Mitt "I don't care about the poor" Romney

[BKDotCom]

http://news.yahoo.com/romney-not-concerned-very-poor-160802569--abc-news.html

indeed

[AquaMan]

They meant Biden said that didn't they?

[Conan71]

He's right.  The rich have no worries, and the poor are getting three squares, housing, and some spending cash, meager as it might be.  Long-term poor has been long-term poor for decades.  The programs are there to either aid those who choose to stay there indefinitely or to aid those who want a path out.  

The middle class is in utter turmoil due to unemployment, foreclosures, high fuel prices, etc.  They are the most at-risk group right now.

[Gaspar]

The Poor are a snapshot in time.

[nathanm]

He's right.  The rich have no worries, and the poor are getting three squares, housing, and some spending cash, meager as it might be.

I thought both SNAP and TANF had lifetime caps on benefits? TANF was 5 years lifetime total, last I checked. I've seen news stories about people who used up much of their limit in the early 2000s recession and have since run out in this latest stagnation. So no, many of "the poor" are not getting three squares, housing, or spending money except perhaps through private charities.

[Conan71]

I thought both SNAP and TANF had lifetime caps on benefits? TANF was 5 years lifetime total, last I checked. I've seen news stories about people who used up much of their limit in the early 2000s recession and have since run out in this latest stagnation. So no, many of "the poor" are not getting three squares, housing, or spending money except perhaps through private charities.

Both programs suffer from "ASME" syndrome.

Always.  Sometimes.  Maybe.  Except.

The programs have varying renewal periods and there does not seem to be a firm "lifetime" limit, but rather various qualifications which can end it there or extend it.

Plenty of exceptions in both programs both on federal and state levels.  And if there are people who are now making it on private charity such as United Way programs or faith-backed charities who no longer qualify for state or federal assistance, that's what those programs exist for.

[ZYX]

I think this statement has been taken way out of context. I'm no Romney fan, but I don't think he intended that statment to sound as bad as it did. He's not saying that he could care less if all the poor were wiped from the face of the earth, he's saying that his main focus is the middle class, which is the majority of Americans. And I agree with him. We need to stop worrying about every little minority issue and focus on the whole of Americans, regardless of race, income status, etc. I'm sick of all the petty little issues getting in the way of what needs to be our focus. Let's take out the big stuff first, and then move on to every little faction's "need."

[we vs us]

A tempest in a teacup, obviously, but Mitt's got to watch himself.  It's no secret that this election is about class issues, and the more he makes these kinds of flubs the more he paints himself into a corner as the Plutocrat Candidate.  Stupid formulations like this will add up and cause him a good deal of harm.  He's already got a higher mountain to climb than Obama does as far as being a man of the people. 

[Conan71]

A tempest in a teacup, obviously, but Mitt's got to watch himself.  It's no secret that this election is about class issues, and the more he makes these kinds of flubs the more he paints himself into a corner as the Plutocrat Candidate.  Stupid formulations like this will add up and cause him a good deal of harm.  He's already got a higher mountain to climb than Obama does as far as being a man of the people. 

Careful, others on here might not appreciate you exposing the obvious attack on the classes that is the Obama strategy.  They keep denying it exists.

Romney could promise golden Chicken McNuggets delivered daily to the projects for four years and still wouldn't win the "poor" vote.  Who he needs to worry about is the lower end of the working class when comments like this get spun into ridiculous headlines.

[Townsend]

when comments like this get spun into ridiculous headlines.

Almost every damned thing we see during an election year.

[AquaMan]

Without them, all the press seems to have is the weather report and even that is getting pretty boring.

In my mind, his miss step isn't about what he meant, its about his ability to think before engaging. He opened himself to criticism on both sides.  Only the middle was un-phased. We would expect that from Biden, but not from a guy who is supposed to be a strong, disciplined businessman. My guess is he will use it to attack the press, ala Grich, and try to get some mileage out of the blunder.

As far as TANF and the other "safety nets" I think they are full of holes. Back when I was a college student there was a program that provided emergency commodities. Young married students often used it. It used overproduction of certain basic staples like flour, rice, beef as a way to not only help temporarily poor but also flatten out surpluses in the commodities producers. It recognized that otherwise prosperous, middle class people often cannot weather "out of the ordinary" circumstances very well. The loss of a job, a family health crisis, an unexpected, unreimbursed loss can mean instant poverty status. Without a church family or nearby relatives to help out, you just start a downward spiral. I believe it was replaced with the food stamp program which ignores that "emergency" status.

IMO, there are lots of middle class folks who have high mortgages, car payments and expenses they incurred during the last decade that they can now no longer afford. The banks refuse to re-finance at lower rates or use credit to deny them. They face another conundrum in having declining credit scores, poor housing sales market, depleted savings, 401k's they dare not touch and poor job prospects. Yet, they have too high an income and too many assets to qualify for food stamps or other help.

They see others getting freebies and are dismayed. Romney remarks are problematic to them. He actually has their interests at heart but I wonder if he knows the urgency of their plight.

[Teatownclown]

See avatar for TTC..... 

The GOP/Teabaggers should change their focus to keeping the house and getting the Senate.

Mitt's not fit....