Willard Mitt Romney is back on the campaign trail. But this isn’t your slightly-younger-self’s Mitt Romney: We’re now supposed to see him as a distinguished party elder — the GOP’s ostensible voice of reason and inclusion, who will save his party by slaying the xenophobic, racist behemoth that is Donald Trump.
Sounds nice, but who is this Romney guy, anyway? He must have a history of inclusive, compassionate rhetoric, and policy proposals. Let’s take a look:
- “The answer is self deportation!” Who could forget when Mitt Romney, who we’re supposed to now buy is the GOP’s voice of big-tent inclusion, said if undocumented immigrants “don’t get work here, they’re going to self-deport.”
- “I like being able to fire people who provide services to me!” He likes firing people… The perfect replacement for Schwarzenegger, if he flops on The Apprentice? Can’t make this up: “If someone doesn’t give me the good service I need, I want to say…I’m going to go get someone else to provide that service for me.” Quite so, old chap!
- “There are 47%…who are dependent upon the government, who believe that they are victims.” You know you’re in trouble when your last best hope for framing your party as compassionate is rallying guy who wrote off 47% of the country as “takers.” Come on. “[T]here are 47%…who are dependent upon government, who believe that they are victims, who believe the government has a responsibility to care for them, who believe that they are entitled to health care, to food, to housing, to you-name-it. That- that’s an entitlement.”
- “Corporations are people, my friend!” Now, this is a guy who really “gets it,” my friend.
- Family Drama! Michigan Republican Party Chair Ronna Romney McDaniel, Mitt’s niece, continues to insist that she’ll support whomever the nominee is — even if it’s Donald Trump.
- “Being in Donald Trump’s magnificent hotel and having his endorsement is a delight!” Too easy.
Published: Mar 3, 2016