# 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:** 15
**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 19, 2012, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-romney-tapes-thoughts-as-to-how-theyll-affect-the-election/635007/281 "2012-09-19T14:36:58Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > Romney’s statement was wrong in many ways, but the general sentiment is right: the dependent vote Democrat. They are unreachable because they are owned. They are no longer free to make their own decisions, their fates are tied to one party. I wonder how many Republicans sitting in that room with Romney benefit from tax breaks and government contracts that make them “owned.” > [@](#): > > I’m not talking about everyone who receives government assistance of some sort. Many Republicans do, even when Republicans threaten to cut that assistance. I’m referring to people for whom dependence is so total that they do not feel free to make a choice. That’s debatable, but it’s a far cry from saying they make a choice to not take responsibility for themselves - which is what Romney said. He didn’t call them helpless, he called them lazy losers. ---
**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 19, 2012, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-romney-tapes-thoughts-as-to-how-theyll-affect-the-election/635007/282 "2012-09-19T14:38:20Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > Welfare isn’t that much of an issue for most voters now. Or at least that was the case before t **his administration vastly expanded eligibility.** Please back up that claim. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2012, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-romney-tapes-thoughts-as-to-how-theyll-affect-the-election/635007/283 "2012-09-19T14:40:09Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > Romney’s statement was wrong in many ways, but the general sentiment is right: the dependent vote Democrat. Except the largest portion of “the dependent” are elderly people who are mostly voting Republican. This has been explained dozens of times since Romney’s comments were made public. > [@](#): > > They are unreachable because they are owned. Wrong, absurd, and rather offensive. > [@](#): > > I’m not talking about everyone who receives government assistance of some sort. How convenient! But Romney said he was. > [@](#): > > I’m referring to people for whom dependence is so total that they do not feel free to make a choice. Who are they, and how do you know who they are? > [@adaher](#): > > Or at least that was the case before this administration vastly expanded eligibility. It didn’t. ---
**Author:** ![Andiethewestie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ba9def/32.png) [@Andiethewestie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andiethewestie)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2012, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-romney-tapes-thoughts-as-to-how-theyll-affect-the-election/635007/284 "2012-09-19T14:40:33Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > Fine. Then there will be a lot of welfare recipients voting Republican since I’m wrong. Glad we cleared that up. If its so friggen advantageous for the poor to vote Democrat, then why do Red States get most of the Welfare Funding? [http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/17/opinion/krugman-moochers-against-welfare.html?\_r=2](http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/17/opinion/krugman-moochers-against-welfare.html?_r=2) ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2012, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-romney-tapes-thoughts-as-to-how-theyll-affect-the-election/635007/285 "2012-09-19T14:51:02Z")
> [@](#): > > Well, watching it I couldn’t help but hear all the clanging of forks and whatnot, and it occurred to me that this was a catered dinner, and that means a bunch of minimum wage voters bustling around the room. Can you imagine filling these asshole’s water glasses while their leader denigrates you? Wouldn’t surprise me if it was one of them. Been there. Used to cater this kind of event. I’d say from the view, you’re probably right about it being one of the servers, set this up. Thing is, someone from the group, will probably reach out to the service staff and ask for their support. Probably before they pay up. Entirely ignorant, that the staff, are forced by circumstance, to smile sweetly, say something polite and shake hands. So they generally leave the event believing the chefs, (who also smiled sweetly and spoke politely when the organizers went in to compliment on the meal!), bartenders, servers, y’know, the little people, still connect with, and support them. It’s very sad. ---
**Author:** ![Fiddle\_Peghead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddle_peghead/32/3506_2.png) [@Fiddle\_Peghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiddle_Peghead)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2012, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-romney-tapes-thoughts-as-to-how-theyll-affect-the-election/635007/286 "2012-09-19T14:51:40Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > Romney’s statement was wrong in many ways, but the general sentiment is right: the dependent vote Democrat. I wearily, but sincerely, ask for a cite. ---
**Author:** ![joebuck20](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/74df32/32.png) [@joebuck20](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joebuck20)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2012, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-romney-tapes-thoughts-as-to-how-theyll-affect-the-election/635007/287 "2012-09-19T14:52:23Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > Fine. Then there will be a lot of welfare recipients voting Republican since I’m wrong. Glad we cleared that up. Probably, seeing as the Republican strongholds in the South have some of the highest food stamp usage in the country. [http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703834804576301241171253176.html](http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703834804576301241171253176.html) ---
**Author:** ![CJJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecc23a/32.png) [@CJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CJJ)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2012, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-romney-tapes-thoughts-as-to-how-theyll-affect-the-election/635007/288 "2012-09-19T14:52:40Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > Welfare isn’t that much of an issue for most voters now. Or at least that was the case before this administration vastly expanded eligibility. That nonsense was [debunked](http://factcheck.org/2012/08/does-obamas-plan-gut-welfare-reform/) long ago. Then again, Republicans don’t like having fact-checkers upset their presidential campaigns or their world-view… I suspect that most folks who repeat what they heard on Fox News have no idea exactly how the 1996 welfare reform act worked (hint: It’s no longer run by the federal government…). ---
**Author:** ![Truman\_Burbank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecc23a/32.png) [@Truman\_Burbank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Truman_Burbank)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2012, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-romney-tapes-thoughts-as-to-how-theyll-affect-the-election/635007/289 "2012-09-19T14:54:34Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > Fine. Then there will be a lot of welfare recipients voting Republican since I’m wrong. Glad we cleared that up. Exactly! Now you’re finally getting it! A _lot_ of those 47% "welfare’ recipients will, in fact, vote Republican. Glad you finally rid yourself of Reagan’s ‘welfare queen’ BS, I was beginning to lose hope. .. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2012, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-romney-tapes-thoughts-as-to-how-theyll-affect-the-election/635007/290 "2012-09-19T15:06:15Z")
To me, the most disturbing part was this little gem: > [@](#): > > And yet, in that election, in the Jimmy Carter election, the fact that we had hostages in Iran, I mean, that was all we talked about. And we had the two helicopters crash in the desert, I mean, that was the focus, and so him [Reagan] solving that made all the difference in the world. I’m afraid today that if you simply got Iran to agree to stand down on nuclear weapons, they’d go, "Now hold on. It’s really a – "I mean, if something of that nature presents itself I will work to find a way to take advantage of the opportunity. So, Mitt, if a situation arose where hostages were taken or Americans killed, you’d rush in and exploit that opportunity? I hope you were kidding. Oh wait a minute, that’s exactly what you did with the Libyan attack. Romney is a very small man indeed. ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2012, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-romney-tapes-thoughts-as-to-how-theyll-affect-the-election/635007/291 "2012-09-19T15:11:27Z")
Mitt Romney – [son of a moocher](http://www.buzzfeed.com/andrewkaczynski/before-ann-and-mitt-lenore-and-george). [QUOTE=Lenore Romney, describing her husband George] He was on relief - welfare relief - for the first years of his life. [/QUOTE] ---
**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 19, 2012, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-romney-tapes-thoughts-as-to-how-theyll-affect-the-election/635007/292 "2012-09-19T15:18:45Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > Who are they, and how do you know who they are? Why, they are the ones who vote for the Democrats, silly! That’s how we tell the difference between real Americans and shiftless moochers even when they otherwise look identical. ---
**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 19, 2012, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-romney-tapes-thoughts-as-to-how-theyll-affect-the-election/635007/293 "2012-09-19T15:22:45Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > Romney’s statement was wrong in many ways, but the general sentiment is right: the dependent vote Democrat. They are unreachable because they are owned. They are no longer free to make their own decisions, their fates are tied to one party. > > I’m not talking about everyone who receives government assistance of some sort. Many Republicans do, even when Republicans threaten to cut that assistance. I’m referring to people for whom dependence is so total that they do not feel free to make a choice. Cite? I seriously mean this - are there statistics that show a voting preference based upon a % of total income that comes via government aid? This claim is made, I’d like to see it backed up. “It feels right” isn’t proof, of course. ---
**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 19, 2012, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-romney-tapes-thoughts-as-to-how-theyll-affect-the-election/635007/294 "2012-09-19T15:26:23Z")
> [@joebuck20](#): > > Probably, seeing as the Republican strongholds in the South have some of the highest food stamp usage in the country. > > [http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703834804576301241171253176.html](http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703834804576301241171253176.html) Didn’t click on the link. I’m almost certain you’re engaging in an ecological fallacy, where you assume that because a state has a high percentage of people on food stamps that it must mean that there are a high percentage of Republicans in the state on food stamps when this doesn’t have to be the case. A more likely reason that southern states have some of the highest food stamp usage in the country is more than likely because of Democrat voting minorities who live in these states. Approximately half of Blacks live in the South and they are more likely to be on foodstamps than their White counterparts relative to percentage of the population they constitute. So while one of these states would vote Republican, within the state the majority of food stamp users would vote Democrat, a case where the overall state voting trend doesn’t match up with the individual trend. ---
**Author:** ![Truman\_Burbank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecc23a/32.png) [@Truman\_Burbank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Truman_Burbank)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2012, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-romney-tapes-thoughts-as-to-how-theyll-affect-the-election/635007/295 "2012-09-19T15:30:12Z")
“Didn’t click on the link”. “Now, let me give you a reasoned response to why whatever might be in there isn’t true…” :smack: ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2012, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-romney-tapes-thoughts-as-to-how-theyll-affect-the-election/635007/296 "2012-09-19T15:32:52Z")
nm ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2012, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-romney-tapes-thoughts-as-to-how-theyll-affect-the-election/635007/297 "2012-09-19T15:33:24Z")
> [@Truman\_Burbank](#): > > “Didn’t click on the link”. “Now, let me give you a reasoned response to why whatever might be in there isn’t true…” :smack: OMG is a conservative. Why should facts matter in small scale arguments when they don’t drive policy. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2012, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-romney-tapes-thoughts-as-to-how-theyll-affect-the-election/635007/298 "2012-09-19T15:35:41Z")
> [@Omg\_a\_Black\_Conservative](#): > > A more likely reason that southern states have some of the highest food stamp usage in the country is more than likely because of Democrat voting minorities who live in these states. This is just ridiculous and incoherent. The reason southern states have higher food stamp usage rates is that they have more poor people who qualify for food stamps. It is not “because of” the existence of a political voting bloc. Whether or not the people using foo stamps vote Democratic or Republican is a separate matter, and one you’ve provided no evidence for either way. ---
**Author:** ![Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hentor_the_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2012, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-romney-tapes-thoughts-as-to-how-theyll-affect-the-election/635007/299 "2012-09-19T15:38:11Z")
> [@Truman\_Burbank](#): > > “Didn’t click on the link”. “Now, let me give you a reasoned response to why whatever might be in there isn’t true…” :smack: If you go through life insisting upon wearing ear plugs and eye plugs, it ought to be mandatory that you also use a mouth plug. ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2012, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-romney-tapes-thoughts-as-to-how-theyll-affect-the-election/635007/300 "2012-09-19T15:38:29Z")
> [@Truman\_Burbank](#): > > “Didn’t click on the link”. “Now, let me give you a reasoned response to why whatever might be in there isn’t true…” :smack: OMG will not allow himself to be dictated to by fact-checkers. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-romney-tapes-thoughts-as-to-how-theyll-affect-the-election/635007.md?page=14) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-romney-tapes-thoughts-as-to-how-theyll-affect-the-election/635007.md?page=16)