Speak No Evil

How in the world Mitt Romney thinks he can go to South Florida and not say a word about Medicare or Cuba, is beyond me.  But I guess thinking it, makes it so.  Because he did it.  The emphasis is mine:

Mitt Romney mentioned the word Medicare only twice Monday in his first Florida stop in St. Augustine after picking a running mate, but no one doubts it will be a central part of the campaign fight in this must-win state. 

“The president’s idea for Medicare was to cut it by $700 billion,” Romney said during a morning rally in St. Augustine. “That’s not the right answer. We need to make sure we can preserve and protect Medicare.” 

On his second stop in in West Miami-Dade at El Palacio de Los Jugos, the Republican presidential nominee was greeted by a large, enthusiastic crowd where he gave his standard stump speech — absent a single mention of Medicare or Cuba, typical talking points in Miami’s exile community. 

He really is determined to talk about nothing during this campaign.  I know a lot of folks say there are many things he simply can’t talk about.  That he can’t talk about his religion, at risk of alienating an evangelical base.  That his not-so-nice comments in London about the Olympics, makes it harder for him to glorify his days with the Salt Lake games.  That in not releasing his tax returns, he risks making the unpopular elements of his tax plan a center of the campaign.  That in not addressing the issues related to his employment status at Bain, and questions of job outsourcing and business closures, the we-need-a-businessman-in-charge argument becomes a mockery.

And then all the things he won’t talk about it, at risk of reminding the American public of his propensity to flip-flop.

But going to West Miami-Dade and not a word about Cuba?  Sheesh.

I guess putting Paul Ryan – the great intellect and ideas man – on the ticket isn’t rubbing off on Romney.