Imagine the conspiracy theories that would emerge with a photo of Mittsy or his youthful ward donating blood!
Even more unlikely: watching Mittsy pull out his wallet and donate some cash to people who won't vote for him!

If Romney was more interested in helping than in having a photo-op, he could have used his public platform to urge people to donate money to the Red Cross. He could have even linked to the RC from his campaign web site. Not as photogenic, perhaps, as having him stand behind a table full of vienna sausage and toilet paper, but much more efficacious in the long run.

considering that every move he makes is gonna be on record between now and next wednesday, you'd think that he and his team would have half a clue about how to act human in public..but..

No way is Mittens going to ask people to give even $1 to some other - ANY other - cause... that would be $1 less they'd have to donate to him.

Giving canned food is one thing - most people just grab a can that's already sitting in their pantry, and Mitten's doesn't want THAT for his campaign!

Obama has once again shown that he's the classier act: my wife got a e-mail from the Obama/Biden campaign asking her to give money... to the Red Cross.

@2,

He could also do something like offer matching funds up to a certain level for anyone donating through his website. Just like Ryan could have had his photo ops without being a fucking asshole about it by showing up to these places after they were done with their physical labor and cut them a check, instead of either doing bullshit work for five minutes or forcing all of them to hold off until he got there.

It really shows that those two lack class and brains.

A disaster of this proportion a week before the election is basically a worst case scenario for Romney. Both candidates have to stop campaigning and defer to the victims and the destruction, but Obama gets to be presidential by flying over the destruction in Marine One with a popular conservative Governor who is going on CNN to applaud the President.

Romney could have played this better for sure, but there's no way he could politically match or out-do what Obama is doing right now.

@6
"Romney could have played this better for sure, but there's no way he could politically match or out-do what Obama is doing right now."

Sure he can.
And he can do it by sticking to the Republican talking points.
Obama can send tax dollars.
But Romney can PERSONALLY organize massive blood drives from all of his supporters. People volunteering their time and their blood.
Instead, he's looking for photo ops because that is what he thinks he understands.
He could have PERSONALLY asked his supporters for CHARITABLE contributions for the Red Cross. Charity instead of taxation.
He doesn't even NEED the photo ops because if he wasn't being an idiot about it the press would follow him (and his extended family) into the blood donation center.
He would win the POLITICAL points by performing NON-POLITICAL charity.

What strikes me most about the disaster relief / soup kitchen photo ops is the complete failure of the campaign to anticipate that the volunteers would talk afterwards about how Romney and Ryan did nothing to help -- and in some instances hindered -- the work and the net negative impact that the talk would create for the candidates.

I can't help speculating that this failure to anticipate the obvious comes from an inability to comprehend on some level that people actually carry out this volunteer work when the cameras are off. I could see a true believer in Ayn Rand's philosophy being unable to picture the volunteers continuing to work for others with no benefit to themselves. Would such an objectivist would see their own self-serving use of the effort as no different than what anyone else must be doing, or else simply not think about the work continuing beyond its use to them?

@8 ah, yes, but Republicans don't admire charitable people. They'd love him more if he was out there making a buck by selling bibles. Or demanding money to stop white babies from being aborted. Or something.

Because conservatives are so crazy these days, nothing they do makes any sense.

@ Sir Vic, Hey dumbass, he did donate to the Red Cross, well over $1 million, of HIS OWN MONEY. And, you can take a look at this http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-…

What the hell is wrong with all you idiots besides the fact that you are so stinking jealous of Mitt Romney and his life. He is a good person, a great family man, a great business man, and will be a great president. He has a perfect life and you can't stand it. Maybe you should work on yours and quit hating others who have what you wish you had.