It's no surprise that the message of Mitt Romney's NAACP speech didn't go over well. But compounding Romney's problem was his tone:
"If you want a president who will make things better in the African American community, you are looking at him," Romney said. When the crowd booed and hissed at him, Romney said, "You take a look."Romney was talking to people who take great pride in the election of Barack Obama, and who have a lot of emotional investment in his presidency -- and it's as if Romney was saying, "Hey, why don't you just ditch that bum and vote for a real African-American champion -- me!" He comes off as accusing them, to their faces, of having lousy judgment. Now, undoubtedly he thinks they do have lousy judgment -- but he could have tried showing a little more respect for what they believe, and then gently suggested that perhaps they should reconsider. Instead, his words were cocksure -- I know what you need better than you do -- and when he faced resistance, he really got his back up: "You take a look." Yeah, I dare ya!
And then there's this:
Just what was Romney expecting when he promised to repeal Obamacare in front of the NAACP? washingtonmonthly.com/political-anim…
— Washington Monthly (@washmonthly) July 11, 2012
What was he expecting? Maybe he was expecting that everyone in America thinks what Republicans think -- that every non-defense government program is just money poured down a rathole, and that no one ever actually benefits from government social spending. (Pay no attention to those Social Security checks and Medicare payments and student loans and the like.) I think it just never occurred to him that he was talking to a group of people who actually believe government can do some good -- when was the last time he spoke to an audience that believed that? When was the last time he or anyone on his staff even met someone who believes that?
Or perhaps the whole speech was meant to be a belly-of-the-beast moment. Steve Benen:
...if I had to guess, I'd say Romney will now position himself as something of a victim -- he appeared in good faith, the argument goes, but that mean ol' NAACP audience booed him for standing by his beliefs.Yup -- and we'll also be told that black leaders are the real racists. We'll be told that the NAACP wants to keep African-Americans on the "liberal plantation." You won't hear this from the Romney campaign itself, but expect the right-wing noise machine to start trying to put the NAACP on the defensive in 5, 4, ...
It'll be nonsense, but it's likely to become the Republican talking point.
I was amazed he even went there. But maybe the point was exactly to be rejected, very obviously and in public.
ReplyDeleteHis strategists no doubt figure he has no shot at the black vote, anyway.
This might help with the general GOP effort to convey that entitlements and the welfare state are an imposition on white people for the sake of black people and thus exploit white racial resentments.
He surely wanted to be booed and rejected, publicly.
ReplyDeleteHe has no black support to lose and public rejection at the NAACP plays into the GOP myth that entitlements and the welfare state are a scam to rip off whites for the good of blacks.
And that will help him with the white racist vote.
Oh yeah - I believe that Mitt did this on on purpose.
ReplyDeleteWhat could he possibly talk to them about, as the one of the richest and THE whitest white man in America?
And I think his most condesending line in todays speech was when he advised the black folk that they were not able to “understand” him, and thus were unable to like him. That he knew better how to fix their issues than Obama.
And then, he called ACA, “Obamacare,” and the boo’s rained down.
Oh, this was on purpose, no doubt about!
This is now more raw meat for the base, who’ll associate “booing” Romney with “Mau-Mauing” him.
And FOX will combine this with video from the “urban” riots of the late 60′s – and of course, the Rodney King riots.
And the reaction from the simpletons, rubes, marks, and fools?
“Why, Martha, look at those rude Nigrah savages! Booing a nice old rich white man because he’s an old rich white man.
They’re waiting for Obama to tax people like Mitt and us, and give that money to these Nigrah savages!
Better take some of what’s left of this months SS money and send it to Mitt and the Republicans. We don’t want Obama and The New Black Panthers and ACORN running this country!!!”
Mitt knew he had nothing to say to them.
So, why not get a rise out of them.
And now, they’ll paint Mitt as Daniel walking into the lions den, spitting in the lion’s eyes, and walking out.
And so, Conservative hero is born!
And the base will eat this up
I guarantee that was the aim of this whole thing!
If you can’t join ‘em, and they won't join you – use ‘em to divide and conquer!!!
The President should give a condescending speech at BYU. Just for shits and grins.
ReplyDelete