And now, with his benedictory (emphasis third syllable; Larry, I defer to you on the full pun) address, Mitt Romney. The most irrelevant man in America held a press conference today to discuss why he and the SuperPACs delivered us to four more years of President Barack Hussein Obama. Romney's petty conclusion: Obama gave people "gifts":
With regards to the young people, for instance, a forgiveness of college loan interest, was a big gift.... Free contraceptives were very big with young college-aged women. And then, finally, Obamacare also made a difference for them, because as you know, anybody now 26 years of age and younger was now going to be part of their parents’ plan, and that was a big gift to young people. They turned out in large numbers, a larger share in this election even than in 2008 [Mitt Romney, quoted by Ashley Parker, "Romney Blames Loss on Obama’s 'Gifts' to Minorities and Young Voters," New York Times: The Caucus, 2012.11.14].
Romney admits that the Affordable Care Act provides the working-poor with real assistance:
You can imagine for somebody making $25,000 or $30,000 or $35,000 a year, being told you’re now going to get free health care, particularly if you don’t have it, getting free health care worth, what, $10,000 per family, in perpetuity, I mean, this is huge.... Likewise with Hispanic voters, free health care was a big plus [Romney, 2012.11.14] .
Romney pretends that Team Obama "made a big effort on small things," while Team Romney was all about big issues:
Our campaign, in contrast, was talking about big issues for the whole country — military strategy, foreign policy, a strong economy, creating jobs and so forth.... And by the way, as you’ll hear from Neil [Newhouse, campaign pollster], our strategy worked well with many people, but for those who were given a specific gift, if you will, our strategy did not work terribly well [Romney, 2012.11.14].
Romney isn't much smarter than Brad Ford; in defeat, he clings to his dismissal of millions of Americans as the selfish 47%, all takers, no givers. Now he just thinks he was off by a fatal 3.6%. Romney exposes his own venality, the rich man's conviction that everything is had for a price.
In this conference call, Mitt Romney, a man dedicated to talking about big things, now says his biggest plan is to put together a newsletter for his little insider clique. Perhaps. Oh, the statesmanship.
America, Happy Thanksgiving one week early. There's one big turkey who's off our table.
Update 22:20 MST: That was quick: Bobby Jindal makes his first pitch for the 2016 nomination by absolutely rejecting Romney's petty thesis:
I don’t think that represents where we are as a party and where we’re going as a party.... That has got to be one of the most fundamental takeaways from this election: If we’re going to continue to be a competitive party and win elections on the national stage and continue to fight for our conservative principles, we need two messages to get out loudly and clearly: One, we are fighting for 100 percent of the votes, and secondly, our policies benefit every American who wants to pursue the American dream. Period. No exceptions [Gov. Bobby Jindal, quoted by James Hohmann and Jonathan Martin, "Jindal Rejects Romney's 'Gifts' Theory," Politico.com, 2012.11.14].
Governor Jindal, you understand what your party needs to go to win next time. But you miss the point that Romney lost because he perfectly represents where the bulk of the Republican Party is: insulated by money and privilege and thus out of touch with the daily reality of most working Americans.
Romney's the second most irrelevant person in America. First place belongs to Donald Trump.
Wow! We dodged a bullet there! Long live the 47%! Could he have more contempt for the working person? He was giving gifts to the 2% and evidently that's ok. It always astounds me how the 2% think heath care is a luxury.
Yeah, of course. The guy, for being a 1 percenter, certainly is lower class. I would suspect his investors (those giving multi-millions to his campaign) weren't expecting any "gifts," like no regulations and a continuation of the obscene Bush tax cuts. Romney is a complete tool, and an utter fool. We just dodged a descent into fascism is what we dodged. Obama was going to ask this fool to contribute some ideas. I hope he goes after this clown for tax evasion and puts him where he belongs---in the slammer.
patrick lalley.
Mr. Romneycare now thinks healthcare is a luxury that should be denied to working people making up to $35,000? What does this guy really stand for besides himself and those exactly like himself?
Mitt's statements about "free" health care show just how ignorant he is of health care issues or the people he disparaged with that remark.
Does he really think that the Latinos that voted don't pay insurance premiums? That the millions of Latino business owners don't provide health care plans to their employees?
His comment about the "$10,000 a year health care for a family gift" pales in comparison to the millions that the 5% families would have pocketed with his proposed tax cuts for the top earners.
This guy is the gift that just keeps on giving. Please keep talking Mitt! It's good to see you back to your 'Mr. Moneybags' severely conservative self.
Wait a minute, does Mitt really believe that college loans are forgiven of all interest? Seriously?
So let's review.
Mitt and the GOP think that tax free shelters in foreign countries is good. $70K tax credits for dancing horses are good, but an interest free $70K student loan is bad.
Tax free loans, subsidies and free land from taxpayers are good investments in the economy, but interest free loans in the future leaders, knowledge workers, entrepreneurs and parents of America is bad?
Wow...keep it up Mitt! That double standard will sure make 'regular' Americans flock to you and the GOP.
While I think MR should have focused on his own areas, I chuckle at your response. Most of you posting here referenced in one way or another during the election these very items as why Obama was going to win.
The essence of your argument was always a derivation.
Name the issue (ie student loan forgiveness). Obama for it. He cares about young students. Romney opposed. He doesn't care.
And then you criticize him for basically saying your strategy worked? Your intellectual honesty does not exist.
All I know is that when enemployment creeps up, the poorer get poorer, all because everything Obama proposes has long-term negative consequences, you do not have maturity or honesty to accept the pain and suffering you will have inflicted on the poor.
My comments are not about a nebulous caricature of people on the other side. It is direct to you personally. You take narcissistic pleasure claiming to be smart and caring without regard to final effect.
GOP. The party that shows its care for the poor by cutting food stamps, voucherizing Medicare, cutting unemployment benefits, opposing a minimum wage and increases thereto, and setting lower tax rates for millionaires (Mitt Romney 13%) than for working people.
BREAKING UPDATE: Haley Barbour says GOP needs a proctology exam to figure out what went wrong.
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2012/11/14/barbour-gop-needs-a-proctology-exam/
That would be one way to figure out where all that sh*t comes from.
If there is a god, look for "GOP Proctology Exam" internet memes showing on computer screens across the country soon.
Might I suggest that they have a young, Latino female physician play the role of Dr. Jellyfinger. Preferably a doctor who still has large student loans and remembers that the GOP wanted to double the interest rate on her debt.
As a bonus, the young female doctor could insert a cold trans-vaginal ultrasound device up their collective rectums for absolutely no medical purpose...kind of like the GOP prescribes for rape victims who desire an abortion...simply for humiliation.
For even more fun, when they leave and try to pay with their taxpayer funded government insurance card...we could look down our noses and tell them that won't work here.
God bless Haley Barbour for giving us his gift of colorful words and the fun we can have giving the GOP a long overdue proctology exam.
Gov. Martinez proposes health exchanges in NM:
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505245_162-57550339/new-mexico-moves-ahead-with-health-exchange/
"GOP. The party that shows its care for the poor by cutting food stamps, voucherizing Medicare, cutting unemployment benefits, opposing a minimum wage and increases thereto, and setting lower tax rates for millionaires (Mitt Romney 13%) than for working people."
Democrats, making everybody poor via inflation caused by printing all the money they handout to buy their votes.
Haley Barbour, former head of the RNC, also gave us this gift right after the election:
“We had some sh*tty candidates,” he said. “We pissed away two seats.”
http://www.salon.com/2012/11/09/barbour_gop_had_some_shtty_candidates/
So it sounds like the GOP may have a urinary problem as well. Does anyone know if a trans-vaginal ultrasound device can be used as a catheter?
White House takes down petition to punch Grover Norquist in the dick: Raw Story.
CAH:
Just a point of fact. The majority of republicans aren't insulated by money. In fact, on average, republicans earn substantially less than democrats:
http://funancials.biz/democrats-are-richer-than-republicans/
On average, they only earn ~86% as much as their democratic counter parts. It's important to recognize that a very small percentage of republicans are super wealthy and that the majority of republicans are not well off financially. However, those that are not well off believe that if they follow this group of super wealthy people they will someday become super wealthy as well. It is straight up insanity.
Promising tax cuts for the 1% is not a gift?
And Troy weighs in with an absolute that all Obama policies are bad and then adds a scathing ad hominem attack just for good measure.
"...everything Obama proposes has long-term negative consequences, you do not have maturity or honesty to accept the pain and suffering you will have inflicted on the poor."
Troy continues his mature and honest comments.
"My comments are not about a nebulous caricature of people on the other side. It is direct to you personally. You take narcissistic pleasure claiming to be smart and caring without regard to final effect."
Good to see you around Troy. Maybe you could help me in searching the site for anyone "claiming they were smart" and saying that Obama's gifts were why he would swing the youth and Latino vote.
I won't speak for the others, but my take was in agreement with an advisor to Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio who said that Latinos were not altogether thrilled with Obama...but were terrified of Romney.
To Romney's credit, he didn't lose those votes on his own. He had plenty of help from the GOP in alienating women, minorities and young people.
Glad we could give you a condescending chuckle Troy.
Jana, you are having so much fun with this that it approaches sinful. Every Republican in South Dakota will be convinced you are doomed to hell.
More seriously, Mitt for being such a tremendously shrewd businessmen, flunked arithmetic. 1% of the top 1% in income no matter how many times and places they vote, will not out-vote 47% of the population. 30,000 is significantly less than roughly 150,000,000.
The other thing all the money pushed into political advertising indicated is that there are a lot of people and corporations who and which can afford to pay a lot more taxes.
Thanks Doug, it is fun.
You are right, Mitt had a big problem with math. Maybe if he would have spent less time bullying kids who weren't like him and leaving their hair alone he would have a better understanding of math. His economic policies were pitch perfect in platitudes but maliciously missing the math.
Mitt wasn't nominated by the GOP because of his success in applying business principals to government. (Check his record in MA) It was because they thought he had the best chance of beating Obama. They knowingly ran a candidate that they knew didn't have a core and they wanted everyone else to embrace the man? Please.
To credit the minority vote to "gifts" from Obama is outrageously insulting.
The GOP has been blowing that Lee Atwater dog whistle so loud and long that my dearly departed deaf grandmother could hear it. After hearing that dog whistle for over 30 years, do you really think that minorities are going to trust the GOP to have their best interests at heart.
Romney did nothing to earn a vote from women. Whether it's the GOP House hearing on contraception that was made up of all men, to Rush calling a young college woman a slut for using birth control to Romney not distancing himself from Akin or Murdouch. Let's not even get into the Lilly Leadbetter Act, closing down Planned Parenthood or the obstruction in the Violence Against Women Act.
For crying out loud, they couldn't even act like they had an ounce of empathy for a woman who had been raped...unless it met their conditions and even then they went so far as to say it was God's will that they were raped.
Forget the "gifts" boys. You have been alienating people from your party, on purpose, for years with your words and actions. It will be a long road back.
“I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
― Maya Angelou
Sorry, but just can't let this one go. Here's a couple of last thoughts from 2 columns.
Eugene Robinson: "The Republicans still don’t get it"
Key quotes - "But parties without meaningful competition become flabby, lazy, unresponsive." Hello South Dakota.
"...He (Obama) said umpteen times that he will insist on a “balanced approach” to taming the deficit, involving new revenue as well as spending cuts...Polls show this is what voters want. The election proved this is what voters want."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/eugene-robinson-republicans-dont-heed-lessons-of-the-election/2012/11/15/09dbf1a0-2f5c-11e2-9f50-0308e1e75445_story.html?hpid=z2
Alex Koppelman: Romney Gets the Last Gaffe
"Conservatives have constructed a myth that says certain groups—blacks, Hispanics, women, young people—vote Democratic because they’re stupid, because they’re lazy, and because they can be purchased with trinkets and baubles. It’d be one thing if they kept that myth a secret, but instead they shout it from the rooftops. Then, when it’s over, they wonder why those people voted Democratic again."
"His changing positions, his evasions about them, his misrepresentations—they all, ultimately, came off as a challenge: I think you’re too stupid not to fall for this. And there are very few people who appreciate being told they’re dumb, or the person who said it."
Read more: http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/newsdesk/2012/11/romney-blames-obama-gifts-for-loss.html#ixzz2CPVZXt9C