Jonathan Chait: The Real Romney Captured On Tape Turns Out To Be A Sneering Plutocrat

[highplainsdem]

http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2012/09/real-romney-is-a-sneering-plutocrat.html

Presidential campaigns wallow so tediously in pseudo-events and manufactured outrage that our senses can be numbed to the appearance of something genuinely momentous. Mitt Romney’s secretly recorded comments at a fundraiser are such an event – they reveal something vital about Romney, and they disqualify his claim to the presidency.

To think of Romney’s leaked discourse as a “gaffe” grossly misdescribes its importance. Indeed the comments’ direct impact on the outcome of the election will probably be small. Romney repeated the wildly misleading but increasingly popular conservative talking point that 47% of Americans pay no income taxes. The federal income tax is, by design, one of the most progressive elements of the American tax system, but well over 80% of non-retired adults pay federal taxes. But most people hear “income taxes” and think “taxes,” which is why the trick of using one phrase to make audiences think of the other is a standard GOP trick when discussing taxes. For that very reason, it won’t strike many voters as an insult: Most people who don’t pay income taxes do pay other taxes, and fail to distinguish between them, and thus don’t consider themselves among the 47% scorned by Romney.

Instead the video exposes an authentic Romney as a far more sinister character than I had imagined. Here is the sneering plutocrat, fully in thrall to a series of pernicious myths that are at the heart of the mania that has seized his party. He believes that market incomes in the United States are a perfect reflection of merit. Far from seeing his own privileged upbringing as the private-school educated son of an auto executive-turned-governor as an obvious refutation of that belief, Romney cites his own life, preposterously, as a confirmation of it. (“I have inherited nothing. Everything I earned I earned the old fashioned way.”)

-snip-

Romney explained to reporters tonight that his remarks were not "elegantly stated," but did not repudiate them as his true beliefs. In fact, it was quite eloquently stated. The Romney speaking to fundraisers was not the halting, smarmy figure so frequently on public display but an eloquent and passionate orator. He had no reason to believe his donors needed to hear him denounce the poor — they would have been perfectly satisfied with a bromide about how cutting taxes on the rich will create opportunity for one and all. Instead he put himself forward as the hopeful president of the top half of America against the bottom.

-snip-

[Cha]

1. I imagine Letterman, Stewart, and Colbert

have something to say about this too. Next week! Maybe Leno

[tomm2thumbs]

6. fodder for lots of stuff - you are right

SNL no doubt is already drooling away

[Cha]

2. Thanks highplainsdem!

Romney explained to reporters tonight that his remarks were not "elegantly stated," but did not repudiate them as his true beliefs. In fact, it was quite eloquently stated. The Romney speaking to fundraisers was not the halting, smarmy figure so frequently on public display but an eloquent and passionate orator. He had no reason to believe his donors needed to hear him denounce the poor — they would have been perfectly satisfied with a bromide about how cutting taxes on the rich will create opportunity for one and all. Instead he put himself forward as the hopeful president of the top half of America against the bottom.

Romney thought he was giving them a Bonus but he gave Democracy one instead. Way to show off your true slime, rombot. Cue for Ann to come out and say mitt's "being demonized", again.

[jsr]

3. An authentic Romney as a far more sinister character

No truer words.

[ProSense]

4. "...the video exposes an authentic Romney as a far more sinister character than I had imagined."

Bain and everything Mitt has said and done fits.

[alittlelark]

5. I live in the Valley of these THRALLS

Many of them ill intentioned , many of them not. Contained by 'old money' that guides them(BIG $$$$ mentors)...Gezzers from the hell of old money that is rotting. Started in 2008 to the best of my memory. Most are looking for our Silicon valley $ to invest in their $$$ in WAR SHIT.

[JDPriestly]

7. Romney's wealthy father died in 1995.

His mother died in 1998.

Seems odd to me that he claims he did not inherit anything.

Did all the money flow to his children? Was that another tax break that his family took advantage of or did he inherit money? He needs to at least correct or clarify the record on that claim.