Northwest Indiana Discussion

Obama vs Romney David Brooks Blasts GOP Candidate for 47 Percent Gaffe
The most devastating blow to Mitt Romney regarding his remarks saying that 47% of Americans think they are victims and are dependent on government was dealt by centrist-conservative New York Times columnist David Brooks. Here's the meat of it:

"[He] suggests that he really doesn’t know much about the country he inhabits. Who are these freeloaders? Is it the Iraq war veteran who goes to the V.A.? Is it the student getting a loan to go to college? Is it the retiree on Social Security or Medicare? It suggests that Romney doesn’t know much about the culture of America."

Brooks' final punch-line is particularly effective: "Personally, I think [Romney]’s a kind, decent man who says stupid things because he is pretending to be something he is not — some sort of cartoonish government-hater."

I agree that Romney simply has not convinced voters that he believes what he says. That's a huge, huge contrast with President Obama. Standing by what you believe is something that resonates with Americans far more effectively than someone who tries to please everyone. Blame it on a poorly run campaign -- or a well-run campaign, via the Democrats. But the uncomfortable fact facing the Republicans right now is that not one president in our nation's history won by switching positions as much as Romney.

Bill Kristol: Romney Remarks are ‘Arrogant And Stupid’
TPM
Conservative columnist Bill Kristol lit into Mitt Romney in the Weekly Standard over his leaked remarks that 47 percent of Americans are hopelessly dependent on government and thus will vote for President Obama.
"It remains important for the country that Romney wins in November (unless he chooses to step down and we get the Ryan-Rubio ticket we deserve!)," Kristol wrote on Tuesday. "But that shouldn't blind us to the fact that Romney's comments, like those of Obama four years ago, are arrogant and stupid.
Note he had to get the Obama dig in. The piece continues:

Noting that many of the 47 percent of Americans who don't pay income tax are core Republican groups like seniors and active military, Kristol added that "Romney seems to have contempt not just for the Democrats who oppose him, but for tens of millions who intend to vote for him."

Absolutely the most stupid and idiotic statement I have ever seen on a board.
Wow


WTF planet are you on?

Romney already has trouble relating to the public and convincing people he cares about them. Now, he's been caught on video saying that nearly half the country consists of hopeless losers.]

The only "public" to which Mitt Romney supposedly has trouble relating is composed of the primitives, the old-school unionized ethnics, worthless single moms, and interchangeable public employees--precisely the type of people that compose the bulk of the throwback population of northwest Indiana. Successful people and those who want to be successful aren't looking for a president that "cares" about them.

No matter who wins the election, four years from now the primitives, the old-school unionized ethnics, the worthless single moms, and the interchangeable public employees (i.e. Northwest Indiana demographics) will be in exactly the same boat they are in now, and that is the same sorry boat they were in four years ago.

A significant fraction of government entitlement benefits are neither poor nor necessarily supporters of the Democratic Party, and many pay significant income taxes.

According to the Tax Policy Center study, 38 million — half of those who owe no federal income taxes — escape owing money to the IRS because their income is too low.

On top of that, about one in five others who don't owe federal income taxes — nearly 17 million potential taxpayers — benefit from tax breaks for the elderly. These include the exclusion of taxes on part of their Social Security benefits and a higher standard deduction.

Two million take advantage of a tax credit for college expenses, enacted under Obama, and other education tax breaks.

5 percent of them earn $50,000 to $100,000 and the rest — around 430,000 nonpayers — earn more than $100,000 annually.

There are also 3 million getting veterans compensation

SALT LAKE CITY - Seeking to shift the attention away from a leaked video from a private fundraiser in which he said he doesn't have to worry about 47 percent of non-income tax paying Americans, Mitt Romney today sought to draw attention to a 1998 audio clip in which President Obama said he supports redistribution of wealth from "some" to "the others."