Mitt Won't Back Down
A good sign, from Politico:
Mitt Romney refused to back down Tuesday afternoon over comments he made that "47 percent" of people in America "are dependent upon government" and "believe that they are victims."
"There are a number of retirees, members of the military and so forth who aren't paying taxes, and that's as it should be," the GOP presidential nominee told Fox News's Neil Cavuto. "But I do believe we should have enough jobs and take-home pay such that people have the privilege of higher incomes that allow them to be paying taxes. I think people would like to be paying taxes. The good news is if you're doing well enough financially that you can pay a tax. And the problem right now is you see in this country so many people have fallen into poverty that they're not paying taxes they have to rely on government and the right course to help them is not just to have government handing out but instead government helping people to get back to good jobs."
I even like that he's using "so forth" a lot. Reagan did that, too.
(Okay, okay, I'm reaching. But still....)
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Aug '11
Re: Mitt Won't Back Down
Heh, I like this:
I'm not sure how the left will try to spin that one. That's usually the sort of thing they say.
Jun '12
Re: Mitt Won't Back Down
Romney called the moochers and perennial victims what they are.
Thus, they are upset with him.
But they were never gonna vote Romney anyway.
Aug '10
Re: Mitt Won't Back Down
Rob Long:
Ummmm...
If I can get food, clothing, housing, cable tv, XBox, etc, etc, without paying taxes, why would I work a little harder just for the privilege of paying taxes?
Aug '11
Re: Mitt Won't Back Down
Misthiocracy
Rob Long:
Ummmm...
If I can get food, clothing, housing, cable tv, XBox, etc, etc, without paying taxes, why would I work a little harder just for the privilege of paying taxes? · 1 minute ago
But paying taxes is virtuous and patriotic, right!?
Nov '11
Re: Mitt Won't Back Down
From the file labeled Be Careful What You Wish For: "Geez, I wish Mitt wasn't so boring." Obama shows how well ignorance and arrogance go together. Romney illustrates the same for caution and clumsiness.
Mar '11
Re: Mitt Won't Back Down
Romney's point, of course, is well taken but, boy, he phrased it awkwardly. The good news about the liberal press jumping up and down on this issue is that it gives him a time to get it right. I am surprised the libs are all over this because the Core Conversation Topic doesn't redound to their advantage. I bet they back off quickly.
Jul '10
Re: Mitt Won't Back Down
DrewInWisconsin
Misthiocracy
Rob Long:
Ummmm...
If I can get food, clothing, housing, cable tv, XBox, etc, etc, without paying taxes, why would I work a little harder just for the privilege of paying taxes? · 1 minute ago
But paying taxes is virtuous and patriotic, right!? · 15 minutes ago
There are a lot of other ways to pay tax - and much more in keeping with how the FF's saw people and a nation. Income tax is slave tax - and while you can make this or that euphemism for it, it remains taking what YOU made (without anyone else's help).
Jul '10
Re: Mitt Won't Back Down
There's a part of me that wishes he'd just let it go and move on. Joe Scarborough pointed out last night that if reckless remarks at fundraiser's derailed presidential campaigns, we'd be dealing with President McCain right now. This is a five-day story at best. With the world as it is, something else is going to come up even if the American press doesn't want to cover it, but with Mitt there's always the possibility that explaining will just make things worse...
Aug '10
Re: Mitt Won't Back Down
Drudge just passed him a quick one and he ran it upfield.
I think Joe the Plumber was blocking for him.
Redistribution has such a nice ring to it ,doesn't it ?
35 million visits to Drudge in the last 24 hours ? What is 47% of that ?
Oct '11
Re: Mitt Won't Back Down
Rob Long:
I even like that he's using "so forth" a lot. Reagan did that, too.
(Okay, okay, I'm reaching. But still....) · · 1 hour ago
Mitt says a lot of great things like, "so forth." I like how he says, "gosh," a lot, as well.
Feb '12
Re: Mitt Won't Back Down
Hopefully Mitt won't mitigate..
Mar '11
Re: Mitt Won't Back Down
Maybe this is a 5 day story, but what if it isn't? Perhaps the best move is to view this as an opportunity. Take a page out of the competition's playbook and make a Big Speech in the same vein as Obama's race speech.
From what I'm hearing in his recent news appearances, he's standing his ground, but not presenting what he meant in a way that is sharp, focused, and undeniable. He should have speech-writers banging away right now.
Were it me, (with all humility) the lynchpin of the speech would be this:
"The difference between me and Obama is that I want to help lift you up. Obama wants to keep you right where you are."
Then the body of the speech would explain how all of my proposals would do just that, and how Obama's policies would likewise do just as he intends.
Then again, I could be completely insane.
Oct '10
Re: Mitt Won't Back Down
Misthiocracy
Rob Long:
Ummmm...
If I can get food, clothing, housing, cable tv, XBox, etc, etc, without paying taxes, why would I work a little harder just for the privilege of paying taxes? · 1 hour ago
But that's Mitt's point. The people you described, the moochers, will never vote Right anyway. It's the people who don't currently pay taxes because they're poorer than they want to be - the people for whom work and dignity and self-esteem are all related - to whom Mitt is referring and appealing.
Jul '10
Re: Mitt Won't Back Down
Nick, I'd be fine with that--that's preferable to multiple press conferences, but it carries a lot of risk, too. The media who will cover that speech are already against him. They're looking for reasons to keep this story alive and negative. The fewer of those reasons that come from the candidate, the better as far as I'm concerned. While I agree with the sentiment he was expression, it wasn't "artful" as he put it, and it was also wrong. A lot of the people on benefits WILL be voting for him. I don't think he should let this flare up take him off the message that he was trying to get back to yesterday. I just don't want him to take his eye off the ball here--that's exactly what they want him to do.
Oct '10
Re: Mitt Won't Back Down
But he has been, horribly, lately. While his words aren't explicitly compromising (if you read them they're okay), his tone has been uncertain to downright waffling. He backtracks and explains why he isn't stepping on any toes. I'm glad to see he was good on Fox, but how hard is that? I'm completely disenchanted with the guy at the moment. I hope he's getting it together. Don't go wobbly (anymore than you already have), Mitt.
Feb '12
Re: Mitt Won't Back Down
I tend to agree, Severely Ltd.. If he just sticks to his guns and keeps on batting the message. A loss is dreadful to contemplate.
I don't he's for crumbling..
Oct '10
Re: Mitt Won't Back Down
Nick K.
Maybe this is a 5 day story, but what if it isn't? Perhaps the best move is to view this as an opportunity. Take a page out of the competition's playbook and make a Big Speech in the same vein as Obama's race speech.
From what I'm hearing in his recent news appearances, he's standing his ground, but not presenting what he meant in a way that is sharp, focused, and undeniable. He should have speech-writers banging away right now.
Wereitme, (with all humility) the lynchpin of the speech would be this:
"The difference between me and Obama is that I want to help lift you up. Obama wants to keep you right where you are."
Then the body of the speech would explain how all of my proposals would do just that, and how Obama's policies would likewise do just as he intends.
Then again, I could be completely insane.
You're the sane one. Mitt needs to talk less, if he did it would mean more. This guy is right, if I do say so. Good comments too.
Jun '11
Re: Mitt Won't Back Down
Forget Mitt. The real story is that these past few posts demonstrate that Rob has shed his RINO skin.
Mar '11
Re: Mitt Won't Back Down
Good points, Jonathan, and they're well taken. I may not have fully considered the risks involved, and the roll of the dice that play would be. Nor the consequences of fumbling the ball, which would be huge. But I still find myself pining for a brilliant, uplifting barnburner from Romney. Could that actually happen on this plane? Probably not, but Man! I'd love to hear something actually galvanizing.
Were we to follow this, I think we'd find the discussion settling into a familiar form: The safe / moving target route, and the inspiration / bring the fire to the people route. I see the rationality of the former. Even suspect it is the wiser approach. But I want to see the latter, despite serious reservations as to Romney's ability to deliver. Which puts me, except for momentary lapses, in the former's camp.
All a long way of saying "you're right!"
Mar '12
Re: Mitt Won't Back Down
Yes, Governor! Run, Run, Run on this fundamental difference of vision for America.