“It’s shocking that a candidate for President of the United States would go behind closed doors and declare to a group of wealthy donors that half the American people view themselves as ‘victims,’ entitled to handouts, and are unwilling to take ‘personal responsibility’ for their lives. It’s hard to serve as president for all Americans when you’ve disdainfully written off half the nation.” – Jim Messina, Obama for America Campaign Manager
CAUGHT ON tape.
Mitt Romney got chummy with his pals at a private dinner and Mother Jones caught the whole thing on tape. Some is bland, but if a politician is speaking off the record you can bet he’ll say something revealing, if not surprising.
There are 47 percent of the people who will vote for the president no matter what. All right, there are 47 percent who are with him, who are dependent upon government, who believe that they are victims, who believe the government has a responsibility to care for them, who believe that they are entitled to health care, to food, to housing, to you-name-it. That that’s an entitlement. And the government should give it to them. And they will vote for this president no matter what…These are people who pay no income tax. [...] [M]y job is is not to worry about those people. I’ll never convince them they should take personal responsibility and care for their lives.” – Mitt Romney [via Mother Jones]
More remarks where that came from, via David Corn.
Romney talks the whole time about “us” and “them.” Republicans certainly don’t think Obama is one of them, but it’s about more than that. It’s about wrongly believing that government doesn’t have a role to play in a modern capitalistic society that is rigged for the rich, while still believing we’re living in 1950s America.
It’s warped.
photo: Shutterstock
Not surprising he thinks this….not even surprising he said it among HIS people. VERY surprising someone recorded it and made it public. THANK YOU who ever you are!
No secular, not surprising that this quote escaped into the wild. Not the least bit surprising. There is no “just among friends” any more, especially in politics. Obama learned that in PA in 2008. Why Mitt did not learn from Obama is a mystery to me. I guess pols are just not Tech savvy. News literally travels at the speed of light in the connected world and there are no do-overs or plausible denials.
Oh Sweet Baby Jesus On A Pogo Stick! Yet another unforced error by Team Magic Underwear.
Do any of these people understand the fishbowl that they live in now? Hello! BHO got side-swiped in PA in the 2008 primaries by the exact same thing; why do you think you are immune? Hello! It’s the General and every unforced error is another nail in your political coffin! Hello! This is not Bain and you can not make dumb statements like this in private,there is no such thing as private, this kind of thing will escape into the wild! Hello! You just gifted the Moron Media its news cycle for the next 24-48 hours! Say by-by to any message you had planed for today or tomorrow Mitt, it just died an ugly death. Holy guacamole, this is the political gang that could not shoot straight.
Well… *shaking my head*
Those words read without blinders doesn’t say 47% of Obama supporters. It says 47% of American voters (Obama supporters).
So ALL Obama supporters are what Romney says. Wow… In 2008, Obama said people “cling” to their guns and their faith in tough times. Now to be honest, I’ve heard many South Carolineans say “I’m clinging to my gun and the bible in these godless times”. I’ve also heard pastors say on Sunday “cling to the word tight”. But let’s say Obama’s 2008 comment was stupid, he didn’t once say he was abandoning them or a whole section of America. And that is the section that really will cause some serious broadsides to be fired at Romney:
“[M]y job is is not to worry about those people. I’ll never convince them they should take personal responsibility and care for their lives.”
See in certain positions, it doesn’t matter if they don’t agree with you or like you. And you may just want to kick them to the curb and be done with it. BUT in those certain positions or roles, you still are responsible for them. You represent them. So his words can easily be turned into a “Romney does not care nor want to hear and represent you”. He’s put into words what some feel about him. He’s given Team Obama meat redder than Obama’s “you didn’t build that” line.
My ultra-conservative next door neighbor practically exploded when he saw those remarks. His words:
“DAMN! Just give Obama the election on a silver platter you @#$%#!!”
LOL! I’m not ready to call this election a wrap (anything can happen). But Team Romney has some serious ‘splaining to do.
“DAMN! Just give Obama the election on a silver platter you @#$%#!!” T-Steel’s ultra-conservative neighbor.
Pithy. I like it. x-D
So said by a man who also probably pays no income taxes and if he does he may cheat on them. No amount of talk will be able to convince him to take personal responsibility or to be honest.
As you can tell from visiting this blog, most Obama supporters will never vote for Mitt.
Why worry about the Dependents.
This will resonate with those who make America work and agree with what Mitt said.
It will also get out the base.
Own it Mitt!
And we have the requisite double down by Sasha. The circle is closed. Shall we all take another spin? Na, this is getting boring.
The fact that you think that every Obama supporter is a dependent says it all. There are so many Obama supporters that “make America work” that calling them a dependent is blasphemous. LOL!
It’s a blanket characterization that is red meat for Team Obama, Democrats, and Liberals. And it may sway some Independents (not this one… the only that Obama and Romney could do to get my vote for one or the other is get into a boxing match and show it on pay-per-view…).
Make America work… Sheesh. These little catch phrases are become cuter than Smurfette and the Powderpuff Girls in Candy Land.
I agree 1000% Sasha…OWN IT MITT DA TWIT!!!!! Cause now Obama OWNS YOU!
start quote:
“It’s shocking that a candidate for President of the United States would go behind closed doors and declare to a group of wealthy donors that half the American people view themselves as ‘victims,’
end quote
Yes. Perish the thought.
Ha! Yes, I remember Obama’s remark to the wealthy Bay Area supporters during the 2008 Primary. Something about clinging to their Gods and guns..Funny. I didn’t seem to affect the outcome. He won the candidacy any way.
Yes, well, you know how it is. Forty-seven percent of us feel like victims, 47 percent of us cling bitterly to guns and hatred, and the other six percent of us determine the election based on which lever we end up falling on or punch card hole we end up punching through as we’re steadying ourselves.
Ain’t democracy wonderful?
Yep…sure is!!! (not really….actually, it’s pathetic.)
I did not even hear the tape. All these outrageous claims against Romney lost their effect on me. They sound horrible and make Romney seem like the worst person in the World. When you find out the truth, it is no big deal. My issues with Mitt Romney are ignored by the media. I am not going to vote for Romney or Obama. I can still recognize nonsense. They only people this story is making look bad are the people reporting it and the idiots who believe it.
But Cjuo359, Romney should have learned from that unforced Obama error. I’m not shocked by Mitt’s opinion, I am dismayed in how careless he was tossing it out. In this wired world, as you well know, nothing this juicy stays private.
Why? They’re both insulting the same people. It would be one thing if Obama had muttered something under his breath about the GOP’s base and paid a price for it. The fact is, Obama hasn’t paid any price at all. The best you can say is that Romney should have been smart enough to let Obama own that insult, should anyone be reminded of it. Heck, I doubt I would have brought up that link, if it weren’t for Mitt. What’s the point? As you can see in a more recent thread on this issue, there’s no end of creative rationalization “liberals” can do on an issue like this. If there were any lesson Romney should have learned from Obama’s “gaffe”, it’s that you can safely insult progressives and they won’t manage to do more than get huffy for a little while.
Can you imagine what the next batch of polls are going to look like? Someone should hand Mitt Romney a fork!
In the words of the late great Ann Richards, Mitt Romney was born with a silver foot in his mouth!
Gosh, that Obama sure is lucky!
The same day that:
1.) U.S. suspends military patrols with Afghans because they are killing our soldiers.
2.) Libya reveals we knew about the terror attack 3 days in advance.
3.) Afghanistan suicide bomber hits Kabul killing 9.
4.) The Middle East and Africa continue to burn.
…and Mitt forces the media to cover his February fundraiser video.
*I’m off to find Bibi. We’re crashing the JayZ-Beyonce party. He says he has important intelligence for some guy who won’t take his 3 AM calls… The “Pimp with the Limp” says he can get us in*
Thanks for the reality check, Sasha.
It’s too bad these foreign policy issues aren’t very important to our President. So what, more of our citizens are being senselessly killed in the middle east. Obama needs to go out meet the hollywood idiots. Obama’s foreign policy expertise, – what a pathetic joke.
I’m so surprised that more of the left aren’t offended by the stupidity being shoved down their throats by the Obama Daministtration. susan rice is damn idiot. Seriously, can anyone with a bit of intellect really believe that these terror attacks weren’t planned way in advance?
Now that I had a chance to get the full story, it looks like the Obama campaign took the bait “hook, line, and sinker”.
So, your telling us this was just a trap for the Obama campaign? Exactly what bait did Obama take? Maybe you could tell us what you read or heard that the rest of us missed?
I don’t think that there is enough time until election day to explain to you all what you’ve missed. But here is a little hint, nobody wants think of themselves as “‘victims,’ entitled to handouts, and are unwilling to take ‘personal responsibility’ for their lives”.
Tell us, who are these people who are not taking personal responsibility for their lives? Are they seniors on social security? Are they people who have lost their job and are drawing unemployment and getting food stamps? Are they students with PAL grants? Are they the disabled on medicare or seniors in nursing homes? Who are these people?
I suppose that’s why Mitt da Twit and Lyin Ryan are tanking so badly?
I didn’t think you could tell us, seeing as your boy doesn’t know either.
@PWT
right on.
“Now that I had a chance to get the full story, it looks like the Obama campaign took the bait “hook, line, and sinker”.”
had to wait for fuax Not news and limpwithnoballs to tell you what to say about this huh? I just hope Mitt da Twit, Lyin Ryan and the rest of the repugnantklan/teabagging/UBERChristian mob keep setting these baited traps for Obama…PLEASE keep doing this, PLEASE!
Since the video came out last night, and Rush show doesn’t start until around 1:00 pm today, there is no way that his opinion could have had any infulence.
Now, stop screaming in the library old man or they’ll ask you to leave again.
Rush will likely say:
AND?
Sounds to me like he hit the nail on the head and now the nails are complaining.
So to you 47% of the country are just nails? All those seniors who don’t pay income taxes anymore are whiners and lazy and don’t matter? You are as sad as the clown you admire.
I know that your head hurts, but stop whining nail.
This comment by Mr. Romney is not meant to sway the majority of the people who post on this board, you’re the 47% than he’s talking about. Additionally, it won’t have any effect on the 47% that would vote for Mr. Romney regardless. It may, however, sway some of the undecided voters who dislike the culture of dependancy that government programs can forster, i.e., welfare.
Clown? My goodness the irony is thick.
The problem for Mittens, is a lot of those undecided voters fall into that 47% he doesn’t care about.
That is the point. Though they may fall into the 47% described by Romney. They likely don’t want to consider themselves as part of the 47% and will thus vote Romney instead of Obama.
It’s like the scenario laid out in the book “What’s the matter with Kansas?”
I’ve got to give it to you, you really are trying to put a good face on Romney’s campaign which is crashing and burning right before our eyes. Talk about buyers remorse, you’ve got republicans looking back at McCain/Palin as a better ticket.
I guess that’s how it looks from the left echo chamber. From the right side, it looks like a good move.
By the way, since I live in NY and my vote for Romney would be a throw-away anyway, I’m voting for Gary Johnson.
Time to end the Drug Wars; and all the other pointless wars.
I’d like to see things from Marie Antoinette’s er I mean Mitt Antoinette’s point of view but I can’t seem to get my head that far up my ass. I see a few commenters here have had no problem with that contortion. No surprise there as they are the usual reactionary suspects.
Don’t kid yourself, your head is plenty far up your ass.
You just proved my point, ice boy. Thanks.