The conventional wisdom says it's a mistake for President Obama's re-election campaign and its allies to criticize Mitt Romney's controversial private-sector background. In recent weeks, Republicans have said it showed hostility towards capitalism; some high-profile Democrats have balked; the many in the media have predicted a public backlash. The entire line of attack is a dud.
Except, there's some evidence that actual voters aren't responding the way they've been told to respond. On the contrary, though the criticisms have been "panned up and down the Acela Corridor," they appear to be working elsewhere.
With that in mind, Priorities USA Action, the pro-Obama super PAC, has launched this new spot.
The ad features Donnie Box, who lost his job of 32 years at Kansas City's GST Steel after Romney's firm took it over. "Romney and Bain Capital shut this place down," Box says in the commercial, standing outside a shuttered factory where he used to work. "They shut down entire livelihoods. They promised us healthcare package, they promised us maintain our retirement program, and those were the first two things to disappear. This was a booming place. And Mitt Romney and Bain Capital turned it into a junkyard. Just making money and leaving."
If Box seems familiar, it may be because we've seen him before -- in January, he was also featured in an ad from MoveOn.org.
Remember, if the conventional wisdom is right, Priorities USA Action is wasting its money, focusing on a part of Romney's record that voters don't care about. But given this super PAC's limited resources, I suspect the group has reason to believe ads like these will resonate, even if the political establishment assumes they won't.
This new spot is part of a $7 million ad buy, and it will air in Colorado, Florida, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.
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It must be nice to be be a billionaire and have private security and rescue firms to replace the scores of police and firefighters that your policies have caused to be laid off. It must be equally nice to be the guy doing the firing -- he "loves it,m" you know -- instead of the employee sacked because of corporate greed. Romney can profess his appreciation for firing people because he never had to worry about putting food on the table for his family, or affording a good education for his kids, or simply trying to get by. Romney is not qualified to be our president because his existence has been so outrageously detached from that of real Americans. http://www.sunstateactivist.org
http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/star-pro-obama-super-pac-ad-unleashed-obama-jerk-pantywaist-lightweight-blowhard_648688.html
AMEN! Donnie Box isn't Pro-Obama, but this SuperPAC would have you believe otherwise...and MSNBC - well, what do you expect? Sure, Box is bitter he lost his job, but I'd be willing bet that a lot of adults in America have lost job at some point in his/her career. I've survived mergers and acquisitions, not to mention hostile take-overs. Guess what, I wasn't a political pawn and I didn't blame the CEO - it's business. I had on my 'big girl pants' and got another job!
Hey, MSNBC - Donnie Box let Obama have it - called him a liar and a jerk who hasn't done anything for the country...hmmm! Will you accurately report that?
Do you think the SuperPAC will retract this video?
The Obama campaign may have to resort to the truth about the ultimate sacrifice that was made by some of these workers. I saw in an interview where they didn't want to do this but, it might just be the thing that wakes up some of the Republican voters. I am referring to the number of suicides that occcurred during the current depression due to a lost of jobs. This also occured in the last depression where men were jumping from buildings when the stock market crashed. My Grandfather was one of them.
I was thinking something along the same lines after having to switch off Mourning Joe today ...on and on and on.... "The private sector is fine " ad infinitum
Oh this has doomed his campaign , oh It killed John McCain's campaign when he made a similar gaffe about the economy being stronger .
Well no, his incompetence and his choice of an idiot for a vice president killed his campaign.
The chattering class who seem to feel feel their opinions are VERY important.
I think it works because Mitt is a lying sack of ShMitt. That is what he did , Vulture capitalism. Took the money and ran leaving them without healthcare and pensions. Did we mention the government had to bail out the pensions .
Ratigan going, Joe to follow? I've traded MSNBC for Sirius XM Classic Vinyl. My outlook and work product have improved.
MSNBC should at least try to rise above the rhetoric. They're making their audience sick, at least sick of hearing, about these non-issue talking points that have no substance. They should do some research and start bringing up new topics like how current Senators and Congressman, that were here in the 60's reacted to or participated in the violence and protests from that era. It does shape and determine what kind of a person they are now. Are you a seeker of peace or are you a seeker of power? This can also weigh in as an important factor, determining whether you will go down in History as a great Leader. I just don't see Romneys' picture in a frame at all. Unless he was photographed standing next to Nixon and Bush. He could take his place as number 3 as the worst President ever. He won't make it that far.
The press has died. The wingnuts are intellectual zombies that, no matter what facts, evidence, reasoning are presented to them, their zombie beliefs remain intact. If you haven't seen this column by the incomparably mediocre Chris Cillizza, check it out.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/obamas-political-gaffe-will-be-fodder-in-general-election/2012/06/10/gJQAwZaSSV_story.html
But the most depressing part of all is in the comments. Read a good portion of the wingnut contributions in the "All Comments" section. And then weep - no, WAIL - for America. And for the world. America's greatest export was to convince the rest of the world we knew what we were doing. And Europe is dying as we speak from accepting the wingnut ideas. Truly, truly demoralizing and depressing.
It won't be long now. Corporate 1984 is here.
I checked that out that link last night when you posted it at washington monthly DWIA , the 1st thing I read was a wing nut whining about how horrible America is , and we deserve to have our jobs shipped to china ....This kind of GOP rhetoric is getting 48% of the vote for elections!!!???!!!! WTF is wrong with these people? I put the t baggers in their place there , they ran out of ammo pronto
The thing about putting the wingnuts in their place is that not 2 minutes they're back. POSTING THE SAME DAMN SHHIT. It just doesn't matter. I completely embarrassed (if that's possible) one idiot on there Saturday night, and on Sunday, he was back POSTING THE SAME DAMN SHHIT.
The buffoons at the WP site usually just post Gish Gallops of complete fact-free assertions of nonsense. Then off they go to the next to paste the same SHHIT over and over and over again. And it's nearly always off-topic. It never fails.
Ads like these are completely fair.What risks did Romneys Bain Capital take when investing in companies?None!If the company grew he made money if he sucked the life out of them he still made money.Romney say's thats capitalism but its actually the law of the jungle,where people like Romney (the hyena)feed on the weak and wounded.Just exactly what the Romney tax cuts and/or the Ryan budget will do if he is elected.
It takes more than money to successfully govern this country. Countrys and people survive without it. This world survived without it for a long time. You can't buy love and you can't buy happiness. What the World needs today is love sweet love that's the only thing that there's just too little of.
Really, I'm quite tired and disgusted by the GOP and the fawning beltway corporate owned media - both of which are not only hypocritical and liars!
When Shrub was running his "military service" (or lack thereof) was "off the table", yet the validity of John Kerry's war hero status was torn apart!
When Sen. McCain ran in 2008 his voting record in Congress was not supposed to be analyzed, cause he was a "war hero" - yet McCain has voted against every Military spending bill that helps the troops!
Now it's Rawmoney - hey, he chose to run on his "entrepreneurial experience" as a "job creator" at Bain Capital over his experience as "Governor of Massachusetts - that makes his "experience" open to public scrutiny!
Now that that "scrutiny" isn't going the way that he wants it to go the GOP cry foul - what nerve, what hubris, what chicken-shyt bullying tactics are these?!?
I believe that there are valid questions to ask - 1) what type of "capitalism" is this country really getting, 2) how much public welfare in the form of subsidies & tax-breaks should these companies get as they're off-shoring American jobs, 3) exactly how does "vulture capitalism" benefit working Americans if it's bankrupting companies, 4) were those same "skill sets" that were utilized in Bain Capital also applied when he was the Governor of Massachusetts because all indicators were that he wasn't the best leader of Massachusetts, 5) most important - as Mittens cannot tell the truth - yet says that his "faith" is important to him - exactly what does his faith say about telling the truth and how does he self justify all of the lies and flip-flops that he's told on the campaign trail?
He can lie all he wants, what he feels is a false sense of protection from The rich and famous. Pretty soon he'll be saying, Whoops, where did they all go? After he loses he will be planning his much well deserved 3 week cruise or be contemplating on adding another elevator in his mansion. It would be a shame if after all this he didn't get a chance to live in his newly decorated castle. Anne is already shopping for that new prom dress and has picked up some brochures of far away places they haven't yet exploited.
never did believe those ads weren't working. they sunk Willard in his fight against Ted Kennedy, and they'll do the same here, which is why the MSM was howling about ' tone'.
the thing about Willard is...all you gotta do is tell the TRUTH about him. you don't even have to lie about him..just tell the TRUTH, and the American people will recoil in disgust.
The Obama campaign is as hormoneless as a gelding. It only has one chance and that is to tear a new asswhole in the GOP. Instead, it's still using language like "...tell Congress to act..." They think constructing campaign ads messages is like writing for Hallmark cards.
Tell them to ignore the moronic "Acela" "wisdom" and start naming names and taking no prisoners. Here's the campaign:
https://my.barackobama.com/page/s/o2012-other-questions-or-comments
"They think constructing campaign ads messages is like writing for Hallmark cards."
Most excellent!
Obama does not need to run ads telling Congress to act, just a major press conference in the evening during prime time hours. He should be telling voters every day that a do nothing Congress is leaving for a 3 month vacation and refuses to do anything until after the elections meaning nothing will get done 5 months. The president needs to marshal support to stop Congress from leaving Washington until they do something about jobs. He needs to use unrelenting pressure with every speech. Make McConnell and Boehner the bad guys and by November, the voters will have targets for their anger. This would have nothing to do with the elections and is not an ad.
I will never why they don't do stuff like that. Oh, yeah I do. They're Democrats; little precious itty bitty scaredy cat geldings fearful of what the mediocrities in the press will write and fearing one of the bully Republicans might get mad at them. Democrats actually deserve the contempt they receive from Republicans who simply don't respect them as stand-up people that will fight. That's why Republicans run right over them. This is what their timidity gets them.
Love the ad, this is paydirt.
Another view
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303360504577410573651845802.html
I read the Journal piece and it seems the company did thrive at first under Bain's ownership, but when it began to lose money due to foreign competition, it decided it could no longer compete. I think what most Americans object to, at least I do, is the walking away with millions while leaving the remaining workers without attempting to provide them healthcare and pension benefits. In fact, shifting the burden for those to be provided by the federal government...the same government Romney wants to castrate...unless it's providing for the upper classes. That's the hypocrisy that needs to be addressed, but I agree that truth will convince people to vote for the President.
Has capitalism in America been successful? Why need to address the underling problems in our economy. We have a broken social contract. Capitalism cannot succeed so long as it is a one way system. Wealth has to flow both ways for Capitalism to sustain. If wealth only flows upwards, eventually the economy will crash, just like a river that dries up.
We need to reinvigorate systems that better integrates all sectors of our Economy. The most important institution for keeping Capitalism working and making it work better is EDUCATION! We really need to focus on Public Education and MOST ESPECIALLY HIGHER EDUCATION.
Run the ad. The PUNDITS (and GOP) don't want them to run it because they get their paychecks from the Bains of the world. The 'average Joe' does not and this resonates.
These ads work for me. I'm still not understanding why anybody needs the kind of money to live that they pay a CEO. And then they penny-pinch their employees on raises, pensions, insurance, etc. There's a certain amount of CEO pay that's predicated on screwing the employees on one side while speaking about how we're the most important company asset out the other. Then you have these 'money people' come in, spew the same rhetoric how they are going to make your life better while they simultaneously gouge the company out and leave it broken and empty. Bring it on.
Folks, the link (LA Times?) is broken. Also, what is an "Acela corridor"?
I know the majority of conservative voters just listen to the party, they believe what is fed to them, they agree that every idea Obama takes is evil, even if it was created by the GOP-- that's not new.
But this? The notion that the American public, the bottom rung, the poor, the struggling middle class, whoever, is just looking up at the "job creators" and we deify them to a point where we shouldn't complain that they make their money off laying us off and closing businesses?
Are conservative voters that stupid? Does the GOP think that people are THAT gullible, that if they just make the rich seem like important, great people that the rest of the country will just follow suit and be totally fine with defending them while we're all sliding off the socio-economic cliff?
The company Donnie Box worked for was going under anyway, America is good at Tech not Industry, we built Facebook, MySpace, Windows, MAC's, Google - we suck at Factory work all the workers do is cry and try to sue, We all want to make $$ so what if Romney sent jobs oversea, that is why he is so well off, do you really want a president that is broke. Now I am being required to have health inc or I gotta pay $500 more a year, what? Obama is a threat to our country, he has to go and the latest polls show most of america agrees. He should not only be impeached but arrested he blew my tax money on a solar company that went under, cash for clunkers, all that stimulus money we now must pay back through even more taxes. I am tired of paying for other peoples food (food stamps), housing & now health care, enough is enough I am sorry you all cannot buy your own food but If I want to donate I will do not make me.
Your hero Box thinks Obama is a "... jerk, a pantywaist, a lightweight, a blowhard..." and won't be voting for Obummer.
Check it out:
http://inthesetimes.com/working/entry/13535/laid_off_steelworker_in_anti-romney_ad_says_he_is_not_voting_for_obama/
"...The scandal has led to a serious credibility problem for Romney among working-class voters. But being disillusioned by Romney is one thing; voting for Obama is another. And Box, for one, says he won't be doing the latter.
Despite appearing in a controversial ad for the pro-Obama Super PAC Priorities USA, denouncing Romney's role in the GS Technologies plant closing, Box, a lifelong Democrat, says he won’t be voting for the first time since 1971 because he has lost faith in politicians.
“I could really care less about Obama," says Box. "I think Obama is a jerk, a pantywaist, a lightweight, a blowhard. He hasn't done a goddamn thing that he said he would do. When he had a Democratic Senate and Democratic Congress, he didn't do a damn thing. He doesn't have the guts to say what’s on his mind.”
Box’s refusal to vote for Obama shows the challenges that organized labor faces in convincing its members to vote for Democrats. Many union members like Box feel the party hasn’t pushed hard enough for jobs bills or labor law reform while making sure to pass trade pacts, like the South Korea Free Trade Agreement, which the AFL-CIO and the United Steelworkers opposed."
Wow, you'd think someone who would use the word "pantywaist" might not be a hero to the Maddow crowd. And really, he "hasn't done a thing he said he would do"? I forgot that he was elected omnipotent king of America.
I feel for Mr. Box and the predicament that American capitalism has placed him in, but I think his anger is a bit misplaced and I'm not sure I'd agree with his social views.