Brendan Nyhan

Strange Mitt Romney banter

I don’t trust stories from the campaign bus/plane, but this anecdote about Mitt Romney trying to make small talk with a Star Wars reference is bizarre:

Mr. Romney has been making more of an effort to cultivate the news media as part of his refashioned candidacy. When he sauntered back onto a flight on Saturday, he broke the ice with an unusual remark.

“What did they say in ‘Star Wars?’ ” he asked. “What’s that line? ‘There’s nothing happening here. These droids aren’t the droids you’re looking for.’ ”

Eric Fehrnstrom, his traveling press secretary, said it had actually been rendered: “These are not the droids you are looking for.”

“These are not the droids you’re looking for,” Mr. Romney said. “Sorry.”

Huh? Did this make more sense in context?