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We're All In This Together vs. You're On Your Own

President Bill Clinton:

We Democrats think the country works better with a strong middle class, real opportunities for poor people to work their way into it and a relentless focus on the future, with business and government working together to promote growth and broadly shared prosperity. We think "we're all in this together" is a better philosophy than "you're on your own."

Mitt Romney:

There are 47 percent of the people 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 that's an entitlement. And the government should give it to them. [...] My job is is not to worry about those people.

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    Those damned moocher soldiers (5.00 / 6) (#1)
    by Militarytracy on Tue Sep 18, 2012 at 11:38:45 AM EST
    After you've paid for their food and lodging and healthcare during a god damned Congressional bickering back breaking war, then they get home and malinger even more :)  They have been taught to act this way from birth, by their worthless welfare queen mothers.

    And don't even get me started on the old people (5.00 / 5) (#5)
    by ruffian on Tue Sep 18, 2012 at 11:47:15 AM EST
    They've slacked off their whole (none / 0) (#11)
    by Militarytracy on Tue Sep 18, 2012 at 12:24:50 PM EST
    life waiting to get on the dole.  Turned in the least amount of work possible, otherwise they would have been rewarded for their wonderful work ethic and would now be rich enough to care for all of their needs.

    Instead they slimed their way along doing as little as possible waiting for the dole to kick in.  This is America, everyone has the opportunity afterall to be whatever they dream.  Instead of choosing to be responsible for themselves they dreamed of only getting old enough to be a moocher.

    Parent

    Or the two-fers (5.00 / 3) (#27)
    by Yman on Tue Sep 18, 2012 at 01:25:22 PM EST
    Like the retired, armchair warriors who're on the double dole ... military benefits and SS, all the while screaming about "Shariah law!" and how they can't afford gas because Obama did something-or-other ...

    Parent
    That's Obama for ya, (5.00 / 1) (#56)
    by NYShooter on Wed Sep 19, 2012 at 02:04:53 AM EST
    He gave all that money to Sylindra instead of someone who would drill, drill, drill. I heard it was something like 3-4 Trillion dollars. Just imagine how much frackin oil we could get with that kind of money!

    Parent
    I'm sure Mitt will clarify that he did not mean (5.00 / 2) (#10)
    by ruffian on Tue Sep 18, 2012 at 12:20:11 PM EST
    all of the 47%....

    Just the blah people.

    Parent

    Tallking about all this is making me (5.00 / 5) (#13)
    by Militarytracy on Tue Sep 18, 2012 at 12:30:12 PM EST
    hungry.  But I'm lazy and deer run too fast.  What is protein rich so that I don't have to work to digest and is fat, lazy, and slow?  Oh yeah, most of the rich people around me.  Yummy yum yum!

    Eventually we will have to eat Paul Ryan but I'm not overly worried because he lies about his speed constantly.

    I gotta feeling though that Richard Branson is going to be a b*tch to catch :)

    Parent

    He meant "blue" people. (none / 0) (#57)
    by NYShooter on Wed Sep 19, 2012 at 02:06:12 AM EST
    MT (5.00 / 1) (#47)
    by cal1942 on Tue Sep 18, 2012 at 07:10:29 PM EST
    You might be interested in reading this.

    Parent
    I did see this (none / 0) (#49)
    by Militarytracy on Tue Sep 18, 2012 at 08:24:32 PM EST
    I found jimstaro on Facebook and he put it up.  That guy is always up to date on what is going down with Vets.  Jeff Sessions and Rand Paul attacked it before Coburn did.  I can never come completely to terms with what a POS Jeff Sessions really is.  It like goes clear to the bone.

    Parent
    Chris Christie supposedly just tweeted ... (5.00 / 2) (#6)
    by magster on Tue Sep 18, 2012 at 11:57:29 AM EST
    that he represents everyone in NJ, not just the ones who voted for him (per MSNBC).

    Anyone notice that the Romney and Chirsite 2016 campaigns have already begun.

    Linda McMahon distances herself from Romney... (5.00 / 1) (#8)
    by magster on Tue Sep 18, 2012 at 12:07:27 PM EST
    be interesting to see how many Republicans feel compelled to distance themselves from Romney.

    Parent
    Ha! Even the guy who threw the fundraiser... (none / 0) (#9)
    by magster on Tue Sep 18, 2012 at 12:15:27 PM EST
    is distancing himself from the comments.

    Parent
    Would have been better if he had said something (5.00 / 2) (#18)
    by ruffian on Tue Sep 18, 2012 at 01:09:17 PM EST
    in May when he heard this cr**.

    Parent
    I know that Christie has been the anti-Romney (none / 0) (#38)
    by Militarytracy on Tue Sep 18, 2012 at 02:51:39 PM EST
    During and after the Republican convention :)  And I think that Romney's emotional intelligence is so low scoring that during the convention he didn't even notice and he only might be beginning to notice now.

    Parent
    Clinton ain't running (5.00 / 3) (#12)
    by Dadler on Tue Sep 18, 2012 at 12:25:22 PM EST
    Where's my Obama quote?

    Ahem.

    The more one reads or hears that (5.00 / 4) (#14)
    by Anne on Tue Sep 18, 2012 at 12:43:23 PM EST
    Romney quote, the more offensive it is, but you're right: how come there's no FDR-like, aspirational Obama quote that puts the lid on the garbage can Mitt's standing in?  Shoot - there should be tons of them, shouldn't there?

    Maybe they're working on it; trying to figure out how to mesh deficit hysteria and entitlement reform and Grand Bargains with looking out for the least among us can't be an easy task, ya know?

    Sigh...not only do I hate what's coming out of the GOP, but I hate even more that it's making the alternative acceptable.

    Parent

    I want an artist, novelist, musician... (none / 0) (#21)
    by Dadler on Tue Sep 18, 2012 at 01:12:36 PM EST
    ...elected to high office in this country, like they sometimes are in others. Then again, those others are nations that have gone through much more recent and genuine chaotic fires of change than we have. Maybe this is our fate, to survive that fire in modern times like we have forced so many others to go through.

    Parent
    Seemed pretty easy in his convention speech (none / 0) (#28)
    by ruffian on Tue Sep 18, 2012 at 01:29:42 PM EST
    New campaign slogan (none / 0) (#30)
    by ruffian on Tue Sep 18, 2012 at 01:32:10 PM EST
    Still better than the other guy

    Parent
    Someone else (5.00 / 1) (#15)
    by CoralGables on Tue Sep 18, 2012 at 12:55:14 PM EST
    who might be on their own.

    From the Miami Herald:

    "Forget Romney," one GOP strategist said this morning, "we need to worry about the rest of the ticket."

    Mark McKinnon (none / 0) (#16)
    by Ga6thDem on Tue Sep 18, 2012 at 01:02:42 PM EST
    was on Jennifer Granholm's show the other night and he was saying that pretty much it's everybody on their own kind of year.

    Parent
    Corporations are people too Mitt (5.00 / 3) (#42)
    by DFLer on Tue Sep 18, 2012 at 04:14:15 PM EST
    to quote yourself. And many don't pay taxes either. But they actually make money!

    One problem with the Republican theory is that many big corporations actually pay little, if any, federal income tax. For example, The New York Times has reported that General Electric, the sixth-largest corporation in the United States, earned $14.2 billion in 2010, but disclosed in federal filings that it had no federal tax liability.

    link

    When will Mitt convince them they should take personal responsibility and care for their lives.

    Graphic Artist Called In (5.00 / 1) (#43)
    by CoralGables on Tue Sep 18, 2012 at 04:59:03 PM EST
    Hey Mitt (5.00 / 3) (#51)
    by CoralGables on Tue Sep 18, 2012 at 09:32:07 PM EST
    glad you could make a semi-public appearance after three days of hiding.

    I think that was Mrs. Romney; (5.00 / 4) (#52)
    by Anne on Tue Sep 18, 2012 at 09:43:58 PM EST
    the "you people" gave it away...Mitt's probably locked in the vault, rolling around in money trying to feel better.

    Parent
    Your communication and translation (5.00 / 2) (#53)
    by CoralGables on Tue Sep 18, 2012 at 09:47:39 PM EST
    insight is far superior to mine.

    Parent
    Well, in all seriousness, your comments (5.00 / 2) (#59)
    by Anne on Wed Sep 19, 2012 at 09:13:42 AM EST
    are little more than the same old right-wing talking points.

    But, let's talk about moochers, shall we?  Ever heard the term "corporate welfare?"  Perhaps not, because I don't see anywhere in your comments any discussion of the federal and state handouts that go to corporations, for example, nor do I see any discussion about corporate welfare's friend: federal tax laws that disproportionately benefit highly-compensated individuals.

    For fun, try reading this, from the Cato Institute, and here's some additional discussion from Think By Numbers:

    About $59 billion is spent on traditional social welfare programs. $92 billion is spent on corporate subsidies. So, the government spent 50% more on corporate welfare than it did on food stamps and housing assistance in 2006.

    [snip]

    However, the largest fraction of corporate welfare spending, about 40%, went through the Department of Agriculture, most of it in the form of farm subsidies. (Edwards, Corporate Welfare, 2003) Well, that sounds OK. Someone's got to help struggling family farms stay afloat, right? But in reality, farm subsidies actually tilt the cotton field in favor of the largest industrial farming operations. When it comes to deciding how to dole out the money, the agricultural subsidy system utilizes a process that is essentially the opposite of that used in the social welfare system's welfare system. In the corporate welfare system, the more money and assets you have, the more government assistance you get. Conversely, social welfare programs are set up so that the more money and assets you have, the less government assistance you get. The result is that the absolute largest 7% of corporate farming operations receive 45% of all subsidies. (Edwards, Downsizing the Federal Government, 2004) So instead of protecting family farms, these subsidies actually enhance the ability of large industrial operations to shut them out of the market.

    There's more, and there are some nifty charts at both main links and lots of other info at the embedded links.

    Talking points like yours, happily disseminated by a corporate-owned media, are why there are so many people willing to believe that all of our economic problems would vanish if we would just stop enabling the lazy, just-want-to-do-drugs-and-have-babies crowd and make them stand on their own two feet.  And why stop there?  How about old people?  If we'd take away the incentive of Social Security and Medicare, we'd force people to make better financial decisions during their working lives, and they wouldn't need the government's help, right?  

    But no one talks about the billions that go to the corporate sector, do they?  No one wants to talk about the sense of entitlement the wealthy have to non-stop help from the government that allows them to keep growing their wealth - and worse, no one wants to talk about at whose expense that happens.  

    Those dollars end up coming out of the pockets of average people, so, while you object to paying for welfare queens and baby daddies; I object to paying for CEOs and corporations.

    But not to worry; regardless of which party wins the White House, we're going to be headed in the same direction, it's just a question of how fast we're going to be moving.

    I hope you like it as much as you think you will.

    Parent

    "Our left wing talking points" (none / 0) (#68)
    by MKS on Sun Sep 23, 2012 at 03:18:11 PM EST
    Welfare Reform was done awhile ago.  

    This is just the Welfare Queen trope.  You forgot the part about Cadillacs.  

    Parent

    Not too many on the Left (none / 0) (#70)
    by MKS on Sun Sep 23, 2012 at 03:27:39 PM EST
    say things "our Left Wing talking points."   It isn't the reference to "talking points."  

    It is the syntax of using "our" here that sounds like a conservative frankly.  

    Parent

    In full agreement with this point (none / 0) (#72)
    by shoephone on Sun Sep 23, 2012 at 03:35:42 PM EST
    You beat me to the punch.

    Parent
    Boy, am I glad you're not in charge of education (none / 0) (#71)
    by shoephone on Sun Sep 23, 2012 at 03:34:54 PM EST
    in this country. I have a news flash for you: some college courses are already being offered online. And it's not panning out to be a very good way to teach or learn. Students end up with much less understanding of the subject matter. Instituting a system of online high school learning would be a disaster. And your love of standardized testing is unfortunate. It's also not something that most liberals support. In fact, your entire screed against low income housing and immigrants sort of outs you as something very diferent from "liberal."

    Parent
    Oy. (none / 0) (#61)
    by nycstray on Wed Sep 19, 2012 at 11:09:35 AM EST
    EG: free college, but only if they'll give up their drugs.


    Parent
    Adages (none / 0) (#62)
    by christinep on Wed Sep 19, 2012 at 11:36:52 AM EST
    Can & do get overused (even for adages:) ) yet, DD, your argument's approach **paints with too broad a brush  & **tries to burn down the barn to kill the rat.  Without addressing your premise, it seems that a major component of your concern is that some will take advantage of or otherwise abuse a government system...thus leading to your conclusion that the whole program/system should fall, etc.

    A matter of focus, isn't  it?  It is one thing if a system/program is so suspect, so self-defeating that everyone or near everyone games it.  We've seen that kind of self-aggrandizement approach in recent years...in the Wall Street hyperbolic hedge-fund practices, in the golden parachute practices that became common practice for failed executives at the largest corporations, and more.  What about the little guy, the average Joe & Jill?  Are those down-on-their-luck or needing a little extra help trying to scam the system for big  parachute-like bucks or pension scamming, huh?  

    Let me suggest: 1. Every system, operation, program has some margin of overhead or $ loss.  Are you looking at the margin & at the exception...and equating $ with $$$$ OR are you advocating hewing to a Social Darwinism  in this century?  2. Is a compassionate society & government, a helping-hand system, always threatening to a strong capitalist nation...or could it's potentially humanitarian effects reinvigorate us all as a UNITED States?

    Parent

    The Republicans are still "in business" (none / 0) (#69)
    by shoephone on Sun Sep 23, 2012 at 03:27:30 PM EST
    because there are millions of bigoted, ill-informed Americans willing to vote for them.

    Parent
    Got a kick out of a not recommended Kos diary... (none / 0) (#2)
    by magster on Tue Sep 18, 2012 at 11:40:53 AM EST
    ... saying don't compare Romney to Thurston Howell the 3rd as it's unfair to Thurston, as invariably Lovie would prevail on Thurston to yield to his more sympathetic instincts.

    I see Romney as Mr. Magoo. (none / 0) (#3)
    by observed on Tue Sep 18, 2012 at 11:42:39 AM EST
    Mitt, for all your millions (none / 0) (#4)
    by ruffian on Tue Sep 18, 2012 at 11:45:30 AM EST
    Elegant, you are not.

    A couple issues with... (none / 0) (#7)
    by kdog on Tue Sep 18, 2012 at 11:57:46 AM EST
    "we're all in this together"...we're all in this drug war together, we're all in this 70 year foreign policy f*ck-up together...sh*t like that.  Point being you can take community too far to where too many individuals are sacrificed for a "greater good" that's not at all good.

    What we need is to be all in this together with a healthy respect for the individual who is in it together with us, but finds themselves in an unpopular minority.  Plenty of dirty done in the name of the collective throughout history.  

    Kdog: the Libertarianism is peeping through (none / 0) (#63)
    by christinep on Wed Sep 19, 2012 at 11:50:43 AM EST
    One comment:  it doesn't have to be either-or.  Strong, working communities can allow for the promotion of the common good as well as for the full growth of the individual.  As a matter of fact, it might be much more likely that too much emphasis on the "individual" would result in an isolating effect benefitting only a few who might have a headstart at the outset while damaging most individuals lacking the silver spoon.

    I've always liked that communitarian-type phrase that "a rising tide lifts all boats."

    Parent

    That's my point... (none / 0) (#64)
    by kdog on Wed Sep 19, 2012 at 12:08:03 PM EST
    the Democrats do the "we're all in this together" argument no favors, by lacking the necessary respect for the individual any community requires.  It drives what could well be a committed socialist into the arms of libertarianism.

    A rising tide can't lift an imprisoned boat.  Our prison population, in the name of the "common good", gives the "common good" a bad name....and that just one example of the "common good" being neither common nor good.

    By embracing just a sliver of individual rights issues they have ignored, people currently feeling disenfranchised and shat on would come back to the Dems in droves.

    Parent

    Themes (none / 0) (#17)
    by vicndabx on Tue Sep 18, 2012 at 01:06:05 PM EST
    If this issue continues to be a large part of the campaigns and O can make the argument effectively, if we win big, the president claim a mandate against not just republican obstructionism, but trickle-down policies as well.  Is the 1% candidate going to screw it up for greedy greedies everywhere?

    Hilarious (5.00 / 1) (#22)
    by ScottW714 on Tue Sep 18, 2012 at 01:14:37 PM EST
    We might have the power to vote for the stooges, but the wealthy still pull the strings.

    Parent
    Are you kidding me? (5.00 / 1) (#23)
    by Ga6thDem on Tue Sep 18, 2012 at 01:16:50 PM EST
    Obama has embraced trickle down. If Obama wins I would expect more trickle down though not double down like Romney.

    Obama didn't think he had a mandate in 2008. Nothing is going ot change if Obama wins reelection. He going to continue to pimp the post partisan unity crap and the GOP is still not going to work with him.

    Parent

    I doubt it... (none / 0) (#20)
    by kdog on Tue Sep 18, 2012 at 01:11:45 PM EST
    lets not kid ourselves...we have two candidates out to represent the 1%, the best we can hope for is the one with a semblance of a conscience, and at least some shame, wins.

    Sh*t the 1% should be firmly behind Obama, cuz as you said, Romney would kill their golden goose by going extreme.  8 years of Romney and a cooperative Congress = a high probability of violent unrest.  Hungry mob is an angry mob.

    Parent

    Joe Scarborough (none / 0) (#19)
    by ScottW714 on Tue Sep 18, 2012 at 01:11:26 PM EST
    This is one of the worst weeks for any presidential candidate in a general election that any of us can remember....Unemployment is still 8% plus, the economy is still in tatters, and Mitt Romney is blowing this race.

    I'm going to go put a bag over my head now, so I will talk to you soon.

    I am not fan of JS, but he hasn't done what nearly every other republican has done, held in his hated for Romney.  

    And it cracks me the F up.

    BTD, you should probably mention that the quote was from a hidden camera at one of Romneys nigh end fund raisers at a private house.  It matters in that this is probably how they all talk when they aren't knowingly on camera.

    I would add that wasn't the most offensive part of speech.  There something in there about him having a better chance of winning if he was actually Mexican instead of just being born there.

    The camera was hidden in a piece of furniture for the fundraiser.  The guy who did it just wanted to see what they were all about.  It was like 3 months ago and Jimmy Carters grand kid talked him into releasing it.

    There is a rumor (5.00 / 7) (#25)
    by CoralGables on Tue Sep 18, 2012 at 01:22:03 PM EST
    that Romney thinks he would have a better chance at the hispanic vote if his name was Juan Percent.

    Parent
    ba dum dum (none / 0) (#29)
    by vicndabx on Tue Sep 18, 2012 at 01:30:21 PM EST
    that was a great sneaky cam... (5.00 / 1) (#54)
    by fishcamp on Tue Sep 18, 2012 at 09:54:22 PM EST
    Not excusing Romney's comment...... (none / 0) (#31)
    by vml68 on Tue Sep 18, 2012 at 01:34:29 PM EST
    But, IMO it is like Obama's clinging to guns and Bibles comment. Both of them catering to the audience when they think no one is filming.

    Parent
    otoh... (5.00 / 4) (#32)
    by kdog on Tue Sep 18, 2012 at 01:45:20 PM EST
    when they think no one is filming, there's a better chance of some truth slipping out.

    By all indicators, this isn't Romney getting caught telling people what they wanna hear to get a donation like a typical chameleon pol.  This is a rare glimpse at the real Mitt Romney, imo.

    Parent

    Agree 100%, Mr K. (5.00 / 1) (#34)
    by vml68 on Tue Sep 18, 2012 at 01:57:08 PM EST
    when they think no one is filming, there's a better chance of some truth slipping out
    .

    Parent
    Honestly, I would actually disagree (none / 0) (#46)
    by rjarnold on Tue Sep 18, 2012 at 06:59:25 PM EST
    I don't think that this a case of "letting out how he really feels." I think it's a case of him pandering to a bunch of ignorant rich republican donors who have no doubt heard the 47% talking point over and over and resent the "fact" that "47% don't pay taxes". Why do I think this isn't how he really feels? Because it is an utterly stupid talking point and anyone who has any idea of what they are talking about knows this. The republican base is as ignorant and intellectually bankrupt as it has ever been, and he feels that he needs say and do things to please them.

    IMO, this is why he had a tax plan that wasn't so crazy, and then when the primaries seemed close he released a ludicrous/ impossible to implement, and deficit increasing tax plan. This is why he chose Paul Ryan and endorsed his plan to decrease Medicaid. This is why he has made stupid comments like the 47%.

    You could say that he should have stood up to the tea party (who have heard disinformation for the past 20 years) but they are the most vocal group in a party that already didn't trust him because he was a northeastern Mormon. He succeeded at winning them, but it was at the cost of endorsing ludicrous policies that are easy to attack and endorsing talking points which are politically stupid.

    He could have stood up to them, but then would have had a much weaker base behind him, and would have had to win an impossibly high number of independents. So he was stuck in between a rock and a hard place, and it was the fault of having a Republican base that would lead us back to he medieval times.

    Parent

    Not IMO (5.00 / 3) (#35)
    by Yman on Tue Sep 18, 2012 at 02:37:21 PM EST
    Obama was talking about how the frustration over economic stagnation in some small towns for the past 25 years causes a lot of people to get frustrated and resentful, turning toward god, guns, religion or anti-immigrant feelings:

    But the truth is, is that our challenge is to get people persuaded that we can make progress when there's no evidence of that in their daily lives. You go into some of these small towns in Pennsylvania, a lot -- like a lot of small towns in the Midwest, the jobs have been gone now for 25 years and nothing's replaced them. And they've gone through the Clinton administration and the Bush administration, and each successive administration has said that somehow these communities are going to regenerate, and they have not. It's not surprising, then, that they get bitter, and they cling to guns or religion or antipathy toward people who aren't like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations. At least in some communities, anyway.

    Romney, OTOH, was saying that 47% of the populace - the one's who pay no income tax - are the same voters who will vote for Obama no matter what, because they are dependent on government and want government to provide them with food, housing, healthcare, etc., and don't believe in taking personal responsibility for themselves:

    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 that's 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. ... [M]y job is not to worry about those people. I'll never convince them they should take personal responsibility and care for their lives

    Other than the fact that both comments were made at private fundraising events, they're nothing alike.

    Parent

    Only if you think Obama's comment about (5.00 / 2) (#40)
    by Farmboy on Tue Sep 18, 2012 at 03:22:28 PM EST
    wanting to be president of all Americans is exactly the same as Mittens' fervent wish that the parasitic 47% of Americans die and decrease the surplus population.

    Parent
    Incorrect (5.00 / 1) (#45)
    by Politalkix on Tue Sep 18, 2012 at 05:59:29 PM EST
    I have reproduced BHO's full reply(please see below) to provide context. The tone and substance is exactly the opposite of Romney's, even if a few lines are awkward.
    (1) BHO's answer to the question asked was in a way a classical liberal answer-that the people in small towns who were not voting for him were not  bad or evil people or racists as many (including some in the media) suggested  but were skeptical because of the economic situation they had been in for decades. He said that they were failed so many times by their own goverments over so any years that their skepticism was justfied. His tone was actually quite sympathetic to the point of view of the people he was describing.
    (2)He said that he was going to work to win the support of these people whose votes he found difficulty obtaining by going to them and telling them how his policies would improve their lives. He did not write them off, unlike Romney ("The important thing is that you show up and you're doing what you're doing").
    ------------------------
    OBAMA: So, it depends on where you are, but I think it's fair to say that the places where we are going to have to do the most work are the places where people feel most cynical about government. The people are mis-appre...I think they're misunderstanding why the demographics in our, in this contest have broken out as they are. Because everybody just ascribes it to 'white working-class don't wanna work -- don't wanna vote for the black guy.' That's...there were intimations of that in an article in the Sunday New York Times today - kind of implies that it's sort of a race thing.

    Here's how it is: in a lot of these communities in big industrial states like Ohio and Pennsylvania, people have been beaten down so long, and they feel so betrayed by government, and when they hear a pitch that is premised on not being cynical about government, then a part of them just doesn't buy it. And when it's delivered by -- it's true that when it's delivered by a 46-year-old black man named Barack Obama (laugher), then that adds another layer of skepticism (laughter).

    But -- so the questions you're most likely to get about me, 'Well, what is this guy going to do for me? What's the concrete thing?' What they wanna hear is -- so, we'll give you talking points about what we're proposing -- close tax loopholes, roll back, you know, the tax cuts for the top 1 percent. Obama's gonna give tax breaks to middle-class folks and we're gonna provide health care for every American. So we'll go down a series of talking points.

    But the truth is, is that, our challenge is to get people persuaded that we can make progress when there's not evidence of that in their daily lives. You go into some of these small towns in Pennsylvania, and like a lot of small towns in the Midwest, the jobs have been gone now for 25 years and nothing's replaced them. And they fell through the Clinton administration, and the Bush administration, and each successive administration has said that somehow these communities are gonna regenerate and they have not. So it's not surprising then that they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations.

    Um, now these are in some communities, you know. I think what you'll find is, is that people of every background -- there are gonna be a mix of people, you can go in the toughest neighborhoods, you know working-class lunch-pail folks, you'll find Obama enthusiasts. And you can go into places where you think I'd be very strong and people will just be skeptical. The important thing is that you show up and you're doing what you're doing.


    Parent

    If he does not quit trying to say that Iraq (none / 0) (#39)
    by Militarytracy on Tue Sep 18, 2012 at 02:56:12 PM EST
    was a success and Afghanistan is a failure, if he doesn't quit carrying water for the Bush NeoCons transitioning into the existing Republican structure, I'm going to light a paper bag full of dog$hit on fire on his front porch though.

    Parent
    Not surprising (none / 0) (#24)
    by MKS on Tue Sep 18, 2012 at 01:17:02 PM EST
    This is what Republicans really believe.  

    David Brooks actually turned a good phrase by saying this is what happens when millionaires talk to each other.

    They do not really care about unemployment because only the lazy can't find a job.

    They really like some high unemployment (5.00 / 1) (#48)
    by cal1942 on Tue Sep 18, 2012 at 07:24:41 PM EST
    High unemployment keeps wage demands down.

    They don't see anything in the light of a national good or a common good.  

    If you talk about common good in front of them they look at you like there's a third eye in the middle of your forehead.

    Parent

    The irony.... (none / 0) (#26)
    by kdog on Tue Sep 18, 2012 at 01:22:39 PM EST
    is the grifter class should thank their lucky stars we're f*cking fat & lazy, it's all that allows this oligarchy sh*t to go on.  Our laziness, acceptance, and fear.  

    Parent
    Exclusive for TL: (none / 0) (#33)
    by KeysDan on Tue Sep 18, 2012 at 01:48:27 PM EST
    A video was secreted to me.  The visuals are not good, shaky since it was shot by a stowaway in one of Ann's Cadillacs, made even less steady during the ascent in the car elevator.  However, here is an audio-transcript and here it is:  Mitt: " You know,  who needs this?  Not just the carping by those 47 percenters, but also, David Brooks.   The next thing you know, it will be my alter ego, Rush.  Sometimes I think I should retire from the candidacy retroactively like I did from Bain. I think the 25th amendment on succession gives it to Paul, if I remember my civics correctly.  

    The boys are fixed what with their trust accounts, and Rafalca has been fed, so let's  find a chalet in Switzerland or a villa in the Caymans,  some place nice,  close to our money.  I just want to get on our jet right away, the servants can come later on the yacht.  Oh, I know, I am just speaking in-artfully and off the cuff, and I will feel better after a little nap and a chance to fire somebody.  But, Ann,  I just needed to vent."

    Romney yesterday (none / 0) (#36)
    by CoralGables on Tue Sep 18, 2012 at 02:49:34 PM EST
    "By the way, whoever has released the snippets would, I would certainly appreciate if they would release the whole tape so we could see all of it."

    Well, he got his wish

    The Romney request (5.00 / 1) (#37)
    by CoralGables on Tue Sep 18, 2012 at 02:51:24 PM EST
    puts the attention back on the tapes for another 24 hours.

    His taxes must really be bad if he prefers the tapes.

    Parent

    I Agree with Mitt 100% (none / 0) (#41)
    by ScottW714 on Tue Sep 18, 2012 at 03:29:33 PM EST
    A lot of folks paid a lot more taxes before his predecessor, GWB, took office.  And it's one of those rare occasions where I totally agree with Mitt about the victims, he just forgot to mention what is behind their victimization, republican policy.

    How about Romney wishing there (none / 0) (#44)
    by observed on Tue Sep 18, 2012 at 05:53:00 PM EST
    would be something like the Iran hostage crisis which he could turn to his advantage.
    Brilliant thinker, that man, and prescient!


    It's being reported (none / 0) (#55)
    by CoralGables on Tue Sep 18, 2012 at 10:42:14 PM EST
    that Romney had to borrow $20 million from the Bank of Georgetown using his General Election fund as collateral prior to the GOP convention, because he had tapped out his donors during the primaries and his campaign account was empty.

    Yes, because (none / 0) (#66)
    by jbindc on Thu Sep 20, 2012 at 04:30:18 PM EST
    It's because of campaign finance law that said he couldn't use the pile of money he had because he wasn't officially the nominee of his party.  

    Now that he's in the general election, Romney can tap all of his money -- and he's got significantly more than Obama.

    In the 2008 presidential race, Sen. John McCain paid down a primary loan using money from the general election that he accepted through the matching funds program. The matching funds program, which neither candidate is using this year, provided McCain a set amount of general election money in exchange for raising less money from individuals.

    Although he could legally settle the debt with general election funds, Romney is instead raising separate primary contributions to repay the loan, a campaign official said Wednesday. The tactic will allow the campaign to maximize its cash available over the next 50 days and to call upon newer donors to help without hitting contribution limits.

    Paying down the debt doesn't seem to have been too much of a problem for Romney thus far. The campaign said Tuesday night that it has paid off nearly half of it and has $11 million in debt right now.

    At the end of July, Romney's campaign had $30 million in the bank, but when you factor in the national party committee and a joint fundraising committee, he had a $60-plus million edge on Obama, $186 million to $124 million.



    Parent
    I am old enough (none / 0) (#60)
    by TeresaInSnow2 on Wed Sep 19, 2012 at 09:22:32 AM EST
    I am old enough to remember when Bill Clinton was considered an r-word!  LOL

    And it's amusing that a Bill Clinton quote was necessary to make the contrast with Romney.

    The idea that Obama feels any differently than Romney about the 47% is pure tribalism thru and thru.  Obama simply hasn't come out that blatantly.  He probably will, once he's done presidentin'

    Go TEAM!!!!! Ha-ha.

    Oh, the ironies of politics.

    Yes (none / 0) (#65)
    by jbindc on Thu Sep 20, 2012 at 04:27:26 PM EST
    Interesting that it was Bill Clinton's comment that was used to contrast against Romney.

    Parent