Patterico's Pontifications

7/5/2011

Romney On Obama’s Economic Performance Before and After

Filed under: General — Aaron Worthing @ 2:14 pm



[Guest post by Aaron Worthing; if you have tips, please send them here.  Or by Twitter @AaronWorthing.]

Okay, so Republicans are being told that we have to take Romney, even though he supported a law that looks an awful lot like Obamacare because 1) he would not be crazy enough to allow Obamacare to stand—he understands that Republicans are really opposed to it and 2) he is electable, especially because of his street cred on the economy.

So how is Romney doing on #2, in hammering Obama on the economy?

Well, this is what he said in mid June:

[Obama] didn’t create the recession, but he made it worse, and longer.

Sounds good so far and we agree.  And then he said this, when asked about that claim:

I didn’t say that things are worse, what I said was that the economy hasn’t turned around.

And now he has said this:

Speaking at the annual July Fourth parade here on Monday, Mr. Romney told a crowd of supporters and passersby, “the recession is deeper because of our president,” adding, “it’s seen an anemic recovery because of our president.”

Beats my head on the desk. Nice one Mitt.  You took a solid talking point on the economy, a winning case to be made, and you actually managed to flip flop on it, like a certain other Massachusetts politician.  And this is supposed to be the guy who is going to hammer Obama on his miserable economic performance?

He just defanged himself.

[Posted and authored by Aaron Worthing.]

49 Responses to “Romney On Obama’s Economic Performance Before and After”

  1. Agreed.

    Lesson: Less is often better.

    Mitch (890cbf)

  2. mitch

    well, either that or pick a message and stick with it.

    Aaron Worthing (e7d72e)

  3. Yet another reason why I’m tired of the establishment clowns like Hugh Hewitt telling me how great Romney is.

    SPQR (26be8b)

  4. Mitt Romney has two points in his favor. One is his claim to have economic expertise and the other is his ability to be an effective bulldog in attacking Obama. Romney did the best in the most recent debate of making a clear case against Obama. I thought he distilled many of the ideas I’ve hard down to an easy to understand set of talking points.

    I’m not surprised the right is not accepting Romney as more than a very well rehearsed politician (that’s what I see in him).

    Romney cannot afford to be mealy mouthed about this. Let Obama himself convince America we’re in a recovery.

    I’m firmly in Rick Perry’s camp at this point.

    Dustin (b7410e)

  5. Mitt is a mutt. Panting, slavering, what can I do to make you happy/like me, mutt. Establishment. Entitled. etc, etc etc

    On the other hand, where’s the MSM’s critique’s of The Won? His are far much worse.

    MDr (fd1f4b)

  6. Romney is so nuanced that he should be a Democrat.

    Arizona Bob (7d2a2c)

  7. There are legions of problems with Romney-Mormonism, Romneycare,his mealy-mouthed half measures of attacking Obama, the feckless say anythingstyle. But the biggest problem is the constant refrain that he is a businessman. His company, Bain Capital, buys “distressed” companies and basically fires everyone to make the stock price of said company on what assets are left attractive to investors. That may make for a great return on investment, but it is not running a business. Never cared for Mike Huckabee but his critique on Romney being the guy who fires you still rings true. In a general election, the Dems and The One will barbeque Romney.Obama is vulnerable on the economy, but he will not be beat by a happytalk gladhanding downsizing hack like Romney.

    Bugg (ea1809)

  8. he’s meg whitman with a penis I think

    happyfeet (a55ba0)

  9. ==well, either that or pick a message and stick with it==

    Unfortunately Hope and Change is already taken. But like that.

    elissa (fb4a7e)

  10. These’s really nothing contradictory about those quotes though.

    As Rick santelli would say, the stimulus was a 6-day cure for a 3-day cold. It made the cold worse, but that doesn’t mean that the cold didn’t eventually subside anyway.

    Hardison (a133ba)

  11. Why is Mormonism per se such a perceived unsurmountable problem for Romney and Huntsman but never mentioned with respect to Harry Reid?

    Agreed– there are other major issues for Mitt and Jon but why do people see Mormonism as such a biggie?

    elissa (fb4a7e)

  12. Mittens is really a democrat, which is why the MFM is pushing him as the GOP front runner.

    no more RINOs.

    redc1c4 (fb8750)

  13. I would love Romney if he took out Kerry. Other than that he serves no purpose to the Republican Party.

    Sponge Bob Square Pants (786e37)

  14. #12 — The Romney’s of this world serve a purpose in the Party — to push out Democrats and establish a “more conservative tone” in the more liberal states.

    Goal: get us back right of center as fast as possible in as many states as possible and nationally too.

    But Romney as a national candidate lets the left off the hook and does not drive the right-ward lurch.

    Sponge Bob Square Pants (786e37)

  15. I’m unsure whether Mormonism is such a deal breaker.

    Maybe it is for a Republican.

    Clearly it isn’t for liberal Democrats like Harry Reid, or?

    And if a pol’s religious observances are fair game, then can someone remind me why Rev. Wright’s two-decades-long pastoral oversight of Obama — a relationship Obama actively sought out and maintained — was given relatively short and belated shrift? A Republican with any such pastor would have been drummed out of public life, not a few scolding editorials in the MSM (and then the presidency).

    Mitch (890cbf)

  16. If you’re following the old Thatcher playbook against Obama, you don’t concede the argument, specially when the facts are on your side, this is a bad habit, that we saw in the ’94 Senate race,
    where he tried to be ‘too cute’ by half, and the Kennedy camp, still cut him off at the knees, like
    the Black Knight in ‘Grail, with that lie about
    that company that Bain had sold off, years ago,
    Taibbi, that bottomdwelling slug, was taking up
    that talking point, during the last primary.

    ian cormac (d380ce)

  17. I find the people who constantly reference his mormonism are either uber-christian yahoos or leftists nut jobs.

    Sponge Bob Square Pants (786e37)

  18. Clearly it isn’t for liberal Democrats like Harry Reid, or?

    I’m not sure this is a fair comparison.

    Romney was elected Governor. Reid was elected Senator.

    Clearly being a mormon is not a big deal to a very high level in politics. Personally, I don’t think it would be one at any level, but until the democrats nominate a mormon for the presidency, it does appear mormons are going farther with Team R. Romney was a contender in 2008, after all.

    Anyway, your larger point is right. The democrats seem tolerant of this Rev Wright psycho religion. and of course, they are pointing to Romney’s religion and making an issue of it, too.

    I think they are only being partisan. They couldn’t care less about Romney’s faith.

    Dustin (b7410e)

  19. His company, Bain Capital, buys “distressed” companies and basically fires everyone to make the stock price of said company on what assets are left attractive to investors.

    I’m not sure how accurate this is. Last time I looked into it, Bain was behind a lot of companies that employed a lot of people, actually. I think this is the one bullet on Romney’s resume that is worth a damn.

    Dustin (b7410e)

  20. Stating at the onset, I am not a Romney fan… his comments are not at all inconsistent. Perhaps his reputation as a serial flip-flopper led you all to jump to conclusions instead of carefully paying attention to what he actually said.

    #1 – Obama did make things worse than when he took office and he made things worse than it otherwise would have been.

    #2 – The economy is not now worse than it was a year ago. It has improved… marginally so. (I believe this answer was a rebuttal to an uninformed reporter’s claim that Romney had said the economy was worse now than it was a year ago. Perhaps not the most eloquent rebuttal, but not inconsistent with his first claim).

    #3 – A reiteration of #1, that things wouldn’t have been as bad but for Obama.

    BTW, the first source I saw for the meme was Peggy Noonan in the WSJ a couple of months ago… her column was on the ‘sentence’ Presidents are known for (I am not a crook, etc.). Her line for Obama… he didn’t cause the problems, he just made them worse.

    steve (254463)

  21. True, take Clear Channel or Staples, on the other hand, there are probably not s few that didn’t work out so well, and as pointed out earlier, ‘if needs
    must’ they will make it up.

    ian cormac (d380ce)

  22. … also, in general, Private Equity fixes broken companies. So what he needs to do is compile a list of the hundreds of thousands his company saved.

    Sponge Bob Square Pants (786e37)

  23. steve

    actually i didn’t hear he had a rep for flip flopping. i know he changed his mind on abortion, but people are allowed to do that.

    Aaron Worthing (73a7ea)

  24. Every time I read of supposed “conservatives” fuming about “Mormonism”, saying it’s a deal-breaker, etc., I feel a sense of shame to identify as a conservative. This sort of thinking is so far removed from what this country is supposed to stand for and from our founding principles that I find it absolutely repulsive.

    To hear it from liberals would be no surprise, as most of them hate Christianity.

    You can find fault with Mitt Romney’s pronouncements, policies, seeming too eager to compromise, etc., but – for Godsakes – do NOT use religious intolerance as a cudgel.

    ColonelHaiku (822dce)

  25. Just as taste of Romney as flipper The image is of a guy with no sincere beliefs, who will take whatever position on an issue is needed to gain votes (as I said, I’m not a Romney fan).

    I think this is a big reason he is defending Romneycare, he figures he’d lose more credibility flipping yet again than by trying to both defend Romneycare and attack Obamacare.

    steve (254463)

  26. For chrissakes, to hear some people tell it, you would think that family values, instilling the value of personal sacrifice and hard work in our youth, a sense of patriotism, a belief that our Founding documents and principles were “divinely inspired” are downright un-American.

    Give me an effing break.

    Okay… I’ve said my piece.

    ColonelHaiku (822dce)

  27. If what I’ve read is correct, the majority of those polled in Massachusetts are relatively happy with the state’s healthcare. I’ve also read that they have the highest healthcare expense in the nation. I think the truth lay somewhere in between. One thing I know for certain is that Romney knows the business world, has far more executive experience than the current occupant of the Oval Office OR any of the announced candidates.

    And I believe he – unlike Harry Reid – is an honest man.

    ColonelHaiku (822dce)

  28. And another thing… Goddamn it all!… lol.

    ColonelHaiku (822dce)

  29. Why is Mormonism per se such a perceived unsurmountable problem for Romney and Huntsman but never mentioned with respect to Harry Reid?

    Its a problem for candidates running for a national office because of the views about Mormonism is the South. Just because a Mormon can win in Nevada, Utah or Massachusetts, does not mean he can win in South Carolina or Georgia. And, for someone trying to win the presidency as a Republican, the South is essential.

    Anon Y. Mous (cb1134)

  30. Bull Conner rides again…

    ColonelHaiku (822dce)

  31. If Southern conservatives and independents prefer seeing Barack the Destroyer re-elected over helping elect a Mormon, then may God have mercy on their stupid souls.

    ColonelHaiku (822dce)

  32. has far more executive experience than the current occupant of the Oval Office OR any of the announced candidates.

    His executive experience = considerable success in the business world, righting a broken Olympics, and what I consider a pretty poor governorship.

    I’d take Bachmann over Romney. I think Cain has better experience, and I do not think Cain has acceptable experience for the White House. Pawlenty has a better resume, too, though sadly I don’t want to pit him against the Obama machine. Romney nailed his debate performance by showing us how to take the fight to Obama intelligently (which is why his waffling now is a little odd, but probably an anomaly).

    Thankfully, it’s early yet, my friend, and plenty of smart candidates have yet to announce so damn early.

    Dustin (b7410e)

  33. You can find fault with Mitt Romney’s pronouncements, policies, seeming too eager to compromise, etc., but – for Godsakes – do NOT use religious intolerance as a cudgel.

    Comment by ColonelHaiku —

    Amen, btw. Romney deserves better, but really the entire damn party does. Instead of referencing these anti-mormon bigots out there as a reason, let them speak for themselves. My guess is that there really aren’t that many people whose problems with Mormonism will change their vote if it were Romney vs Obama.

    Dustin (b7410e)

  34. Not all business experience is relevant business experience. If I was looking for someone to turn around a money-losing big business, I’d hire Romney. But that doesn’t mean he has a clue as to what policies would generate economic growth (remember, once a company reaches a given size, growth tends to come from buying businesses*, not from growing organically).

    I don’t know that Romney knows what it will take to get small businesses hiring again.

    * or, if you’re GE, from sucking up to Obama.

    steve (254463)

  35. There is nothing wrong in considering a candidate’s religious views when deciding whether you want to support that candidate. I find it difficult to imagine voting for a practicing Muslim because of the desire of Islam to spread Sharia combined with their belief that it is acceptable to lie to the infidels to get what they want. I won’t say never, but it is hard to imagine a way that a Muslim will be able to overcome that with me.

    I don’t feel that way about Mormons, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t others who have legitimate issues with their beliefs.

    Anthony "Lil Tony" Weiner (a3e6b1)

  36. sock off

    Anon Y. Mous (a3e6b1)

  37. There is nothing wrong in considering a candidate’s religious views when deciding whether you want to support that candidate

    Of course not. This is central to one’s character. And from what I know of mainstream Mormons, their views are honorable.

    but it is hard to imagine a way that a Muslim will be able to overcome that with me.

    I’d at least want them to discuss the issue and try to make the case. These days, I would expect a PC ‘how dare you bring this up’ effort.

    Dustin (b7410e)

  38. Thank you for your considered opinion, Dustin!

    ColonelHaiku (822dce)

  39. Steve @ #20 nailed it.

    What Mitt said was:

    1) Completely accurate, and
    2) Perfectly consistent.

    Quite frankly, this post and many of the commenters are guilty of some seriously sloppy thinking in not understanding the difference between making the recession deeper and the economy objectively being better now than it was when Obama took office.

    Both of those are “DUH” statements, and you’re falling into the trap of letting other people tell you what it meant rather than thinking for yourself about what was ACTUALLY said.

    Jim B (bace6c)

  40. It is funny noticing why Chris Christie is so popular among small-government types, who are not particularly fond of Republican performance. The talking points, and rehashing of decades old debates using the same words, Mitch McConnell adroitly half-smirking through the Rube Goldberg contraptions in his mouth… while being one of the most ineffective politicians by dollar amount, in the history of Planets.

    Swell, so now “Republicans” are now against Ethanol subsidies because the clown-dicks who implemented the subsidy did it as a tax holiday. And now to remove subsidies is to violate The No-Tax Pledge. But wait! They voted to get huge press that they are eliminating that someday, while the subsidies continue forever because of Congressional maneuvering.

    Send in the land sharks.

    Wesson (914281)

  41. Aaron, please read Ace’s defense of Mitt on this, he makes a good case (also hit up the first link): http://minx.cc/?post=318419

    oneisnotprime (83f7ff)

  42. I don’t think Ace’s defense of Mitt really helps Romney at all.

    Romney’s role should be to attack Obama rather than give him any kind of cover for being responsible for a recovery.

    sure, what Mitt means is that the recovery we have is less than it would be, but if he’s going to be that clumsy in how he conveys the point, he is of no use to us.

    This isn’t just about whether Mitt contradicted himself, but also about how we need a clear communicator. It’s a tough job, and most can’t do it effectively.

    Saying ‘recovery because of Obama’ is not an effective way to criticize him, and that kind of comment will come back and bite him in the future.

    It’s not the end of the world, but Romney has no chance of being nominated unless he can convince the GOP he is an excellent communicator.

    Dustin (b7410e)

  43. one is

    of course i will read it. i don’t want to speak badly of a republican who might be our nominee. i might prefer other republicans to be president, but him v. Obama is still not a hard decision.

    Aaron Worthing (73a7ea)

  44. Romney is about my last choice (though to be fair, that describes pretty much all the announced candidates), but I have to agree with Ace there was no contradiction here. Mitt cannot say the economy hasn’t improved without making a very complex and subjective argument. This is a totally separate question from whether Obama botched the recovery.

    oneisnotprime (881c20)

  45. America’s prospects are shit, largely thanks to one Barack Obama, and poor ickle Romneykins will be president about the same time America next balances its budget

    happyfeet (3c92a1)

  46. Correcting oneself is a weakness in the GOP primary field.

    stone (ed4797)

  47. Yeah, but Palin is too stupid to be President!

    RIIIIGHT.

    If she gets in, she’ll wipe the floor with Mitt.

    AD-RtR/OS! (c036a6)

  48. colonel looks forward
    to primary season and
    may the best “man” win

    ColonelHaiku (822dce)

  49. sorry AD guy
    Palin go teats up when Mitt
    gets her bumfuzzled

    ColonelHaiku (822dce)


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