Mitt Romney recalls 'humorous' story about his father closing a factory

[Phokus]

http://politicalwire.com/archives/2...s_humorous_story_about_closing_a_factory.html

Hahahaha, that's hilarious! Especially the part about the families that can't pay their mortgages! Oh my sides!

Are we sure that Romney isn't some Manchurian candidate made to make republicans look terrible? I think the fact that conservatives haven't called him out on these things really underscore how awful conservatives really are.

 

[UberNeuman]

You're just jealous that you don't have a car elevator...

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

That man really doesn't know how to stop reminding people that he is completely out of touch with normal people. I think Romney is highly intelligent and probably a perfectly decent man, but he can't stop putting his foot in his mouth. It's remarkable.

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

You're just jealous that you don't have a car elevator...

For what it's worth I admire his "car elevators" and would probably have the same thing if I were wealthy and had the same packaging limitations as he apparently does at that particular house. I can't fault him for having them.

 

[Rainsford]

That man really doesn't know how to stop reminding people that he is completely out of touch with normal people. I think Romney is highly intelligent and probably a perfectly decent man, but he can't stop putting his foot in his mouth. It's remarkable.

I don't mind a candidate who doesn't come across like the average person, since I really don't understand the appeal of having some random dude as President. But Romney does sort of come across like he doesn't even know what the average person is like or what issues they deal with. Given the Republican dislike for politicians who appear "out of touch" with "average Americans", it's hard to understand Romney's political success. If he was a Democrat, he'd be getting the John Kerry treatment, I'm fairly sure.

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

I don't mind a candidate who doesn't come across like the average person, since I really don't understand the appeal of having some random dude as President. But Romney does sort of come across like he doesn't even know what the average person is like or what issues they deal with. Given the Republican dislike for politicians who appear "out of touch" with "average Americans", it's hard to understand Romney's political success. If he was a Democrat, he'd be getting the John Kerry treatment, I'm fairly sure.

It's certainly interesting in light of all the "elitist" criticisms President Obama has taken from the right. While I don't agree with his politics at all, Romney seems empirically well-qualified to serve as President. The problem is, he just isn't good at politics. His tone-deafness is actually very evocative of Kerry, or George H.W. Bush.

 

[UberNeuman]

I don't mind a candidate who doesn't come across like the average person, since I really don't understand the appeal of having some random dude as President. But Romney does sort of come across like he doesn't even know what the average person is like or what issues they deal with. Given the Republican dislike for politicians who appear "out of touch" with "average Americans", it's hard to understand Romney's political success. If he was a Democrat, he'd be getting the John Kerry treatment, I'm fairly sure.

If the GOP followed the ideas they have preached - Santorum would be their front runner...

\somehow, that's not going to get the votes....

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

If the GOP followed the ideas they have preached - Santorum would be their front runner...

The present iteration of the GOP is so fractured it's remarkable. I think they will most likely lose this election, and if they do, it will be one of the biggest missed opportunities in the history of Presidential politics.

 

[TastesLikeChicken]

Was his dad responsible for the Gremlin and Pacer too? That might explain a few things.

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

Was his dad responsible for the Gremlin and Pacer too? That might explain a few things.

Hard to argue with that. The Matador was another AMC gem - the sedan, in particular, was about as unwieldy and misshapen as any car in its era. I actually really like the AMX, though - kind of an under appreciated gem of the muscle car era - and Bruce Canepa used to campaign a badass Javelin race car.

 

[theeedude]

I don't mind a candidate who doesn't come across like the average person, since I really don't understand the appeal of having some random dude as President. But Romney does sort of come across like he doesn't even know what the average person is like or what issues they deal with. Given the Republican dislike for politicians who appear "out of touch" with "average Americans", it's hard to understand Romney's political success. If he was a Democrat, he'd be getting the John Kerry treatment, I'm fairly sure.

Romney's political success is solely due to the fact that "any one but Romney" ended up being two people.

 

[blankslate]

Don't worry once the Rombot programmers figure out how to get him to mimic sympathy and empathy in a convincing manner then he'll be a better candidate....

like this

 

[xBiffx]

Leave it to a troll to completely miss the funny part of his story. He wasn't making a joke about the closing of the factory but the fact that the band only knew the Wisconsin fight song. Sure I don't think its that funny either (maybe ironic) but I fail to see how this shows him more out of touch than any president in the last, say, 50 years.

Oh, and he didn't close the factory, he moved it. But hey, I am preaching to the choir because big business is just a bunch of assholes no mater what they do, even if that move may have saved the company. Wait I take that back, this was a US auto company, they are immune and can even have free cookies. What was I thinking.

 

[werepossum]

Hard to argue with that. The Matador was another AMC gem - the sedan, in particular, was about as unwieldy and misshapen as any car in its era. I actually really like the AMX, though - kind of an under appreciated gem of the muscle car era - and Bruce Canepa used to campaign a badass Javelin race car.

I used to own one. Awesome car (well, not mine in particular) and I sold it in a vain attempt to shut down my first wife's complaints. Very bad move on my part.

 

[Rainsford]

Leave it to a troll to completely miss the funny part of his story. He wasn't making a joke about the closing of the factory but the fact that the band only knew the Wisconsin fight song. Sure I don't think its that funny either (maybe ironic) but I fail to see how this shows him more out of touch than any president in the last, say, 50 years.

Oh, and he didn't close the factory, he moved it. But hey, I am preaching to the choir because big business is just a bunch of assholes no mater what they do, even if that move may have saved the company. Wait I take that back, this was a US auto company, they are immune and can even have free cookies. What was I thinking.

The "problem" with the story isn't that closing a factory to move it is an irredeemably evil action, or even a wrong action. It's that it's not a very good way to start a joke if you have, you know, human feelings. Sometimes businesses have to do certain things for the greater good, but joking about it makes it sound like you don't understand what closing a factory means for people.

 

[werepossum]

I don't mind a candidate who doesn't come across like the average person, since I really don't understand the appeal of having some random dude as President. But Romney does sort of come across like he doesn't even know what the average person is like or what issues they deal with. Given the Republican dislike for politicians who appear "out of touch" with "average Americans", it's hard to understand Romney's political success. If he was a Democrat, he'd be getting the John Kerry treatment, I'm fairly sure.

This is pretty much how conservatives see Obama, that he has no appreciation for our Constitution, our religion, our capitalism and free enterprise - the things that make America uniquely America.

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

Leave it to a troll to completely miss the funny part of his story. He wasn't making a joke about the closing of the factory but the fact that the band only knew the Wisconsin fight song. Sure I don't think its that funny either (maybe ironic) but I fail to see how this shows him more out of touch than any president in the last, say, 50 years.

Oh, and he didn't close the factory, he moved it. But hey, I am preaching to the choir because big business is just a bunch of assholes no mater what they do, even if that move may have saved the company. Wait I take that back, this was a US auto company, they are immune and can even have free cookies. What was I thinking.

You need to work on your reading comprehension:

"And as the president of the company he decided to close the factory in Michigan and move all the production to Wisconsin."

Do you think when automakers "move production," they literally move the physical plant and give the employees plane tickets and moving expenses? I can guarantee you that every worker in that plant, with the possible exception of management, was laid off when the factory was shuttered.

You can fairly defend Romney but I don't think you can fairly defend him based on the idea that he is in touch with the average American, any more than you can defend him based on the consistency of his record. When he's asked about NASCAR, he just talks about being friends with team owners. When he's asked about the NFL, he just talks about being friends with team owners. He tells jokes about workers who were disgruntled about being fired by his father. You're going to have to find other positive characteristics about him, such as his intelligence (which he undeniably has, despite the seemingly endless stream of stupid things that come out of his mouth).

 

[Rainsford]

This is pretty much how conservatives see Obama, that he has no appreciation for our Constitution, our religion, our capitalism and free enterprise - the things that make America uniquely America.

That would be a lot more compelling of a position if it didn't involve conservatives claiming their views alone define America. Instead of making it sound like they're standing up for the common man, conservatives saying stuff like that come across like pretentious jackwagons who can't understand the idea that plenty of Americans hold different views on a whole range of issues.

Romney sounding out of touch because of his wealth makes more sense, IMO, because most people AREN'T rich. But a lot of people aren't Republicans.

 

[xBiffx]

The "problem" with the story isn't that closing a factory to move it is an irredeemably evil action, or even a wrong action. It's that it's not a very good way to start a joke if you have, you know, human feelings. Sometimes businesses have to do certain things for the greater good, but joking about it makes it sound like you don't understand what closing a factory means for people.

Only seems that way to a liberal shill. Like I said, he was not joking about closing a factory but if you insist. How can you really think that a man with his past, his business knowledge, and his corporate dealings (Bain) does not know the effect of closing a factory? How can you also be surprised that what he finds funny you may not. Joking about it shows nothing except that he has a strange sense of humor but to go as far as saying he has no human feeling. Give me a break.

 

[TastesLikeChicken]

Hard to argue with that. The Matador was another AMC gem - the sedan, in particular, was about as unwieldy and misshapen as any car in its era. I actually really like the AMX, though - kind of an under appreciated gem of the muscle car era - and Bruce Canepa used to campaign a badass Javelin race car.

The Matador coupe wasn't terrible. The Sedan, however, was hideous but not surprising in the era of the Cordoba and the poor man's Eldorado - the Ford Thunderbird.

The Javelin/AMX was a nice car but I always felt it was a rip-off of the Barracuda, my favorite 70s muscle car.

 

[theeedude]

He can relate to (firing) regular people.

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

Only seems that way to a liberal shill. Like I said, he was not joking about closing a factory but if you insist. How can you really think that a man with his past, his business knowledge, and his corporate dealings (Bain) does not know the effect of closing a factory? How can you also be surprised that what he finds funny you may not. Joking about it shows nothing except that he has a strange sense of humor but to go as far as saying he has no human feeling. Give me a break.

With all due respect, this is an absurdly disingenuous defense. The whole joke is that the community was upset with his father for laying off the workforce of an entire factory. As Rainsford said, it seems obvious this isn't really a ripe source of comedy if you're looking to ingratiate yourself with the working man. It's also totally consistent with Romney's persistently out-of-touch comments throughout this election season. This will all get worse before it gets better, because while Gingrich has called Bain Capital's activities "rich people figuring out clever legal ways to loot a company," that is nothing compared to the way the billion-dollar Obama campaign and his SuperPACs will go after Romney.

 

[Rainsford]

Only seems that way to a liberal shill. Like I said, he was not joking about closing a factory but if you insist. How can you really think that a man with his past, his business knowledge, and his corporate dealings (Bain) does not know the effect of closing a factory? How can you also be surprised that what he finds funny you may not. Joking about it shows nothing except that he has a strange sense of humor but to go as far as saying he has no human feeling. Give me a break.

I actually LIKE Romeny for a Republican, more or less, so don't give me that "liberal shill" nonsense.

His job makes it likely he understands the FINANCIAL aspect of closing a factory, nothing requires a businessman to understand those sorts of actions on a personal level. Romeny may certainly be sensitive to that sort of thing as well, I couldn't say, but saying stuff like this makes it SOUND like he's not, which is silly of him.

Come on, politics aside, you REALLY think that comment didn't hurt Romney's effort to connect with the average American?

 

[xBiffx]

Do you think when automakers "move production," they literally move the physical plant and give the employees plane tickets and moving expenses? I can guarantee you that every worker in that plant, with the possible exception of management, was laid off when the factory was shuttered.

No I do not think that at all. Do you think that every company should never shutdown operations, should never reorganize, should never do anything to continue being profitable just so they don't have to layoff workers. If you don't like it, find another planet to live on. That's business as usual here on Earth. Guess what, these decisions, even if they suck, are intended to keep the company going so that everyone doesn't lose their job. Business isn't successful by being charitable. Cold, hard facts that you will just have to live with.

It is quite clear why some would think this shows he is out of touch. They, themselves are out of touch with the business world. So yes, in that way he is out of touch with less business savvy Americans.

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

No I do not think that at all. Do you think that every company should never shutdown operations, should never reorganize, should never do anything to continue being profitable just so they don't have to layoff workers. If you don't like it, find another planet to live on. That's business as usual here on Earth. Guess what, these decisions, even if they suck, are intended to keep the company going so that everyone doesn't lose their job. Business isn't successful by being charitable. Cold, hard facts that you will just have to live with.

It is quite clear why some would think this shows he is out of touch. They, themselves are out of touch with the business world. So yes, in that way he is out of touch with less business savvy Americans.

This is sheer deflection. Nobody in this thread is saying there is anything wrong with restructuring and closing a plant. What we are saying is that it isn't a smart thing to joke about if you're running for public office, since it's likely to anger people, whether or not they are "business savvy."

Your posts in this thread are just transparently disingenuous. The irony is that I don't think anyone here is particularly anti-Romney - you are the one making this into a partisan issue by calling people "partisan shills."