Romney - Half of Americans are losers I don't want to represent

[removeduser_487563287433]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-19637631

Odd view to put on your CV, but there it is.

The latest in Romney's gaffe strewn campaign is his unguarded comments to fund raisers that were secretly recorded and then released. Romney states that;

"There are 47% who are with him [Mr Obama], 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."

At the beginning of the campaign, this was the Republicans to lose. They have set about losing it with an enthusiasm and competence usually only seen in victories. Indeed, one Republican congressman put it this way at the beginning of the campaign when he was asked who could defeat Barack Obama; "A mammal. The problem is, these guys are all reptiles".

The BBC is going as far as running a piece of analysis questioning whether it's even possible for Romney to recover after the 47% cock up:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-19644046

A day later another video came out with:

"The Palestinians have no interest whatsoever in establishing peace," he says, adding that "the pathway to peace is almost unthinkable to accomplish".

Less likely to affect his campaign, but adding to the criticism that Romney is an appalling diplomat.

A lot can happen in the 49 days remaining until Americans go to the polls, and of course the result can go either way, but Obama currently enjoys a good lead and has wasted no time in quite rightly pointing out the President is the President for everybody:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-19644448

In any case, Romney is the most innovative member of the Obama campaign staff right now.

[SuperTechmarine]

Proves my point, Romney is a dick.

[CrayonVonCaesar]

Proves my point, Romney is a dick.

As is Obama, as was Bush. It didn't stop them getting elected.

Damned colonials.

[removeduser_487563287433]

Total dick, providing lots of material for the Democrats to work with the idea that Romney is a dick.

[John ''True Grit'' Wayne]

Republican candidates are all weird I hope Obama wins.
For him to say so many Americans have a victim mentality loses a lot of votes.
If he keeps this up he will sink his own battleship himself.

[Border Patrol]

I can't honestly think of anyone Romney could run against that would have ever caused me to vote for him. Hell, I don't think any of the Bush folk in Orange County are voting for him either.

[caratacus]

I haven't being following this campaign at all, or Romney's gaffs but that has to be one of the dumbest things that a candidate running in a presidential campaign could say.

Despite Obama's ineffectual term in office, it's hard to think that anyone that voted for him before will be persuaded by Mr Romney's smooth tongue. If the Republicans want to get in the White House he should be asked to resign over that comment and his running mate stand as candidate. To speak in such a derogatory way about half of your electorate, in private or not, makes you wonder why this man got into politics in the first place.

[Engie]

Well I think Romney has just handed the election to Obama on a silver platter.

[njhockey]

Much flustration over a rational sentiment.

Let's look at the full quote:

MITT ROMNEY: Well, there are 47% of the people who will vote for the president no matter what. All right? There are 47% who are with him. Who are dependent upon government, who believe that-- that they are victims, who believe that government has a responsibility to care for them, who believe that they're entitled to healthcare, to food, to housing, to you name it. But that's-- it's an entitlement. And the government should give it to them. And they will vote for this president no matter what.

And-- and-- I mean the president starts off with 48%, 49%, 40-- or he-- he starts off with a huge number. These are people who pay no income tax. 47% of Americans pay no income taxes. So our message of low taxes doesn't connect. And he'll be out there talking about tax cuts for the rich. I mean that's what they sell every-- every four years.

And-- and so my job is not to worry about those people. I'll never convince them that they should take personal responsibility and care for for their lives. What I have to do is convince the 5% to 10% in the center that are independents, that are thoughtful, that look at voting one way or the other depending upon in some cases emotion. Whether they like the guy or not. What they-- what it looks like. I mean the-- it's the-- the-- when you ask those people-- we do all these polls. I find it amazing. We poll all these people, see where you stand in the polls. About 45% of the people will vote for the Republican and 48% or 49%--

[JP226]

Despite Obama's ineffectual term in office, it's hard to think that anyone that voted for him before will be persuaded by Mr Romney's smooth tongue. If the Republicans want to get in the White House he should be asked to resign over that comment and his running mate stand as candidate. To speak in such a derogatory way about half of your electorate, in private or not, makes you wonder why this man got into politics in the first place.

Half the electorate wasn't going to vote for him and the other half agrees with him. This effects maybe 5% of the electorate and may sway those opinions by 1 or 2 points, and in two weeks this will more than likely be forgotten and those 1 or 2 points are fair game again.

Just more BS to get the rabble entertained and does not have any bearing on whether one would make a good president or not. God I hate the political season.

[chilon]

Half the electorate wasn't going to vote for him and the other half agrees with him. This effects maybe 5% of the electorate and may sway those opinions by 1 or 2 points, and in two weeks this will more than likely be forgotten and those 1 or 2 points are fair game again.

Probably closer to 10% of swing voters.

I'd guess only about 40% are dead set decided on either side still leaving maybe 20% of in the middle. This comment probably affects about half of the undecideds.

It was really not a smart move. If you just assuming half the country is going to vote the other way you are going to lose.

Neither Bush or Obama just wrote off that many undecided voters.

[JP226]

Probably closer to 10% of swing voters.

I'd guess only about 40% are dead set decided on either side still leaving maybe 20% of in the middle. This comment probably affects about half of the undecideds.

It was really not a smart move. If you just assuming half the country is going to vote the other way you are going to lose.

Neither Bush or Obama just wrote off that many undecided voters.

But how informed are those 20% in the middle? I'd bet the majority have heard only something in passing that Romney said something negative about people being lazy. Then you'd have to figure of those that actually even heard about the gaff, how many were dead set against the belief enough to change their mind or become solidified behind Obama? I think we're dealing with at most 1 or 2% of the population. Which very well could be detrimental, but I just doubt it this early.

[chilon]

But how informed are those 20% in the middle? I'd bet the majority have heard only something in passing that Romney said something negative about people being lazy. Then you'd have to figure of those that actually even heard about the gaff, how many were dead set against the belief enough to change their mind or become solidified behind Obama? I think we're dealing with at most 1 or 2% of the population. Which very well could be detrimental, but I just doubt it this early.

I see no reason to believe that the middle 20% is any less informed than the 20% of extreme partisans on either side. In fact, they are probably more objectively informed and less in a respective "Democrat bubble" or "Republican bubble". You are right that comments probably wont sway a large percentage but based on recent elections even a few hundred voters in swing counties in swing states could make a huge difference.

The other thing to consider is the opportunity cost. Days spent backpedaling on a gaffe are days not spent talking up the issues Romney wants to focus on. These last few days Romney is certainly not gaining supporters and he is already trailing. Based on the futures markets Obama is easily the smart bet at this point to get re-elected while Romney has been floundering for a while and not picking up any voters.

Also Romney's comments reinforce the fact that his tax "reform" plan is going to end up raising taxes on the middle class. Romney has still refused to say exactly what deductions he will have to cut to sponsor his tax cuts for the upper earners. His math doesn't add up unless he gets rid of deductions that are extremely popular for the middle class like the EIC and Mortgage deduction.Home ownership in the USA is around 67% of the population. If 47% don't pay Federal income tax that suggests that at least 14% of the people who don't pay Federal income tax are homeowners and thus would be hurt by Romney's plan. His comment might only affect 1-2% of voters but it might affect the decision making on 14% of voters.

[mrmouth]

About the only tangible negative is that it resets the continued attempts by the Romney campaign to make the economy the issue. They have completely wet the bed in that regard. They never got the ear on the economy because of gaffes. They didn't have the benefit of the economy being the default issue. Everyone predicted the economy for obvious reasons, but it is more morality based. Again mostly because of their gaffes.

And then they first fundamentally hamstring themselves by picking Ryan - so any subsequent debate on the economy has them walking on egg shells.

It's a spectacularly stupid group of people running that campaign. And if we are to believe the latest talk from inside the GOP, it is Romney that is leading the parade of stupid.

[boofhead]

Well, I wonder what sort of snivelling scumbag put a hidden camera at a private function? You Americans play despicably dirty at politics.

[JP226]

Well, I wonder what sort of snivelling scumbag put a hidden camera at a private function?

Jimmy Carter's grandson arranged the release, so either some ideologue or an opportunistic bastard.

[Vizsla]

It’s odd that the American media chooses to talk about something Romney said in a private conversation that was secretly recorded 4 months ago and conveniently released now by Democrat activists, to the exclusion of everything else.

Whilst not talking about how screwed the American economy is.
Or how the debt is $16 trillion despite Obama promising to halve it.
Or how America is more unpopular now than it was under Bush (or ever) in the Middle East, despite Obama’s promise to fix this by being nice to Muslims.
Or how Obama was explicitly warned days before the attack in which the US ambassador was killed in Libya (and may have been sexually assaulted), and yet did nothing.
Or, after Obama took credit for killing Osama Bin Laden in his campaign, how a wave of protesters stormed US embassies shouting: “Obama Obama we are all Osama.”

Only in America.

[removeduser_487563287433]

It’s odd that the American media chooses to talk about something Romney said in a private conversation that was secretly recorded 4 months ago and conveniently released now by Democrat activists, to the exclusion of everything else.

Why do you think it is odd the media (by the BBC articles I posted you should be able to work out not just the American media believes this is a cluster of a gaffe) would report highly inflammatory remarks by a Presidential candidate directed towards half of the people he is running to represent?

Only in America.

And the rest of the world. By the way, I'm pretty sure coverage of the rest of the news has not stopped as a consequence. So less whining is probably best.

[Vizsla]

Why do you think it is odd the media (by the BBC articles I posted you should be able to work out not just the American media believes this is a cluster of a gaffe) would report highly inflammatory remarks by a Presidential candidate directed towards half of the people he is running to represent?

And the rest of the world. By the way, I'm pretty sure coverage of the rest of the news has not stopped as a consequence. So less whining is probably best.

The BBC also supports the Democrats and reports verbatim whatever it is their party spokesman tells them to.
And why should media in other countries mention those other stories that would be relevant to the Americans?
You are being unreasonable on that point.
There would only be an expectation on American media to cover stories from an American perspective.
If anything it is odd that the American election receives so much coverage by international media organisations.

[Axeman]

Well, I wonder what sort of snivelling scumbag put a hidden camera at a private function? You Americans play despicably dirty at politics.

Yeah, politicians should be allowed to have what they say at certain times to certain people who are probably donating money to them never be told to the public. Its not like they are public servants, or that what they say could be indicative of say their leadership style, their foreign policy, their priorities, or their backers. No sir, if we let them prevent what they don't want to be released from being released politics will be so much more transparent and better for everybody, because by god if nothing else politicians should be able to have some privacy. I mean could you imagine having them all open!?


Hopefully the sarcasm wasn't too subtle.