Did Ann Romney Really Call Americans 'You People' This Morning?

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2012/07/did-ann-romney-really-call-americans-you-people-this-morning/260084/

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Jul 19 2012, 3:29 PM ET 66

Asked about releasing tax returns, the GOP candidate's wife says her family isn't hiding anything.

With Mitt Romney in attack mode, Ann Romney was on the TV circuit Thursday morning, talking to Robin Roberts on Good Morning America. During that interview, she was pressed on whether her husband will release his taxes for more than the last two years. Her comments are being widely reported as this:

We've given all you people need to know and understand about our financial situation and how we live our life.

Needless to say, using "you people" is pretty much never a good look -- at the very least, it comes across as patronizing and condescending. Dan Amira reviewed the tape and comes away arguing that's not actually what she said -- that in fact she just stumbled verbally. It's a tough call, but you can watch and decide for yourself. But who cares if Ann Romney had a brief slip? As verbal gaffes go, this one ranks pretty low. People who see this as proof of Romney's irredeemable snobbiness almost certainly felt she was irredeemably snobby already. Nor is it news that the Romneys aren't big fans of the media.

[liberal N proud]

1. They are condescending pompous criminals

And the stupid who already support them will not see this for the demeaning way it was presented.

[coalition_unwilling]

20. The Romneys are gauche parvenus and their every pronouncement makes

me want to take my staple gun to my forehead.

[smirkymonkey]

29. Actually, It wants me to take your staple gun to THEIR foreheads.

F**king Clueless Idiots.

Better yet, I'd like to staple the missing tax returns to their foreheads.

[hedgehog]

2. She may have meant

you media people, but that's almost as bad since it implies that only the media people are interested. Note also that if this interpretation is correct, the assumption is that the media people are out to get poor little Mitt.

[onehandle]

3. Fox News Blonde Clone Says Something. nt

[EmeraldCityGrl]

4. She's more out of touch than Willard, if that's possible.

Keep interviewing her, she grows on you, like black mold.

[DainBramaged]

5. Uh yes

she said it clearly.

[riverwalker]

6. gone viral

Trending on Twitter lol lol
#youpeople

[Blue Owl]

7. Of course she said "Yew" people -- just like Santorum said "Blah" people.

n/t

[coalition_unwilling]

21. LOL - my wife is something on a cultural anthropologist and she tells me that

the 'Tree People' are actually a really wonderful tribe, vastly superior to the Romneys in every respect other than material acquisitions.

[librechik]

8. I believe she was talking about The Media, not The People

not that that is much of an excuse.

[whathehell]

9. Yes, in fairness, I've heard that too, although

it's essentially the same, in that journalists

are, technically, at least, representatives of "we the people"

who, BTW, are the "people" who get to decide whether

"those people" get in the White House.

[treestar]

12. How else does it get to the people?

Via the journalists. What journalists would keep it in a secret box? This is a non-meaningful distinction.

[MsPithy]

22. I agree with the above comments.

If "You People," means the press, that still means ME. I personally, am not in a position to ask Ann anything. In this case, Robin Roberts is me.

[wandy]

10. Reading about it was distressing. Seeing it; disgusting. Nuff said.

[treestar]

11. It was quick but it was there

And then watch for the hypocrisy. We'll hear one of them say there is something the President should produce.

And also if every other Presidential candidate in recent history has done it, then why shouldn't they?

[HiPointDem]

13. Personally, i think she was talking about the media when she said "you people". a minority

opinion, i realize.

[HooptieWagon]

14. She meant to call us " the help"... nt

[Blue_In_AK]

15. Yes, I think we need to be careful about context,

especially given that Mitt is so given to taking President Obama's words out of context.

[ProfessionalLeftist]

16. Yes she did. CAN YOU IMAGINE what would happen if Mrs. Obama

ever referred to anyone like that? But hoity toity rich white women can do it all day and it's just fiiine.

Mrs. Romney is like her husband: condescending, pompous ass.

[soccer1]

17. It doesn't matter...no need to parse her statement....

she and Mitt have decided that they don't want the returns scrutinized by the media, those who support Obama and the Obama campaign (all you people). That's the bottom line......anyone who might have a different interpretation of what's in the returns is off limits. I suppose because Mitt might have a hard time explaining away "those people's" intepretations.

[chowder66]

18. All the education you can afford....

AR:……Mitt has led his life and where he’s been financially. He’s a very generous person. WE give 10% of our income to our church every year.
Do you think that is the kind of person that tries to hide things or do things. No. He is so good about it.
Then when he was the Governor of Massachusetts…didn’t take a salary…in the four years.


RR: Why not show that then? Why not release…. because that‘s a moot point!. To move on....

AR: Because there are so many things that will be open again for more attack.
And you just wanna give more material for more attack and that’s really, that’s just the answer. And we’ve given all you people need to know… and understand… about our financial situation and about how we live our life and so that election again… will not be decided on that, they will be decided on who is going to turn the economy around and how are jobs going to come back to America.

[Motown_Johnny]

19. she said "you people" to a mixed race woman

It sounds racist to me (and I am white).



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[BeliQueen]

23. Exactly

She's talking to a black woman and her husband is running against a black man. She equates these "attacks" with black people.

She used the phrase "you people" because in her mind the only people harassing her husband for his tax returns are black.

[Motown_Johnny]

26. we are of one mind on this issue

that is exactly how it looked to me too

[Tikki]

33. That was my take on it...any black person stands in opposition to rmoney in muFfeE's mind.

Tikki

[died-in-1994]

24. I agree

[Motown_Johnny]

25. Welcome to DU!

Just keep agreeing with me and you will do fine here









DON'T DO IT!!! Seriously!

[Booster]

28. Made me laugh outloud. Thanks for that.

[Tikki]

34. Welcome to DU...

We look forward to more of your posts....



Tikki

[died-in-1994]

36. thank you

[Rosa Luxemburg]

31. Yes

[elleng]

27. Yes but I'll give her this:

She may have been referring to the media, as 'you people.' If so, another misunderstanding, to balance against their 'misunderstandings' they continually rerun about POTUS' statements.

[FarPoint]

32. I doubt that...

Let me try and recall exactly how Ross Perot attempted to clean up his slip of " You People" during a Presidential Debate.... Actually, I'll have to research it.

I do recall that such a "slip" caused his momentum to drop like a lead balloon.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

30. Sure sounded like it to me.

They are trying to spin it as if that's not what she really said, like when Santorum ridiculously claimed he really said "blah" people when he said he didn't want to make black people's lives better.

[MrMickeysMom]

35. That campaign keeps shooting itself in the dick...

and yet, they're neck in neck in the polls...

WHAT'S WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE, HUH???

[MiniMe]

37. Sorry Ann, you don't get to decide on what people will decide the election on

They may or may not accept Mitt and your story about why you won't release your tax returns, or they may wonder what you are hiding.

[ashling]

38. I think she was referring to the press,

not that that's any less condescending and just plain rude.

[WI_DEM]

39. In fairness she was speaking about the media--but I don't want to be fair.

[ibegurpard]

40. yes, she did

It's up to her to explain what she meant and who she meant by that remark