Today Mitt Romney said something stupid. The funny thing is, with all the stupid, stupid things he has said (or been caught saying later) in the last three weeks it barely seems to have registered.
What he said to Brian Williams at the Education Nation Summit:
"I believe that we simply can't have a setting where the teachers unions are able to contribute tens of millions of dollars to the campaigns of politician, and then those politicians, when elected, stand across from them at the bargaining table, supposedly to represent the interest of the kids,"
You have read the correctly. Mitt Romney, who things Citizens United should stand and has stated that Corporations are people has said that Teachers' Unions cannot give money to political campaigns because there is a conflict of interest.
Here's the thing - If he wants to enact policy that would simply make it easier for Republicans to get elected, he might be on to something here. By in large, teachers are certainly considered to be a left leaning bunch. But that's not really how this all works. There is a longstanding tradition in American Presidential politics that you don't fuck with Cops, Firefighters, the Service Members or Teachers. Sure their expensive. Sure they have deep and long standing political affiliations; but you just aren't supposed to shit on public servants.
I may be proven wrong here, but I cannot imagine a world in which this plays well with anyone who is not Rush Limbaugh or a Ron Paul fan really being down with this.
In fact, I'd say there is pretty much a guarantee that this starts coming up in interviews and in the debates.
Hey asshole, you're probably going to lose - think about doing it with dignity.
http://www.startribune.com/politics/171269691.html?refer=y
What he said to Brian Williams at the Education Nation Summit:
"I believe that we simply can't have a setting where the teachers unions are able to contribute tens of millions of dollars to the campaigns of politician, and then those politicians, when elected, stand across from them at the bargaining table, supposedly to represent the interest of the kids,"
You have read the correctly. Mitt Romney, who things Citizens United should stand and has stated that Corporations are people has said that Teachers' Unions cannot give money to political campaigns because there is a conflict of interest.
Here's the thing - If he wants to enact policy that would simply make it easier for Republicans to get elected, he might be on to something here. By in large, teachers are certainly considered to be a left leaning bunch. But that's not really how this all works. There is a longstanding tradition in American Presidential politics that you don't fuck with Cops, Firefighters, the Service Members or Teachers. Sure their expensive. Sure they have deep and long standing political affiliations; but you just aren't supposed to shit on public servants.
I may be proven wrong here, but I cannot imagine a world in which this plays well with anyone who is not Rush Limbaugh or a Ron Paul fan really being down with this.
In fact, I'd say there is pretty much a guarantee that this starts coming up in interviews and in the debates.
Hey asshole, you're probably going to lose - think about doing it with dignity.
http://www.startribune.com/politics/171269691.html?refer=y
I lost my comment but:
ReplyDeleteMitt's going down like a lead zeppelin. This guy is so deluded he actually thinks he DESERVES this post and now that he's not going to get it, he's going to kick and scream and throw a fit all the way to the bottom.
And on the way he's going to reveal every bigoted, backwards idea his party still stands behind. All of the GOP posturing and euphemistic talking points are going right out the window. What we're getting now is pure Mitt, undiluted with party rhetoric, free from his handlers. I think he feels abandoned by his party (who admittedly never really wanted him) and is going to lash out now in the worst way. This teacher's thing is just the next in a long line of "gaffes" that are showing us just how much contempt Mitt Romney has for the average voter. I sincerely think these gaffes from the last two weeks have been just short of intentional. Mitt can't control his rich white guy rage and it's coming out through the psychic cracks.
There is a "Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail" material here. Romney's 2012 presidential run has blown up more spectacularly than I could have ever imagined. Better than maybe any other contender he was up against (although I can imagine an alternate future where Santorum absolutely disintegrated 4 months ago). Although, I'm afraid that no one is going to be there to watch him fall and get it on paper.
It's a shame.
I realized that I sort of contradicted myself: Mitt is doing this on purpose and not on purpose.
DeleteBut I guess that's the nature of this thing. I really think at some point this month or last Mitt got his people together and said, "Okay guys, the kid gloves are coming off!"
And I really think Mitt thought he was going hard. But he just forgot that he needs to have that "politician" veil down just about 24/7, and be especially careful when the camera's are on.
But he's just angry and careless and letting way too much out than he has any right to, or is good for him. He thinks he's telling it like it is, or speaking the truth, and instead he's letting slip the little lies and revealing the fundamental inconsistencies of logic that have plagued the GOP since Reagan. And now we're REALLY starting to get a sense of the guy he really is behind closed doors. (Of course there's a whole other argument about "authenticity" we could have about public figures. All I want to say is that Mitt is consistent in how inconsistent he is in his disingenuity.)
Not that it's going to change a lot of people's minds. But it makes for some great TV.
I for one think we missed a great show had Mr. Cain held the banner of his party.
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