During a recent interview with The Huffington Post, Mitt Romney noted that President Obama’s characterization of our economy, “reminded me of Marie Antoinette: ‘Let them eat cake.'”
This struck me as odd for a few reasons. The first is obvious: Romney seems more comfortable taking questions from liberal media outlets than from conservative ones. That is, at least, how it appears to this humble writer.
A larger point: Burkean conservatives might find it concerning that — in attacking Obama from the left — Mitt Romney has channeled the talking points of French Revolutionaries.
But those are, perhaps, petty concerns. Aside from the quibbles, it’s worth noting that Romney appears to be misrepresenting Marie Antionette — who likely never uttered the words he attributes to her.
As Romney backer Ann Coulter recently explained,
it has gone down in history that Antoinette said of starving French peasants, “Let them eat cake!” – a line invented by the narcissistic atheist Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Similarly, it has gone down in history that Palin said, “I can see Russia from my house!” – a line invented by the narcissistic atheist Tina Fey.
Perhaps Romney should have had his super pac go after the queen, instead? (No fingerprints that way.)