Romney says he’ll “hang” Obama at GOP group dinner

[Playinghardball]

Source: Raw Story

In a speech at the pro-GOP Americans for Prosperity dinner, former Massachusetts governor and contender for the GOP presidential nomination Mitt Romney said he would "hang" Obama, then immediately realized his gaffe and tried to smooth over his mistake. His spokeswoman said the blunder was not meant to be malicious.

Referring to Ronald Reagan's "misery index" that he wanted to "hang around Jimmy Carter's neck" in the 1980 presidential election, Romney said of Obama, "Well, we’re going to have to hang the ‘Obama Misery Index’ around his neck.”

Romney continued, “We’re going to hang him — ” before pausing, Politico reported, then continuing and clarifying. “So to speak — metaphorically. You have to be careful.”
The implications of mentioning "hanging" in reference to an African-American are not positive.
Romney's spokeswoman, Andrea Saul, told Politico that the comment was not intended to be malicious.
“It is not what the governor meant and that was very clear in what he actually said,” she said. "It’s a ridiculous exaggeration of his actual comments.”

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/04/30/romney-says-hell-hang-obama-at-gop-group-dinner/

[malaise]

1. That's OK

I'll hang him with his funny underwear

:puke:

[proud2BlibKansan]

4. Darn you

You beat me to it! :rofl:

[malaise]

5. Hehehehhe - great minds

think alike :fistbump:

[ZombieHorde]

2. Hanging something around a person's neck is a little different than hanging someone by the neck.

This spin may be good for President Obama, but it is a little dishonest. Romney never actually said he would hang anybody.

[LiberalLoner]

3. I agree with you, I think this is an honest and innocent mistake. I don't want to see the

guy be our next President, it's not like I support him or anything, but fair is fair and I think it's unfair if people think he's a racist because of that remark. I think it was just a simple mistake rather than a deliberate "dog whistle."

[malaise]

6. His words

We're going to hang him, so to speak, metaphorically."

[Proud Liberal Dem]

8. Talking about hanging *something* when discussing a black man

Not a good idea. He should've thought of a better way to phrase whatever the hell he was trying to say. :eyes:

[ZombieHorde]

11. He stopped himself; he obviously didn't mean anything racial or violent by it.

Hanging something on someone is a common phrase and doesn't mean anything violent.

[chade]

13. While it's a good idea to avoid using 'hang' within the general vicinity of politics

I agree, ZombieHorde. I believe the phrase is a cultural reference to 'hanging an albatross around one's neck,' or shouldering them with a burden, originating from the Rime of the Ancient Mariner.

http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/30800.html

Obviously it was stupid of Romney to use the phrase in the first place, as it requires at least a pop understanding of the above phrase, and the word 'hang' delivers automatic negative connotations in many people's minds no matter what the context. I also recognise that its ambiguous meaning being brought up in the first place has a whole lot to do with the Republicans' repeated use of violent rhetoric and the climate that has created, so the circumstances are entirely the fault of his party. However, in this case, I don't believe that he meant, even in a metaphorical sense, what people are construing from his statements.

[Bigmack]

7. WTF... he didn't say "lynch"... but "hang" was good enough for that crowd. ne

[RandomKoolzip]

9. I'm going to hang you - no malice intended you understand.

I just really want to fucking hang you.

Wait - STOP TWISTING MY WORDS! When I say that I want to place a noose around your neck and hang your body from a tree, it's not malicious. I just want to hang you, that's all.

Why are you mad?

[Kurovski]

10. Oh, he's joined all the other stochastic terrorists, I see.

He's in excellent company, and he even added the spector of racist terrorism that was such a big part of our history.

http://www.google.com/search?q=stochastic%20terrorism&rls=RNWE,RNWE:2004-35,RNWE:en&um=1&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=vw

__________

Stochastic terrorism is the use of mass communications to stir up random lone wolves to carry out violent or terrorist acts that are statistically predictable but individually unpredictable.

This is what occurs when Bin Laden releases a video that stirs random extremists halfway around the globe to commit a bombing or shooting.

This is also the term for what Beck, O'Reilly, Hannity, and others do.

[Kurovski]

12. Kick

[L0oniX]

14. Good thing he didn't use "target" or "cross hairs" along with it.