Why does Romney constantly remind everyone he's rich?

[Volrath50]

It seems every time Mitt Romney opens his mouth, he says something to remind everyone how fabulously, flaming wealthy he is. This has generally been to the detriment of his campaign.

Now there's nothing wrong with being wealthy, however, no one likes someone who constantly and endlessly reminds everyone just how much richer they are than them.

Romney's smart enough that he ought to know that this isn't helping him, and plenty of rich people can go more than a few hours without constantly telling the world just how extremely wealthy they are.

So the question is, why does Romney keep doing this, over and over and over? Is he insecure about something, so much so that he needs to keep reminding everyone that he could sleep on a mattress stuffed with $100 bills? Is his campaign not telling him that he comes across as a caricature? Does he think that voters like to constatly hear how many orders of magnitude wealthier he is than them?

This is really perplexing me.

[Torie]

It is perplexing.

[memphis]

Isn't it part of the Republican DNA that wealth is innately virtuous? Why shouldn't he flaunt his wealth to court such a group?

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Keep in mind that politics is about the only career in which being viewed as rich is potentially detrimental.  Romney keeps claiming he is not a politician and his repeated unconscious flaunting of his wealth shows he is right.

Besides, trying to hide his wealth wouldn't help.  Quite the reverse.  Imagine if when he made his comment about his wife's two Cadillacs, he had simply said that his wife likes to drive her car.  How long do you think it would be before some intrepid blogger pointed out that not only does she drive a Cadillac but has two of them, so Mitt was trying to pretend to be something he's not.

When it comes to his wealth, Mitt is in a lose-lose situation politically.  If he'd made his money in some other fashion it wouldn't be nearly as damaging, but being a real-life Gordon Gekko is not something that allows his wealth to be a campaign asset beyond his ability to self-fund his campaign if need be.

[America First]

To answer your initial question, Rombot 3000's programmers are currently working on that glitch.

[Reaganfan]

I think it just depends how much it bothers you.

I'm 23 and working, but I only have a couple grand in the bank. My family was and always has been middle class. Nevertheless, I don't look down on the rich or the poor. People obsess with money far too much.

He's rich. I'm not. Who cares? Just because someone made money doesn't mean that they "owe" somebody else money just because the other person might not have made as much.

[America First]

He's rich. I'm not. Who cares? Just because someone made money doesn't mean that they "owe" somebody else money just because the other person might not have made as much.

Nobody said or implied Romney owes anyone any money.  They just pointed out the fact that his programming is malfunctioning and he can't stop saying completely moronic things about how rich he is.

[Reaganfan]

He's rich. I'm not. Who cares? Just because someone made money doesn't mean that they "owe" somebody else money just because the other person might not have made as much.

Nobody said or implied Romney owes anyone any money.  They just pointed out the fact that his programming is malfunctioning and he can't stop saying completely moronic things about how rich he is.

They keep referencing his wealth. They're the ones obsessed with it.

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

He's rich. I'm not. Who cares? Just because someone made money doesn't mean that they "owe" somebody else money just because the other person might not have made as much.

Nobody said or implied Romney owes anyone any money.  They just pointed out the fact that his programming is malfunctioning and he can't stop saying completely moronic things about how rich he is.

They keep referencing his wealth. They're the ones obsessed with it.

One could argue that since the wealthy already have everything else it is somewhat greedy for them to insist on maintaining their constant hold on the US Presidency as well.

[useful idiot]

Because he's an arrogant SOB who can't hide his sense of superiority.

Remember, he didn't inherit this money and it took years of back-breaking labor in order to earn it....a true rags to riches story...

[opebo]

Now there's nothing wrong with being wealthy

Your wrong there, Volrath.  Not that I believe in 'right' or 'wrong', but the wealthy are the enemy of the people, so naturally the people should hate them and guillotine them.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

The Romney campaign higher ups operate the same way the higher ups at General Motors did.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

I'm rich. You are poor. I'm more successfull than you. I'm better than you. And because I'm so successfull and awesome, I deserved to be your President. This is my entitlement.

I'm Mitt Romney and I approve this message.

[Volrath50]

I think it just depends how much it bothers you.

I'm 23 and working, but I only have a couple grand in the bank. My family was and always has been middle class. Nevertheless, I don't look down on the rich or the poor. People obsess with money far too much.

He's rich. I'm not. Who cares? Just because someone made money doesn't mean that they "owe" somebody else money just because the other person might not have made as much.

What I'm asking has nothing to do with the fact that he's rich, only the fact that he keeps pointing this out, repeatedly, in a way that hurts his campaign. Romney's an intelligent man (part of the reason he's rich), and ought to know that people prefer a candidate that's humble to one that seems to be unable to go a day without pointing out just how much richer he is than everyone else. People generally don't dislike people for being wealthy, but they do dislike them for repeatedly pointing this fact out.

There are other politicians in Romney's category of wealthyness, who have gone virtually their entire career without the sort of "Look at me, I'm super-duper rich" comments that Romney makes on a near daily basis.

[Joe Republic]

I'm very much looking forward to the general election campaign:

[J. J.]

Some of it is "I did this myself, and I'll help you do it yourself."  It also removes improper motives; he's not running to enrich himself.

[Svensson]

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'Cause he's rich yo, and he's rich yo, and he's rich yo, and he's richity-rich and he's rich yo.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

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'Cause he's rich yo, and he's rich yo, and he's rich yo, and he's richity-rich and he's rich yo.

He needs to improve his self-esteem.

[J. J.]

I'm very much looking forward to the general election campaign:

Hate to tell you this, but it worked for JFK and FDR. 

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

JFK and FDR also had charisma.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Because he's an idiot.

[J. J.]

JFK and FDR also had charisma.

So does Jimmy Carter.  Ultimately, it isn't personality; it is results.

[Lincoln Republican]

These comments are so typical of those  who refuse to see the tremendous talents and abilities that Romney possesses.

What I hear Romney saying, over and over, is that he has a record of success in the private and in the public sectors, that what he does is save jobs, create jobs, and cut deficits.  

[Yank2133]

I'm very much looking forward to the general election campaign:

Hate to tell you this, but it worked for JFK and FDR.  

Problem is Romney isn't Kennedy or FDR in this race, he closer to Nixon and Hoover.

[Tidewater_Wave]

I'm ok with it. Rather than looking at voting for the poorest candidate, I vote for who would do the best job. It's not like he's going to have a $1 billion campaign like the party he's running against and I'll leave it at that for now.