Romney:"Corporations are people"
       |           

Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.
Did you miss your activation email?
March 28, 2024, 04:13:12 PM
News: Election Simulator 2.0 Released. Senate/Gubernatorial maps, proportional electoral votes, and more - Read more

  Talk Elections
  Election Archive
  Election Archive
  2012 Elections
  Romney:"Corporations are people"
« previous next »
Pages: [1] 2
Author Topic: Romney:"Corporations are people"  (Read 2639 times)
Landslide Lyndon
px75
Atlas Star
*****
Posts: 26,620
Greece


Show only this user's posts in this thread
« on: August 11, 2011, 02:13:38 PM »

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/08/romney-corporations-are-people-my-friend-video.php?ref=fpb

Mitt Romney told an Iowa crowd on Thursday that the country should not raise taxes to shore up Medicare and Social Security because "corporations are people" too.

Responding to a question from an audience member as to why Social Security should be included in deficit talks when it doesn't add to the deficit, Romney drifted into a defense of corporate rights. "Corporations are people, my friend," he said. "Of course they are."

After receiving jeers from the audience over the quote, he elaborated: "Everything corporations earn goes to people. Where do you think it goes? Whose pockets? People's pockets. Human beings, my friend."
Romney went on to suggest raising the retirement age rather than increasing taxes on business in order to fix entitlement programs' shortfalls.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=KlPQkd_AA6c
Logged
Gustaf
Moderators
Atlas Star
*****
Posts: 29,770


Political Matrix
E: 0.39, S: -0.70

Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #1 on: August 11, 2011, 02:23:31 PM »

The basic point he's making is largely correct. Many people have rather weird misconceptions about how the economy works.

Capital owners receive the marginal product of the capital they provide. One might want to redistribute it for various reasons but it's hardly strange or unnatural.
Logged
Del Tachi
Republican95
Atlas Icon
*****
Posts: 17,709
United States


Political Matrix
E: 0.52, S: 1.46

P P P

Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #2 on: August 11, 2011, 02:27:07 PM »

Legal incorporation does grant a business the legal rights of "personhood", so what Romney is saying is absolutely correct.
Logged
Landslide Lyndon
px75
Atlas Star
*****
Posts: 26,620
Greece


Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #3 on: August 11, 2011, 02:29:47 PM »

BREAKING: Romney announces support for mergers of gay corporations. Had earlier only supported long-term business partnerships.
Logged
cavalcade
Jr. Member
***
Posts: 739


Political Matrix
E: 2.71, S: -3.13

Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #4 on: August 11, 2011, 02:54:48 PM »

Man, Romney is terrible with the sound bites.  Is someone ever going to just cut a 30-second ad with 10 short clips of Romney saying unpopular things?
Logged
Simfan34
Atlas Icon
*****
Posts: 15,744
United States


Political Matrix
E: 0.90, S: 4.17

Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #5 on: August 11, 2011, 02:56:33 PM »

He is absolutely correct, in a legal sense. No doubt about it. But you can't go down the street and a have a barbecue with Mr. General Electric, can you?
Logged
Phony Moderate
Obamaisdabest
Atlas Icon
*****
Posts: 12,298
United States


Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #6 on: August 11, 2011, 02:57:56 PM »

So why aren't any corporations running for President?
Logged
tmthforu94
Atlas Star
*****
Posts: 22,401
United States


Political Matrix
E: -0.26, S: -4.52

P P P
Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #7 on: August 11, 2011, 02:58:08 PM »

Not a great choice of wording, but it further proves Romney knows better than any other GOP candidate how the economy works.
Logged
Lief 🗽
Lief
Atlas Legend
*****
Posts: 44,876


Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #8 on: August 11, 2011, 02:59:22 PM »

For Romney, corporations are in fact more than people, at least more important as far as his economic policy would be concerned: taking money from poor seniors to give to corporations making record-profits.
Logged
Simfan34
Atlas Icon
*****
Posts: 15,744
United States


Political Matrix
E: 0.90, S: 4.17

Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #9 on: August 11, 2011, 03:01:08 PM »

Not a great choice of wording, but it further proves Romney knows better than any other GOP candidate how the economy works.

Only a supporter would say such a thing. It's a gaffe, that's what it is.
Logged
ZuWo
YaBB God
*****
Posts: 4,873
Switzerland


Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #10 on: August 11, 2011, 03:02:25 PM »

Not a great choice of wording, but it further proves Romney knows better than any other GOP candidate how the economy works.

Only a supporter would say such a thing. It's a gaffe, that's what it is.

A gaffe which people won't remember in two days, though. Wink
Logged
Oswald Acted Alone, You Kook
The Obamanation
Junior Chimp
*****
Posts: 8,853
United States


Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #11 on: August 11, 2011, 03:02:37 PM »

Horrible Person.
Logged
Small Business Owner of Any Repute
Mr. Moderate
Atlas Icon
*****
Posts: 13,431
United States


WWW Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #12 on: August 11, 2011, 03:03:15 PM »

Stupid enough to get baited into this, I see. Oh, Romney.
Logged
Simfan34
Atlas Icon
*****
Posts: 15,744
United States


Political Matrix
E: 0.90, S: 4.17

Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #13 on: August 11, 2011, 03:04:20 PM »

Not a great choice of wording, but it further proves Romney knows better than any other GOP candidate how the economy works.

Only a supporter would say such a thing. It's a gaffe, that's what it is.

A gaffe which people won't remember in two days, though. Wink
People don't remember anything.
Logged
anvi
anvikshiki
YaBB God
*****
Posts: 4,400
Netherlands


Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #14 on: August 11, 2011, 03:07:01 PM »

Not a great choice of wording, but it further proves Romney knows better than any other GOP candidate how the economy works.

Only a supporter would say such a thing. It's a gaffe, that's what it is.

A gaffe which people won't remember in two days, though. Wink

Political ads have a way of memorializing otherwise forgettable moments.

When one surveys the candidates, from Obama on through all the GOP contenders, that is one seriously tone-deaf group of people running for office next year--wow!
Logged
TJ in Oregon
TJ in Cleve
Junior Chimp
*****
Posts: 8,952
United States


Political Matrix
E: 0.13, S: 6.96

Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #15 on: August 11, 2011, 03:09:29 PM »

Corporations, at least the large ones, are property of their shareholder, who are in fact real people. The majority of shareholders in most publically traded corporations are institutional investors, often unions (eg. the California Public Employees Retirement System or "CalPERS" is the largest) or individual retirement funds. When a corporation earns money, this money is either distributed among the shareholders (a dividend) or kept for further investment within a corporation, which in turn raises the value of the investment and helps the pensioners.

Now, this is a bit idealized and there are a few flaws. Of course some of the investors are undoubtedly wealthy individuals (who are still people), though get less sympathy from the public. The other main issue is that of corporate executives milking profits often via the stock option instead of truly operating on behalf of the shareholders. The government has also created a complicated web of anti-investment restrictions to exacerbate the problem.
Logged
anvi
anvikshiki
YaBB God
*****
Posts: 4,400
Netherlands


Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #16 on: August 11, 2011, 03:16:42 PM »

Accurate or not, I'm still puzzled, given the 9% unemployment rate, about how insisting to a frustrated crowd that "corporations are people too" will win him votes.  In politics and romance, it's not always enough to be right.
Logged
All Along The Watchtower
Progressive Realist
Atlas Icon
*****
Posts: 15,420
United States


Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #17 on: August 11, 2011, 03:20:14 PM »

Accurate or not, I'm still puzzled, given the 9% unemployment rate, about how insisting to a frustrated crowd that "corporations are people too" will win him votes.  In politics and romance, it's not always enough to be right.

It will win the votes of Tea Partiers who think Romney's a "RINO."
Logged
Roemerista
MQuinn
Jr. Member
***
Posts: 935
United States


Political Matrix
E: 4.39, S: 5.91

Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #18 on: August 11, 2011, 03:25:40 PM »

I do not like Mitt, BUT I must say his over all return fire wasn't that bad for him. I mean, he clearly has gotten better at dealing with people on the stump...Not to say it is great, but he defused it pretty well...
Logged
Landslide Lyndon
px75
Atlas Star
*****
Posts: 26,620
Greece


Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #19 on: August 11, 2011, 03:26:52 PM »

Any hint about which corporation Mitt might choose as his running mate?
Logged
anvi
anvikshiki
YaBB God
*****
Posts: 4,400
Netherlands


Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #20 on: August 11, 2011, 03:28:39 PM »

Accurate or not, I'm still puzzled, given the 9% unemployment rate, about how insisting to a frustrated crowd that "corporations are people too" will win him votes.  In politics and romance, it's not always enough to be right.

It will win the votes of Tea Partiers who think Romney's a "RINO."

I'm kind of doubtful it will persuade them to vote for him over Bachmann or Perry.  This and some other things he has said recently might win him some of their votes if he gets nominated, but they weren't going to vote for the other guy anyway.  But, we'll see.  I still think it's a lousy message to send to a country full of people who are out of work or worried about their job security.
Logged
Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee
North Carolina Yankee
Moderators
Atlas Institution
*****
Posts: 54,123
United States


Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #21 on: August 11, 2011, 03:40:14 PM »

Definately a poor choice of words and one which he will be made to regret. People don't want to hear the truth, they want to here solutions to their problems. If someone asks why not raise taxes on corporations to fund SS, it is easy to respond that such would hurt employment or would hurt consumers in a weak economy.
Logged
Yelnoc
Junior Chimp
*****
Posts: 7,149
United States


Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #22 on: August 11, 2011, 03:59:40 PM »

I hope someone jumps all over him at the debate tonight for this.
Logged
DrScholl
Atlas Icon
*****
Posts: 17,929
United States


Political Matrix
E: -5.55, S: -3.30

Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #23 on: August 11, 2011, 04:14:15 PM »

Sorry, but corporations are not people, they are entities with agendas. Individual people generally cannot have the same sort of resources and authority that corporations do.
Logged
Yelnoc
Junior Chimp
*****
Posts: 7,149
United States


Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #24 on: August 11, 2011, 04:15:21 PM »

I hope someone jumps all over him at the debate tonight for this.

They can't thanks to Citizens United.  The right wing extremists on the Supreme Court have already declared that corporations are people.  Any Republican criticizing Mitt is a hypocrite.  They are all bankrolled by corporations now.
None of them were involved with Citizens United.  If any of them have balls (obviously not T-Paw) we should hear about this.
Logged
Pages: [1] 2  
« previous next »
Jump to:  


Login with username, password and session length

Terms of Service - DMCA Agent and Policy - Privacy Policy and Cookies

Powered by SMF 1.1.21 | SMF © 2015, Simple Machines

Page created in 0.045 seconds with 12 queries.