Last week I watched Jon Stewart on The Daily Show absolutely skewer Mitt Romney and his campaign concerning the statements made on video regarding voters who support the president (and, by his logic, will never support him -- let alone take responsibility for themselves and their own lives) at that infamous Florida fundraising event. I would like to point to that clip and say simply, "What he said."
Really, everyone ought to watch it. Stewart is a comedian, but that fact does not invalidate his points.
Not even interviews with Ann Romney herself, insisting that Mitt Romney doesn't "disdain the poor," that his words were "misinterpreted," that without President Romney, "more and more people will become dependent on government."
Folks, we are already dependent on government. To President Obama's point about how we "didn't build that" (now there's a quote that was doctored up beyond all recognition), the government provides products and services to us all. The slippery slope argument doesn't follow logically, nor do assertions that those who avail themselves of what government provides are "takers" (and those who don't are "makers").
Ann Romney is a mom, to be sure. A mom who worked hard to raise a houseful of boys. But she has grown ever more far removed from moms who don't just work hard, but struggle valiantly -- and still sometimes need assistance. Assistance that may come from family, friends, community, or the government.
If Ann Romney's mother-in-law were still living, perhaps she would educate her daughter-in-law on the realities of welfare recipients. They aren't all queens; some of them are future governors and presidential candidates -- just like her own husband's father.
I'm sure that the Romneys and their campaign have concocted some sort of justification for this historical fact (captured on video, even!), such as pointing to themselves as an example of how everybody on welfare can reach the point of living off the interest of their investments, paying only capital gains taxes each April.
But that doesn't negate the fact that once upon a time, the Romneys were dependent on the government. It's pretty rich that they'd seek to deny such assistance to others.
Image via The Daily Beast
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Comments 22
The republicans don't want to stamp out public assistance. It's just gotten to be such an "entitlement" thing. People really do feel they "deserve" to sit home and collect "free stuff." I've heard some of the people who come to The Stir say "if I don't, someone else will." Or "my parents paid in for years and never used it so I'm using theirs."
It needs to go back to the way it was intended to be used. When you need help. Until you get on your feet. It was never meant to be a lifestyle choice. I used to know people who were ashamed to be on food-stamps and now people brag "how much they get."
The "entitlements" have to be really drawn back to what they were intended to be in the first place.
PS. Another great pot shot against Ann Romney.
@Prima - It's written very well, as far as I'm concerned. Do I even need to bring up the example of a certain writer here who writes sentences such as:
"Because, Obama."
"Because, Liberals!"
It was never meant to be a lifestyle choice.
Mitt Romney's parents got welfare because of their lifestyle choice. They originally fled to Mexico because they CHOSE to be Polygamists and it was illegal in the US. When they came back to the States they were all given money by the federal government to re-establish themselves. They accepted ENTITLEMENTS.
Not forever Proscasto and it hasn't been a handed down tradition in their family. I know "generations" of people who've chosen to live "beating the system." We all know them.
You also don't need to talk down to me with the copying and pasting in bold and capital letters. I'm very capable of reading what you have to say without listening to you yell at me.
Another thing Procrasto, I could give a rats behind what Romney's parents did. If they used public assistance, they used it for what it was there for. Help. Didn't you read what I said to begin with?
I get so tired of this. We have a commercial on TV right now against some poor chump for things he said in 1972 and they're implying he's saying it now!
Who cares what his parents did. Really? This is just a another non issue.
Well after my dad died when I was 10, my mother who was a sahm w/4 kids 13 and under to raise used food stamps for about 9 months. I can still remember how embarrassed I was being in the store with her when she used them. In fact, that is part of what made me who I am today. I worked hard since I was 14 and at many of times held 2 jobs at once so I could completely make it on my own. My mom used them as a stepping stone toward making her life better and when it wasn't needed anymore, she stopped using them. I have no problem with people using help when needed but it really pisses me off when they "expect" to be taken care of. I wish everyone was taught to have pride in a hard days work.
Keep beating a dead horse with "Romney only paying Capital Gains Taxes", because it is not true, no matter how much you say it.
Julie I would like to point out that we are not dependent on the government, the government depends on us. The government doesn't make money off of anything, they get their money from the tax payers. The government doesn't bless the American people with teachers, fire/police officer's, and roads. They hire those people and build those roads without tax dollars. Oh and guess what the people that work for the government to make those kinds of decision is also paid by our tax dollars. If the American people decided all at once not to pay our taxes (like we could or would, this is just for the sake of the argument) the government would cease to exists. The point I'm trying to make is the government needs our dollars more than we need to be dependent on them.
Another point you have wrong is that Republicans are against people on assistance which isn't true. We are against people that are taking advantage of the system and we don't like a government that wants to encourage people to live that way rather than doing it on their own (yes I am talking about Julia.) Funny how no one wrote a blog today about Obama choosing to go on the View rather than meet with world leaders(the first time that's happened in two decades.)
romney is a duche regardless of what political party he belongs to. just ask his dog.