Misquoting makes it easy.  Taking an innocuous statement by Romney about the coming confirmation of the British people's embrace of the Olympics, mentioning some variables and unkowns, then extrapolating to a foreboding of Mitt's foreign policy ineptness could win the long jump.

It is a gaffe of major proportions, they say.  How could he say such a thing?

Typical of the liberal coverage is the summarizing of the outrageous gaffe.....but failing to provide the actual quote.  The New York Times did just that.

There are many other examples of excoriating the Romney's comments, but also failing to provide a contextual video or an actual quote.  Fundamental to the 'polishing' process is the misrepresentation.  Contrast that style with the discussions about the Obama comments regarding who built that business.  Those journalistic discussions are nearly always accompanied by video evidence and context.

Why wouldn't a journalist provide the quote, then continue with the discussion?  Answer, the quote isn't quite what they say it is.  It wasn't a gaffe.  It was a pragmatic view, a cautionary of "we will see."

"It's hard to know just how well it will turn out, "There are a few things that were disconcerting: the stories about the private security firm not having enough people, supposed strike of the immigration and customs officials, that obviously is not something which is encouraging."  Mitt Romney

Regarding gaffes and the British, overlooked is the Romney request for the bust of Churchill to be returned to the Oval Office.  Did the same journalists, who displayed outrage over Romney's comments concerning the Olympics and the complications that may arise,  miss the Churchill story?  To acknowledge it would have been to resurrect the Obama affront to the British with his blunt and ungraceful return of the bust.

This is the media's shiny object factory. Creating diversions from the issues.  But supposed affronts to the British by Romney are quick to meet reminiscences of the Obama gaffes....gaffes made in the name of the United States.  A much more serious matter.

Maybe Mitt should have just given the Queen an ipod with his greatest speeches, and left it at that.