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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsThere Is No Answer To Willard Romney's 47% Gaffe When It Comes Up In The Debate
I don't see how Willard Romney can spin his 47% remarks. What is he going to say? "I didn't mean it."
He owns it.
It is what it is.
Enrique
(27,461 posts)I think he has already said it, I'm not sure. He'll say, "All Americans want to be working, and not dependent on the government. Obama has made them more dependent, I will help them become independent by creating jobs."
This is false, and it contradicts his 47% comment, but it is something that he might get away with in the debates.
DemocratSinceBirth
(99,706 posts)That is , imho, the money shot if you pardon my prurient reference.
Enrique
(27,461 posts)if that point is made at the debate, it will hurt Mitt. The problem with the debates is that a lot of good points don't get made, the talking points are often just allowed to stand.
DemocratSinceBirth
(99,706 posts)Because it will just shine a bigger light on it.
I thought the " I don't care about the 47%" remark was worse than lumping all those disparate groups into one. The president is the president of all the people or at least he or she's supposed to be.
BumRushDaShow
(127,331 posts)I.e., whatever bullshit he had in his ad. If he says anything else, he'll be flip flopping again. He'll have to double-down on the "government dependency" nonsense to please his corporate backers.
JoePhilly
(27,787 posts)Lucy Goosey
(2,940 posts)That's the kicker for me - Romney believes that 47% of Americans don't take personal responsibility and care for their lives. If he'd stuck with "I can't convince them to vote for me," he might have been OK, but made the mistake of letting his true feelings show in a roomfull of like-minded douchebags.
I really hope there's a chance for Obama to take him to task for the "personal responsibility and care" line directly.
mindfulNJ
(2,363 posts)but it would "take too long"
BlueStreak
(8,377 posts)Last edited Mon Oct 1, 2012, 01:00 PM - Edit history (1)
When a person says what he believes, it is not a gaffe.
When Gerald Ford, in the heat of a TV debate, said that Poland wasn't under the influence of the USSR, that was a gaffe. He surely knew better, but he just said it wrong, and then made the mistake of not retreating. It was an honest mistake that anybody could make under pressure.
When Romney told his money backers in the private of one of their homes, is exactly what Romney believes. And he hasn't made any attempt to apologize or disown his position.
It is not a gaffe. It is Romney.
HughBeaumont
(24,461 posts)It's not a phobia, the person's not scared. They're just an asshole.
Mitt isn't committing "gaffes" . . . he's just a douche with a very lax filter.
BlueStreak
(8,377 posts)KurtNYC
(14,549 posts)When Romney said:
"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 thats 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. 47 percent of Americans pay no income tax. So our message of low taxes doesnt connect
my job is not to worry about those people. Ill never convince them that they should take personal responsibility and care for their lives."
That is not unintentional -- that is what his donors believe.
DemocratSinceBirth
(99,706 posts)^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
The money shot
BlueStreak
(8,377 posts)is that Romney has shown himself throughout his 5 years of campaigning to be a shallow person who with take any position on any day to suit any audience. This has left people wondering, just what is the "real Romney".
That video, recorded behind closed doors, answered the question for good. He wasn't just throwing out red meat to his backers. He elaborated on it at great length and without any prompting.
This is the real Romney, and that is why the video is so devastating.
The problem isn't the fact that Romney said it. The problem is that people believe that to be the authentic Romney, once and for all. And that being the case, there is no escape for him because he just doesn't have any credibility.
porphyrian
(18,530 posts)Donkees
(31,091 posts)"I was misheard, I was misrecorded. Honestly, my speech was very well received in the room before my words got twisted around by all the acoustics involved."
djean111
(14,255 posts)because they truly believe that. He doesn't need to spin it - it is another blatant dog whistle.
I cannot imagine basing my vote on a debate; I look at the apparatus behind the candidate.
But there are likely people who believe that 47% thing, and they may just be prodded into voting for Romney because of it.
Mitt is not going after Obama's base at all, he is preaching to his choir and hoping to scoop up undecideds.
KurtNYC
(14,549 posts)It's effect has been devastating to his poll numbers and voting is under way. The Romney campaign is in damage control over the 47% remarks and have run ads to try and down play it.