Romney: I have many friends who are also privileged rich douchebags

By Michael J.W. Stickings

"Romneying," one of the key neologisms of the political season, from Dave Weigel: "Accidentally bragging about your place high up in the economic stratosphere."

The thing is, if you keep doing it, it is really accidental? Or is it just who you are? Which is to say, a privileged rich douchebag. Which is to say, Mitt Romney.

Remember when Romney said that he has "some great friends who are NASCAR team owners." He was asked whether he's a fan of car racing. He said "[n]ot as closely as some of the most ardent fans," but instead of leaving it at that launched seamlessly into Romneying.

Well, he did it again yesterday, also in a sports context:

Mitt Romney described two National Football League owners as "friends" during a Monday evening radio show, a comment that echoed one made earlier that he has "some friends who are NASCAR team owners."

The comment came on an Alabama sports talk show, while Romney was discussing where former Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning should sign.

After joking he hoped Manning would sign somewhere where his New England Patriots wouldn't have to face him often, Romney mentioned the New York Jets and Miami Dolphins and said "both owners are friends of mine."

It's bad enough that he was talking sports, about which he obviously knows very little (like, duh, the Jets and Fins are both in the Pats' division), but why the Romneying? Why brag about being so crazy rich that your friends are other crazy rich people? (Did his people not supply him with enough pandering speaking points? Could he not have sucked up even harder to Alabama football fans while hedging his Alabama/Auburn bets?) Why, when you're pathetically pandering for votes in crazy poor states like Alabama and Mississippi, remind everyone that you're anything but a man of the people?

Oh, right, he couldn't help himself. He's Mitt Romney.