AP's Peoples Tells Readers What Obama 'Intended' in 'You Didn't Build That, Somebody Else Made That Happen' Remark
On July 13, President Barack Obama told a campaign audience in Roanoke that "If you’ve got a business -- you didn’t build that. Somebody else made that happen." As Geoffrey Dickens at NewsBusters pointed out on Wednesday, it wasn't until July 17 that any of the Big Three broadcast TV news networks recognized the existence of the remark -- and two of them failed to run the actual quote.
Part of the reason for the avoidance is that the Associated Press, aka the Administration's Press, which seems to be serving as the establishment press's signal caller and official Obama administration water carrier, has given the remark little heed -- so little that, as is so often the case with controversial remarks made by leftists or Democrats, Obama opponent Mitt Romney had to force it into the news by incorporating it into his stump speech. At that point, as seen in Steve Peoples' Tuesday writeup carried at AZcentral.com (HT to an NB tipster; the story is already gone at the AP's national site), the wire service went into "mean Republicans attack" and "what he really meant" modes (bolds are mine):
Romney: Obama wants U.S. to be 'ashamed' of success
Mitt Romney on Tuesday accused President Barack Obama of wanting "Americans to be ashamed of success."
... Romney criticized Obama for remarks he made while campaigning in Virginia last week. The president, making a point about the supportive role government plays in building the nation, said: "Somebody helped to create this unbelievable American system that we have that allowed you to thrive. Somebody invested in roads and bridges. If you've got a business, you didn't build that. Somebody else made that happen."
Obama later added: "The point is, is that when we succeed, we succeed because of our individual initiative, but also because we do things together."
... Obama's intended point -- one he made again in Texas on Tuesday -- was that government plays a role in helping people and businesses succeed by building roads, hiring teachers and firefighters, and looking out for the public good. A consistent part of Obama's economic message is that individual initiative and hard work should be rewarded.
... Romney is trying shift attention away from his business record and his tax returns.
Geez, Steve, what part of "you didn’t build that. Somebody else made that happen" didn't you understand?
Note well that Peoples didn't write: "Obama said that his intended point was ..." He asserted as an indisputable, established fact what Obama's "intended point" was. You don't know that, pal -- no matter how many other Obama speeches you quote.
Not "somebody else created the infrastructure (with your taxes) which made pursuing your dreams more possible." Not "somebody else educated your employees (with your taxes) which made leveraging your talents possible." And even if the President was right -- and of course, he's not -- the "progressive" tax system which already takes a disproportionate percentage of income from high earners squares the deal.
In Obama's warped world, you didn't close the sale; "somebody else" did. You didn't screen, vet, hire, and motivate employes; "somebody else" did. You didn't organize and manage your work flow, vendor, and customer relationships; "somebody else" did. On a more personal level, you didn't orchestrate the complex elements (incuding government red tape) of building of your new home; "somebody else" did.
No amount of "context" can paper over the fact that in Obama's world successful people don't have a right to claim credit for their success. The government and the collective deserve all of it, and how dare you think otherwise? There's no room for, or even acknowledgment of, "individual initiative" in the president's "you didn’t build that. Somebody else made that happen" remark.
The fact that the establish press sat on the remark and only covered it when Romney forced it into the discussion shows how toxic -- perhaps even more toxic than the his "the private sector is doing fine" howler several weeks ago -- it really is.
Cross-posted at BizzyBlog.com.
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Comments
Ahhhhhhhhh, you stupid and
Submitted by killa37 on Thu, 07/19/2012 - 2:02am.
Ahhhhhhhhh, you stupid and delusional dopes!!! Just keep tellin' (Obamspeak) yourselves what Boy Baraka 'really meant', if it'll keep your guilty consciouses free.......................we KNOW what he 'REALLY MEANT' because we pay attention to this pathetic punk-ass petulant pouty poser of a president, and we ESPECIALLY know that when he goes off -teleprompter and starts flappin' his big stupid purple libs, he actually blurts out the TROOF once in a while - which would never happen on a teleprompter speech, because they are all well-designed lies, reported to the proletariat as 'TROOF'............................
Go fool yourselves, morons...................we are NOT fool-able!!!
"... this pathetic punk-ass
Submitted by texastommy on Thu, 07/19/2012 - 8:01am.
"... this pathetic punk-ass petulant pouty poser of a president."
Come on now, he isn't "pouty."
That's a really great line killa!!!
Submitted by bigdaddy on Thu, 07/19/2012 - 9:49am.
Too bad you didn't write it on that laptop that Steve Jobs didn't create bought with money that you didn't earn from that business that you did not start up...
Ok, how about ---
Submitted by matthewdean on Thu, 07/19/2012 - 6:04pm.
"...this pathetic punk-ass petulant poofy poser of a president." :o)
MD
Hey Obama!
Submitted by tcm14 on Thu, 07/19/2012 - 2:10am.
All those teachers you hired and roads you built? You didn't do that! Business owners who produced tax revenue made that happen!
Perfect!
Submitted by 98ZJUSMC on Thu, 07/19/2012 - 8:31am.
Perfect!
- Heard on Fox & Friends this morning -
Submitted by Galvanic on Thu, 07/19/2012 - 9:24am.
"You didn't earn that Nobel Peace Prize, BHO. Somebody else did."
Nobel Prize? Not.
Submitted by motherbelt on Thu, 07/19/2012 - 11:59am.
I wonder if they saw THIS
Doh!
Submitted by DontFeedTheTrolls on Thu, 07/19/2012 - 6:46am.
Boy! Obama sure seems confused. I wonder if he knows where babies come from.
Mooch does...
Submitted by Rukus on Thu, 07/19/2012 - 5:08pm.
Barry: "I have two daughter, Malia and Sasha..."
Mooochele: "You didn't do that, somebody else made that happen."
Turnabout and all that jazz. ; )
Ruk ---
Submitted by matthewdean on Thu, 07/19/2012 - 6:08pm.
Winnah !!
MD
He learned that from ACORN
Submitted by c5then on Thu, 07/19/2012 - 12:10pm.
Babies are the live fetuses that the abortion clinics, er..sorry, women's health clinics, don't throw out.
Madison and Jefferson and Franklin built a Republic - Roberts killed it!
I'll never understand exactly
Submitted by ThisnThat on Thu, 07/19/2012 - 6:47am.
I'll never understand exactly how the Wright brothers took off in -- and then landed -- that airplane without all those air traffic controllers and gov-built airports being there first.
__________
“Didn't win the Medal of Honor? Didn't even serve? Then lie about it. We'll support you." — 9th Circuit Court
Axe Baracko for his version...
Submitted by bigdaddy on Thu, 07/19/2012 - 10:58am.
...of how and why the "Intercontinental" railroads were built....it should be a real hoot...
I built my
Submitted by dr-go on Thu, 07/19/2012 - 6:55am.
business in spite of our various governments' "help" and that was the one of the difficult parts of my success.
FedEx is a good example. Fred
Submitted by ThisnThat on Thu, 07/19/2012 - 7:33am.
FedEx is a good example. Fred Smith's professor ("somewhere a teacher helped you" - o'bama) gave him a "C" and basically told him FedEx wasn't possible. Fred went ahead, anyway. He started his business in Little Rock, but had to move to Memphis after the Little Rock International Airport ("those government roads and airports made your work possible" - o'bama) refused to support him. He finally secured financing from from twenty of the USA's leading risk venture speculators ("if you are successfull, you owe the government more money so we can distribute it, not you" - o'bama); won $27,000 at a blackjack table to meet his weekly payroll ("you shouldn't go to Las Vegas" - o'bama); -- and the rest is history.
So basically, FedEx became successfully only after the overcoming Governmental obstructions and taking his own risks. Just like all successfull businesses, and exactly opposite of o'bama's socialist visions.
__________
“Didn't win the Medal of Honor? Didn't even serve? Then lie about it. We'll support you." — 9th Circuit Court
TnT ,Those who can, do; those who can't, teach.
Submitted by upcountrywater on Thu, 07/19/2012 - 10:10am.
You have that right...many more examples are out there...
You Didn't Build That.
Interpreting the news
Submitted by Netstatter on Thu, 07/19/2012 - 7:16am.
This is another despicable example of the MSM interpreting the news for us instead of reporting the facts.
Whatcha gonna believe, the
Submitted by Dan The Man 2 on Thu, 07/19/2012 - 7:19am.
Whatcha gonna believe, the mans own words or some person telling us what Obama really meant.
More and more I see 1984 newspeak going on in the LSM. Scares the bejesus outa me.
I guess the "no-teleprompter" experiment
Submitted by motherbelt on Thu, 07/19/2012 - 7:27am.
is an EPIC fail!
Wonder how the debates will
Submitted by Dan The Man 2 on Thu, 07/19/2012 - 7:36am.
Wonder how the debates will turn out.
Do you honestly,
Submitted by Boudin on Thu, 07/19/2012 - 7:51am.
Think Obama will debate anyone?
Debates
Submitted by DontFeedTheTrolls on Thu, 07/19/2012 - 8:31am.
I wonder how he can get out of any debates. I'm betting the meme will be 'Debates are passe and old fashioned and favor whites over minorities.' Or something along those lines. The MSM, of course, will back Obama up.
No, Obama shills will
Submitted by Dan The Man 2 on Thu, 07/19/2012 - 12:50pm.
No, Obama shills will moderate the debates and feed him softballs. Romney should insist on debate w/o questioners, just him and Obama sitting down at a table.
"... Romney is trying shift
Submitted by kareling on Thu, 07/19/2012 - 7:34am.
"... Romney is trying shift attention away from his business record and his tax returns."
Of all the nerve, eh, Mr. Peoples? How dare he? Meanwhile, you probably think Obama has such a laser-like focus on jobs, but we're all too stupid to see it.
When will these people get a clue?
Submitted by Cappmann1962 on Thu, 07/19/2012 - 8:16am.
"Somebody helped to create this unbelievable American system that we have that allowed you to thrive. Somebody invested in roads and bridges. If you've got a business, you didn't build that. Somebody else made that happen."
There's a difference between "somebody helped" and "somebody else MADE that happen". Also, roads and education etc. weren't built to provide FOR business success. Indeed, most roads were built BECAUSE of business success. Communities expanded or were even created BECAUSE of business. More roads were built, along with schools and stores and whatever BECAUSE of businesses. And BTW, business PAID more than most for those roads to be built. In many cases, businesses built their own roads. And government does far more to hinder business than it does to help. As usual, Obambi and his pocket media have it completely bass-ackwards.
So, basically, these lib media outlets REALLY need to stop with the "what he/she MEANT to say" BS. It's about what they said, not what they meant, because most times, they actually MEANT what they said. Look at what happens to Obambi whenever he's off the TOTUS...
Shakespeare
Submitted by Barabbus on Thu, 07/19/2012 - 8:28am.
shouldn't be given any credit at all. His success was only because someone else made some sheets of paper. He just filled them up with writing. His pen only existed because somebody else did the real work of pulling a feather out of a Turkey's butt and sharpening one end of it. Let's be honest about these things.
By Obama's logic then
Submitted by inquiringmind on Thu, 07/19/2012 - 8:52am.
By Obama's logic then everyone who has a road in front of their house or business and everyone who crosses a bridge, and everyone who has internet access should be successful.
How is it Mr. President that I cross that same bridge as the next guy, yet I make x times more than him? I made that happen! Not the bridge, not the road, or any other government service out there.
Me, by my hard work, sacrifice, and taking a chance.
I heard someone once say, " work like few are willing to today and live like few can tomorrow."
That dosen't make the next person less than me, just different. We are not the same and you can't legislate us to be equal.
Hey, Obama, We Built THAT stuff, too!
Submitted by motherbelt on Thu, 07/19/2012 - 8:58am.
Neal Boortz has a great column at townhall.com today.
Hey, Obama, We Built That Stuff Too!
Apparently they’ve had a meeting somewhere, because they’re all running with pretty much the same messageIt was the government that built the roads those trucks travel on to bring stuff to your business for you to sell. It was the government that built those utility systems that keep your offices cool and the water clean. They really love that quote from Henry Ford about not being able to build his cars if the government had not built those roads.
Well guess what, Dear Ruler? We built that stuff too. Not government, but the private sector: America’s evil private businesses.
Get in Marine One, Obama, and fly off to visit a road construction project. Look at those graders, rollers and the machines that lay the asphalt. See those logos on the doors? Those logos are for private construction firms. Those workers in yellow vests? Their paychecks and benefits are coming from private businesses – many of them the very small businesses you want to hit with tax increases.
Next, you can fly off to take a look at a utility project somewhere. Maybe you can find a sewer line being laid, or some electrical transmission lines being strung. Again – those are private companies doing that work with private sector workers.
And that's just the beginning. Read the whole thing.
Speaking of
Submitted by Model850 on Thu, 07/19/2012 - 4:50pm.
Get in Marine One, Obama, and fly off to visit a road construction project.
Or hop aboard Air Force One.
Hmmm... Who built Marine One and AF1? Sikorsky Aircraft and Boeing, both private companies I believe.
100 years ago
Submitted by c5then on Thu, 07/19/2012 - 9:04am.
the Government primarily helped businesses with rules, regulations and infrastructure. Today it has changed to primarily obstructing business and making it hard for new businesses.
Instead of leveling the palying field and encouraging all comers to "give it a shot" the government has now become the referee and the licensing officials that prevents newcomers from starting out in order to support the already established big players. Or sometimes completely changing the rules inorder to help out a new player that the government really likes (or because they really hate an established player).
In the big picture...business would still exist without the government, but government would not exist without business.
Madison and Jefferson and Franklin built a Republic - Roberts killed it!
100 years ago
Submitted by c5then on Thu, 07/19/2012 - 9:05am.
the Government primarily helped businesses with rules, regulations and infrastructure. Today it has changed to primarily obstructing business and making it hard for new businesses.
Instead of leveling the palying field and encouraging all comers to "give it a shot" the government has now become the referee and the licensing officials that prevents newcomers from starting out in order to support the already established big players. Or sometimes completely changing the rules inorder to help out a new player that the government really likes (or because they really hate an established player).
In the big picture...business would still exist without the government, but government would not exist without business.
Madison and Jefferson and Franklin built a Republic - Roberts killed it!
c5,
Submitted by Agnostic on Thu, 07/19/2012 - 9:47am.
Generally speaking -
100 years ago the US had little infrastructure, relative to today) and conglomerates were creating effective monopolies. The actions of the government at the time were, IMHO, self-defense. It was getting to the point where a few business owners held so much capital that they in fact held more power than the federal government and could easily control state governments. History books teach that is was to protect the economy and the workers and while I am sure that some of the lawmakers at the time believed that – it was mostly to protect and expand their own positions of power.
A few decades later when the federal government decided to use growth in infrastructure to try to pull us out of the depression they were working with a nation with really only rails and some waterways that were developed at a national scale. Some of their investments in infrastructure added value to the nation over time and can be called successes of government planning – not because those programs pulled us out of the depression but because over decades those programs paid for themselves via increased commerce. Unfortunately the government now seems to believe that all they have to do is throw around large sums of money in order to ‘have success’. They have no comprehension at the time frame these projects offer a return, they have no idea how to plan projects that offer a ROI and with the rules they have in place they can’t work cheap enough to create an ROI.
And the ULTIMATE "Someone else made that happen!"
Submitted by motherbelt on Thu, 07/19/2012 - 9:08am.
Nobel Peace Prize
The gift that keeps on giving....
Submitted by bigdaddy on Thu, 07/19/2012 - 9:59am.
....Baracko was, once again, misunderstood by the masses because he didn't "explain it to two year olds". Now his media campaign arm, the Administration Press, must break it down for all the unwashed, unsophisticated, chattel to understand...
Note to Axlegrease and Pffluff, do not let Baracko speak off of the teleprompter, he starts to tell the truth.
Is Obama a Felon?
Submitted by mejay on Thu, 07/19/2012 - 10:26am.
Who paid for Obama's college education? Was it scholarships? Might have been marxist intities? Why won't he release his school records? Does he have something to hide? Was he listed as a "foreign" student? Could he be an illegitimate president as well as a FeLoN?!
Just asking.
According to our liberal trolls....
Submitted by Blonde on Thu, 07/19/2012 - 10:34am.
There are "no gaps" in Obama's record. It's all a conspiracy theory, by us "birthers".
IOW........RACIST!!!!
Handy Reference Guide to Obama's Gaffes and Goofs ~ Currently Numbering 200 (and Counting)
Affirmative action and
Submitted by American.Patriot on Thu, 07/19/2012 - 9:12pm.
Your tax money paid for this leach on society to attend the best schools, while many talented kids had to choose another school, even though they had the resources, talent and support to be more successful than this pos
Obama's jobs Council
Submitted by c5then on Thu, 07/19/2012 - 10:43am.
Hasn't met in over 6 months. Meanwhile he has been golfing at least 8 times in that same time frame.
I guess he really does think that everything is going OK. Or at least according to plan.
Madison and Jefferson and Franklin built a Republic - Roberts killed it!
In the Beginning there was Government
Submitted by HardRightTurn on Thu, 07/19/2012 - 11:30am.
And Government bestowed upon the People the right to be successful. And the Government helped the People be successful. And the People bowed down to Government and gave back to Government all that their success had wrought.
But, in its infinite wisdom, Government failed to bless a large number of the People with the will to succeed. Most of these People who could not succeed were too lazy to succeed. Most of the lazy People were lazy because they treated their inability to cope with life’s realities with mood enhancing and mind altering drugs. And they became dependent on Government.
So, Government took from the resources of the independent People and gave more to the dependent People. The independent People became less successful with a diminishing pool of Capital from Government. Before long, there were more takers than there were makers. And…
In the End, there was less to go around.
Government giveth, Government taketh away.
To more fully comprehend the Left, one must read “Leftism As Psychopathy” by John Ray, M.A., Ph.D. Caution, it might scare you a little bit.
http://jonjayray.tripod.com/psycho.html