There will probably come a day when Mitt Romney will find a treatment to stop being so tone deaf, and will figure out a way to talk to humans in a way that demonstrates some degree of empathy.
Today, however, is not that day.
The likely Republican presidential nominee talked to Wisconsin voters via a "telephone town hall" yesterday, and after applauding Gov. Scott Walker's (R) far-right labor policies and endorsing Paul Ryan's radical House budget plan, Romney, unprompted, decided to share an anecdote he described as "humorous." Rachel aired the entirety of Romney's "joke" on the show last night.
For those who missed the episode and can't watch clips online, the gist of the story is that Romney's father shut down an auto factory in Michigan, and moved production to Wisconsin. The "humorous" part came later, when George Romney's political strategists didn't want a marching band playing "On, Wisconsin" during a Michigan gubernatorial campaign because it might remind voters of the closed factory.
Because nothing's funnier than joking about shutting down production at a Michigan auto plant and laying off its workers.
I can appreciate why, after a while, coverage of Romney's tin ear when it comes to wealth and working people may seem excessive, and I suspect it will wane just as soon as he stops saying dumb things in public.
For those keeping score at home, this is the same Republican presidential candidate who boasts about his wife driving "a couple of Cadillacs," says he's "not concerned about the very poor," and says making over $374,000 in speaking fees in a year is "not very much" money. All of those examples 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, and suggesting that Americans should somehow feel sorry for poor banks.
Ordinarily in political campaigns, candidates are advised not to be overly scripted, because voters like candidates who speak their mind. Romney appears to be one of those rare candidates for whom this advice does not apply.
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Too bad there isn't video footage of Romney's political strategists reacting to this joke. They could use "Love in an elevator" for background music.
Once again, Romney made the late night AND the morning shows. Attaboy, Mitt!
Every day, in every way, his Name Recognition rises. . .
I can't tell whether you're kidding or not.
What it does show is that the Michigan workers were not human beings that mattered from Mitt's perspective. They were not even collateral damage in his joke.
We're just funny muppets.
Who ever said Romney cares or likes the people of Michigan? He told us flat out it is the height of the tree, the car and the inland lakes he likes. He is just not saying it out loud: "I like Michigan...but it just has too many Michiganders in it."
Carol has a caption for the photo showing Barbara Bush holding the dog. The dog she thinks is saying "please don't make me ride on Mr Romney's van"
Forget about the "poor." Forget about the unemployed. Forget about the laid off. Forget about anyone that doesn't have enough assets to require a Swiss bank account. Because Mitt just doesn't care. Mitt Romney has no soul. He is a corporate robot, a humanoid without principles and without any devotion to honesty, integrity, or decency. Romney's entire career, both in the private-sector and politically, has centered around destruction and personal opportunism. Where he thinks he can make millions or score political points, he acts. http://www.sunstateactivist.org
It really should be a cakewalk for Obama , but it won't be. I dread the nefarious Faux/Republican/Koch slime machine that is going to kick in presently.
I am sure everybody at his club found the joke amusing.
I can imagine them sitting around their kitchen table (that doesn't sound right but, anyway) having a good old jolly laugh about all the fun times they had giving people the pink slip. They do enjoy firing people it's good for their already inflated ego.Power and Money. Greed kills.
Mittens can't help himself, really, he was born with a silver foot in his mouth. On it's face Mittens conduct and inability "to connect" appear cold hearted; and yet that is the up-bringing of the 1%. They do not mingle with those "beneath them" (think: 99%), and have NO real interests in common. How many of you watched Paris Hilton in "The Simple Life" - while people laughed at this "reality show" - the truth is that she really was "lost" in "the real world". Her behavior should have awakened Americans into understanding that there is NOTHING about working people that the 1% really understand. What I'm saying isn't bashing them, it's talking truth!
Mittens can't relate, because he can't even understand that "health insurance" is cost prohibitive for at least 50 million working Americans, or having to choose between paying your electric bill and getting a gallon of milk to help feed your kids; these are concepts that he doesn't even understand! And it's not just Mittens, George W. couldn't relate, even Saint Raygun - who'd been living the life in Hollywood and forgotten from whence he came - none of these people can relate to what working Americans are going thru!
And after 30+ years of "trickle down, you're on your own" economic policies that have disenfranchised so many, at what point do you stop falling for the banana in the tailpipe? So my question to working Americans is why do you keep buying into the delusion that these people you vote into office are actually working "for you" and America? It's time to vote these traitors to working Americans out in November!
Anyone But Obama! Even a blathering fool. Especially a blathering fool. They take orders better. Mitt will take his orders very well, as long as his handlers allow him to feel like he's part of their club, which you can bet he isn't.
I imagine an exclusive group of really wealthy Cheney-like beings sitting around in a cloud of cigar smoke and self-congratulations, snickering at him from behind their carefully manicured hands, dreaming of the hoops they could make him jump through if he were president...
Or You could Insist that everyone ELSE pay for it, which is what I think you are doing...
The longer I watch Mitt two things come to mind...
1. He really doesn't WANT to be President but was 'recruited' by the rich to do it or
2. He has been assured it's 'in the bag' what with voter fraud laws, super pacs, etc. and is showing the American Public who he really is.
Ok, while he is a turd for bringing up the subject and overlooking the fact that his old man put people out of work. It was his FATHER that did it, not him.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not voting for him. Him and his wife (as well as the other losers the GOP continues to toss out expecting us to vote for) make me sick. But this guy is beyond the pale.
Hi Rachel. Even though you make some salient points, your whiny High pitched constant, and continual railing against the " Right " is really annoying. Why don't you (and Rush too ) run for public office and actually try to accomplish something ? Being an outside pundit who can always find something to complain about / point out is a really a pretty easy job. There will always be someone's mistakes to point out.
Jay - you don't appear to realize that this particular blog item was written by Steve Benen, not Rachel. And if you find TRMS whiny and annoying, don't watch it. Many of us feel that Rachel and staff serve a very important purpose in informing us and providing meaningful context to what goes on in politics and other news. Rush, on the other hand, misinforms for his purposes (primarily as an entertainer/comedian, albeit unwittingly).
Many of us think Rachel should at some point run for office. There are few, if any, elected officials who share her level of intellect, insight, and ability to communicate. In the meantime though, the 'pretty easy job' she does is not done nearly as well by anybody else in the industry.
Indeed. I'd love that! In addition, I love the expressions on Rachel's face as she leads up to the sound clip, and then afterwards. It's like watching Jon Stewart
Steve,
To be fair to Mitt, I think he honestly thought the "humorous" part of his story was the marching band playing Oh Wisconsin, not the closing the plant part. It's just the story didn't make that much sense unless he provided the whole context. Ergo, your point is still valid (he's got a tin ear). I think after years of sycophants laughing at "big, powerful man" jokes, he really doesn't get that, not only aren't his jokes, they are insensitive and thoughtless.
Regarding the 34-50% Fav/UnFav poll: check out the intensity internals, they are even more troubling for Romney. Since 2011 his "Strong Fave" doesn't go over 1/3 of his total "Favorable" number. The Favorables run in the 30s, but the strong Fave are generally in single digits, only twice hitting 10%.
On the other hand, his "Strong Unfavorable" # consistently run above half of his total "Unfavorable". The guy is disgusting and America is sniffing him out; he's becoming universally and intensely despised.
If this is the best you can do for criticizing Mitt Romney when your man Obama was caught whispering "Sweet Nothings" to the former President of Russia about Nuclear Missile defense, then I'll take Romney all day long. I wonder why you are not talking about serious matters instead of absolute nonsense that no one cares about. Now you know why your ratings are so low.