Guns and religion vs. 47%

So long, fuckers!

As the Mitt Rombot inches closer to becoming self-aware, pundits across the internet have turned to deciding how his “47% of Americans will never care for their lives” remarks compare to the worst gaffe in American history: Barack Obama’s 2008 “guns and religion” comment. Both statements cost the speakers their respective elections. But which is worse? Mary Bruce of ABC News put the question to Jay Carney at yesterday’s White House presser. William Saletan quotes 500 words of 2008 Obama in what is definitely not a half-assed run at his deadline. And Jamelle Bouie at the American Prospect points out that each gaffe came at a different point in the horse race. Unifying theme after the jump.

Continue reading

Romney admits he will never convince you to care about your life

Then over here you’ve got the Asians; they’re good at math, so they’ll never vote for me either.

Is there any better metaphor for contemporary conservatism than Mitt Romney complaining that he would have had a chance if only he had been born Mexican? Yesterday, Mother Jones swept back to relevance by releasing a series of surreptitious videos of the Republican nominee speaking at a fundraiser in Boca Raton, where he lamented that the 47% of Americans who do not pay federal income tax will vote for Barack Obama no matter what. “My job is is not to worry about those people,” Romney said. “I’ll never convince them they should take personal responsibility and care for their lives.” I mean, hell—if the wailing of their hungry children doesn’t…

Continue reading

Romney keeps it surreal in the Hamptons

“We removed it to make his mouth more efficient!”

My favorite aspect of the 2012 presidential election is the micro-genre of news story in which Mitt Romney does some Richie Rich shit. This weekend was delightful, as Romney held a trio of fundraisers in the Hamptons. You may remember the Hamptons from such experiences as client invites you to his summer home to reinforce the idea that he is your boss, or this. That was hilarious when I was twelve, but now that I am older I prefer the sort of sardony you can only get from the New York Times:

A woman in a blue chiffon dress poked her head out of a black Range Rover here on Sunday afternoon and yelled to an aide to Mitt Romney, “Is there a V.I.P. entrance. We are V.I.P.” No such entrance existed.

Well played, Michael Barbaro and Sarah Wheaton. But for the prize pig Romney donor quote of the weekend, you’ll have to click on the jump.

Continue reading