# The Romney Tapes - thoughts as to how they'll affect the election? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [September 17, 2012, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-romney-tapes-thoughts-as-to-how-theyll-affect-the-election/635007 "2012-09-17T21:14:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2012, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-romney-tapes-thoughts-as-to-how-theyll-affect-the-election/635007/1 "2012-09-17T21:14:45Z")
> **[SECRET VIDEO: Romney Tells Millionaire Donors What He REALLY Thinks of Obama...](https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2012/09/secret-video-romney-private-fundraiser/)** > > When he doesn't know a camera's rolling, the GOP candidate shows his disdain for half of America. In a fundraiser between the primaries and the convention, Romney had this to say about… Obama Supporters: > [@](#): > > There are 47 percent of the people who will vote for the president no matter what. All right, there are 47 percent who are with him, who are dependent upon government, who believe that they are victims, who believe the government has a responsibility to care for them, who believe that they are entitled to health care, to food, to housing, to you-name-it. Why his Dad should have been born Hispanic: > [@](#): > > Had he been born of Mexican parents, I’d have a better shot of winning this. On his opinion of the ability of the American electorate to vote based upon the issues: > [@](#): > > Well, I wrote a book that lays out my view for what has to happen in the country, and people who are fascinated by policy will read the book. We have a website that lays out white papers on a whole series of issues that I care about. I have to tell you, I don’t think this will have a significant impact on my electability. I wish it did. I think our ads will have a much bigger impact. I think the debates will have a big impact…My dad used to say, “Being right early is not good in politics.” **And in a setting like this, a highly intellectual subject—discussion on a whole series of important topics typically doesn’t win elections.** On the magical effect a Romney victory will have on the economy: > [@](#): > > They’ll probably be looking at what the polls are saying. If it looks like I’m going to win, the markets will be happy. If it looks like the president’s going to win, the markets should not be terribly happy. It depends of course which markets you’re talking about, which types of commodities and so forth, but my own view is that if we win on November 6th, there will be a great deal of optimism about the future of this country. We’ll see capital come back and we’ll see—without actually doing anything—we’ll actually get a boost in the economy. If the president gets re-elected, I don’t know what will happen. I can– I can never predict what the markets will do. This, of course, when the DJIA is only 2% off its historic high. I also like how he can predict, then cannot predict, within 2 sentences. To quote Mother Jones (a website I’ve never been to until today): > [@](#): > > He displayed a high degree of disgust for nearly half of his fellow citizens, lumping all Obama voters into a mass of shiftless moochers who don’t contribute much, if anything, to society, and he indicated that he viewed the election as a battle between strivers (such as himself and the donors before him) and parasitic free-riders who lack character, fortitude, and initiative. Yet Romney explained to his patrons that he could not speak such harsh words about Obama in public, lest he insult those independent voters who sided with Obama in 2008 and whom he desperately needs in this election. These were sentiments not to be shared with the voters; it was inside information, available only to the select few who had paid for the privilege of experiencing the real Romney. Assuming this video is true (and it seems genuine), think any of this will have an effect? I sure wouldn’t want to be Romney when Obama uses the “Well, you think half the country is a bunch of freeloaders, too ignorant to vote on issues” line on him during the debates. I wonder if Paul Ryan is having second thoughts… ---
**Author:** ![2ManyTacos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/2/3da27b/32.png) [@2ManyTacos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2ManyTacos)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2012, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-romney-tapes-thoughts-as-to-how-theyll-affect-the-election/635007/2 "2012-09-17T21:26:26Z")
Yeah, I mentioned this in another topic on here. This, right here, could very well turn out to be the thing that definitively hands the election to Obama, as long as the Obama campaign uses this information effectively. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2012, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-romney-tapes-thoughts-as-to-how-theyll-affect-the-election/635007/3 "2012-09-17T21:32:44Z")
Credit to you as you were the one who brought this to my attention. It’s gaining traction - this story leads Business Insider, and will liklely make the mainstream press once the souce can be verified. > **[New Leaked Video From Fundraiser Looks Horrible For Mitt Romney](https://www.businessinsider.com/if-these-videos-are-real-they-look-horrible-for-mitt-romney-2012-9)** ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2012, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-romney-tapes-thoughts-as-to-how-theyll-affect-the-election/635007/4 "2012-09-17T21:38:28Z")
This is why candidates do these kinds of secret donor meetings and why I hope there are audio recorders in every single one of them. If you say things like this about people behind their backs and only want donors to know your agenda, you deserve this. I’m not sure it’ll swing an election (you might remember Obama saying some undiplomatic things about conservative voters in 2008) but speaking this contemptuously about a big chunk of voters doesn’t help Romney’s image or make his “I will help your family” argument. The nonsense about the market reminds me of all the speculative garbage we heard in early 2009 about the markets hating Obama because the stock exchanges generally didn’t do well in his first weeks or months in office. Of course the markets then recovered and instead of a lot of “the market loves Obama!” stories, we got silence. The idea that the stock market trades around a president is ridiculous and it’s disingenuous for Romney to suggest a vote for him is going to bring about a relief rally and mass profits. That’s a little bit like saying ‘vote for me and you’ll make a lot of money.’ I’m doubtful that Romney or his supporters believe that. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Lowry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@Sam\_Lowry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Lowry)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2012, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-romney-tapes-thoughts-as-to-how-theyll-affect-the-election/635007/5 "2012-09-17T21:38:59Z")
> [@](#): > > Well, I wrote a book that lays out my view for what has to happen in the country, and people who are fascinated by policy will read the book. We have a website that lays out white papers on a whole series of issues that I care about. I have to tell you, I don’t think this will have a significant impact on my electability. I wish it did. I think our ads will have a much bigger impact. I think the debates will have a big impact…My dad used to say, “Being right early is not good in politics.” And in a setting like this, a highly intellectual subject—discussion on a whole series of important topics typically doesn’t win elections. I haven’t read his book; does he actually talk about policy in it? I’ve heard a lot of criticisms of him because he doesn’t talk about policy. He tries to say he’d be better than Obama at foreign policy and the economy but since he doesn’t say specifics, you can only guess how. Also, I’m pretty sure I’ve seen a quote about how he’ll talk about specifics only once he’s elected. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2012, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-romney-tapes-thoughts-as-to-how-theyll-affect-the-election/635007/6 "2012-09-17T21:40:21Z")
Does Romney seriously believe that all poor people vote Democratic? ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2012, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-romney-tapes-thoughts-as-to-how-theyll-affect-the-election/635007/7 "2012-09-17T21:40:59Z")
Maybe I’m just cynical, but I don’t find any of the statements in the OP particularly shocking for someone running for President. Of course Democrats want to keep living of the government’s teat. Of course business and the financial industry will spontaneously orgasm if Romney is elected. I’m not sure why this is more damaging than the lies about Obama’s changes to welfare work rules or his refusal to provide tax returns or any of the other damaging things he’s done in this campaign. ---
**Author:** ![2ManyTacos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/2/3da27b/32.png) [@2ManyTacos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2ManyTacos)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2012, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-romney-tapes-thoughts-as-to-how-theyll-affect-the-election/635007/8 "2012-09-17T21:41:16Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > Credit to you as you were the one who brought this to my attention. > > It’s gaining traction - this story leads Business Insider, and will liklely make the mainstream press once the souce can be verified. > > [Leaked Mitt Romney Fundraiser Video - Business Insider](http://www.businessinsider.com/if-these-videos-are-real-they-look-horrible-for-mitt-romney-2012-9) Yeah, like I said in the other thread, the stuff in here is appealing to Romney’s GOP and Tea Party base, but beyond that it’s downright inflammatory to average voters. This just further cements the widespread notion that Romney is an out-of-touch rich guy who feels entitled to the presidency based solely on his rich-guy-mentality; independent voters are going to be turned off en masse once this shit comes to their attention. ---
**Author:** ![ladyfoxfyre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ad7895/32.png) [@ladyfoxfyre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ladyfoxfyre)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2012, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-romney-tapes-thoughts-as-to-how-theyll-affect-the-election/635007/9 "2012-09-17T21:41:42Z")
Sure, he just defines “poor” differently than you do. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2012, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-romney-tapes-thoughts-as-to-how-theyll-affect-the-election/635007/10 "2012-09-17T21:44:01Z")
> [@jsgoddess](#): > > Does Romney seriously believe that all poor people vote Democratic? Romney probably doesn’t, but he may think that’s how his donors feel. It seems consistent with Republican rhetoric at this point. ---
**Author:** ![steronz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steronz/32/11765_2.png) [@steronz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steronz)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2012, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-romney-tapes-thoughts-as-to-how-theyll-affect-the-election/635007/11 "2012-09-17T21:47:31Z")
> [@jsgoddess](#): > > Does Romney seriously believe that all poor people vote Democratic? I’m sure he does, that line of thinking is part of the Fox News standard pundit playbook, and I’ve met lots of conservatives who feel that Democrats garner votes by promising government cheese to lazy people. I don’t think that clip is going to hurt him, although it is a bit disgusting. As for the rest of it, he’s basically juts being honest, and I actually find it refreshing. Would he have a better shot at being elected if he were part hispanic? Undoubtedly yes. Is that smart to say out loud? Perhaps not, but it’s true. Will the markets respond favorably to a candidate who’s largely seen as being better on economic issues than Obama? Absolutely. Will that help the economy at large? Meh. It will help the stock market, but I’m not sure that’s a concern for most Americans. Do intellectual discussions win elections? Ask Al Gore. Most interesting to me is that part about not insulting moderates who voted for Obama. That’s actually the sort of smart gamesmanship that I _like_ to see in a politician. It’s the sort of strategic political maneuver that helps put policies in place, and helps with foreign policy. I don’t think Romney can or will out-game Obama, but I think that clip was smart. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2012, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-romney-tapes-thoughts-as-to-how-theyll-affect-the-election/635007/12 "2012-09-17T21:49:13Z")
> [@steronz](#): > > Would he have a better shot at being elected if he were part hispanic? Undoubtedly yes. He wouldn’t be the nominee. He’d be someone else’s token VP candidate. > [@](#): > > Will the markets respond favorably to a candidate who’s largely seen as being better on economic issues than Obama? Absolutely. The markets don’t react to how people are “largely seen.” They respond to what people think is going to happen, and the election of a president with one set of policies or another is only one of those. Nobody expects Romney to magically fix the world economy if he gets elected, so there’s not going to be some kind of enormous marketwide rally if he wins. And then there’s the matter of what his policies would actually do for th eeconomy (hint: slashing the federal budget). ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2012, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-romney-tapes-thoughts-as-to-how-theyll-affect-the-election/635007/13 "2012-09-17T21:51:08Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > This is why candidates do these kinds of secret donor meetings and why I hope there are audio recorders in every single one of them. If you say things like this about people behind their backs and only want donors to know your agenda, you deserve this. I’m not sure it’ll swing an election (you might remember Obama saying some undiplomatic things about conservative voters in 2008) but speaking this contemptuously about a big chunk of voters doesn’t help Romney’s image or make his “I will help your family” argument. > > The nonsense about the market reminds me of all the speculative garbage we heard in early 2009 about the markets hating Obama because the stock exchanges generally didn’t do well in his first weeks or months in office. Of course the markets then recovered and instead of a lot of “the market loves Obama!” stories, we got silence. The idea that the stock market trades around a president is ridiculous and it’s disingenuous for Romney to suggest a vote for him is going to bring about a relief rally and mass profits. That’s a little bit like saying ‘vote for me and you’ll make a lot of money.’ I’m doubtful that Romney or his supporters believe that. It’s really dumb considering where the stock market is historically. Here is a link to a chart showing that the DJIA is currently at 95%+ of its all-time high. > **[CHART OF THE DAY: The Extraordinary US Stock Market](https://www.businessinsider.com/the-extraordinary-us-stock-market-2012-9)** The above is not adjusted for inflation, but it shows that the “market” isn’t really waiting for a Romney victory… ---
**Author:** ![Omg\_a\_Black\_Conservative](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/7ba0ec/32.png) [@Omg\_a\_Black\_Conservative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omg_a_Black_Conservative)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2012, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-romney-tapes-thoughts-as-to-how-theyll-affect-the-election/635007/14 "2012-09-17T22:33:52Z")
> [@jsgoddess](#): > > Does Romney seriously believe that all poor people vote Democratic? The majority of them do. Democrats simply kill Republicans with people who make less than $30K per year. ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2012, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-romney-tapes-thoughts-as-to-how-theyll-affect-the-election/635007/15 "2012-09-17T22:35:04Z")
If I was one of those donors I wold be thinking, “Wow, with Obama automatically getting 47% I am not giving this loser one dime. Senate and House races here I come.” ---
**Author:** ![Linden\_Arden](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/53a042/32.png) [@Linden\_Arden](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Linden_Arden)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2012, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-romney-tapes-thoughts-as-to-how-theyll-affect-the-election/635007/16 "2012-09-17T22:50:02Z")
> [@Omg\_a\_Black\_Conservative](#): > > The majority of them do. Democrats simply kill Republicans with people who make less than $30K per year. Check out how the low-income Social Security elderly retired vote. Those moochers vote heavily GOP. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2012, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-romney-tapes-thoughts-as-to-how-theyll-affect-the-election/635007/17 "2012-09-17T22:54:17Z")
> [@](#): > > “My job is not to worry about those people,” Romney says in the video. “I’ll never convince them they should take personal responsibility and care for their lives.” :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Andiethewestie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ba9def/32.png) [@Andiethewestie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andiethewestie)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2012, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-romney-tapes-thoughts-as-to-how-theyll-affect-the-election/635007/18 "2012-09-17T22:54:38Z")
> [@Linden\_Arden](#): > > Check out how the low-income Social Security elderly retired vote. Those moochers vote heavily GOP. Exactly. ---
**Author:** ![lance\_strongarm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/87869e/32.png) [@lance\_strongarm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lance_strongarm)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2012, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-romney-tapes-thoughts-as-to-how-theyll-affect-the-election/635007/19 "2012-09-17T22:57:34Z")
> [@Skammer](#): > > Maybe I’m just cynical, but I don’t find any of the statements in the OP particularly shocking for someone running for President. Of course Democrats want to keep living of the government’s teat. Yes, you’re profoundly cynical, and completely out of touch with Democratic voters. Like Romney. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2012, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-romney-tapes-thoughts-as-to-how-theyll-affect-the-election/635007/20 "2012-09-17T22:58:39Z")
> [@Skammer](#): > > Maybe I’m just cynical, but I don’t find any of the statements in the OP particularly shocking for someone running for President. Of course Democrats want to keep living of the government’s teat. Of course business and the financial industry will spontaneously orgasm if Romney is elected. I’m not sure why this is more damaging than the lies about Obama’s changes to welfare work rules or his refusal to provide tax returns or any of the other damaging things he’s done in this campaign. Because they directly insult the people that he’s trying to win over. His lies, if believed, don’t insult them. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-romney-tapes-thoughts-as-to-how-theyll-affect-the-election/635007.md?page=2)