FRESNO, Calif. (KMPH) -
Do political candidates stay on message or shoot from the hip during a closed door fundraiser? GOP Presidential nominee Mitt Romney has uncovered a pot of gold each time he comes to Fresno. All of his events here have been private.
But Fresno City Councilman Clint Olivier who attended one of his high dollar events says his comments were "not" controversial. "The event where I was, Governor Romney came out and talked about his track record as Governor of Massachusetts and running the Olympics back in 2002. What he shared with us here in Fresno wasn't remotely like he was captured on camera as saying in Florida."
Governor Romney's campaign has been on defense since Monday after his remarks about Americans who rely on government help, were posted on the Internet. "These are people who pay no income tax. 47 percent of Americans pay no income tax. So our message of low taxes does not connect."
Mitt Romney isn't the first to shoot from the hip and later discover it's headline news. Barack Obama discovered the same thing during the Presidential primary in 2008. "And it's not surprising then they get bitter, they cling to guns and religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them or anti–immigrant sentiment."
Councilman Olivier has been in office for less than a year. But the journalist turned politician has learned that it's always wise to stay on message. "You have to assume that even out of a room of 20, 30, 10 people one of the people in the room doesn't like you. One of the people in the room has a cell phone camera on you or is recording you and you just have to assume you're always being recorded."
Councilman Olivier says whether behind closed doors or in front of a camera speak from your heart and stay on message because the camera never blinks.
