Romney torpedoes Right's talking point on Obamacare

[RI]

http://in.reuters.com/article/2012/07/02/usa-campaign-idINL2E8I2A0420120702

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The mandate is not a tax according to Romney. I guess he of all people should know.

[Oakvale]

Well, yeah, he kind of has to say that. How ridiculous is he going to look arguing that a tax increase!!!1111 is perfectly okay as long as it's only in one state?

[RI]

Well, yeah, he kind of has to say that. How ridiculous is he going to look arguing that a tax increase!!!1111 is perfectly okay as long as it's only in one state?

Well, he's already tried arguing that mandates are ok as long as they're only in one state, so I don't think it would be that much of a logical leap...

[HagridOfTheDeep]

Great.

[anvi]

No, you see, calling the tax a "penalty" will give Romney a chance to claim that SCOTUS reached the wrong conclusion, because the four dudes who voted it down said it's being a penalty makes it unjustifiable under the taxing power.  And even more, Romney's mandate was enforced by neither a "tax" nor a "penalty," but instead, as he said years ago, it was a "fee...an assessment."

We're watching a musical. 

[HagridOfTheDeep]

Well, hopefully it doesn't end like Cabaret.

[Likely Voter]

Romney is especially vulnerable on this because in order to solve budget problems in MA he raised tons of various fees. And he has always argued that all these fees were not taxes.

But none of this will stop Karl Rove and other groups from pounding on the Obamacare=huge tax increase theme (the fact that the penalty will only effect 1% of people wont matter really)

[pepper11]

SuperPacs and congessional and senate candidates are going to pummel Obama on this as a tax. I dont think it really matters what Romney does on this.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

Romney has kind of painted himself into a corner on this issue.

[President von Cat]

SuperPacs and congessional and senate candidates are going to pummel Obama on this as a tax. I dont think it really matters what Romney does on this.

Of course it matters. If the nominee is saying one thing, and the super PACs are saying another, then you have a muddled message, and you are therefore less effective at swaying people. This isn't rocket science.

[BritishDixie]

Facepalm.

[minionofmidas]

SuperPacs and congessional and senate candidates are going to pummel Obama on this as a tax. I dont think it really matters what Romney does on this.

Of course it matters. If the nominee is saying one thing, and the super PACs are saying another, then you have a muddled message, and you are therefore less effective at swaying people. This isn't rocket science.

No. The Super PACs allowing the candidate to play Mr Pseudo Moderate can work very well if done  rightly.