# 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:** 25
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2012, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-romney-tapes-thoughts-as-to-how-theyll-affect-the-election/635007/481 "2012-09-26T21:55:15Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > Why is he such a bad politician now and yet he was elected governor of Massachusetts? Hell, man, give me enough time and money and I bet I could get elected governor. _Palin_ got elected governor. (Seriously, give me the money. I’ll totally do it.) ---
**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 26, 2012, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-romney-tapes-thoughts-as-to-how-theyll-affect-the-election/635007/482 "2012-09-26T21:55:58Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > Why is he such a bad politician now and yet he was elected governor of Massachusetts? I mean, the guy you see on TV now couldn’t be elected governor of his own shitter. It’s a serious question; the guy wasn’t a drool factory before, and enjoyed electoral success to an executive branch post. What the hell’s going on? I think having to feed the right wing tea party masses of his party has truly caused him to be in uncomfortable positions. In Mass he could win with a more moderate position, now he needs red meat for his base and it seems untenable, almost like a “DOES NOT COMPUTE” is going off in his brain. ---
**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:** [September 26, 2012, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-romney-tapes-thoughts-as-to-how-theyll-affect-the-election/635007/483 "2012-09-26T22:07:44Z")
> [@Gangster\_Octopus](#): > > I think having to feed the right wing tea party masses of his party has truly caused him to be in uncomfortable positions. In Mass he could win with a more moderate position, now he needs red meat for his base and it seems untenable, almost like a “DOES NOT COMPUTE” is going off in his brain. This, and what **Balance** said, I should steal that chameleon line. 🙂 What I think we see is Romney’s reaction to the drubbing he must be having from tea party “supporters” that are not just demanding, but \*\*ordering \*\*to a conservative moderate (Romney) to be just as rabid and intolerant as they are. ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2012, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-romney-tapes-thoughts-as-to-how-theyll-affect-the-election/635007/484 "2012-09-26T22:10:09Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > Why is he such a bad politician now and yet he was elected governor of Massachusetts? I mean, the guy you see on TV now couldn’t be elected governor of his own shitter. It’s a serious question; the guy wasn’t a drool factory before, and enjoyed electoral success to an executive branch post. What the hell’s going on? He got elected to governor of Massachusetts as a moderate, which he probably actually is. He is flailing trying to pretend he is a hardcore conservative now. ---
**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 26, 2012, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-romney-tapes-thoughts-as-to-how-theyll-affect-the-election/635007/485 "2012-09-26T23:01:23Z")
Romney released a new campaign ad today where he speaks directly to the camera, claiming he’s for everybody, his heart aches, etc. [The Democrats Respond](http://www.businessinsider.com/democrats-nail-romney-ad-2012-9) (video in article). ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2012, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-romney-tapes-thoughts-as-to-how-theyll-affect-the-election/635007/486 "2012-09-26T23:34:34Z")
> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#): > > Mainstage paralysis? Over handled? Brain tumor? The Daily Show did a wonderful piece last night in which Stewart concluded that Romney was going through his own personal [Flowers for Algernon](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flowers_for_Algernon) story, becoming less and less intelligent as each day passes. ---
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2012, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-romney-tapes-thoughts-as-to-how-theyll-affect-the-election/635007/487 "2012-09-26T23:39:30Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > Romney released a new campaign ad today where he speaks directly to the camera, claiming he’s for everybody, his heart aches, etc. > > [The Democrats Respond](http://www.businessinsider.com/democrats-nail-romney-ad-2012-9) (video in article). I know I am hopelessly partisan. But, damn, the Democrats are putting out some hard-hitting ads this year. Where were these kinds of ads in previous elections? ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2012, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-romney-tapes-thoughts-as-to-how-theyll-affect-the-election/635007/488 "2012-09-26T23:39:34Z")
> [@SpoilerVirgin](#): > > The Daily Show did a wonderful piece last night in which Stewart concluded that Romney was going through his own personal [Flowers for Algernon](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flowers_for_Algernon) story, becoming less and less intelligent as each day passes. That was classic. Particularly Stewart’s “Come on, read a fucking book!” aside to the audience. ---
**Author:** ![a35362](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@a35362](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/a35362)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2012, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-romney-tapes-thoughts-as-to-how-theyll-affect-the-election/635007/489 "2012-09-26T23:53:15Z")
[aside] Did the audience groan because they didn’t know the book (and isn’t it really a short story or novella), or because Jon basically said Romney is mentally retarded? [/aside] ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2012, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-romney-tapes-thoughts-as-to-how-theyll-affect-the-election/635007/490 "2012-09-27T00:16:08Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > Romney released a new campaign ad today where he speaks directly to the camera, claiming he’s for everybody, his heart aches, etc. > > [The Democrats Respond](http://www.businessinsider.com/democrats-nail-romney-ad-2012-9) (video in article). Are they really allowed to use the “I’m Mitt Romney and i approve this message” at the end? ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2012, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-romney-tapes-thoughts-as-to-how-theyll-affect-the-election/635007/491 "2012-09-27T00:27:04Z")
> [@a35362](#): > > [aside] Did the audience groan because they didn’t know the book (and isn’t it really a short story or novella), or because Jon basically said Romney is mentally retarded? [/aside] I got the sense that it was a prepared part of the bit that Stewart would have used no matter what the audience had done, but the joke he made was that the audience groaned because they knew they were going to have to look it up later on Wikipedia to figure out what it was. ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2012, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-romney-tapes-thoughts-as-to-how-theyll-affect-the-election/635007/492 "2012-09-27T03:03:04Z")
> [@a35362](#): > > [aside] Did the audience groan because they didn’t know the book (and isn’t it really a short story or novella), [/aside] Originally a Hugo winning novella, then turned into a novel. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2012, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-romney-tapes-thoughts-as-to-how-theyll-affect-the-election/635007/493 "2012-09-27T04:28:03Z")
> [@MsWhatsit](#): > > That was classic. Particularly Stewart’s “Come on, read a fucking book!” aside to the audience. > [@a35362](#): > > [aside] Did the audience groan because they didn’t know the book (and isn’t it really a short story or novella), or because Jon basically said Romney is mentally retarded? [/aside] Some of them laughed and some of them groaned, and both responses (as well as the context of the joke) suggest they understood what he was saying about Romney. I’m not sure why he went with the “read a fucking book!” line, but maybe it was directed at some people who didn’t react to the joke. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2012, 11:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-romney-tapes-thoughts-as-to-how-theyll-affect-the-election/635007/494 "2012-09-27T11:38:47Z")
I think he would’ve responded with a “Read a fucking book” no matter how the audience reacted. It seems like a good way to acknowledge that they’ve just made a literary reference that is semi-obscure. It’ll help the portion of the audience that doesn’t understand it not feel so dumb. ---
**Author:** ![mozchron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c2a13f/32.png) [@mozchron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mozchron)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2012, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-romney-tapes-thoughts-as-to-how-theyll-affect-the-election/635007/495 "2012-09-27T11:46:17Z")
> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#): > > I think he would’ve responded with a “Read a fucking book” no matter how the audience reacted. It seems like a good way to acknowledge that they’ve just made a literary reference that is semi-obscure. It’ll help the portion of the audience that doesn’t understand it not feel so dumb. Off topic of course, but is Flowers for Algernon really semi-obscure? We had to read the novel in class in the fifth grade. Oh, and that Democratic ad featuring Romney quotes is one of the most brutal I’ve ever seen. I approve - its about fucking time the Dems played hardball. ---
**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 27, 2012, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-romney-tapes-thoughts-as-to-how-theyll-affect-the-election/635007/496 "2012-09-27T12:03:50Z")
> [@mozchron](#): > > Oh, and that Democratic ad featuring Romney quotes is one of the most brutal I’ve ever seen. I approve - its about fucking time the Dems played hardball. If Al Gore’s team had half the testosterone that the Obama team does, there never would have been a W presidency, the Iraq War would never have happened, and the recession would have been prevented. ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2012, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-romney-tapes-thoughts-as-to-how-theyll-affect-the-election/635007/497 "2012-09-27T15:35:29Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > If Al Gore’s team had half the testosterone that the Obama team does, there never would have been a W presidency, the Iraq War would never have happened, and the recession would have been prevented. It wasn’t Gore’s lack of testosterone, it was Clinton’s excess that made the W presidency. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2012, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-romney-tapes-thoughts-as-to-how-theyll-affect-the-election/635007/498 "2012-09-27T16:01:00Z")
The new 47% ad from the actual Obama campaign is actually harder and more brutal than the DNC ad: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/B9xCCaseop4/maxresdefault.jpg "My Job - Obama for America TV Ad") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9xCCaseop4) ---
**Author:** ![appleciders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85f322/32.png) [@appleciders](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/appleciders)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2012, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-romney-tapes-thoughts-as-to-how-theyll-affect-the-election/635007/499 "2012-09-27T16:19:53Z")
> [@mozchron](#): > > Off topic of course, but is Flowers for Algernon really semi-obscure? We had to read the novel in class in the fifth grade. Really? The novel in fifth grade? I seem to remember that it’s pretty long, and has some non-trivial relation to sex. Are you sure you didn’t read the short story? It’s only twenty pages or so. And, of course, it’s much better. Oh, and **Jophiel** , that ad is devastating. I love that it has no narration, no commentary, just a recording of Romney himself. It’s simple, and the Obama campaign correctly judged that it needs no adornment. ---
**Author:** ![pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pseudotriton_ruber_ruber)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2012, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-romney-tapes-thoughts-as-to-how-theyll-affect-the-election/635007/500 "2012-09-27T16:20:50Z")
> [@Jophiel](#): > > The new 47% ad from the actual Obama campaign is actually harder and more brutal than the DNC ad: > > [http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player\_embedded&v=B9xCCaseop4](http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=B9xCCaseop4) And just imagine what Obama will do when he decides to stop being Mister Nice Guy! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-romney-tapes-thoughts-as-to-how-theyll-affect-the-election/635007.md?page=24) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-romney-tapes-thoughts-as-to-how-theyll-affect-the-election/635007.md?page=26)