On July 25, GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney shared with NBC reporters that he found the security surrounding the London Olympics “disconcerting.” The following 48 hours for Mitt proved taxing as London-based media slammed the candidate for his criticism, citing that his own Salt Lake-based Olympics were basically “in the middle of nowhere” and that anyone could oversee those. The nickname “Mitt the Twit” even found its way to the headlines while London’s mayor defended his country’s readiness, and the Prime Minister continued to look irritated. What a PR snafu….

Not only did it appear to the American public that Mitt was offending a European partner, but he was also doing it on a global scale since all eyes were on London and the Olympics. Obama’s campaign team must have been salivating over this GOP tar baby. It pretty much came wrapped with a bow!

By Friday, two days later, Mitt was spouting a different tune. His “TODAY” show interview included sound bytes sharing his resounding confidence in London’s readiness. “No doubt” in his mind, proclaimed the candidate, as his wife distracted viewers with chatter about her own horse competing in the Olympics for dressage. Did the 180° attitude change make a difference? Was it too little too late for Mitt? Did the horse really need mentioning??

We’ll see how this plays out in the media over the next few weeks, but I think it’s safe to say that Mitt should watch the Olympics from his couch this year and leave the media interviews to the athletes.

Photo courtesy of biography.com