Mr. President, How Do You Know That?
Amid the outrage over Governor Mitt Romney's misguided assumption that the 47 percent of Americans who don't pay income tax automatically vote Democratic, reporters have overlooked an important fact: President Barack Obama made an almost identical mistake in 2010.
According to an article in The Washington Post previewing Bob Woodward's new book, Obama opened a meeting with a group of business leaders at the White House by stating that he knew all about their political affiliations. From knowing one fact about their occupations, Sherlock Obama believed he could deduce everything about their lives.
...Woodward portrays Obama’s attempts to woo business leaders as ham-handed and governed by stereotype. At a White House dinner with a select group of business executives in early 2010, Obama gets off on the wrong foot by saying, “I know you guys are Republicans.” Ivan Seidenberg, the chief executive of Verizon, who “considers himself a progressive independent,” retorted, “How do you know that?
Obama had no way of knowing the politics of his guests because he never bothered to ask. He just assumed that anyone who runs a business must be a Republican. Perhaps the president had seen some polling. Perhaps he had prepped for the meeting by watching clips of the only business leader many of his younger staffers have ever seen -- Mr. Burns from The Simpsons. Perhaps somewhere deep inside, Obama even understands that his policy prescriptions of more taxes and more regulations are toxic for the business growth and job creation that the country desperately needs. Whatever the case, Obama assumed wrongly.
As the president attempts to cobble together an electoral victory by running on the ridiculous platform that penalizing millionaires can solve everyone else's economic problems, it's worth remembering that voters are not as cynical as their politicians. Americans don't vote based on shortsighted, selfish interests. They believe, even if their leaders don't, in a future of social mobility where a worker barely scraping by today can look at a business executive and say, "That could be me tomorrow."
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Comments:
Feb '12
Re: Mr. President, How Do You Know That?
"They believe, even if their leaders don't, in a future of social mobility where a worker barely scraping by today can look at a business executive and say, "That could be me tomorrow."
Er... no, a worker wouldn't, because The One said they didn't build that.. remember? I'll wait for government to build it. After all, tomorrow is another Obama handout day..
Nov '11
Re: Mr. President, How Do You Know That?
Like how can someone get that far in life with such a poor understanding of people?
Sep '10
Re: Mr. President, How Do You Know That?
... generalization generally true.
Re: Mr. President, How Do You Know That?
Our current President is a bigot.
Jul '12
Re: Mr. President, How Do You Know That?
"Perhaps he had prepped for the meeting by watching clips of the only business leader that many of his younger staffers have ever seen -- Mr. Burns from The Simpsons."
10 gold stars for this line. I love it.
Oct '10
Re: Mr. President, How Do You Know That?
"Americans don't vote based on shortsighted, selfish interests. They believe, even if their leaders don't, in a future of social mobility where a worker barely scraping by today can look at a business executive and say, "That could be me tomorrow.""
An you are critical of Obama's unfounded assumptions?
Aug '10
Re: Mr. President, How Do You Know That?
Thanks for bringing this to our attention. His arrogance is only exceeded by his ignorance.
On the other hand, there is confusion over the coincidence that 47 percent reportedly don't pay taxes, and 47 percent are likely to vote for President Obama, no matter what Governor Romney does. He was refering to the second group.
You have repeated the distortion that the media has been pushing for the last three days. Governor Romney's assertion was neither misguided, nor wrong. The media (aka Court of Eunuchs) abetted by the Obama Gang is distorting what he said. I love the way Ann Coulter described it in her column today:
At a private gathering, Romney told donors that Obama had a lock on the 47 percent of voters "who pay no income tax" and "believe the government has a responsibility to care for them." This was deeply offensive to people who pay no income tax and believe the government has a responsibility to care for them.
Turn off NBC, ABC, CBS, PBS, CNN, and NPR. Unless you understand their agenda.
Jul '11
Re: Mr. President, How Do You Know That?
Barry would never ever have cut it in the real world. That he'd insult his audience based on his assumptions tells me he's not ready to pitch an idea that runs counter to his worldview - in other words, he's not even willing to entertain what other people might be thinking. To him, he knows what they're thinking, even before he meets them.
This is a surefire way to fail. It's also a demonstration of what happens when a boy, then a man, is never challenged in his beliefs, never has to truly defend them or articulate them, and has lived a life of privilege while assuming that his life has been one of challenge.
It's no wonder why he's so consistently tone-deaf, and has to really hide what he's thinking, because it would pop the brand balloon he's been parading around in for a decade. The only people he has something in common with are egomaniacs.
May '12
Re: Mr. President, How Do You Know That?
Why is it an automatic assumption that Gov. Romney' statement was wrong? Although he didn't style the statement very diplomatically that doesn't automatically mean the substance of the message isn't correct.
There isn't an easy way to have a polite debate about transfer payments and entitlements when we have a situation where the federal government confiscates so much from so few to give to so many.
Jun '11
Re: Mr. President, How Do You Know That?
Nice to hear Barry is indeed a buffoon. Could he really be shocked that the leader of a telecom would be anything but an "independent progressive?"
Which is, of course, code for "rent-seeking crony capitalist who snuggles up to any pol with power."
Edited on September 21, 2012 at 3:37amSep '12
Re: Mr. President, How Do You Know That?
Look at the story of his life and it's clear Obama's had very little experience meeting conservatives or Republicans - except as the enemy. No doubt he believes in the worst caricatures about them, in the most malicious and dehumanizing portrayals.
So when he encounters what might be an enemy, or a group of them, he feels uneasy, and compelled to clear the air, by saying, "Look, I know you guys hate me, and I hate you, but let's just try to make the best of this."
So much for that unity rubbish in his 2004 speech. He wasn't talking about America's is, but its ought, the way it ought to be, if Republicans would just wither away.
Jun '12
Re: Mr. President, How Do You Know That?
He doesn't understand people, that's why. A narcissist is not concentrated on other people, just on himself.
Doc Stephens: His arrogance is only exceeded by his ignorance.
But of course. The two go together. A narcissistic and arrogant person is blind to so many things, of course he is ignorant as well.
Nov '11
Re: Mr. President, How Do You Know That?
Rudolf Halbensinn
He doesn't understand people, that's why. A narcissist is not concentrated on other people, just on himself.
Doc Stephens: His arrogance is only exceeded by his ignorance.
But of course. The two go together. A narcissistic and arrogant person is blind to so many things, of course he is ignorant as well. · 3 hours ago
Well observed.
I suppose my wonderment is because I don't deal with narcissistic people in my life. I do not befriend them, I do not associate with them, I do not do business with them, and when I must to any of those things, I limit my exposure to a bare minimum and PI narcissism when I encounter it.
So people like that so mystify me.
Nov '11
Re: Mr. President, How Do You Know That?
This is well observed. A bigot is
He is obstinately devoted to his own opinions and prejudices. The cure for bigotry is exposure to the "other." It's hard to believe that all of the other is all the bad things if you're exposed to contrary examples.
I suppose that was what prompted my initial response. Like how can someone get that far in life with such a poor understanding of people?
The man is President of the United States. He's lived all over the world, from Chicago to Indonesia. Has he lived such a sheltered existence in that grand diversity of places and have such little exposure to other people?
Obviously so!
He hasn't done a lot of deep thinking. He hasn't challenged those opinions he holds, or hasn't challenged them honestly, which comes to the same thing. So he really believes his own nonsense.
Re: Mr. President, How Do You Know That?
raycon: "Americans don't vote based on shortsighted, selfish interests. They believe, even if their leaders don't, in a future of social mobility where a worker barely scraping by today can look at a business executive and say, "That could be me tomorrow.""
An you are critical of Obama's unfounded assumptions? · Sep 20 at 3:22pm
Fair criticism. Voters can speak for themselves. I should have qualified this analysis as being my bet based on the history of our country.