Romney's Pizza Depression

One thing I love about the Romney Pizza op is how much political photos still trick us into a sense of intimacy. When I saw Evan Vucci’s version this morning, I really did think I was a fly on the wall, like it was just Mitt, the grandkids … and me.

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Ahh, that’s better. Just hanging out watching Condi with the babysitter.

Beyond slicing up that myth, what the photos seem to tell us is that Romney is just not up for the political posing and posturing the way Bush was, and if he’s suffering, it’s as much from the demands of the celebrity culture as it is from the expectations of the “reality show” model that the Obama’s — Barack, with his handpicked, in-house, 24/7 campaign photographers complementing the newswire contingent — have laid down.

Beyond that, the couple of things we can probably glean here are:

Romney wants us to know he’s not happy with the pony show; he’s ready to be done with the coronation; he didn’t order the room service filet mignon … and he’s feeling whup-ass tired.  (In spite of the caption, I wonder if this was taken after Romney spent the morning in Indianapolis, then scooted back to the convention.) Also, what this also speaks to is the strength of  the media team, throwing the boss into a hasty set-up like this — though I’m wondering if Michelle or Laura would have let it happen.

(photo 1: Brian Snyder/Reuters. photos 2 & 3: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images. caption: Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (C) sits in his hotel room with his grandchildren as he watches a television broadcast of former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice speaking during the Republican National Convention on August 29, 2012 in Tampa, Florida. As the Republican National Convention continues, Mitt Romney will travel to Indianapolis to Address the American Legion.)