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Come on, man.

rich, arrogant assholes who equate luck with genius

Republicans want to make it harder to vote and easier for them to cheat.

Cancel the cowardly Times and Post and set up an equivalent monthly donation to ProPublica.

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You are here: Home / Open Threads / Guess that’s why they broke and you’re so paid

Guess that’s why they broke and you’re so paid

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When there was that mini-kerfuffle about whether Romney doubled the size of his house or quadrupled, one of you emailed me something where some rightie was saying “that created more jobs than Obama ever did”. If you take Steve M’s Republican-primary-as-gangsta-rap to to its logical conclusion, shouldn’t Romney be bragging about his wealth? Why not play up his status as a big swinging, job-creating alpha male? Deride Perry as a tax-payer-rent-supported cheapie who lives off of hand-outs from boot-makers and what not?

I think it would work, it would be a way for Romney to get his mojo back.

Reader Interactions

51Comments

  1. 1.

    Yutsano

    I think it would work, it would be a way for Romney to get his mojo back.

    Willard will have to poll test it first then determine which audience he’s addressing to figure out its exact effectiveness. Mittens does nothing until he knows his exact pander first.

  5. 5.

    Redshift

    Considering how much of the support for the GOP anti-tax jihad is from people who don’t want taxes on the rich because they might be rich someday, you would think that “you can be rich like me” would be an appealing angle for the primaries. Might be poison in the general, though, and that may be what Mitten’s pollsters may be telling him.

  6. 6.

    demz taters

    I think it would work, it would be a way for Romney to get his mojo backimpress David Brooks so he’ll write a column about the return of Mitt Romney’s mojo.

    A better breakdown of how it would work…

  8. 8.

    Mino

    I would bet you that regardless of who get the nomination, smart Republican money will be in the states, giving so they can be getting when everything is sold off. Obama hasn’t hurt the moneyed boys, he might improve the economy (which is all to their good), and they can always count on Blue dog Senators to protect them.

  9. 9.

    Cat Lady

    Never mind that his wealth came from breaking companies up and laying people off, as long as Mark Halperin’s around, it would be great news for Mitt Romney.

  10. 10.

    Bnad

    Would Mitt rather the guy who lost to Perry or the nominee who lost the general to Obama? I’d rather be the latter.
    “Governor Perry, have you ever had to meet a payroll?” would flummox the wingers. For all their dunderheaded Perry-loving machismo and reality-molding, they are still in awe of actual Galtian business-making heroism.

  11. 11.

    John Dillinger

    I thought along the same lines about the last debate. If Perry can get applause from a Republican crowd about how many executions he’s signed off on, surely Mitt can get applause by boasting about how he made all that loot at Bain by gutting business and putting people out of work.

  12. 12.

    Legalize

    Weird Willard is already well established in the hippity-op community, what with the “Who Let the Dogs Out” remix. All he needs to do now is undo his belt a little, let his magic underwear hang out a little, and keep it as gangsta has he wants to be.

  13. 13.

    Satanicpanic

    He needs ads with him doing donuts in a Maybach. Or better, yet, have him and T-Paw get together and recreate the California Love video.

  14. 14.

    EdTheRed

    Condo paid for, no car payment
    At my confirmation, note for the Chairman
    “Your contribution’s tied up in the Cayman Islands”
    Face it, affirmed, that’s how I stay filthy
    Richer than Mittens ’till Rick Perry comes and gets me

  15. 15.

    jibeaux

    If Republican primary season were injected with any more demonstrations of machismo, the next debate would just be them all flashing their giant red butts and baring their canines while pounding their chests.

  16. 16.

    Dennis SGMM

    @Redshift:

    Considering how much of the support for the GOP anti-tax jihad is from people who don’t want taxes on the rich because they might be rich someday, you would think that “you can be rich like me” would be an appealing angle for the primaries.

    “Hi, this is Mitt Romney, I started with only a few million bucks in my pocket and I made something of myself. Now you can too simply by voting Romney for President in 2012!”

  18. 18.

    Enhanced Voting Techniques

    @John Dillinger:

    I thought along the same lines about the last debate. If Perry can get applause from a Republican crowd about how many executions he’s signed off on, surely Mitt can get applause by boasting about how he made all that loot at Bain by gutting business and putting people out of work.

    Not quite – Romney needs to brag about how he cleaned house at Bain, that everyone he fired deserved to be unemployed because they were some slacking leech and anyway Romney got a boner giving them pink slips. That would get Romney back to the GoP alpha-lizard screaming match.

    But Romney’s real problem is Romney. The man is natures’ accountant so he an’t going to get in a public self pollution match with Perry.

  21. 21.

    cat48

    @Steve M.:

    The Orthodox Jews also are pissed about Weprin’s vote for Gay marriage in NY. Evidently Israel plus Gay marriage means you lose when GOP has spread Mailers out in the District.

  22. 22.

    singfoom

    Eh, people won’t care that Perry lives off the fat of the corporate-government nexus land. He’s just got a lot of friends that appreciate him.

    Personally, I don’t think that it will be a bad thing for him, because the people want to be like him and have lots of friends who help them.

    It won’t even be noticed.

  23. 23.

    Roger Moore

    @Cat Lady:

    Never mind that his wealth came from breaking companies up and laying people off

    For the Republican base, that’s a selling point. Fucking over the little guy is one more way of proving what a badass you are.

  24. 24.

    Jay in Oregon

    @Enhanced Voting Techniques:

    Not quite – Romney needs to brag about how he cleaned house at Bain, that everyone he fired deserved to be unemployed because they were some slacking leech and anyway Romney got a boner giving them pink slips.

    If he wanted to properly appeal the sociopathic mindset of the Republican primary voter, he should mimic some crying worker as they’re being led out the door or brag about how it “takes balls” to fire people who need jobs.

  25. 25.

    cmorenc

    Back when Perot ran in 1992, the attraction of his great wealth to potential voters was the independence this gave Perot from corrupting dependence on financing from either other big business/financial interests or the major political parties. This worked for Perot because he was seen by the vastly overwhelming majority of voters as an honest, non-ideological player whose huge success in the business world was translatable to successfully reforming government into something that once again constructively worked – neither too much, nor too little of it. Of course, Perot eventually revealed a bit too much eccentric flakiness for too many people to continue supporting him, but that wasn’t due to the failure of the self-made wealthy businessman == independent competent reformer dynamic in voter’s minds of the era.

    Romney might have successfully seized this dynamic at one time eight, ten, twelve years ago had the timing and opportunity been right, but with Bush in office it wasn’t, and the current hyper-polarized political environment isn’t anywhere near so conducive for a Perot-like figure to emerge. Also, Romney has gone all-in with a highly partisan, ideological approach, which is going to be problematic for him to convincingly sell given a real-deal Tea Party competitor in Rick Perry (why buy an insincere Romney-come-lately tea party shtick when you can have the real thing, as a teahadist GOP voter).

  26. 26.

    jl

    Why do our reactionary strong daddies no longer stand tall?

    Perry softens stance on Social Security. From Randy strong man to Ryan sized scam artist.

    “Americans must come together and agree to address the problems so today’s beneficiaries and tomorrow’s retirees really can count on Social Security for the long haul.
    We must have a frank, honest national conversation about fixing Social Security to protect benefits for those at or near retirement while keeping faith with younger generations, who are being asked to pay.”

    TPM2012
    Rick Perry: Look, I’m Just Trying To Make Social Security Better
    http://2012.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/09/rick-perry-look-im-just-trying-to-make-social-security-better.php?ref=fpa

    So, will Perry patiently explain to the GOP teanut dead enders that Social Security will pay between 80 and 100 per cent of benefits forever, if we do not one damn thing at all to the program? And that the difficult challenge for the GOP will be to come up with changes that do better?

    That will be an exciting moment at the debates. I’m sure the banks and Wall Street will cheer Perry for his honesty.

    That scene will be a wed meat for wonks moment.

  27. 27.

    ppcli

    “…that created more jobs than Obama every did”

    But even if, for the sake of argument, we grant the even-more-moronic-than-usual “government never created a single job” talking point/assumption, this is probably not friendly territory for Romney. Then if you combine this construction with Romney’s record at Bain, his “job creation” statistics sit at about minus-800 or so.

  28. 28.

    wasabi gasp

    In the world I live in This would happen, only to be followed by a video of Romney’s construction crew on a siesta break.

  30. 30.

    Enhanced Voting Techniques

    @Jay in Oregon:

    If he wanted to properly appeal the sociopathic mindset of the Republican primary voter, he should mimic some crying worker as they’re being led out the door or brag about how it “takes balls” to fire people who need jobs.

    Brag about how he mocked the unwed mother he just laid off by telling her Mittens wasn’t the guy who got get pregnant. Double tap there on a Traditional Values since he is punishing the lazy and the immoral in one firing. With the hard right is all about channeling the God of the old testament.

  32. 32.

    Yutsano

    @Enhanced Voting Techniques:

    With the hard right is all about channeling the God of the old testament.

    This is rather dangerous territory for Willard though. Hard to channel the Old Testament when the God-botherers think you’re an apostate already.

  34. 34.

    ppcli

    @Jay in Oregon:

    That would be a great slogan:
    Vote Romney 2012: Because Coffee is for Closers

    @Enhanced Voting Techniques:

    Brag about how he mocked the unwed mother he just laid off by telling her Mittens wasn’t the guy who got get pregnant

    Did he really do this? I can’t believe I would have missed hearing about that one.

  36. 36.

    trollhattan

    O/T In which Scott Lemieux find’s a PJ writer who out-Glenn Reynolds, Glenn Reynolds. A pithy excerpt:

    An ultimatum, mid-2002, after ejecting the Taliban, to turn over all records, funds, and materials related to terror. If not, a long, rapid march from the beaches of Syria to the streets of Tehran, destroying all government buildings — and any military forces stupid enough to stand in the way. Then get our soldiers back on their ships in the Persian Gulf, with the stern message: “Don’t make us come back here again.”

    It will doubtless be “heh-indoozled.”

    http://www.lawyersgunsmoneyblog.com/2011/09/more-rubble-less-brain-matter

  37. 37.

    Argive

    I’m thinking Willard needs a campaign song. Perhaps “This Is Why I’m Hot.” Admit it, it would be pretty great to see Romney say to Perry in a debate:

    “Governor, I’d like to make it clear that I’m hot ’cause I’m fly, and you ain’t ’cause you’re not.”

  38. 38.

    rlrr

    “that created more jobs than Obama ever did”

    Someone needs to check private sector job creation during the Obama administration vs that of George W. Bush.

  40. 40.

    giltay

    I dunno. Romney may have laid off hundreds of undeserving leeches, but he didn’t actually kill them. I think Perry’s still ahead.

  43. 43.

    artem1s

    @Ben Cisco:

    I’ve been thinking for a couple of weeks now that the general election debates are going to look a lot like an IM Weasel episode no matter who the GOP candidate is.

  47. 47.

    Enhanced Voting Techniques

    @Yutsano:

    This is rather dangerous territory for Willard though. Hard to channel the Old Testament when the God-botherers think you’re an apostate already.

    And as a Mormon Romney view of God is quite a bit more loving daddyish than the Republican rank and file. That’s why Romney’s problem is Romney – the voter is question wants a president to crush the weak and torment the rest of the world for not being like them.

  48. 48.

    Frankensteinbeck

    @artem1s:
    This worries me, because in an IM Weasel episode every time Baboon picked his nose and mumbled ‘I are Baboon?’ the crowd would give him a standing ovation.

    …on the other hand, IM Weasel would then go on to win the election and save the world. This cartoon is EERILY similar to the current political landscape.

  49. 49.

    artem1s

    every time Baboon picked his nose and mumbled ‘I are Baboon?’ the crowd would give him a standing ovation.

    yes, and the MSM as well.

  50. 50.

    Marc

    I just want to see Romney wearing a giant clock and lots of bling, preferably at some ill-conceived outreach event in Detroit. A rap would be a bonus.

  51. 51.

    Argive

    @Marc:

    “Aww yeah, it’s the Mitthod Man in da house, y’all! Yo, lemme spit some rhyme about that Capital Gains Tax!”

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