Mitt Romney suffered another self-inflicted wound yesterday, telling a national television audience, "I'm not concerned about the very poor." As First Read noted, everyone makes gaffes, "but in politics, what becomes damaging is when a verbal gaffe fits a pre-existing narrative."
Associated Press
This one certainly fit the bill. In seven words, Romney reinforced doubts about his candidacy -- he comes across as an out-of-touch elitist; his agenda is heavily stacked to help the wealthy; he's indifferent towards Americans struggling most -- in the clumsiest way possible.
What was especially interesting about yesterday, however, was that Romney didn't just face criticism from the left; the right seemed dumbfounded, too. The Weekly Standard's John McCormack called the former governor's comment "the most stunningly stupid remark of his campaign."
It's obvious that Romney's statement that he's "not concerned about the very poor" is incredibly tone-deaf. A candidate can say he's "focused" on the middle class without saying he's "not concerned" about the very poor, just as a candidate can say he's "focused" on the economy without saying he's "not concerned" about national security or even less vital issues like education.
But Romney's remark isn't merely tone-deaf, it's also un-conservative. The standard conservative argument is that a conservative economic agenda will help everyone.... Had Mitt Romney picked up his conservatism sooner, perhaps he would know these arguments by heart.
McCormack wasn't alone. Michelle Malkin was dismayed, as was The American Spectator and Rush Limbaugh. One conservative joked that Romney came across as "a really bad Stephen Colbert parody of a Republican," while Jonah Goldberg simply asked, "What is wrong with this guy?"
It's probably not what the Romney campaign wanted to see the morning after its big win in Florida.
For his part, the former governor insisted the quote wasn't as ridiculous if it's considered in context. That's problematic in a couple of ways: for one thing the context really doesn't help, and for another, Romney is the same candidate who's argued that context is irrelevant.
Perhaps the overarching point to keep in mind is that this wasn't Romney's first gaffe -- which in turn, makes the right understandably uncomfortable when it comes to the general election.
To be sure, when compared against his GOP rivals, Romney seems pretty slick. After nearly 18 years as a politician, and more than five years as a near-constant presidential candidate, the former governor is clearly smoother and better prepared than his Republican opponents.
But that only tells us that he's clearing a low bar.
Romney recently said making over $374,000 in speaking fees is "not very much" money. It followed Romney suggesting elected office is only for the rich, clumsily talking about his fondness for being able to fire people, demanding that talk of economic justice be limited to "quiet rooms," accusing those who care about income inequality of "envy," daring Rick Perry to accept a $10,000 bet, joking about being "unemployed," arguing that those who slip into poverty are still middle class, and suggesting that Americans should somehow feel sorry for poor banks.
There was also that "corporations are people, my friend" classic.
As Jon Chait recently put it, the Republican frontrunner "has come to be defined, through a recurring series of off-the-cuff gaffes, as a callous, out-of-touch rich man."
Jon wrote that two weeks ago. Romney keeps making it worse.
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In the remake of that Feb 2nd classic, Bill Murray will awaken, not to Sonny and Cher, but to yet another gaffe quote from Mitt Romney!
First, Romney dismisses the poor as though they are sufficiently cared for. You don't need to parse words or look for context to find that glaring lack of understanding or sympathy. Second, his policies do little if anything to help strengthen the middle class. And third, to say he isn't worried about the wealthy raises the question, "does he think the middle class' main path to security is low capital gains taxes? Why not treat capital gains differently based on total income, age, etc.?"
because thays the same system the congress uses...does that explain it?
Understanding "Middle Class" Mittens...
The Very Rich = Billionaires
Middle Class = Quarter-billionaires
Lower Class = Millionaires
Poor = Those making between $500K - $999K
The Very Poor = The peon classes who make less
It is about damn time that the wealthy are able to buy themselves a president who is not afraid to express their distain for the peon classes!
Dan_P or anyone else who believes that Mitt's policies will not help the "middle class" just do not understand what Mitt's "middle class" is...
And another part of this I just realized this morning. He talks about "the very poor" and........................".Middle Income Americans, I am focused on helping Middle income Americans." So what are the very poor? Middle Class Iranians? It sounds as if he does not equate those poor people with being real Americans. and believing that the safety net that helps them is for those greedy little b*ssturds that don't work and need to pull themselves up by their bootstraps. he has no idea of how miserable that safety net really is. I was on welfare and food stamps for five years caregiving my husband with a severe mental illness (my ex now). It is more miserable trying to get through a month with little money and too few food stamps than it is caregiving an obviously mentally psychotic man. at least the mentally ill husband was consistent. lol
8:00 AM comments from Steve Benen. Like clockwork (and yes, that is a good thing).
There's a video out there called, I believe, Digital Frontier, where Steve talks about his blogging. He is up at 5am scouring newspapers, blogs, and websites. For the six plus years I have followed him, he always has an 8:00 am post and often posts 12 or more articles throughout the day.
Here, I am sure he is also doing stuff for Rachel to go On Air with, as well, so his posting has been less here than is normal (for him).
He also has almost never taken a Saturday or Sunday off in all the time I have read him, usually posting 7-9 articles every Saturday and Sunday, every single weekend...for all those years.
The man is a machine. And one I am thankful for.
Although I am always a little disappointed when Benen stops for the day. I follow him daily for the quality of his content, the links for verification of his posts, and the sophisticated snark of his blog followers.
If this keeps up, Romney will give the Obama campaign enough material for every had they will be able to produce, and never have to use the same one twice. Supposing Romney wins the nomination. If Herman Cain was an art project, then maybe Romney is an experiment to see if a person can finish a marathon while repeatedly shooting themselves in both feet.
And -- it was very heartening that ABC News made this one of its top stories last evening. It was headlined at the beginning of the broadcast, and was the second story up. Will wonders never cease???
Congrats Mitt. You've paid millions in taxes. Because of you Bain Capital has written billions in pay checks to it's employees and you've also given millions to charities and taken care of your family. we need someone in the White House that knows how to make money and knows what to do with it when they get it. You've got my vote.
??? Also very proud of Mitten's not being afraid to express scorn and contempt for the peon classess ???
??? Proud of Mitten's giving millions to the Mormon cult ???
??? The people I know who made money ended up in jail when the secret service found their printing presses ???
??? What to do with it ??? All "middle class" people like Mittens have 23 off-shore bank accounts.
Troll away GerryTouche...
I'm grateful that we have people that pay millions in taxes. The 1% pay 37% of the taxes. They sure have my admiration and gratitude. If there were no millionaires and billionaires there would be no USA. Good job Mitt, I'll be there on inauguration day.
Troll away GerryTouche...
When in doubt (or a repuke troll), make up numbers.
SOL
I used to be jealous of the rich too. Then 40 years ago I decided that poverty was unacceptable...the rest is history.
In the eyes of the typical GOP a-hole, fairness means envy. It doesn't.
But nothing will change your mind or your attitude. So, carry on.
Giving millions to the Mormon church is not giving to charity, though some is used to help poor Mormons, most is used to build the power and wealth of the cult and to subvert elections like they did in California and Prip 8.
AND Mormons will give him their vote becomes they do what their "living profit" tells them to do and to heck with America.
Sure the 1% pay 37% of the taxes, but it should be 50%, since that's the share of total wealth that they own! They're getting off way too lightly.
Sure the 1% pay 37% of the taxes, which means they owe a third of the federal debt or five trillion dollars.
Time to pay up.
Sure the 1% pay 37% of the taxes, which means they owe a third of the federal debt or five trillion dollars. That's how much they stole with tax cuts. Top one tenth of one percent in income stole $2.6 trillion with their filthy tax cuts.
What do Republicans want? More tax cuts! It's all they know.
So how much is a soul worth on the open market these days?
Romney is so out of touch that it is obvious he is full of Mitt. There is a YouTube video showing a man with his head stuck in an elephant's rectum, which I do not know how to share with this site but would be both humorous and appropriate. Any help would be appreciated.
cut and paste the web addresss.
Mitt is simply carrying on a proud family tradition of career ending gaffes. Let's not forget that his dad complained about being "brainwashed" by US generals in Viet Nam.
Hee-Hee-Hee! -Kevo
The progressive tax system is a joke. In theory, the richest people in America should be paying the highest in taxes. Unfortunately, its a regressive tax system. The poorest pay the most and the richest pay the least. Even millionaires pay more in taxes than billionaires. I think that's why millionaires even want to tax the super rich. I define super rich as 50 million or more.
99% of us live month to month paying bills and eating. 1% of us live generation to generation without ever worrying about paying bills or eating. Romney doesn't even work. What kind of role model is that?
Mitt paid over 6 million in 2 years. How the hell do you figure he pays less than the poor? And no, 99% of us don't live month to month. Most of us are responsible enough to manage our resources.
Mitt paid less in taxes in relation to what he made than the middle class. C'mon Gerry, you can't be that bad at math.
GerryTouche is a troll!
Troll away, GerryTouche!
99% of us actually do live paycheck to paycheck. One bad accident or health care issue and its over. You are right, plenty of us are responsible. Yet, stuff happens all the time. A freak hurricane in Houston that destroys my house isn't covered on my insurance? Just like storm surges from Hurricane Gustav wasn't covered on my brothers policy.
PS...personal savings has gone down over the last 30 years. People aren't saving like they use to. Not because they became less responsible but because of the massive transfer of wealth to the top 1%
And if you think about it for a second. The more you make the more tax breaks you can take. Single dude making minimum wage probably files a 1040EZ. He only gets one deduction, himself.
I'm for the flat tax as long as no one gets any deductions. Not one single deduction for anything. I say drop it down to 10% flat tax across the board for people and corporations. If you're a person who owns a corporation then that's 20% since Mitt said corporations are also people.
Yes the first part was a huge gaffe, but what about what he said right after that? "I'm not concerned about the very rich."
Dude, they paid for you to be up there so it would kindof be in your best interest to be concerned about the rich, amiright?
At least he was equal opportunistic with his comment.
How many people's jobs were terminated because of Bain/Mitt? How many companies sold and broken apart purely for profit? What's the average salary of the jobs Mitt supposedly created? Do those jobs have benefits? Do these people make a living wage or are they forced to work two or three jobs to make ends meet?
Mitt knows how to line HIS pockets. I'm not so sure he'll help anyone else.
I've not heard that conservative economic solutions are supposed to help everyone. Conservatism is survival of the fittest and the less fit are left behind. It helps the whole by weeding out the unfit, but it certainly doesn't help everyone.
I'm not saying it's right or wrong (at least in this post), but it is what it is. And it's the biggest difference between conservatism and liberalism (to each according to his need).
I wrote a long time ago about a conservative and liberal walking down the road together. They see a homeless man. The Liberal would say, "There by the grace of God go I." The Conservative would say, "Get a job bum." Neither one knows how or why this person is now homeless.
To me that's the fundamental difference between conservative and liberal ideologies.
And I thought the conservatives were the big time Christians.
That is because high unemployment rate benefits the ownership class by driving down wages. The job the bum gets may be your own. That is what working-class Republicans do not understand.
They claim to be but when you scratch the surface they NEVER know anything about Christianity. It's called "taking the Lord's name in vain" and is mentioned a few times in the Bible.
Interesting GrrlRomeo. I never thought of Conservatives as ardent defenders and participants in Darwinism. It expains a lot.
I prefer the way it was put in an episode of Get Smart: survival of the fattest.
Aww, don't be so hard on Mitt. He's just a repurposed FemBot from the Austin Powers films and his circuitry is starting to finally go awry. Not his fault, he was programmed to liquidate companies, not to face all these pesky reporters and their gosh-darned questions. I blame this latest gaffe on the glitter bombing. Few realize what havoc glitter can wreak in a MittCPU.
Mitt Romney is a true "welfare queen". If people don't understand his pretty face they can at least learn how he really makes his money.
http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2012/02/20122164215194680.html
Great article!
I love the author's take on Citizen's United Not Timid (sorry, it makes me crazier than I already am that no one uses the full name of that organization, or relates its acronym...and its original purpose was completely lost, that being this organization, C U N T, was created to do a hit piece 'documentary' about Hillary Clinton) and how the GOP is ruing the 'activist judges' decision because of how it is hurting their own candidates. Say it with me, everyone...Awwwww!
Unintended consequences, indeed.
Citizen's United Not Timid logo: http://cloudfront.mediamatters.org/static/images/item/rogerstone-20080220.jpg
Next, The Mitteh will suggest that all those poor people just practice self-deportation.
No he doesn't want to deport the poor. If Mitt gets into office he will need plenty of the "mudsill" to build the Morman Regime. I am not kidding around here, this is about beleifs, values, and economic practices. I truly hope that Mitt's most recent statement about the poor broke the campaign wagon. I have watched the working class of my country sink to the depths of poverty for thirty years. Like others I am just treading water and still working to help those who are drowning. All of this on a volunteer basis, no pay. What do people do when they have nothing left to loose? Blog? Tweet? Look around, its a global movement. I will post an opinion here. What is happening in my country is wrong, wrong, wrong. Shame on you Mitt Romney et al of your ilk.
Mitt has a great safety net for his sons. He gave each $100 million so creating a few more super rich. I wonder how much gift tax they paid? Does anyone know if Mitt was a ceo in any of his corporate endeavors or was just along for the ride? That would redefine his alleged management skills significantly.
"He gave each $100 million"
Are you what's referred to as a "low information" voter?
GerryTrollTouche has a point about this!
Mittens did not give each son $100 Million. He set up a trust-fund for the five of them for a total of $100 Million! That is only $20M each and barely enough to get started into a middle class life. Fortunately, Mitt's 5 sons have displayed their patriotism by working to elect their father as president!
For the rest of us, it we give someone more than $12,500 a year we have to pay gift taxes on it. Mittens has good accountants and loopholes bought in the tax code so he was able to set up the $100 Million trust fund and avoid paying gift taxes on it!
Mr GerryTroll - I am not 'jealous' of the wealthy! I am pissed that they are able to buy loopholes in laws and tax code to avoid paying taxes that the rest of us in the working classes have to pay!
He PAID 14.9&% in taxes last year, but please try and keep up Gerry, you are a little behind in your reading!
Getting the numbers correct!
Mitten's 2010 tax filing showed an effective tax rate of 13.7% - not the 15% that the Wall Street Journal put on its front page - not the about 50% that the Romney campaign is peddling to confuse voters - & not the 14.9% that Mary-529068 says!
But Mitt does give millions to the Mormon cult so according to the USA Today that should be counted as part of his fair share!
Mitt paid 6 mill over 2 years.
SOL The exclusion is 13,000 not 12,500. Just because you gift over 13,000 doesn't mean you'll pay gift tax. I gave my daughter more than that as a wedding gift and there were no taxes due. And yes I did report it to the IRS.
There used yo be a loophole in the tax law back in the 60s...It was called the 90% bracket. I guess you must have loved that one.
GerryTroll, we all know you understand percentages, pretending you don't is why you are considered a troll. Now, go iron your magic underwear.
I made $17,000 last year and paid a tax rate of 18.8%. I thought they all said that most people paid no federal income taxes? I've been paying taxes all along!
"I made $17,000 last year and paid a tax rate of 18.8%."
No you didn't.
I'm normally opposed to making a big deal about gaffes on ANY candidate. However this one is definitely karmic in its beauty. After Mitt ran that ad that so thoroughly misrepresented Obama's words, to hear him decry the media for quoting his exact words is priceless.
Ah Mittens, you're the gift that keeps on giving. Gordon Gekko '12.
http://www.romneygekko.com/
I have a brother with high functioning Aspergers syndrome.l Mitt really reminds me of him, not understanding sarcasm, saying things that really don't make sense in a conversation, overly happy and trying to fit in. I really wonder if that's what Mitt's problem is. as dingy as he is, he has a good family. wonder if he was gone a lot when they were little, or they just laughed at him behind his back (like my brother's daughters will comment, "If Dad starts complaining about your tattoo, we'll just tie him up and put him in the trunk for the rest of the trip."
The man is C*L*U*E*L*E*S*S. It's painful to watch him.
As we await the trickle down effect promised by Reagan, it seems the only dependable trickle down we can expect is from our aging prostates and bladders.
The thing I really like about this Republican nomination campaign is the battle of words between Mitt and Newt. They both seem intent on self-destruction. Last week it was Newt with his colony on the moon idea (I think we should call it Newtsylvania). This week it's Mitt, again, with his insensitive and mindless comments on the poor. Can't wait for Newt's next effort to shoot himself in the foot!
I'm voting for Newtopia. ; )
Starting to look and sound just like any other blog around here.
elaborate?
I misspoke with $100mil. for each son. As noted above the $100 million was for all five. I hope that will get them over the hump.
Twenty million---one hundred million. In my scheme of things, its a whole lot of MONEY, no matter which. It will probably start their investment portfolio quite well, either way.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04zwhjRiCbo