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maddezmom

(135,060 posts)
Wed Jul 25, 2012, 12:41 PM Jul 2012

Romney Adviser's 'Anglo-Saxon' Comment 'Stunningly Offensive,' Obama Side Says

Source: ABC

¬snip¬

The Obama campaign swiftly responded, calling the anonymous attacks "stunningly offensive" and even the reporter who sat down with the Romney advisers warned the "remarks may prompt accusations of racial insensitivity."

"We are part of an Anglo-Saxon heritage, and he [Romney] feels that the special relationship is special," the Romney adviser told British newspaper The Telegraph. "The White House didn't fully appreciate the shared history we have."

¬snip¬

After reading an initial ABC News report about the comments, Obama advisor David Axelrod tweeted "Mitt's trip off to flying start, even before he lands, with stunningly offensive quotes from his team in British press."

Vice President Biden also criticized the remark. "Despite his promises that politics stops at the water's edge, Gov. Romney's wheels hadn't even touched down in London before his advisers were reportedly playing politics with international diplomacy," Biden said.

"The comments reported this morning are a disturbing start to a trip designed to demonstrate Gov. Romney's readiness to represent the United States on the world's stage... This assertion is beneath a presidential campaign," the vice president said.


Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/OTUS/romney-aides-cite-anglo-saxon-heritage/story?id=16853252

39 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Romney Adviser's 'Anglo-Saxon' Comment 'Stunningly Offensive,' Obama Side Says (Original Post) maddezmom Jul 2012 OP
Offensive to most of the world, yes Turbineguy Jul 2012 #1
I can't imagine that there are too many of those left undecided. yardwork Jul 2012 #21
How "Whiter than Thou". When "Holier" just isn't working. nolabear Jul 2012 #2
Stunningly ignorant too given how Raven Jul 2012 #3
White Power! nt onehandle Jul 2012 #4
I feel a political ad coming on flamingdem Jul 2012 #5
Is the origin of the Romney name even Anglo Saxon? aint_no_life_nowhere Jul 2012 #6
As one of my SCA friends once said LibertyLover Jul 2012 #34
Umm... Mitt? Barack's mom is mostly English. Anglo-Saxon enough for you? truthisfreedom Jul 2012 #7
I remember reading DearAbby Jul 2012 #23
Just google his family. coldbeer Jul 2012 #30
dog whistle politics at it's finest via cindyperry2010 Jul 2012 #8
Can't beleive I never heard that term before. Thanks. You nailed it. nt zonkers Jul 2012 #11
With his track records at Bain, the Olympics, and the MA governor's mansion now unuseable rocktivity Jul 2012 #20
"That guy ISN"T an Advisor.. Never saw him before in my life.. annabanana Jul 2012 #9
That was always the excuse xxqqqzme Jul 2012 #10
Romney retroactively removed him as an advisor? Liberal Veteran Jul 2012 #17
He often pays travel expenses for people DearAbby Jul 2012 #24
This message was self-deleted by its author bupkus Jul 2012 #12
Absolutely. mac56 Jul 2012 #19
Just proves that GOP has NO IDEA what 'American exceptionalism' really means. blm Jul 2012 #13
Even the right has to face palm this Populist_Prole Jul 2012 #14
Oh Mittens?!? What is your favorite color??? SoapBox Jul 2012 #15
I am doubly offended SouthernLiberal Jul 2012 #16
Tell your gopper friends that these statements were not Iliyah Jul 2012 #18
after raygun was elected KT2000 Jul 2012 #22
"But Ann and I love people of color!" bluesbassman Jul 2012 #25
as an american of non-anglo saxon descent I am offended Fresh_Start Jul 2012 #26
Willard's Tighty Whitey CamPain has shit its shorts. Once again. Berlum Jul 2012 #27
His Church didn't allow black men (misogyny) to hold services or be on the governing board bobthedrummer Jul 2012 #28
After the colossal blunder ... cosmicone Jul 2012 #29
An important quote form another DU thread on this issue Democrats_win Jul 2012 #31
so no part of Obama's white half is in his brain? yurbud Jul 2012 #33
It will be a tremendous help in his summits with the Aryan Nations yurbud Jul 2012 #32
My ethnic background did not help me at all when I visited Europe ESPECIALLY yurbud Jul 2012 #35
the only time someone else being white would mean something to me... yurbud Jul 2012 #36
Note That The Romney Team Has Not DallasNE Jul 2012 #37
A perfect example of a racist dog whistle Dash87 Jul 2012 #38
Seems that Mitt and his crew are neophytes where foreign policy and relations are concerned. applegrove Jul 2012 #39

Turbineguy

(37,127 posts)
1. Offensive to most of the world, yes
Wed Jul 25, 2012, 12:43 PM
Jul 2012

but not to the as yet undecided teabagger who doesn't want a Mormon in the Whitehouse.

yardwork

(61,331 posts)
21. I can't imagine that there are too many of those left undecided.
Wed Jul 25, 2012, 02:25 PM
Jul 2012

It seems to me that Romney has the racist vote tied up. I think that this was a really stupid mistake on his part - just the latest of a series of spectacular blunders. Romney is so stupid, racist, and out of touch he doesn't even know how out of touch he is.

nolabear

(41,902 posts)
2. How "Whiter than Thou". When "Holier" just isn't working.
Wed Jul 25, 2012, 12:46 PM
Jul 2012

Romney's strong suit is that he's just so, so likeable, doncha think?

flamingdem

(39,300 posts)
5. I feel a political ad coming on
Wed Jul 25, 2012, 12:48 PM
Jul 2012

but can't figure out what the Obama campaign could do without being over the top.

God save the Mitt

aint_no_life_nowhere

(21,925 posts)
6. Is the origin of the Romney name even Anglo Saxon?
Wed Jul 25, 2012, 12:49 PM
Jul 2012

I read somewhere that the original name was Romenel or something similar and that it was a French Norman name from the time of William the Conqueror. The Normans of course were originally Viking men who invaded northern France and never left, taking French wives and becoming a Norse-French hybrid.

truthisfreedom

(23,108 posts)
7. Umm... Mitt? Barack's mom is mostly English. Anglo-Saxon enough for you?
Wed Jul 25, 2012, 12:50 PM
Jul 2012

Or does he have to be related to the Queen?

coldbeer

(306 posts)
30. Just google his family.
Wed Jul 25, 2012, 03:12 PM
Jul 2012

His grandfather served as a sergeant in WWII and
his great uncle was in Normandy shortly after D-Day.

Sounds like patriotic Americans to me!
(not draft-dodgers)

rocktivity

(44,546 posts)
20. With his track records at Bain, the Olympics, and the MA governor's mansion now unuseable
Wed Jul 25, 2012, 02:20 PM
Jul 2012

all he has left is running talking points up a flagpole and taking credit for the ones that get saluted -- "What, nobody's buying in to our Anglo-Saxon heritage meme? Then it never happened!"


rocktivity

annabanana

(52,791 posts)
9. "That guy ISN"T an Advisor.. Never saw him before in my life..
Wed Jul 25, 2012, 12:54 PM
Jul 2012

Just some random guy saying random stuff. We have never ever ever had anything to do with him"

funny as hell

xxqqqzme

(14,887 posts)
10. That was always the excuse
Wed Jul 25, 2012, 01:02 PM
Jul 2012

the W campaign used whenever a car showed up at a campaign event w/ an anti w bumpersticker. It was always the fault of some overzealous local campaign volunteer.

This rmomey campaign advance advisor has suddenly become an 'aide'.

Response to maddezmom (Original post)

Populist_Prole

(5,364 posts)
14. Even the right has to face palm this
Wed Jul 25, 2012, 01:30 PM
Jul 2012

A couple of people I know, and they're latent right-wingers...became so due to Obama being elected,, were even embarrassed. Even if they deep down agree with the sentiment, even they realize what an impolitic remark that was.

SouthernLiberal

(407 posts)
16. I am doubly offended
Wed Jul 25, 2012, 01:40 PM
Jul 2012

Firstly, because it's hard to not think of 'Anglo-Saxon' in this context as code-talk for 'not brown skin'. Which makes his 'we' pretty divisive from the get-go.

And then there is the fact that while I am certainly pale-skinned enough for Mr. Romney's 'advisors', to the best of my knowledge, there isn't a drop of Anglo-Saxon blood in my veins. My ancestors were mostly Scots/Irish Celtic, with a possible early admixture of Norman/French, so I am offended on my own behalf as well.

Iliyah

(25,111 posts)
18. Tell your gopper friends that these statements were not
Wed Jul 25, 2012, 02:05 PM
Jul 2012

taken out of context, this was actually said unlike what the Mitten's campaign did with Pres O's statement about businesses.

This is how his campaign really feels, so its beyond any logic how people of color can support the GOP, but you do have idiots in every race. You even got gays supporting them as well, please give me what they are smoking, please!

KT2000

(20,534 posts)
22. after raygun was elected
Wed Jul 25, 2012, 02:27 PM
Jul 2012

Roselyn Carter said that he made people feel comfortable with their prejudices. The GOP lives through bigotry.

bluesbassman

(19,274 posts)
25. "But Ann and I love people of color!"
Wed Jul 25, 2012, 02:36 PM
Jul 2012

"We employ them in all of our homes!"

You just know that's what's running through his mind when he gets called on BS like this.

Fresh_Start

(11,330 posts)
26. as an american of non-anglo saxon descent I am offended
Wed Jul 25, 2012, 02:49 PM
Jul 2012

and unlike Mitt, I actually pay taxes to maintain this country

Berlum

(7,044 posts)
27. Willard's Tighty Whitey CamPain has shit its shorts. Once again.
Wed Jul 25, 2012, 02:56 PM
Jul 2012

Hate and division are so Republican, and so unAmerican.

Willard and his Chickenhawk Republicon cronies need a Tighty Whitey Wedgie

 

bobthedrummer

(26,083 posts)
28. His Church didn't allow black men (misogyny) to hold services or be on the governing board
Wed Jul 25, 2012, 03:03 PM
Jul 2012

until 1979 or so.

 

cosmicone

(11,014 posts)
29. After the colossal blunder ...
Wed Jul 25, 2012, 03:10 PM
Jul 2012

is Romney going to flip-flop once again and become retroactively black?

Democrats_win

(6,539 posts)
31. An important quote form another DU thread on this issue
Wed Jul 25, 2012, 03:20 PM
Jul 2012
http://www.democraticunderground.com/1014176161-

snip
According to the telegraph, the adviser suggested that Mr. Obama could not understand the depth of the relationship between the two countries because he cannot fully appreciate the shared "Anglo-Saxon heritage."
---

To me, this makes the racist nature of the comments clearer. For instance, why can't Mr. Obama fully appreciate the shared A.S. heritage? ANY American CAN appreciate the shared heritage. One has to laugh because the thing that would make one appreciate this heritage more is an English Literature course. You know, the thing that those greedy GOP bastards try to cut out of education.

yurbud

(39,405 posts)
32. It will be a tremendous help in his summits with the Aryan Nations
Wed Jul 25, 2012, 03:26 PM
Jul 2012

in prisons and at monster truck pulls.

yurbud

(39,405 posts)
35. My ethnic background did not help me at all when I visited Europe ESPECIALLY
Wed Jul 25, 2012, 03:37 PM
Jul 2012

when I ran into people who shared my Scottish ancestry.

I could not understand what the fuck they were saying even when I'd put my eyeballs three inches from their lips.

The worst thing was I couldn't say, "Do you know English?" because that's what they were speaking.

The only way your ethnic background could help is if you were from that country and were old enough to remember the culture and so forth.

Or if it's an oppressed country and you're the leader of a more powerful one.

yurbud

(39,405 posts)
36. the only time someone else being white would mean something to me...
Wed Jul 25, 2012, 03:39 PM
Jul 2012

would be if I was in an African or Asian city where no spoke English, and I had some hope that the other white guy did, so he could be my sherpa.

DallasNE

(7,390 posts)
37. Note That The Romney Team Has Not
Wed Jul 25, 2012, 04:01 PM
Jul 2012

Asked for a retraction from the newspaper, only calling it a "false quote". Since the newspaper was likely prohibited from using actual quotes it seems odd to attack them in this manner. Besides, Romney could clear it up by releasing the full statement so we can then decide how "false" it really is. That they haven't done this is an indication of how much of a dog whistle attack this really is. How did they think the newspaper would play this story?

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