MSNBC's Harris-Perry: Romney Used NAACP to Get 'Red Meat to Feed to His Base'
On Sunday's Melissa Harris-Perry show, MSNBC host Harris-Perry went on a rant about Mitt Romney's speech to the NAACP as she accused the GOP presidential candidate of only attending the convention for the purpose using negative audience reaction as "red meat to feed to his base," making African-Americans into "props." She began:
(Video can be found here.)
This was the moment Mitt Romney got what he really came for, the soundbite of the black audience booing his line about cutting government spending and the Affordable Care Act, in particular. You see, Mitt Romney didn't come to the NAACP to break bread or extend an olive branch. He came for a morsel of red meat to feed to his base, and he served it up later that day when he spoke in front of a very different audience of donors at a fund-raiser in Montana.
Harris-Perry then read from Romney's speech at a GOP fund-raiser:
He told them, quote: "Your friends who like Obamacare, you remind them of this. If they want more stuff from government, tell them to go vote for the other guy - more free stuff. But don't forget nothing is really free."
The MSNBC host suggested that Romney was referring to the NAACP audience, charging that he used them as a "prop." Harris-Perry:
Okay, Mitt Romney took an audience of Americans who he is running to serve and turned them into a prop. Now, it should go without saying, but African-Americans want to be treated like people, not props. We don't want to be the political equivalent of the character who dies first in the movies. We want to be Tyrese, the one black guy who managed not to get killed and survived through all three Transformer films.
She continued:
Black people want to be spoken to not as a burden on our struggling economy booing Obamacare because we want free stuff, but as hard-working taxpayers who boo the repeal of Obamacare because we don't want to carry the $56 billion cost of uncompensated care for the uninsured.
Black people want to be spoken to as friends and family members who boo the repeal of Obamacare because they'd rather not watch our loved ones choose between medical bankruptcy or death when they can't afford their medical expenses.
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Comments
Romney was the only adult in the room.
Submitted by richflanj on Tue, 07/17/2012 - 8:03am.
He reminded me of the Dad looking his teen age kid in the face and telling him/her that they couldn't have any i-phone, car, money, etc. without doing their chores. And the NAACP audience reminded me of the teenager crying about how "unfair" that was and how mean Romney was being.
Only difference is the NAACP probably won't ever grow up.
Extend an olive branch?
Submitted by Galvanic on Tue, 07/17/2012 - 9:25am.
HARRIS-PERRY: "You see, Mitt Romney didn't come to the NAACP to break bread or extend an olive branch."
Of course he did. He took the opportunity afforded him by the NAACP to explain who his agenda differs from Obama's, adding that Obama's failures have produced 14% unemployment among African-Americans.
He told them that creating jobs was the answer -- jobs for everybody -- and that reducing the size of government (including Obamacare) was part of the solution. As far as offering an "olive branch," who's been the hostile party in this relationship?
Has Romney antagonized black Americans? What has he got to apologize for? It's been black talking heads and pseudo-intellectuals who have slammed Romney as the "whiter than white" guy. They demonize him and his candidacy daily in the MSM. They have even attacked his religion as some sort of cult.
No, what Harris-Perry wants is for candidates to kowtow to the bloated nabobs of the NAACP and beg for their support. I'm no fan of Romney, but it is refreshing to see a politician speak candidly to an audience.
The real question is: With black unemployment at 14%, why did Obama stiff the NAACP and send his white guy Biden instead? Why isn't the NAACP outraged that that First Black President is too busy to address their convention?
And he was attacked for THAT
Submitted by Model850 on Tue, 07/17/2012 - 4:20pm.
He took the opportunity afforded him by the NAACP to explain who his agenda differs from Obama's, adding that Obama's failures have produced 14% unemployment among African-Americans.
Damned if he does; damned if he doesn't:
Clayola Brown, the member of the NAACP's National Board of Directors who invited Romney to speak, said the presumptive Republican presidential nominee should not have used unemployment numbers to try to turn the crowd against Obama.
"It was insensitive and quite demeaning as a matter of fact," Brown told The Washington Examiner after Romney exited the stage. "Certainly we are aware of what the numbers are and the impact is in our communities. It's the dialogue used that we find insulting."
"We know Obama hasn't really done much -- if anything -- for the black community. How dare you remind us we're being taken for granted by him!"
Game, Set, and Match
Submitted by Blonde on Tue, 07/17/2012 - 4:33pm.
Well played, Model.
Handy Reference Guide to Obama's Gaffes and Goofs ~ Currently Numbering 200 (and Counting)
Very well-made point Model
Submitted by Cappmann1962 on Wed, 07/18/2012 - 10:56am.
Romney is "too white" to speak at the NAACP, yet Obambi send his snow white VP in his place. No comment from the NAACP "leadership" or the LSM. Romney, accurately, pointing out the damage Obambi's policies have done to the black community - "insensitive and demeaning".
Well, I have some news for you Ms. Clayole Crayon - the only thing insensitive and demeaning is you, and all the other black "leaders", ignoring the FACT that the democrats have, for decades, whittled away at the black community, destroyed your family integrity and morals, destroyed all pride in your race, kept so many blacks in poverty, turned your demographic into a generational welfare group, encouraged black-on-black crime, and disrespected your entire community as a "given" voter block.
But I guess all that's okay, so long as you keep your position (and the perks that go with it) as a "black leader"...
Malicia Shrillish-Harpy
Submitted by Phryj1 on Tue, 07/17/2012 - 10:51am.
Is the sole requirement to get a job on MSNBC just being to able call conservatives racist in different ways? Because that's literally all she's ever done. Every single time she's been on screen, it's some variation of 'conservatives are racist'.
Progressives seem to be completely averse to facts and logic. Apparently, reality has a conservative bias.
Pete and Repeat
Submitted by Cappmann1962 on Tue, 07/17/2012 - 11:40am.
Isn't it amazing how the liberals and LSM just ab-so-lutely refuse to alter their tactics in the smallest way? Once again, we have someone, i don't know who (and don't really care either), who came up with the notion that Romney "used" the NAACP speech as a race-baiting lure for everyone not-liberal. Now, we have MSLSD, CNN, NPR, all the letter networks, Shapton, and any other liberal with a microphone parroting the identical line ad nauseum. If nothing else, this proves empirically that a new thought would excommunicate them from the progressive herd and probably kill most liberals.
Does anyone watch Mizz Hyphenated-Parrot?
Submitted by drsamherman on Tue, 07/17/2012 - 1:04pm.
Her ratings must be lower than Stephanie Cutter's sense of propriety.
Blacks want to be Tyrese? I
Submitted by ant on Tue, 07/17/2012 - 4:38pm.
Blacks want to be Tyrese? I thought Obama wanted to be Batman so Romney could be Bane. Only one problem with that...last film, Batman sacrificed his rep and took the blame for something he didn't do...Obama won't even accept responsibility for the crimes he DOES do.
NAACP is past it's time to go away
Submitted by American.Patriot on Tue, 07/17/2012 - 10:10pm.
unfortunately, I live these conspiracy theories every day.
Employees actually believe that anything you do to hold them accountable, to make them perform in their jobs, and to try and get them to work together, claim that you are racist or violating their civil rights because they are a protected class.
That's all they have and they sure try to capitalize on it in every way possible.
Kind of feel beat down after a day at the office... go figure...
Oh how I rue the day to have a white guy with no special accommodations and who can do the job. maybe in my next life.