# Romney to businesses, tell your employees who to vote for **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [October 18, 2012, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-to-businesses-tell-your-employees-who-to-vote-for/638169 "2012-10-18T22:09:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Andiethewestie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ba9def/32.png) [@Andiethewestie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andiethewestie)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2012, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-to-businesses-tell-your-employees-who-to-vote-for/638169/21 "2012-10-19T02:48:51Z")
Is Mitt the great dictator or just a dick? This shit welcomes employer intimidation ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2012, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-to-businesses-tell-your-employees-who-to-vote-for/638169/22 "2012-10-19T03:05:30Z")
> [@Sateryn76](#): > > Isn’t what labor unions do in every election? I’ve never seen any organization carp so much about an election as much as labor unions. False equivalence. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2012, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-to-businesses-tell-your-employees-who-to-vote-for/638169/23 "2012-10-19T03:17:13Z")
> [@Randvek](#): > > Phew, I’m glad we have adaher’s great legal mind to tell us that the first amendment has no exceptions whatsoever. What’s the legal rationale? Wouldn’t any law threatening job losses based on the outcome of an election also apply to threats of benefit cuts? Is there going to be a general law against scaring voters? ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2012, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-to-businesses-tell-your-employees-who-to-vote-for/638169/24 "2012-10-19T03:21:11Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > But it’s okay to threaten that grannies will be eating dog food? Sorry, 1st amendment trumps all. I stand by my First Amendment right to condemn Romney for his remarks, and to encourage others to do the same. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2012, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-to-businesses-tell-your-employees-who-to-vote-for/638169/25 "2012-10-19T03:24:30Z")
That’s fine. I condemn half the things Democrats say to frighten their various interest groups into turning out. ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2012, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-to-businesses-tell-your-employees-who-to-vote-for/638169/26 "2012-10-19T03:26:02Z")
What about the other half? 😃 > [@adaher](#): > > What’s the legal rationale? Wouldn’t any law threatening job losses based on the outcome of an election also apply to threats of benefit cuts? Is there going to be a general law against scaring voters? Prior to the Citizens United decision, there were Federal Election Commission laws that curbed “employers from political campaigning among employees.” Lefty Cite: [http://inthesetimes.com/working/entry/14046/romney\_instructed\_employers\_to\_tell\_employees\_how\_to\_vote\_in\_conference\_cal](http://inthesetimes.com/working/entry/14046/romney_instructed_employers_to_tell_employees_how_to_vote_in_conference_cal) ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2012, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-to-businesses-tell-your-employees-who-to-vote-for/638169/27 "2012-10-19T03:49:01Z")
Those laws still are in place, but they are narrow. Much like the laws against churches engaging in electioneering. Now let’s say that the Obama administration is pursuing a policy that is actively hostile to certain industries. The industries should be barred from informing their employees that the President wants them to lose their jobs? ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2012, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-to-businesses-tell-your-employees-who-to-vote-for/638169/28 "2012-10-19T03:51:01Z")
So, if I’m a business owner, would it be OK if I told my female employees that low cut blouses are good for business? [wink, nink, nudge, nudge] ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2012, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-to-businesses-tell-your-employees-who-to-vote-for/638169/29 "2012-10-19T04:00:32Z")
> [@Shakes](#): > > So, if I’m a business owner, would it be OK if I told my female employees that low cut blouses are good for business? [wink, nink, nudge, nudge] If your business is Hooters it’s allowed. ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2012, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-to-businesses-tell-your-employees-who-to-vote-for/638169/30 "2012-10-19T06:03:26Z")
> [@Measure\_for\_Measure](#): > > Prior to the Citizens United decision, there were Federal Election Commission laws that curbed “employers from political campaigning among employees.” Lefty Cite: [http://inthesetimes.com/working/entry/14046/romney\_instructed\_employers\_to\_tell\_employees\_how\_to\_vote\_in\_conference\_cal](http://inthesetimes.com/working/entry/14046/romney_instructed_employers_to_tell_employees_how_to_vote_in_conference_cal) A better citation says that the claim above is false: First, while there are laws against employers forcing workers to donate to campaigns, or reimbursing them for doing so, there is nothing illegal about employers simply urging their politics on their employees. Contra to some reports this week, this predates the 2010 Citizens United ruling—it falls under basic First Amendment protection of speech. (What Citizens United may have done—this is still being litigated at the Federal Election Commission—is make it possible for employers to make workers engage in campaign activity.) Second, while it is not illegal, it strikes many of us as, well, wrong. [The Boss Men And The Ballot Box | The New Republic](http://www.tnr.com/blog/plank/108801/the-boss-men-and-the-ballot-box) ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2012, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-to-businesses-tell-your-employees-who-to-vote-for/638169/31 "2012-10-19T06:10:15Z")
> [@Andiethewestie](#): > > Is Mitt the great dictator or just a dick? This shit welcomes employer intimidation _ **The Monarch:** _ “Minions!” [aside to Brock] “They like that better than ‘henchmen’”, “Battle Stations!” - The Venture Brothers. ---
**Author:** ![Enkel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/df705f/32.png) [@Enkel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enkel)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2012, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-to-businesses-tell-your-employees-who-to-vote-for/638169/32 "2012-10-19T06:13:56Z")
They can say what ever they want and employees can tell them what they want to hear… but the employer is still not allowed in the voting booth. OTOH… I’d love to hear some idiot CEO try this on a programming team or people who aren’t actually working under slave wages and sweatshop conditions. Maybe some independent group needs to put out an ad about how your vote is YOUR vote and no one gets to know how you voted. ---
**Author:** ![Enkel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/df705f/32.png) [@Enkel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enkel)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2012, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-to-businesses-tell-your-employees-who-to-vote-for/638169/33 "2012-10-19T06:15:41Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > If your business is Hooters it’s allowed. In all fairness, a low cut **blouse** would be quite a bit more than they wear now. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2012, 11:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-to-businesses-tell-your-employees-who-to-vote-for/638169/34 "2012-10-19T11:24:12Z")
The biggest problem I have is that it sounds like code language. As if he’s saying “Tell your employees to vote for me or they’ll be fired”. He’s addressing an organization which has a large majority Repub membership. He throws in the ‘Obama’ reference but he doesn’t really mean it. But I’ve also come to despise this guy as the campaign has continued so maybe I’m letting that affect my opinion. I’m find this distasteful if it Obama had said the same thing to a group of Democratic businessmen though. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2012, 11:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-to-businesses-tell-your-employees-who-to-vote-for/638169/35 "2012-10-19T11:25:19Z")
> [@Enkel](#): > > In all fairness, a low cut **blouse** would be quite a bit more than they wear now. Pictorial cite please. ---
**Author:** ![flickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7bcc69/32.png) [@flickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flickster)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2012, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-to-businesses-tell-your-employees-who-to-vote-for/638169/36 "2012-10-19T12:48:56Z")
> [@Sateryn76](#): > > Isn’t what labor unions do in every election? I’ve never seen any organization carp so much about an election as much as labor unions. This x 2 ---
**Author:** ![Enkel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/df705f/32.png) [@Enkel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enkel)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2012, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-to-businesses-tell-your-employees-who-to-vote-for/638169/37 "2012-10-19T14:15:58Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > Pictorial cite please. I define blouse as a shirt with sleeves. Here is a google images search for just the word Hooters and most images are from the restaurant (that I assume we’re all talking about). Their primary uniform is a tank top or nearly sleeveless shirt > **[hooters - Google Search](https://www.google.com/search?q=hooters&hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=2GZ&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&prmd=imvnsu&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=3F-BUPOHKtOHqwHStIDoCA&ved=0CAoQ_AUoAQ&biw=1152&bih=676)** ETA: D’oh… wooosh… but I leave the cite for those not familiar with this fine dining establishment. ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2012, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-to-businesses-tell-your-employees-who-to-vote-for/638169/38 "2012-10-19T14:47:12Z")
> [@Sateryn76](#): > > Isn’t what labor unions do in every election? I’ve never seen any organization carp so much about an election as much as labor unions. Wait - Labor unions threaten for fire people if the candidate it supports doesn’t win? That’s news to me. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2012, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-to-businesses-tell-your-employees-who-to-vote-for/638169/39 "2012-10-19T14:48:51Z")
> [@flickster](#): > > This x 2 No, this x0. This is a false equivalence, as labor unions don’t hold the power to terminate a member’s employment. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2012, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-to-businesses-tell-your-employees-who-to-vote-for/638169/40 "2012-10-19T15:02:38Z")
> [@BigAppleBucky](#): > > CEO to Workers: I May Fire You if Obama Wins > > [http://finance.yahoo.com/news/ceo-workers-youll-likely-fired-131640914.html](http://finance.yahoo.com/news/ceo-workers-youll-likely-fired-131640914.html) > > \*A real peach of a man. \* > > _The, you don’t work as hard as me assertion:_ > Just think about this - most of you arrive at work in the morning and leave that afternoon and the rest of your time is yours to do as you please. But not me- there is no “off” button for me. When you leave the office, you are done and you have a weekend all to yourself. I unfortunately do not have that freedom. > > _The be grateful you blood-sucking varmints assertion:_ > Now, the economy is falling apart and people like me who made all the right decisions and invested in themselves are being forced to bail out all the people who didn’t. The people that overspent their paychecks suddenly feel entitled to the same luxuries that I earned and sacrificed 42 years of my life for. > _The I’m not threatening you assertion:_ > So where am I going with all this? It’s quite simple. If any new taxes are levied on me, or my company, as our current President plans, I will have no choice but to reduce the size of this company. Rather than grow this company I will be forced to cut back. > _- Behaving as suggested by Mitt._ Some more context. David Seigel, the person who the article is about, runs a real estate business. He and his wife were in the process of filming a documentary about building the largest (or most expensive…I forget which) house in the US when the 2008 crash hit his business hard. > [@adaher](#): > > Originally Posted by Randvek > Phew, I’m glad we have adaher’s great legal mind to tell us that the first amendment has no exceptions whatsoever. > > What’s the legal rationale? Wouldn’t any law threatening job losses based on the outcome of an election also apply to threats of benefit cuts? Is there going to be a general law against scaring voters? The “legal rationale” is telling or implying to your employees that you will fire them if they don’t vote a certain way is a form of extortion and voter intimidation. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-to-businesses-tell-your-employees-who-to-vote-for/638169.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-to-businesses-tell-your-employees-who-to-vote-for/638169.md?page=3)