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Monday, August 6, 2012

US Election: Barack Obama feels 'genuine disdain' for Mitt Romney

President Barack Obama feels "a genuine disdain" for Mitt Romney far beyond the dislike he ever felt for John McCain or Hillary Clinton, according to a new book.

US Election: Barack Obama feels 'genuine disdain' for Mitt Romney

Having begun the 2012 election without strong feelings towards his Republican rival, Mr Obama has reportedly grown to despise him and now subscribes to one of the most common criticisms of the former Massachusetts governor: that he stands for nothing and will say anything to get elected.
"There was a baseline of respect for John McCain. The President always thought he was an honourable man and a war hero," one Obama adviser is quoted as saying in 'Obama's Last Stand', an forthcoming book by journalists at the Politico news website. "That doesn't hold true for Romney. He was no goddamned war hero."
White House aides were reportedly relieved as the President began to voice his contempt for Mr Romney, believing they can channel his anger on the campaign trail and keep Mr Obama motivated throughout the brutal election.
During his first rally of the election, Mr Obama described his opponent as "a patriotic American who has raised a wonderful family" but since then has done nothing to curb personal attacks on Mr Romney by his staff or other Democrat politicians.
Stephanie Cutter, the Obama 2012 deputy campaign manager, speculated last month that the Republican candidate might be personally guilty of a felony by improperly filing business records. She later refused to apologise for the unsubstantiated claim .
Early in the election – cautious that Mr Obama remains personally popular even as his job approval ratings have slumped to below 50 per cent – Mr Romney would regularly describe his opponent as "a nice guy" who was out of his depth.
His rhetoric has become significantly harsher as the general election approaches, accusing Mr Obama of cronyism and of trying to warp American society into a "European-style" collectivist state.
The two White House contenders are believed to have only met twice in person and each time very briefly. By contrast, Mr Obama spent long hours in the Senate with both Mr McCain and Mrs Clinton.
Despite his relatively mild manners and general courteousness, Mr Romney has long inspired an intense personal antipathy among his political rivals.
Race of a Lifetime, a book considered the definitive account of the last election, describes a scene before one of the 2008 Republican primary debates where Mr McCain, Rudy Giuliani and several others Republican contenders gathered in the lavatory in the moments before taking the stage.
As they lined up at the urinals, the candidates began loudly mocking Mr Romney and joking about how much they disliked him, only for him to walk in and be met with an excruciating silence.
Mr Romney is unlikely to be fazed by reports of the President's dislike for him and instead taking encouragement from figures showing he raised more money than Mr Obama for a third straight month in a row.
The Republican raised $101.3 million in July (£65 million) compared to Mr Obama's $75 million (£48 million). According to the New York Times, the Obama campaign is also burning through money far more quickly than its opponents, having spent $400 million (£256 million) since the beginning of last year – more than any incumbent in recent history.
The Romney camp's fund-raising advantage has forced Mr Obama to hold more fund-raisers for top donors while bombarding regular supporters with increasingly desperate pleas for small donations.
In its latest bid for cash, the Obama campaign is raffling off an invitation to the President's birthday party which will be held at his private Chicago home on Sunday.

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