyone gives Romney the benefit of the doubt has nothing to do with whether people can change.

 

[ItAintEasyBeinCheesy]

How long ago was this?. Get over it, kids do stupid shit all the time.

 

[Guerrillas in the Mist]

This doesn't surprise me. A lot of people who end up in politics or at the top echelons of business have forceful personalities, and I'd bet many were arseholes at school. That being said, I've met some really genuine, nice politicians.

 

[Salvor.Hardin]

It was a fucking up thing to do and I'm glad it's come back to haunt him.

Having said that, he was a kid and I don't think we should judge his suitability of holding the office of the President for something stupid he did when he was in school.

 

[Vermillion]

This doesn't surprise me. A lot of people who end up in politics or at the top echelons of business have forceful personalities, and I'd bet many were arseholes at school. That being said, I've met some really genuine, nice politicians.

No, you haven't. But that just means they're good at what they do.