The ineligible Milt:
”I bet you $10,000 that WHATEVER
misstatement I make will be ignored by the MSM
that BAIN and I own and control ..... for now."
Posted on 02/01/2012 8:41:49 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
Fresh off his big win in Florida Tuesday night, Mitt Romney made the most stunningly stupid remark of his campaign.
“I’m not concerned about the very poor. We have a safety net there,” Romney said in an interview with CNN's Soledad O'Brien this morning. “If it needs repair, I’ll fix it. I’m not concerned about the very rich, they’re doing just fine. I’m concerned about the very heart of the America, the 90 percent, 95 percent of Americans who right now are struggling.”
"There are lots of very poor Americans who are struggling who would say, 'That sounds odd,'" O'Brien replied.
"Well, finish the sentence, Soledad," Romney said. "I said I'm not concerned about the very poor that have a safety net, but if it has holes in it, I will repair them. We will hear from the Democrat party, the plight of the poor. And there's no question, it's not good being poor, and we have a safety net to help those that are very poor. But my campaign is focused on middle-income Americans. You can choose where to focus, you can focus on the rich. That's not my focus. You can focus on the very poor, that's not my focus. My focus in on middle income Americans. Retirees living on Social Security, people who can't find work, folks that have kids that are getting ready to go to college. These are the people most badly hurt during the Obama years. We have a very ample safety net and we can talk about whether it needs to be strengthened or whether there are holes in it. But we have food stamps, we have Medicaid, we have housing vouchers, we have programs to help the poor. But the middle income Americans, they're the folks that are really struggling right now and they need someone that can help get this economy going for them.”
It's obvious that Romney's statement that he's "not concerned about the very poor" is incredibly tone-deaf. A candidate can say he's "focused" on the middle class without saying he's "not concerned" about the very poor, just as a candidate can say he's "focused" on the economy without saying he's "not concerned" about national security or even less vital issues like education.
But Romney's remark isn't merely tone-deaf, it's also un-conservative. The standard conservative argument is that a conservative economic agenda will help everyone. For the poor, that means getting as many as possible back on their feet and working rather than languishing as wards of the welfare state.
And then of course there are the poor who will rely on the safety net even in good times. Romney isn't sure if the safety net is in need of repair, but for the poor, Medicaid is a dysfunctional system because of federal regulation. So Republicans are united behind the proposal to block-grant the program back to the states--not just to save money but to help the poor. School choice is another conservative program designed to help poor children flourish.
Medicare and Social Security--programs Romney promised to protect the other night--are the two huge safety net programs, and they are being threatened by runaway spending. To be anti-debt is to be anti-poverty. As Congressman Paul Ryan says, when a debt crisis hits the elderly and the poor are hit the first and the worst.
Had Mitt Romney picked up his conservatism sooner, perhaps he would know these arguments by heart.
I’m for Newt 150% but I do not see how he can win the nomination at this point. It’s all up hill from here.
That said, with a statement like this the election is essentially over. Four more years of Obama.
He could have (and should have) easily said something like,
"You know, the poor in this country have been betrayed by the left. They are locked into an endless food stamp/welfare game where their vote is purchased for a meager existance. I am worried about growing this economy by empowering the job creators so these less well off people have an opportunity at a job and a life that is not beholden to, or bought by Obama and the DNC,"Would have made the point effectively and taken the attack...as it should...right to Obama and the DNC and left.
Instead he gave them ammo against him and the entire message.
The ineligible Milt:
”I bet you $10,000 that WHATEVER
misstatement I make will be ignored by the MSM
that BAIN and I own and control ..... for now."
One word: PERCEPTION and for Mittens it’s not good.
I'm not too concerned either since the poor seem to have more toys than I and don't have to do jack to get it.
But Romney is defending the welfare state and even suggest it may have holes in it. Anyone truly concerned about the middle class would recognize that the welfare state, including Obamneycare, is killing it! Newt wants everyone to have a job!
Why oh why couldn't he have taken that 3 hour tour on the S.S. Minnow.
Exactly! We don’t need a welfare president.
You might want to edit the first sentence of your post wrt “clip” vs something unmentionable on FR!
I am not conscerned over the very poor = Read my lips
His dad ruined his presidential chances with the “brainwashed” comment. Like father, like son?
Epic facepalm. And unfortunately, the implosion won’t happen until after he gets the nomination, assuming he does (Please God, no!)
I guess Newt’s next TV ad is already being prepared....
“I’m not concerned about the very poor” followed by “I like firing people”... because you KNOW the Democrats are salivating to use it in the general election.
Too bad he didn’t say this before Florida.
The establishment sure sends out their craptacular candidates don’t they?
That’s what a conservative would say, Jeff. Romney is a statist who Is perfectly fine with the welfare state and big government.
And Gingrich's comments after Florida about "money power" and buying elections are leftist nonsense.
There's nothing conservative about "campaign finance reform" and similar garbage.
There's a lot more to attack Romney on other than his wealth and organizational acumen - those are features not bugs.
A major gaffe. If he wins the nomination, Obama will hit him with this in television ads.
Lol!! You mean clip.
Still cheering on your guy....you must be ecstatic this morning!
Since this DUNCE is being touted as the "most electable conservative" I TAKE ISSUE!
The idea is to REMOVE government regulations and allow the God given abilities of mankind to flourish undeterred by burdensome government.
In one fell swoop the DUNCE has segregated Americans into groups -- the POOR (who he'll keep alive and poor), the RICH (of which he is one and thank you very much we're doing just fine) and the MIDDLE that NEED HIS help (MY what could he have up his sleeve to help us -- RomneyCare that so many "love?").
He misses the essence of what being conservative is because he's a big government MANAGER!
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