Posted on 07/11/2012 8:19:58 AM PDT by Sub-Driver
Romney to NAACP: Obama made it worse for you 'in almost every way' By Jonathan Easley - 07/11/12 10:01 AM ET
Mitt Romney will tell the NAACP on Wednesday that President Obama has made it worse for African-Americans “in almost every way.”
“If equal opportunity in America were an accomplished fact, then a chronically bad economy would be equally bad for everyone,” Romney will say, according to prepared remarks provided by his campaign. “Instead, it’s worse for African-Americans in almost every way. The unemployment rate, the duration of unemployment, average income and median family wealth are all worse for the black community.”
While Obama leads Romney 92 percent to 2 among black voters, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released on Wednesday, Romney hopes his economic pitch will resonate with a group that has been disproportionately affected by the economic downturn. He's made a similar appeal to other voting blocs, such as Hispanics and women.
Romney will acknowledge the historic nature of Obama’s 2008 campaign, in which he became the country’s first black president, but will also make the case for his own candidacy.
"I believe that if you understood who I truly am in my heart, and if it were possible to fully communicate what I believe is in the real, enduring best interest of African-American families, you would vote for me for president," the presumptive GOP nominee will say. "I want you to know that if I did not believe that my policies and my leadership would help families of color — and families of any color — more than the policies and leadership of President Obama, I would not be running for president."
He also will make the argument that Obama’s economic policies are creating similar barriers to those that civil rights activists fought hard to remove.
“If someone had told us in the 1950s or '60s that a black citizen would serve as the 44th president, we would have been proud and many would have been surprised,” Romney will say. “Picturing that day, we might have assumed that the American presidency would be the very last door of opportunity to be opened. Before that came to pass, every other barrier on the path to equal opportunity would surely have to come down.
“Of course, it hasn’t happened quite that way. Many barriers remain. Old inequities persist. In some ways, the challenges are even more complicated than before. And across America — and even within your own ranks — there are serious, honest debates about the way forward.”
The former Massachusetts governor will cite unemployment among African-Americans, which at 14.4 percent is well above the national average of 8.2.
“I am running for president because I know that my policies and vision will help hundreds of millions of middle-class Americans of all races, will lift people from poverty, and will help prevent people from becoming poor,” Romney will say. “My campaign is about helping the people who need help. The course the president has set has not done that — and will not do that. My course will.”
Romney will also focus on education, which earlier in the primary season he referred to as “the civil rights issue of our era.” Romney says he will “give the parents of every low-income and special-needs student the chance to choose where their child goes to school,” and will link federal education funds to the student, which he says will open the opportunity for children of poor families to attend charter and private schools.
“If equal opportunity in America were an accomplished fact, black families could send their sons and daughters to public schools that truly offer the hope of a better life,” Romney will say. “Instead, for generations, the African-American community has been waiting and waiting for that promise to be kept. Today, black children are 17 percent of students nationwide — but they are 42 percent of the students in our worst-performing schools.”
Obama will not address the NAACP convention this year, but Vice President Biden is scheduled to speak on Thursday.
He got cheers when he said he stood for traditional marriage.
But I think people are paying attention already. I know on Facebook there is a lot of talk about the election. I fear the undecideds are only hearing Obama’s side of things at this point and may tune Romney out by the time he decides to campaign.
He also pointed out that democrats and unions were the ones standing against school choice. He just stated the facts and did it well.
His speech is all over the net. Didn’t you listen?
McCain refused to show up in 2008 remember?
Please, spare me about McCain’s record - i volunteered for him because of Sarah, but he ran the WORST campaign in memory.
I respect McCain for his record, who couldnt?
However, he was a complete mess as a candidate.
Mitt did himself some good today. That pledge to repeal Obamacare in front of that audience ranks as a Sista Souljah moment. Yeah, it's not a perfect analogy, but it was one of those all too rare moments when a politician tells an audience what they believe, rather that what they want to hear.
>>> “Obama made it worse for you ‘in almost every way’”
Wrong speech for the crowd. It should be delivered by one of their own.
Thomas Sowell will do a better job, than this Super Rich Whitie to tell them what they probably already knew. That their own chosen one stiff them, and told by Romney only adds to their resentment.
Romney going to the venue does not bring anything to his campaign, it is only one of those check marks on the list of things presidential candidates do.
The last thing they want to hear about is 'equal opportunity' ~ they didn't get where they were because of it and they sure don't want to give up anything they have just because somebody's peddling it as an interesting idea.
I don't think Republicans should further patronize this crowd by showing up to be booed by Negroes ~ it's just ridiculous. That's all that ever happens.
Just political street theatre!
I agree. I am not a Romney fan at all but I think he did very well, especially considering his audience.
I honestly think it's a brilliant strategy. Obama is on the constant defensive because of the economy, even without Romney running ads pointing it out. As a consequence, Obama is forced to spend a lot of money just so he doesn't lose ground, and money looks to be a real problem for him.
In the meantime, Romney is accumulating massive amounts of cash so that he can blitz after the convention -- when the real campaign starts. Obama pulled away in 2008 in part because of massive ad buys late in the campaign. This time, Romney will be able to respond, and his message and attacks won't be stale because they were played out in May/June/July. He'll bit hitting Obama with new stuff late in the campaign, which is always more effective. And by that time, Obama's attacks on Romney will just be old.
There is nothing mittens could do to get the ABR’s on board. They are dead set w giving Obama a second term to collapse America and have some bizarre belief that Sarah (Who I adore) is going to be the POTUS in 2016.
Delusional beyond words that that is ever going to happen.
I’m not sure why whites bother even trying.
I wouldn’t call what he did pandering exactly like we do with latinos
which was refreshing
Cleaver had a crapfit.....
Rep. Cleaver: Romney shouldn’t criticize Obama in front of a black audience.
lol, the hubris and arrogance.
Romney is the next pres-—it’s your kind of hating’ that is “done.” and, BTW it won’t be very close.
That poster has been here two years longer than you have and except for his refusal to support Romney I agree with all he said.
and I've been here 12 years
he is spot on actually, we have to be fearless and candid when discussing any minority and what the real issues are
the paralysis over doing that has contributed to being where we are now...near defeat and expected to be the master of the entitlement plantation that they will suck off of and we feed...some masters eh?
I had enough 30 years ago, I'm glad more folks are waking up
I have no intention to going back to being nice about it
I don;t know why Romney wasted his time to be honest with a racist gang like them but at least he didn't suck up to them
Yes, I listened.
Congratulations, it's near unanimous over on DU, where they agree with you that the speech proved Romney's hates black people.
They also can't really cite any specifics, they just feel it did too.
When you were younger, did you ever really imagine that you'd be in the camp where they "feel" white politicians are racist based on things they never said? Do you feel you've grown more "sensitive to subtle racism" with age? Can you now decipher innocuous sounding words for the hidden supersecret racism within?
I see veganism and healing with crystals in your future.
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