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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My "Spider-sense is tingling". The G.O.P. are a very smart organization . Too smart to try the shenanigans they are being played out this election cycle.It has to be a ploy,but, what is their game plan?I believe that they are trying to play 3 card Monty with our intelligence and make an end-run and try to control more Congressional seats and get more states control.It is the only thing that makes sense on what has been happening.
Black people seeking "free stuff" is a contemptable racist slur, subliminally held in
"America" since The Birth of the Nation", now spoken outloud, by M. Romney, religous candidate for President of U.S.A, who promises to return the nation to true "American Ideals" of work and opportunity.
This is as serious an epithet as gestapo is to Jewish Americans seeking the same affordable health care as "Black People".
At first take one may see the timing of the quot as racist. I know I did. But I don't trust the media period, left - right - other. Romney's been saying the same thing at least since March 2012. This is sort of incredible considering how Romney's positions seem to change as the wind blows.
The Republican canidate is going to blast Obama care. There's no way around it. To read more into it is foolishness at best.
Romney's gonna lose, Romney's gonna lose! *points and laughs*
The reality is Romney stayed on his message and didn't change for the audience. Could he have worded it better...Yes.
Romney knew he was going into hostile Democratic territory but at least he went. Where's Obama's address to the NAACP?
Obama was not available this time and sent his vice president -- who speaks for the president. Obama has spoken to the NAACP before. The territory that Romney was going into was not hostile, it was skeptical. There's a difference. You have to know your audience, and it was clear from his remarks to fundraisers AFTER the speech that he had no intention of trying to court black voters. He used incendiary words like Obamacare which he knows unless he is entirely stupid is insulting to blacks and is considered a slur by blacks against this president. But that wasn't the point. He wasn't there to convince hearts and minds. He was there to get footage for his base to shore up his conservative (read racist) credentials. Period
Romney did go into this knowing he may have little success but he accepted the invite (didn't have to go) to show he's willing to reach out. Nice call on racism...makes sense. (That term is thrown out a lot with this administration as well as class warfare).
I really think Obama made a miscalculation by sending Biden because it sent one of two messages: 1) he has the black vote shored up and is over confident or 2) it's too close to the election and he has nothing he can go in to fire up his base (lack of accomplishments).
Yall seem to have forgotten that when our president had the chance to save the economy all he did was force bogus health care down our throats and give money to rich people!
I very small percentage of Americans get "free stuff" If you receive $300 a month for welfare and have a family, that free stuff doesn't amount to much, then compare that amount to what corporations get 'free stuff'. If every American got $300 a month, that would be nothing, nothing in comparison. Steve, above, states it very well.
Not to mention the $300 a month eventually ends up in the 1%ers pockets too.
Don't think 300 a month is enough? You've got two active options: 1.) think to yourself, "holy crap, the government is barely giving me anything... I can't depend on them anymore, so I need to make some money...". From there, you've got a.) look for a job, b.) go back to school, or c.) swallow your pride and look for a job.
OR
2.) Refuse to accept these changes to your already non-productive lifestyle and say, "this is unacceptable! I don't want to work! I deserve free money from other people who earn all theirs! I don't want to go to school, because then I have to actually do something! I think I'll just band together with all the other people that refuse to let go of the very opiates that keep us poor, and I'll complain really, really loud!"
Obviously, slight variations may occur, and of course, neither option is universal. But for the most part, those are the options.
Free stuff! Come Mitt!. Yes, I wonder why u was booed!!!!! African Americans do not want free stuff as you put it, we work, pay our fair share of taxes, and a majority of us do not or will never have tax shelters to pay less taxes. I am not feeling you.. Stand for Something, instead of saying what ur donors want to hear.
This is how the chairperson from the NAACP views black people:
"I believe his vested interests are in white Americans," said Charlette Stoker Manning, chair of Women in NAACP. "You cannot possibly talk about jobs for black people at the level he's coming from. He's talking about entrepreneurship, savings accounts — black people can barely find a way to get back and forth from work."
So the concept of being able to get back and forth from work before you can participate in entrepreneurship, and have a savings account , escapes you savant? You seem to assume everyone has a car and a job to afford one automatically once they arrive on planet earth , that you gop worship a smarmy out of touch wall st mr burns is no surprise at all , white trash gop are clueless
The thinking of the vast majority of AMERICANS is so narrow and warped that they barely find a way to get back and forth from work.
"American thinking" is an oxymoron. Americans are brainwashed that for profit are corporations do things better than government (when governments in other nations do things better than corporations at 30% of the cost of corporations). Therefore, we in other nations believe that "American thinking" is an oxymoron.
@Patango
You missed the point entirely...I'll go slow. A leader of the NAACP stated and believes most black people do not possess the capacity to excel and make a living in the United States.
If a GOP member (or anybody not Black) makes this statement they would be called RACIST, BIGOT and ran out of office or worse. If I was a member of the NAACP I would demand better leadership with a real vision instead of the same old blame game.
If this statement was made by a GOP Member then they would be racist and insulting to all black people.
Not all Americans think that way, Only the ones who watch Fox News... That's a foxymoron
Just to be clear, when I talk about Americans, I mean the majority and/or the most vocal, not every single one.
Many Americans who think like me, or somewhat like me, already live here in Canada.
I believe we call those "socialists," no?
OK, they're socialists. And why not? Socialism, properly understood, is a wonderful thing. Only in your insane world of right-wing nuttery is striving for the best possible outcomes for the greatest number of people a bad thing.
If you thought anyone was going to run screaming from the word 'socialist', you thought wrongly. No surprises there, then.
How are things people's taxes already bought "free stuff"?
Compare & contrast with Exxon, KBR, SAIC, Monsanto, Goldman Sachs et al getting huge mulligans in the form of tax windfalls, subsidies & bailouts on the public dime, most of which they will never pay back.
Even a blind man can tell who the real parasitic freeloaders are in America now.
All you have to do is follow the money.
Congrats to MSNBC for pulling a Fox News and turning:
"But I hope people understand this, your friends who like Obamacare, you remind them of this, if they want more stuff from government tell them to go vote for the other guy-more free stuff."
into
"Romney: NAACP members want 'free stuff'"
I don't like it when Fox News does it, but I also don't like it when MSNBC or anyone else does it.
Mitt Zombie is great at both alienating people and telling them to vote for Barack Obama. Mitt Zombie will already get very few votes, and if Mitt Zombie got brave and said what he would actually do, no one would vote for him at all.
Sauce for the goose, gravy for the gander, Danny.
I guess in the eyes of conservatives the only "people" in need of welfare, government assistance and subsidies now a days are corporations.
Let's not forget who provides the jobs, Lenny. I'd rather have a rich corporation get a break if it means they can hire more unemployed people. Wouldn't you?
I mean after all, don't corporations provide more for our country and society than an individual on welfare?
Free stuff? He must be referring to the billions given to the banks at zero percent interest to bail themselves out which they then turned around and started to lend to the people whose money it was in the first place, the taxpayers, at 13 and up percent. I wish the government would give me THAT kind of welfare. Free money to make more money.... you see in Romney world, the rich are truly special and the common rules don't apply.... this man is a snobby elitist who went to the NAACP to insult them. He WANTED the boos and that is why he included them in his speech. There was no courage here, just political calculation. He told them to look into his heart to see what he believes -- one I have yet to see evidence that this man HAS a heart and two, it might be easier for him to TELL US what he believes instead of leaving us to guess. And you will also notice he NEVER appears on any other network but Fox on a regular basis. He will do the odd CNN interview, but his sorry ass will show up on Fox whenever they want him to because he has to keep feeding the propaganda to the sheep.
Look into his heart and you'll see a bunch of little doctor evils pulling levers and Fox news is Frankenstein's castle.
I'm sorry but I don't care about your political persuasion. If you can honestly say, "I like the direction we've gone the past 3 1/2 years let's so let's sign up for another 4 years" you are legally retarded.
You mean 2 years... The House Republican anti abortion, "we don't care about jobs" agenda.
"So let's go back to the eight years before that when all these problems were created, because that will surely get us out of them." Makes a whole lot of sense, savant. Some people detect that Obama is actually running against someone, not "not-Obama."
@dunk
That would be terrible to go back 8 years (1.78/gal gas, 5% unemployment)...just terrible.
Obama still says I inherited this mess after 3 1/2 years in office. Everything he has tried has failed miserably even with a 2 year super majority (house and senate) for his first two years. How's that hope and change working out? At best he's incompetent.
@john Murphy
Republicans don't want jobs, clean water, or breathable air. I'm sure obama's plan was revolutionary and would have turned everything around if it wasn't for the evil republicans. He had 2 years to ram the jobs bill down our throats without congressional opposition.. lay off the canadian government provided kool aid "hoser".
OK, I see that it's about rhetorical games rather than reality (I remember 2005 very well, especially a little thing that happened at the mouth of the Mississippi, and never mind the hideously embarrassing year 2004, or 2008). I also remember a teeny thing Obama got passed in March 2010--what was it again? And if you're gonna quote Sarah Palin in seriousness, you only deserve to be mocked. Vote for your guy and I'll vote for mine.
What you fail to say, or may not know, is that Canadian cable systems carry all Canadian networks, and all American networks.
We see American news on American networks, and you have never seen Canadian news on a Canadian network on an American cable system (unless you live right on the border, like Burlington Vermont which does have Canadian networks).
We know more about the US than many Americans do, and you know absolutely nothing factual about Canada (except American fictitious propaganda about Canada).
I know all about your nation, you know nothing about mine.
Your American lack of information is showing.
@dunk
Even obama knows cannot run on accomplishments. Maybe that's why he isn't addressing the NAACP? He might have some explaining to do.
"I will be held accountable," Obama said. "I've got four years and … A year form now, I think people are going to see that we're starting to make some progress, but there's still going to be some pain out there … If I don't have this done in three years, then there's going to be a one-term proposition."
Ouch...comes back to bite...but he has a few more months left. I guess you can cross your fingers.
@ John hoser
Funny, we don't carry all the Canadian networks. The whole world has to pay attention to USA because Capitalism and our system of government has catapulted us to the world's most dominant and benevolent superpower.
savant, if your point is "time will tell," I think there we can agree.
savant, are you seriously saying Rmoney will get us back
And how soon can we expect Mitt to get us there?
I didn't say Romney was the great hope but he has private sector experience as well as government experience. I would rather take a shot at a new direction and see what happens.
More fallacious American propaganda.
Canadian GDP per Canadian is 107% of American GDP per American.
The United States trails every other industrialized nation by decades in every way that counts, including economically, and has since Reagan in the 1980s.
Canada has more business and entrepreneurship than the United States has on a per capita basis, mainly because of vastly lower business costs because of universal single payer health care.
Single payer health care boosts business and "capitalism".
American insurance run health care kills jobs and kills business ("capitalism").
The United States has not been any kind of leader, especially economically, since Reagan began destroying the American economy 30+ years ago with deregulation and trickle down your leg economics.
Canada is America's hat...ha ha
John Murphy, you may be mistaking savant for someone who thinks that something that didn't happen until the day before yesterday (forget 30 years) matters, since he apparently thinks Mitt offers a "new direction." (He of course doesn't think this at all, since savant can actually write in sentences.)
When we look at the United States it makes Canadians feel very superior, and we realize how much better we have it than you have for the last 30+ years.
Why do 1.4 Americans move to or live in move to Canada for every Canadian who moves to, or lives in the US?
Why do 2 million Americans a year come to Canada to get heath care that's denied the or rationed for them in the United States?
One need look at nothing more than the fact that Canadian GDP per Canadian is 107% of American GDP per American and that Canadian unemployment ha been 1% to 2.5% lower than that of the United States for 6 years.
Reagan's deregulation and pee (trickle down your leg) economics let Canada pass the United States economically decades ago, and were even further ahead of you economically since the Bush Depression of 2006.
By new direction, I mean going away from obamas movement toward socialism. I hope dunk and hoser enjoy Canada after this election...I hear cuba's amazing medical system is wonderful this time of year. Good luck.
Cuba is one place higher in health care than than American insurance run health care is, and my cousin, a Canadian and world renowned emergency medicine specialist, set up the EMS system there (in Cuba), so you'll enjoy better health care in Cuba than you had in the US. I'm sticking with the vastly better health care I have in Canada, which is way better than that of Cuba OR that of the United States, but you can enjoy Cuba if you really want to go there.
After this election (2015) my NDP will replace Conservatives to be the government of Canada, according to all the polls for the last 4 months.
When the American insurance company bureaucrat who rations you health care denies you the health care you need to live, you can always run across the border and get it in Canada or you can to go back to your Cuba. It is Americans coming to Canada for life saving treatment, not the other way around.
You really have no idea how mach better off Canadians are than Americans are do you? The American education system is that bad, is it?
savant,
Gambler? If you want to hit a twenty, with dealer showing a face card, I advise against it, partner. I have a twenty and I'll stand.
John Murphy, Can I send my sister in law over there to get her care? We pay her Cobra as she lost her job and went through cancer. Still having infection issues after surgeries.
If she becomes a permanent resident she would qualify for Canadian health care with no out of pocket costs just as a citizen does within 60 days (90 days in some provinces).
Oh Johnny "hoser" stop....I can't see through the tears I'm laughing so hard. I bet Castro will pick you up in a 1968 Volvo ambulance and work on you himself. I appreciate the humor. Oh God you are a riot!!!
Thanks John Murphy
By reading this thread, I've learned that John Murphy loves Canada. And knows nothing about the reality of Cuban health care. And thinks that 107% of the US's GDP per capita is somehow significant when the US has over 9x the population of Canada's. Lots of lols everywhere!
Every month on the 15th, BCBS hits my bank account for $1408. I'm not looking for free, just reasonable. Is it so much to ask that one shouldn't have to die from a curable condition? It wouldn't be such an affront, if the Republicans weren't hiding behind a cloak of religion. Christianity seems to have evolved into a creed which worships the almighty buck; compassion and empathy be damned.
You poor, completely mistaken person. First of all, BCBS too expensive? Shop around. There's this cool thing in the US called competition. Tell them they're being outrageous, and threaten to go to Farmers. It's fairly simple.
Now, about that your misinterpretation of "greed" and you're pathetic interpretation of Christianity. If you think that offering a voluntary service for X amount of money to make a profit qualifies as greed, I'm sorry, but you're absolutely hopeless. By the same logic, that also means that because you go to work everyday to take money from your employer, you also are greedy.
perhaps you mistook the word for "self-Interested", in which case, you're forgiven.
I won't even address your animosity towards Christianity. You clearly know nothing about it. Feel free to read the bible anytime.
I guess not counting all the freebies Romney receives from ripping off the middle class of their pensions and benefits, and to really twist the knife in our backs -- he then ships our American jobs overseas for tax loopholes! Yes Mitt Romney! Freebies indeed!
Haha this reminds me of that beautiful new Obama commercial. I am all for American jobs. Made in the USA. But I also prefer to pay under 20$ for my clothing. Why did Romney outsource jobs? Because outsourcing is better for the business. Why is it better for the business? Because that makes products cheaper. Cheaper products are more attractive to consumers. Businesses that don't attract consumers fail. And what happens when businesses fail? People lose their jobs, right!! Of course we want as many Americans employed by businesses, but do we really want our Americans to end outsourcing just so they can get a crapload of minimum wage jobs?
The benefits are all positive. Cheaper goods here in the US, less cost for the business, and opportunities for people in other countries that are way worse off than even our poorest to make some money. Win, Win, Win.
He was playing to his racist base.
Can't tell whether that's sarcasm or racial profiling. (just cause he's white doesn't mean he can't be stereotyped). All the libs love racial profiling, right?
It's comments like calling this a racist statement that causes the Democrats to lose credibility. This is pretty much a standard stump speech that was perhaps poorly timed on the surface, but clearly not with racial intent.
Yes Romney is playing to his base. The Republican base is strongly against Obamacare. There's nothing more to this.
Is it true that Romney got a $77,000 tax credit for his horse last year? If it is, I guess he likes that "free stuff" too.
Finally, someone who can see a little. Middle and Upper Class whites get more "free stuff" from the government then lower class blacks (if we got's to use color or skin in this discussion).
Mitt Romney is disgusting. Him and all of his privilaged associates can kiss my ass. He is nothing but a puppet for the insane right wing, hell he looks like Woody from Toy Story!!! He's out of touch, a liar, shady and arrogant. If you're not part of his 1% crew he doesn't care about you!!! Obama isn't my cup of tea but dammit, he's better for the 99% than that damn shifty eyed, Rebublican robot Mitt.
Class warfare. Since Romney is rich...he's evil. Can you finish this sentence.? I'm voting for Obama because.....
Economic Justice can best be won by Free Men through Free Enterprise.
Government should be of Laws, rather than of Men.
You people disgust me. And no, I'm not a racist, or a homophobe, or an idiot. So many of you people on this thread accuse Romney of being some sort of selfish jerk that wants to see the poor crash and burn. Obviously, all you lovely liberals see eye to eye that he's a bad person who should be punished because of his success and accomplishments (which, by the way, should be considered a great example for our vegetable Americans); but the fact is that what you consider "exploiting the lower class," you all should be considering as "providing jobs for people who otherwise wouldn't be able to." I'm sure most of you have decent jobs that allow you to live comfortably. And I'm sure you think you got to that point because of Obamacare, right? Or maybe unemployment benefits? Or maybe from not going to school, or by not training for a job, or by not even looking for a job?
You might not like Romney's businesses (HA... who am I kidding), but the man worked his way up. He wanted success, and he achieved it; but somehow he's a horrible, greedy person because he made it to where he wanted? As a young American, it pisses me (and most non-libs) off that being wealthy is some sort of crime. I hope to be wealthy one day. I'm probably going to have to hire minimum wage workers too, along the way: therefore, I must be evil.
I don't love Romney. He's not my favorite person in the world, but he absolutely nailed it with his "free stuff" comment. Much of Obama's voter-base (treading lightly) falls into the category of people that have embraced the "free stuff" that Romney spoke of. It's impossible to deny that Obama's continued pursuit of increasing public services are an attempt to entice the low-income voters. It's a great political strategy. Medicare, welfare (those ridiculous "ebt debit cards meant to make low income citizens feel better about their state), and all the other goodies that poor, non-taxpaying people receive from the government; they're all "Free" for potential Obama voters because they do NOT pay taxes. I.e. Free stuff.
Hopefully someone can get through this somewhat unorganized comment. I would appreciate some rebuttal, so long as it's logical and not slanderous.
lmfao. Romney was not born with a silver spoon but a solid gold spoon plated with technetium (look it up, you need to learn to do some research before you write again).
And I agree with you and Romney completely, it's well past time to end all these middle class handouts called tax exemptions such as mortgage interest and retirement funds. As for those truly in need, we should provide a reasonable safety net and if we end the middle and upper class "free stuff" we call tax breaks this should be easily achieved.
As a Reagan conservative who has never voted for a Democrat for President, Romney has me fully convinced that 4 more years of an Obama recession is better then anything he has to offer.
When the Republicans had their chance to bring spending and revenues in line, what did they do? Voted to increase the National Debt another 2.4 trillion. They cannot be trusted and Romney is the worst liar of the bunch.
Other than Reagan, Clinton is the best President we've had during my life time which goes back to Kennedy. It's sick the Republicans are now obstructionists offering no real solutions and for this reason need to be removed completely.
God bless!
To all of you lovely democrats and beyond:
I can fairly concede that though I disagree with almost everything you say, You all are far better at coming up with immature nicknames for Mitt Romney than anyone else in the world. That is an accomplishment. Congratulations :)
Romney's been saying the same thing about "free stuff" at least since March 19, 2012. It played well literally in Peoria and he's using it again. This quot is nothing new and can be seen on Bill Riley's March 20, 2012, show.
It's sick to see some playing this as a racial quot rather then focus on the true issue.
The government is out of control. Spending outpaces revenue at an alarming rate. Middle class whites likely receive more "free stuff" from the government (mortgage, IRA, etc. tax breaks) than lower class blacks (food stamps, health care, etc.). It's time we get rid of all the "free stuff" we can and start paying off our National debt. It's time we offer true help to those truly in need and end the government handout games. Otherwise, it's going to be game over for the good olde US of A.
I absolutely agree.
It's really a toss up as too who is the funniest at misrepresenting the facts. Steward, Madcow or O'Really. The comedy networks are working hard right now and it's not even ratings season.
Romney: Remember nothing is for free *Says the rich republican*
something tells me he lost NAACPs' Support/Vote
So let me get this straight.... Romney was at a fundraiser... collecting money to run his campaign... money that he had not in any way, shape or form earned... and complaining that people who have paid into the system through the sweat of their brows are looking to benefit from their own work?
Hm.