Romney's Remark
In 2008, during the Democratic primaries, Barack Obama was campaigning in Pennsylvania, and was explaining his difficulty with winning over working-class voters in Pennsylvania and the Midwest, saying they have become frustrated with economic conditions. He went on to say:
"And it's not surprising then that they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations."
Obama was able to overcome that comment and win both the Democratic nomination and the election. And now, in this election, it was, to quote Yogi Berra, "deja vu all over again" except that this time the comment came from Republican candidate Mitt Romney. During a private reception with donors earlier this year, Romney described almost half of Americans as “people who pay no income tax” and are “dependent upon government.” Those voters, he said, are likely to support President Obama because they believe they are “entitled to health care, to food, to housing, to you name it.”
In an interview yesterday, Romney acknowledged having made the blunt remark, saying that it was “not elegantly stated” but standing by the substance of the remarks. In a brief news conference, Romney said that his comments addressed “a question about direction for the country: Do you believe in a government-centered society that provides more and more benefits? Or do you believe instead in a free enterprise society where people are able to pursue their dreams?” He told reporters that he had been “speaking off the cuff in response to a question” at the fund-raiser last May but said he wants “to help all Americans — all Americans — have a bright, prosperous future.”
Mr. Romney was captured on video last May, offering his personal views. Democrats quickly condemned the remarks as insensitive, and the Obama campaign accused Mr. Romney of having “disdainfully written off half the nation.” The video was posted on the Internet Monday afternoon by Mother Jones, a liberal magazine, which said it had obtained the recording and had confirmed its authenticity. The magazine said it was concealing the identity of the person who took the video and the location and time of the recording.
Following is the video:
The author of the article on the Mother Jones Web site, David Corn, said the video was taken after Romney won the Republican nominating contest. The video was unearthed with help from James Carter, the grandson of former President Jimmy Carter. James, who lists “oppo researcher” on his Twitter bio, told New York Magazine that he helped find the videos and get them to Mr. Corn at Mother Jones.
Jim Messina, President Obama’s campaign manager, said in a statement Monday evening that it was “shocking” that Mr. Romney would “go behind closed doors” to describe nearly half of the country in such terms. “It’s hard to serve as president for all Americans when you’ve disdainfully written off half the nation,” Mr. Messina wrote.
Will this remark have any effect on the outcome of the election? Or will this be quickly forgotten like the guns and religion remark? I welcome your comments
"And it's not surprising then that they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations."
Obama was able to overcome that comment and win both the Democratic nomination and the election. And now, in this election, it was, to quote Yogi Berra, "deja vu all over again" except that this time the comment came from Republican candidate Mitt Romney. During a private reception with donors earlier this year, Romney described almost half of Americans as “people who pay no income tax” and are “dependent upon government.” Those voters, he said, are likely to support President Obama because they believe they are “entitled to health care, to food, to housing, to you name it.”
In an interview yesterday, Romney acknowledged having made the blunt remark, saying that it was “not elegantly stated” but standing by the substance of the remarks. In a brief news conference, Romney said that his comments addressed “a question about direction for the country: Do you believe in a government-centered society that provides more and more benefits? Or do you believe instead in a free enterprise society where people are able to pursue their dreams?” He told reporters that he had been “speaking off the cuff in response to a question” at the fund-raiser last May but said he wants “to help all Americans — all Americans — have a bright, prosperous future.”
Mr. Romney was captured on video last May, offering his personal views. Democrats quickly condemned the remarks as insensitive, and the Obama campaign accused Mr. Romney of having “disdainfully written off half the nation.” The video was posted on the Internet Monday afternoon by Mother Jones, a liberal magazine, which said it had obtained the recording and had confirmed its authenticity. The magazine said it was concealing the identity of the person who took the video and the location and time of the recording.
Following is the video:
The author of the article on the Mother Jones Web site, David Corn, said the video was taken after Romney won the Republican nominating contest. The video was unearthed with help from James Carter, the grandson of former President Jimmy Carter. James, who lists “oppo researcher” on his Twitter bio, told New York Magazine that he helped find the videos and get them to Mr. Corn at Mother Jones.
Jim Messina, President Obama’s campaign manager, said in a statement Monday evening that it was “shocking” that Mr. Romney would “go behind closed doors” to describe nearly half of the country in such terms. “It’s hard to serve as president for all Americans when you’ve disdainfully written off half the nation,” Mr. Messina wrote.
Will this remark have any effect on the outcome of the election? Or will this be quickly forgotten like the guns and religion remark? I welcome your comments