On Wednesday morning, Mitt Romney thought it'd be a good idea to tell the NAACP he intends to kill a health care reform law that brings coverage to 7 million uninsured African Americans. On Wednesday night, Romney attended a fundraiser in Montana, and reflected on the audience that booed him.
For those who missed Rachel's reporting last night, Romney told his donors of the NAACP convention attendees, "Remind them of this: if they want more stuff from government, tell them to go vote for the other guy -- more free stuff. But don't forget, nothing is really free."
Hmm. So, the far-right presidential candidate deliberately antagonized the nation's most celebrated civil rights organization in the morning, then complained to his donors in Montana about the black voters who want "more free stuff" from the government in the evening.
I speculated yesterday that Romney may have provoked the booing on purpose. Soon after, he told Fox's Neil Cavuto he "expected" the negative reaction, and soon after that, Romney was using the incident to deliver a cheap line at an exclusive fundraiser.
Remember, for nearly a year, one of Romney's standard lines has been that President Obama is trying to divide Americans, pitting people against one another. Yeah, tell us another one, Mitt.
One of the standard lines I heard after Romney's NAACP appearance is that he showed "courage" by going to the conference and presenting his vision. But there was nothing courageous about the candidate's remarks at the fundraiser. As Adam Serwer noted, "[I]f you're going to accuse people of wanting 'free stuff' from the government, you might want to do it to their faces."
As someone who's read the transcript of nearly every Romney speech for a year, I should note in fairness that he's used the "free stuff" line before. But in this case, this realization isn't especially helpful to his defense.
A few months ago, for example, the GOP presidential hopeful responded to questions about contraception access by saying, "If you're looking for free stuff you don't have to pay for, vote for the other guy." Soon after, Romney complained that Obama is trying to buy students' political support by offering them "free stuff."
There is a pattern to this. If you're a woman who wants access to preventive care you might not otherwise be able to afford, Romney sees you as wanting "free stuff." If you're a young student who can't afford higher-ed tuition, Romney assumes you expect "free stuff."
And if you're an African American supporter of the NAACP who wants your family to have access to affordable health care, Romney suspects you're just looking for "free stuff."
You see, Mr. Car Elevator already has vast wealth, thanks to his rich family and vulture-capital firm that reaped benefits by laying off American workers. And now that he has riches, Romney seems annoyed by the little people who keep asking public institutions to provide basic government benefits as part of a sound safety net and/or access to economic opportunities.
It seems insane to me that a presidential candidate would adopt such an elitist attitude during difficult economic times, but Mitt Romney is a special kind of candidate.
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They want free stuff like being able to vote or laws to prevent discrimination or the right to live and breathe! Will the GOP stand still for such crap? No siree they are imposing voter suppression and trying to kill public education. They will continue to attempt to repeal all those affirmative action programs and laws that brought "those" people into the citizenry of the UNITED States and thus free them from freedom!!!
if you happened to watch the Tea Party Protest, Black congressman getting spit on, Racial posters against Obama, if you want recent. If you want history, it was the dixiecrats that wanted slavery, they all turned Republican...The right has alway showed contempt for non-whites, it is a given. Their attacks these last few years against all that weren't rich and white and male have further alienated the US population with exception to those that drink the FOX/GOP koolaide and vote against themselves.
@ Shooter
"It's people like Romney that pay for all that free stuff"...sure, when he paid a tax rate of 14% (according to his 2010 tax return) and people like me (living on social security and retirement funds) pay a tax rate of 25%???!!!
"Mitt Romney is a special kind of
candidate@!$%#."The InFOXicated version of this headline would be "Blacks want free stuff", but it lays to reason that Mitt's supporters will not need much encouraging to accept that interpretation.
This is the way I see in the big picture; Hitler went to Communist Party meeting and told them to surrender their right or face massacre in early 1930s. Mitt Romney he want to show black people that the rich is in control and blacks better shut up or else.
It's Rmoney that wants the "free" stuff, like a job that he isn't even remotely qualified for! Of course it's not free but neither were the Bush tax cuts and the two wars that the Amercian public (namely the GOP/Shooter/Rmoney party portion) was so ravenous for several years ago.. Obama 2012 or we can expect to go to an even more costly war with Iran and try that trickle down thing yet again, this time with no social security, medicare, foodstamps, unemployment benefits, etc, etc.. Maybe by that time, the poor won't be labeled blood-sucking/free-loading class warriors but probably not..
What a privileged @!$%#head.
Please, can we not muddle the purity of this guys message with indignation over a few words. "Free stuff" is only the shallow end of Mitt's insulting blather.
"Free stuff" is chaff in the face of this man's refusal to see the good in anyone unless they're personally benefitting Mitt Romney. How much by way of production, contribution, and added value to our society by members of the black community did Mitt have to overlook to take his worthless stereotypes of African Americans back to the only people he doesn't insult, the only people in whom he sees worth, those he actually takes time to respect, his doners.
Are we allowed to ask who in the NAACP crowd demanded "free stuff"? Or did that come out of Mitt Romney's head.
US voters really need to consider the totality of just how unfit Mitt Romney is to run an ethically and racially diverse nation. He's found a way to denigrate Latinos, the "poor", the President, working people, women, and now he's denigrated the black community. Is there anyone outside his circle he's not dismissed with some empty stereotype?
Hear the truth of this man's message, listen to what he is telling you with his own voice, that Mitt Romney will trample your rights and liberties without blinking. His preconcieved generalities will allow him to manipulate people's lives as president with the same lack of remorse or conscience he's exercised in the past.
Hold on while I put on the most cynical hat I can find...
Of COURSE Romney wanted the NAACP to boo his comments. From Rove's standpoint, the entire election is going to come down to a battle of party bases (remember, the strategy is never to gain independents anymore), so what better and more obvious way is there to show that you have ticked off the other party's base?
Almost all blacks voted for Obama in 2008. There is zero reason to expect otherwise in 2012. There is no speech Romney could have given the NAACP that would have both gotten enormous applause and made the Republican base think he's on their side. But if he makes them boo? He loses no voters, and he might gain street cred with the Tea Party faction of his party. At the very least, it reinforces the racist notion that blacks are somehow just beggars demanding handouts while the (white) Romney believes in hard work. While morally reprehensible, this message resonates with a scarily high number of people.
The only way it could backfire is if it motivates the liberal base in the end more than the conservative one. Democrats could profit off of this opportunity, but not by crying, "Shame on you, Mitt!" Nope. They should instead respond with a speech by Obama to the NAACP, to offer the most direct contrast possible.
I appreciate the Hat of Cynicism, but there are a few names you might recognize:
Clarence Thomas, Allen West, Herman Cain. Have you heard Allen West recently. His tirades against the black man in power are horrific.
There are scads of black conservatives who believe in the Republican message of smaller government, balanced budget, and religious freedom. AL has a fair ratio of black conservatives. What crack of reality have they fallen into that Mitt Romney chooses to completely ignore.
The man is a sweeping generalization. He has no gray edges, no idea of the individuality which is America. Black conservatives are not rare. Had Mitt been able to put aside typecasting his audience and talked to the people like they were individuals, rather than a black crowd, perhaps they would have responded in a more positive way.
Mitt's speech was an opportunity missed, rather deliberately I feel, undermined more perhaps by his own low expectations of his audience than by their unwillingness to hear him.
If I gave Mitt Romney any benefit of the doubt that he might not be quite as despicable as he comes across -- his doubling down on insulting the NAACP has completely taken care of that. He goes before the NAACP, an audience of professionals who worked themselves to the bone building support for the Affordable Care Act -- uses a GOP-crafted deragatory term for the law, tells them he's going to destroy all the work they've done, and in the process hurt some people -- then doubles down later on when he's among his "haves" to imply that the the audience he spoke to earlier in the day is actually nothing more than a bunch of shiftless blacks who want free stuff from the government. BUT, when he signed off on healthcare reform in Massachusetts, I suppose that wasn't anything like "free stuff from the government" -- somehow THAT was different.
Mitt Romney is the most disgraceful presidential candidate, and one of the poorest excuses for a human being, I've ever seen.
hmm..the conversation seems to have gotten off topic just a bit...lol.
Anyhow, I knew he did it on purpose, just to galvanize anti-black voters...could be one of the more brilliant moves he has made.
There are two major problems with the economy. Taxes and jobs.
When the US was doing 'well', the rich were paying up to 35% in taxes. Simple historical fact.
The almost total lack of jobs in this country creates an atmosphere where people can not go out and buy, which is what stimulates the economy. We have become a consumer based economy which is a closed loop. There are only so many jobs at the mall or fast food, and damned few of those are full time with affordable health benefits.
If the economy is to improve the ONLY answer is to raise taxes to where they had been for decades AND to bring home our jobs from overseas.
You could raise taxes to 65% but it won't change the fact that people have no work choices or money to spend to stimulate the economy.
And what about the OTHER 86% of the 'black community' that HAS jobs? They want free stuff too? This man CANNOT be President of the US. He doesn't even understand the people he purports to want to represent.
Mitt Romney sounds like an ignorant and spoiled child hurling childish and meaningless epithets at those he doesn't like.
Oh wait...that's what he is. An ignorant, spoiled child.
How childish. How meaningless. Just a spoiled, frustrated child.
Mitt against free stuff, question Mitt, what do those giving you money at fund raisers expect from you? Nothings free as you say?
elitist?
try RACIST, Benen.
R-A-C-I-S-T.
I guess the Romney campaign will refuse donations from the KOCH brothers because that is free money for him to run his campaign; that is, unless he thinks his soul is worth his physical weight in gold, a soul bought and paid for by his billionaire buddies who will laugh at him and make him do their bidding. Afterall as the Senator from Alabama put it "It's a Game, Americans just don't get it it's a game!!!!!"
Mitt Romney doesn't worry about the problems of poor people … because there is a "safety net" … which he wants to defund … because people (including single, full-time moms) who depend upon financial assistance such as food stamps lack dignity … because you must be completely self-sufficient to have self-worth … unless you inherited vast wealth … in which case you are inherently highly dignified … because you are a person of power and authority … who gets to enjoy the sheer pleasure of firing people … which Mitt did countless times while running Bain Capital, creating huge profits … for himself and his fellow investors … at the expense of fired workers … who, as a result, often joined the growing ranks of poor people in America … which Mitt doesn't worry about.
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/07/12/naacp-official-romney-rigged-crowd-by-having-blacks-flown-in/
Reports of Romney 'rigging' crowd at yesterday's NAACP speech.
Romney took a powder after two years as Governor of Massachusetts but still kept drawing a regular paycheck. How's that for free money?
Oh, he did not say free money. Romney said NAACP people want "free stuff". Free stuff like Kewpie dolls and useless trinkets. This "free stuff" quip is even more insulting. Romney is just an insipid puppet. He walks and talks like a puppet.
Joe Biden is speaking @NAACP today. I am sure they have crafted some one-liner zingers.
My pick for sound track of the day is "FREE MONEY" by Patti Smith.
I live in the little town in Montana that Mr. Mittens visited last night. I briefly worked with Chuck Schwab's "foundation" that he and others from the gated community that they dined at for 25K a plate. They set up the "foundation" to provide "free stuff" to the local school children after our districts suffered from budget cuts due to the lack of community support through their taxes. Their focus is supporting the lunch programs and college scholarships for kids who won't make it so they can recycle their scholarships through a bunch of kids and look good doing it.
They booted me out of the foundation after I ran in a Montana House District race as a Democrat because the Democrats in Montana support adequate funding for public education while the Republicans had to be sued to honor our state Constitution and pay for schools.
The rich guys will treat their donations as a tax dodge and will only donate to causes that they get to deem worthy, instead of paying their taxes to support everyone. Then they golf and hold fancy dinner parties and act like their @!$%# smells like roses while they hire local teachers and high school kids to wait on them in the summer for minimum wage.
We are the "charming villagers" who they like to use a back drop for their Western Experience when they visit their multi million dollar summer cottages for two weeks a year.
Holy RACE WAR, Batman! Romney really didn't say that to his lily-white donors, did he? The man does NOT, I repeat, does NOT, want to be President of the United States. Not at all. He may want to be KING, or Plantation Owner in Chief, but President? Nope! No way! His FATHER, when Governor of Michigan, was NEVER rude or crude enough to say such nasty and hateful things about black people and is probably rotating at 100 miles an hour in his grave!! GEORGE Romney had scruples. We may not have always LIKED them, and there was plenty wrong with HIS business model too, but at least he had them. GEORGE Romney knew how to talk TO people, regardless of their race. GEORGE Romney was actually quite well-liked by Black people 'in his day'. I'm FROM Michigan--I grew up at the same time that G. Romney was Governor and Mitt was giving 'weird boys' buzz cuts against their will. And what does MITT do? DELIBERATELY antagonizes the most middle of the road and RESPECTED Civil Rights group in this nation!! And then he basically tells his wealthy moneybags boys and girls to go clean up HIS mess!! Real GUTSY move, Mitt. Real gutsy! By the way, 'all they want is free stuff', eh? You mean 'free stuff' like you 'gave' to EVERY MAN, WOMAN, and CHILD in the State of Massachusets? THAT free stuff? Better go back and read your OWN version of Obamacare....
Furthermore, why BOTHER even telling these people to 'go vote for the other guy' when we ALL know that the Republicans are deliberately and systematically attempting to take away one of the last rights in this country that IS FREE: i.e. the RIGHT TO VOTE!
Voter Suppression...show ID...LOL. The evil plan is working because we all know poor people and black people don't have any forms of ID....Moo Ha Ha......
Of course, Romney knows all about "free stuff", like how he avoids taxes on the money he stores off shore, while the rest of us working poor pay our fair share to the tax pool and do the right thing. We pay honestly on the wages we get, why doesn't He? He on the other hand has made his living out of avoiding taxes and down sizing companies, other peoples benefits and pensions to make those tax free dollars.