Romney's old school persona questioned

BOSTON, Aug. 19 (UPI) -- Campaign observers have questioned whether former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney is actually as old-school as he comes across or whether it is a political ploy.

With the candidate for the Republican presidential nomination gaining a reputation as a throw-back politician with comments straight from "Leave it to Beaver," some observers have argued his public persona is a fabrication intended to draw in supporters, The Boston Globe said Sunday.

University of California at Berkeley linguist Geoffrey Nunberg, who is among those detractors, said Romney's alleged ploy is a disservice to Republicans nationwide.

"It's condescending, because it implies listeners are going to be taken in by that sort of thing," Nunberg said. "It doesn't impute a very high level of intelligence to Republican voters."

But Harvard University professor David Gergen dismisses such allegations, saying Romney's persona appears to be the real deal.

"This 'Ozzie and Harriet' world in which he lives seems to be his true world," Gergen told the Globe. "For that reason, there are some who find it a throwback. Others are very comfortable with it."