BY CHRISTINA HARTMAN

 

They say he’s got great hair, but reporters are starting to ask -- does Mitt Romney have thin skin?

It started with this -- when the former Massachusetts Governor granted a rare one-on-one interview with Fox News’ Bret Baier that aired last week.

BAIER: “You have been on both sides of some issues. And there's videotape of you going back years, speaking about different issues, climate change, abortion, immigration, gay rights.” 
ROMNEY: “Well, Bret, your list is just not accurate, so we’re gonna have to be better informed...”

The Fox News host later told fellow network host Bill O’Reilly that after the interview -- the GOP presidential candidate complained the questions about his record were “uncalled for.”

And ever since, many reporters have started pointing out -- unlike his fellow contenders, Romney hasn’t appeared on a Sunday show since he entered the race.

Not helping the perception -- a New York Times reporter says Romney’s camp kept a reporter away from the candidate at a forum Saturday.

Ology’s Noah Rothman concludes -- Romney’s got a “real problem” with reporters.

Politico talked to New York Times Magazine writer Robert Draper, who points out -- there might be a reason for the press avoidance.

“...they did a lot of interviews during the 2008 cycle, and they just don’t see the value in doing more.’ … When Draper sought an interview with Romney … “[t]hey replied that in the interests of controlling the campaign’s message, the candidate would not be participating in any profiles or ‘process stories.’”

And -- poking a little fun -- Jon Stewart says -- so far it’s a strategy that’s worked.

“He’s running a classic political gambit called the Marilyn Munster strategy. It’s simple: Romney appears only in debates surrounded by Munsters, aka the other Republican presidential candidates. And instantly, voters think, ‘Hey, the pretty one seems normal.’”

But in a piece for the American Journalism Review, Rem Reider says -- the jig’s up.

“His thin-skinned reaction ... represented a real dent in his image of unflappability. And it's only going to get tougher as the Republican race morphs into a one-one-one showdown with Gingrich and ... a gloves-off confrontation with Obama. His lack of combat experience could prove to be a real problem.”

Finally -- conservative blogger Jennifer Rubin -- one of the chosen few to interview the candidate this election cycle -- says Romney’s his own best representative.

In an appearance on CNN’s Reliable Sources, she says we might start seeing more of him -- and that would be a good thing for his campaign.

“He's been good in the debates. He can state his views with clarity and with fluency. I think it's mistake as we saw in 2008 to shield them excessively from the media. I think it's better to get them out, get them to be accessible and to defend themselves. When he speaks for himself, he can articulate his views...”