# 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:** 3
**Author:** ![Andiethewestie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ba9def/32.png) [@Andiethewestie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andiethewestie)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2012, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-romney-tapes-thoughts-as-to-how-theyll-affect-the-election/635007/41 "2012-09-18T00:06:10Z")
And of course the guy who pays no taxes on whatever he has off shore calls the middle class moochers. ---
**Author:** ![Andiethewestie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ba9def/32.png) [@Andiethewestie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andiethewestie)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2012, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-romney-tapes-thoughts-as-to-how-theyll-affect-the-election/635007/42 "2012-09-18T00:07:14Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > Amazing how Romney can simultaneously want to kick Mexicans out of the country, but wishes he was of Mexican descent so he can win the election… ? > > I’m so confused… A love/hate thang with Latinos. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2012, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-romney-tapes-thoughts-as-to-how-theyll-affect-the-election/635007/43 "2012-09-18T00:08:24Z")
He’s truly the gift that keeps giving. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2012, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-romney-tapes-thoughts-as-to-how-theyll-affect-the-election/635007/44 "2012-09-18T00:12:16Z")
Sounds like he thought he was giving a speech for the Ladies Sewing Circle and Social Darwinism Study Group. ---
**Author:** ![BigAppleBucky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigapplebucky/32/178_2.png) [@BigAppleBucky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigAppleBucky)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2012, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-romney-tapes-thoughts-as-to-how-theyll-affect-the-election/635007/45 "2012-09-18T00:18:35Z")
Nice pie chart about halfway down. [http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/ezra-klein/wp/2012/09/17/romneys-theory-of-the-taker-class-and-why-it-matters/](http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/ezra-klein/wp/2012/09/17/romneys-theory-of-the-taker-class-and-why-it-matters/) > [@](#): > > For what it’s worth, this argument isn’t true. Among the Americans who paid no federal income taxes in 2011, 61 percent paid payroll taxes — which means they have jobs and, when you account for both sides of the payroll tax, they paid 15.3 percent of their income in taxes, which is higher than the 13.9 percent that Romney paid. Another 22 percent were elderly. > > So 83 percent of those not paying federal income taxes are either working and paying payroll taxes or they’re elderly and Romney is promising to protect their benefits. The remainder, by and large, aren’t paying federal income or payroll taxes because they’re unemployed. But that’s a small fraction of the country. ---
**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 18, 2012, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-romney-tapes-thoughts-as-to-how-theyll-affect-the-election/635007/46 "2012-09-18T00:22:28Z")
> [@Omg\_a\_Black\_Conservative](#): > > I’ll just point out this isn’t exactly a rebuttal of my post (least because it’s true) 😛 The vast majority of entitlements (by dollar amount) are provided to the elderly. Social Security is over $700 billion vs $75 billion for food stamps (the largest for the elderly and non age specific). Medicare is strictly for the elderly and Medicaid is mostly for the elderly. If we are a “welfare society” the elderly are the primary beneficiaries. The elderly vote GOP. NTTIAWWT. ---
**Author:** ![Jenaroph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@Jenaroph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jenaroph)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2012, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-romney-tapes-thoughts-as-to-how-theyll-affect-the-election/635007/47 "2012-09-18T00:23:27Z")
> [@BigAppleBucky](#): > > I don’t get it. He says a $200,000 annual income is “middle class” and he also says half the population are leaches? Wow. Well, maybe that’s part of the problem. Logically, if he thinks A)$200,000 is approximately a median income and B) 47% of Americans don’t pay income tax, then he would need to believe anyone earning less than about $200,000 isn’t paying any income taxes. No wonder his plan raises taxes on the “middle class.” ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2012, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-romney-tapes-thoughts-as-to-how-theyll-affect-the-election/635007/48 "2012-09-18T00:42:11Z")
To get back to the OP, it won’t affect the outcome at all. Romney’s Libya comments seem to have had no effect on the polls despite demonstrating that he is just flat-out incompetent. Why would this be any different? As OMG demonstrates, a lot of people actually believe half the population of the USA consists of freeloaders. ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2012, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-romney-tapes-thoughts-as-to-how-theyll-affect-the-election/635007/49 "2012-09-18T00:52:52Z")
> [@Linden\_Arden](#): > > If we are a “welfare society” the elderly are the primary beneficiaries. The elderly vote GOP. As the Guardian article points out, Romney wasn’t talking about _those_ people who are dependent on the government; he was talking about _black_ (and possibly other non-white/immigrant) people who are dependent on the government. Fortunately most of the people in this thread can’t hear that whistle. ---
**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 18, 2012, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-romney-tapes-thoughts-as-to-how-theyll-affect-the-election/635007/50 "2012-09-18T00:55:32Z")
I’m interested as to who took the video and why they released it now. Is it a donor mad at Romney? A staff worker (say, a waiter) at the event? If it’s one of his donors, the fact that the video was released prior to the election is far more troubling to the Romney campaign than the actual contents. I doubt this person’s identity will remain secret for very long. ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2012, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-romney-tapes-thoughts-as-to-how-theyll-affect-the-election/635007/51 "2012-09-18T01:15:41Z")
> [@Sam\_Lowry](#): > > 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. Neither have I, but according to a recent interview with the two reporters who wrote “[The Real Romney,](http://www.amazon.com/The-Real-Romney-Michael-Kranish/dp/0062123270)” he does discuss policy in his book, but parts of it, specifically parts regarding his stance on health care reform (you know, the parts that made him a Republican punching bag), were rewritten following his 2012 presidential bid. ---
**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 18, 2012, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-romney-tapes-thoughts-as-to-how-theyll-affect-the-election/635007/52 "2012-09-18T01:26:03Z")
> [@MeanOldLady](#): > > Neither have I, but according to a recent interview with the two reporters who wrote “[The Real Romney,](http://www.amazon.com/The-Real-Romney-Michael-Kranish/dp/0062123270)” he does discuss policy in his book, but parts of it, specifically parts regarding his stance on health care reform (you know, the parts that made him a Republican punching bag), were rewritten following his 2012 presidential bid. And then they handed out the originals at the RNC, which tickled me. I’m pretty pleased to see people like my brother, a staunch righty with a mess of children who, at least the last time I asked, didn’t pay any income taxes because of his boatload of deductions, cast as irresponsible and not in control of his life. This also tickles me. ---
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2012, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-romney-tapes-thoughts-as-to-how-theyll-affect-the-election/635007/53 "2012-09-18T01:36:02Z")
I think the main effect will be to help galvanize Democrats to vote against Romney, if they’re not already committed to voting for Obama. This election is about turnout, not changing anyone’s minds. ---
**Author:** ![LavenderBlue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e95f7d/32.png) [@LavenderBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LavenderBlue)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2012, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-romney-tapes-thoughts-as-to-how-theyll-affect-the-election/635007/54 "2012-09-18T01:47:16Z")
He’s not just a lousy candidate. He’s a lousy human being. Sarah Palin has more self awareness than he does. ---
**Author:** ![MacCat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maccat/32/216_2.png) [@MacCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacCat)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2012, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-romney-tapes-thoughts-as-to-how-theyll-affect-the-election/635007/55 "2012-09-18T01:52:36Z")
> [@Andiethewestie](#): > > Well half the Obama voters anyway. ALL the Obama voters. 47% of all voters, he said. ---
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2012, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-romney-tapes-thoughts-as-to-how-theyll-affect-the-election/635007/56 "2012-09-18T01:52:54Z")
> [@LavenderBlue](#): > > Sarah Palin has more self awareness than he does. I think this is true. And it is shocking. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2012, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-romney-tapes-thoughts-as-to-how-theyll-affect-the-election/635007/57 "2012-09-18T01:56:20Z")
The media will say that outrage is mounting, and that Romney has destroyed his election chances. However, the polls will not change, which has been the way things have gone the last five times the media portrayed a story this way. ---
**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 18, 2012, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-romney-tapes-thoughts-as-to-how-theyll-affect-the-election/635007/58 "2012-09-18T01:56:41Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > I’m interested as to who took the video and why they released it now. Is it a donor mad at Romney? A staff worker (say, a waiter) at the event? > > If it’s one of his donors, the fact that the video was released prior to the election is far more troubling to the Romney campaign than the actual contents. > > I doubt this person’s identity will remain secret for very long. 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. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2012, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-romney-tapes-thoughts-as-to-how-theyll-affect-the-election/635007/59 "2012-09-18T01:57:31Z")
> [@Linden\_Arden](#): > > The vast majority of entitlements (by dollar amount) are provided to the elderly. > > Social Security is over $700 billion vs $75 billion for food stamps (the largest for the elderly and non age specific). > > Medicare is strictly for the elderly and Medicaid is mostly for the elderly. > > If we are a “welfare society” the elderly are the primary beneficiaries. The elderly vote GOP. > > NTTIAWWT. People like Paul Ryan, who got SS benefits when his dad died when Paul Ryan was 16. Or Ayn Rand who ended up accepting medicare under a phony name. ---
**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 18, 2012, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-romney-tapes-thoughts-as-to-how-theyll-affect-the-election/635007/60 "2012-09-18T01:57:47Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > The media will say that outrage is mounting, and that Romney has destroyed his election chances. However, the polls will not change, which has been the way things have gone the last five times the media portrayed a story this way. Except for the swing in Obama’s favor over the past month, but, yes, this. :rolleyes: [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-romney-tapes-thoughts-as-to-how-theyll-affect-the-election/635007.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-romney-tapes-thoughts-as-to-how-theyll-affect-the-election/635007.md?page=4)