Around the world Quote by Mark Leibovich
““The low point occurred in July, during Romney’s junior week abroad, in which the press became increasingly frustrated over Romney’s refusal to talk to them. It came to a head in Warsaw during a visit by Romney to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier there. As the former governor walked to his car, reporters shouted questions at him about his earlier mishaps. “Kiss my ass,” admonished Romney’s traveling press aide, Rick Gorka. “Show some respect. This is a holy site for the Polish people.” Channeling Fonzie, Gorka also instructed Jonathan Martin of Politico to “shove it.” Some in the political echo-system treated this as a major international incident, a skirmish between weary but still potent superpowers—the press, the Romney campaign—that conjured Cold War–like tensions. After Gorka’s unsacred words raced around the world, the jackals rechristened the Polish holy site “Gorka Park.” Ryan, on the other””
About This Quote
Source Book: This Town by Mark Leibovich, 2013
The passage recounts a 2012 campaign moment when Romney's aide snapped at reporters at Warsaw's Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, telling them off for disrespect. The press exaggerated it into a conflict, renaming the site Gorka Park. It highlights media-campaign friction during the Romney trip.
In simple terms: Press and campaign clashed, turning a minor incident into a media frenzy.
Key Takeaway
Minor campaign flare-ups can explode into symbolic stories.
Themes
journalism
politics
media spectacle
2012 election
campaign strategy
tension
Mood
sardonic
critical
observational
Type
political narrative
exposition
anecdote
When to use this quote
- analyzing media coverage
- working in press relations
- studying political campaigns
- managing public statements
Key Concepts
media framing
political communication
echo chamber
symbolic controversy
Questions to Reflect On
- Why do reporters amplify small campaign conflicts?
- What is the line between genuine disrespect and media overreaction?
A Different Perspective
The passage itself is journalists describing journalists, so it may overstate the significance of an offhand remark.
