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Why is Mitt Romney like that?

<p> ertain moments seem to leave him genuinely touched. In Keene, N.H., Lucy Opal, 83, who immigrated to the United States from Poland in 1957, hugged Mr.</p>

 

That Mitt Romney has changed his mind (polite way of saying it) on several issues over the years and sometimes over the weeks is no help to his campaign. Want Mitt Romney's position on abortion? How about two positions, each contradicting the other? And so on, for health reform, the economy, guns, etc., etc.

After running down Mr. Romney's many flips and flops last night, Rachel asked reporter Matt Viser of the Boston Globe about the other Romney problem -- his tendency to snap at voters he's trying to woo on the campaign trail. The Romney campaign, Matt told us, needs to counter the impression that he's Mr. Scripted. For them, a snarling Mitt is not necessarily bad. "I think if he's showing passion over those issues, I think the campaign sees that as an asset," Matt said.

The New York Times takes up a related question today, asking why it is that Mr. Romney "appears relaxed, but some stiffness is still evident." Why indeed? From the NYT:

[C]ertain moments seem to leave him genuinely touched. In Keene, N.H., Lucy Opal, 83, who immigrated to the United States from Poland in 1957, hugged Mr. Romney and asked him to sign her tattered red autograph book. The book, filled with politicians’ scribbles, contained the signature of Mr. Romney’s father, George Romney, a former governor of Michigan.“Thank you, Lucy, for reminding me of my dad,” Mr. Romney said as he signed his name. “Love ya.”

Love ya. Love it.

P.S. The voter tells the paper, “He’s an awful nice person — I always like the way he smiles. He comes through as humanlike.”