The news from last night was not that Mitt Romney easily swept the five states that held primaries; that was assured once Rick Santorum left the race, if not before. Nor was it the prospect, which is being confirmed this morning, that Newt Gingrich would also drop out of the race as a result.
No, the news is that Romney finally gave the speech some of us have been waiting for him to give. (Click here to see a video of the speech, which lasted about 13 minutes, or here to read the prepared remarks; he didn’t stray too far from them.)
The heart of it was the contrast he drew between himself and President Obama. First, what he said about the president:
Government is at the center of his vision. It dispenses the benefits, borrows what it can’t take, consumes a greater and greater share of the economy. You know, with Obamacare fully installed, government would have control of almost half of the economy, and we would have effectively ceased to be a free enterprise society.
This President is putting us on a path where our lives will be ruled by bureaucrats and boards, commissions and czars. He’s asking us to accept that Washington knows best — and can provide all.
We’ve already seen where that path leads. It erodes freedom. It deadens the entrepreneurial spirit. And it hurts the very people it’s supposed to help. Those who promise to spread the wealth around only ever succeed in spreading poverty around. Other nations have chosen that path. It leads to chronic high unemployment, crushing debt, and stagnant wages.
And then there’s his counteroffer:
I have a very different vision for America, and for our future. It’s an America driven by freedom, where free people, pursuing happiness in their own unique ways, create free enterprises that employ more and more Americans. And because there are so many enterprises that are succeeding, the competition for hard-working, educated, skilled employees is intense, so wages and salaries rise.
I see an America with a growing middle class, with rising standards of living. I see children even more successful than their parents — some successful even beyond their wildest dreams — and others congratulating them for their achievement, not attacking them for it.
The repeated mentions of free enterprise, and the good line about congratulating people on their success rather than attacking them for it, are welcome. But here’s where Romney signaled an important theme leading to November:
This America is fundamentally fair. We will stop the unfairness of urban children being denied access to the good schools of their choice; we will stop the unfairness of politicians giving taxpayer money to their friends’ businesses; we will stop the unfairness of requiring union workers to contribute to politicians not of their choosing; we will stop the unfairness of government workers getting better pay and benefits than the very taxpayers they serve; and we will stop the unfairness of one generation passing larger and larger debts on to the next.
When an opponent — as Romney correctly said Obama would do — wants to run not on his record but on distractions and distortions and fuzzy notions of “fairness,” you hit back at what other people might consider unfair. And there is a great deal of unfairness to be found in Obama’s conventional liberal positions, some of which Romney catalogued.
This is a promising start to turning Obama’s raw populism on its ear.
– By Kyle Wingfield
693 comments Add your comment
RW-(the original)
April 28th, 2012
11:46 pm
Sir DoubleU does have a nice ring to it.
Good to “see” you too, j$. The troll contingent seems to be way off this weekend. Did Kyle crack down or have Andy and @@ just beaten them down?
j$
April 28th, 2012
11:52 pm
Is it germane, RW?
j$
April 29th, 2012
12:02 am
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSfztbm4Qa4
RW-(the original)
April 29th, 2012
12:03 am
The galldurn Germans got nothin’ to do with it!!!!
RW-(the original)
April 29th, 2012
12:08 am
I still refuse to use speakers so the 12:02 probably explained things….
j$, I’m given to understand that since we occupy different shores of the same lake we’re supposed to be in some sort of feud. Does it involve shots and beers at dawn because if it does I’m in? Engarde and cheers Sir!
RW-(the original)
April 29th, 2012
12:11 am
And if Bubba can buy the General Lee before winning the Masters he can surely add a certain Trans Am to his fleet now.
j$
April 29th, 2012
12:11 am
Yep, that is the RW
hope you are surviving the Obama economy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5DMyz1KvWYU
j$
April 29th, 2012
12:16 am
RW @12:08 – absolutely.
RW-(the original)
April 29th, 2012
12:22 am
hope you are surviving the Obama economy.
I hate to admit it, but I should probably be a dyed in the wool moonbat because I thrive in a Carter/Obama type economy.
j$
April 29th, 2012
12:32 am
Good for you RW (GFY…:)) adaptability IS the name of the game.
Lil' Barry Bailout (Revised Downward)
April 29th, 2012
6:12 am
Got in the turn lane to go to McDonalds for lunch the other day, then remembered their cowardliness in the ALEC dustup. Found a Taco Bell instead.
Lil' Barry Bailout (Revised Downward)
April 29th, 2012
6:34 am
[Apple] paid cash taxes of $3.3 billion around the world on its reported profits of $34.2 billion last year, a tax rate of 9.8 percent. (Apple does not disclose what portion of those payments was in the United States, or what portion is assigned to previous or future years.)
By comparison, Wal-Mart last year paid worldwide cash taxes of $5.9 billion on its booked profits of $24.4 billion, a tax rate of 24 percent, which is about average for non-tech companies.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/29/business/apples-tax-strategy-aims-at-low-tax-states-and-nations.html?_r=1
——————————
Why don’t Democrats pay their fair share?
Tiberius - Banned from Bookman's and proud of it!
April 29th, 2012
10:03 am
Democrats want everybody else to pay their fair share, even if they never quite get around to telling you what that should be.
getalife
April 29th, 2012
11:50 am
Hey RW,
Mainstream gave up on politics after w but this election will show us where the majority rules.
President Omama by 10 again will give you a clue.
getalife
April 29th, 2012
11:51 am
“I hate to admit it, but I should probably be a dyed in the wool moonbat because I thrive in a Carter/Obama type economy.”
Four more years?
RW-(the original)
April 29th, 2012
12:10 pm
President Omama by 10 again will give you a clue.
He only won by 7 against the worst candidate ever, but you’re probably right. Without Sister Sarah it would have been at least 10, however that was before we got to see what HopeyChangy was really all about. How much can I put down on Romney +10?
getalife
April 29th, 2012
12:32 pm
“How much can I put down on Romney +10?”
RW,
After Andy welched, I have never bet against another con.
RW-(the original)
April 29th, 2012
12:38 pm
After Andy welched, I have never bet against another con.
Nice cop-out
getalife
April 29th, 2012
12:52 pm
RW,
Barack Obama to be re-elected President in 2012.
60.0%
CHANCE
Last prediction was: $6.00 / share
Today’s Change: +$0.04 (+0.7%)
There ya go.
RW-(the original)
April 29th, 2012
1:08 pm
If someone had 60% of the vote they would win by a minimum of 20%. I don’t think even you are that delusional.
getalife
April 29th, 2012
1:20 pm
This upcoming week is the first anniversary of getting obl.
Perhaps a national holiday is in order so we can celebrate.
@@
April 29th, 2012
1:24 pm
Too funny! My “schnirt” has been banned over at jay’s. I can post from my IP address using another name but if I sign off with a “schnirt” it never goes thru.
SCHNIRT…SCHNIRT…SCHNIRT.
jay must find “the schnirt” offensive.
getalife
April 29th, 2012
1:30 pm
@@,
Your fist banning?
Virgin.
getalife
April 29th, 2012
1:31 pm
Oops first not fist.
Congrats @@.
Tiberius - Banned from Bookman's and proud of it!
April 29th, 2012
1:32 pm
Bookman only finds honest debate offensive.
getalife
April 29th, 2012
1:37 pm
ti,
There are still too many cons on that blog so you can stop lying about Jay.
SCHNIRT…SCHNIRT…SCHNIRT. still works on this blog.
getalife
April 29th, 2012
1:39 pm
Try this @@.
S C H N I R T.
@@
April 29th, 2012
1:41 pm
Getalife:
What is wrong with you? You know it’s not my first banning. HECK! I never even got a warning…permanently banned right off the bat.
Nuthin’ ventured, nuthin’ gained.
It’s the first time I realized “the schnirt” and “the schnirt” alone has been banned.
He’s such an emotional host(ess).
SCHNIRT!!!!!
Tiberius - Banned from Bookman's and proud of it!
April 29th, 2012
1:46 pm
The mere fact that you are allowed on that blog is proof positive Jay Bookman doesn’t like honest debate, getaclue.
@@
April 29th, 2012
1:56 pm
Getalife:
SCHNIRT…SCHNIRT…SCHNIRT. still works on this blog
And therein lies the difference between a free speech advocate (Kyle) and an anti-free speech tyrant (jay).
@@
April 29th, 2012
1:58 pm
Analysis: Obama falls short of meteoric expectations abroad
Ahhhh pooh.
He’s lost his charm for the hoodoo.
@@
April 29th, 2012
2:17 pm
Obama, Democrats not serious about passing budget
And yet, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid appears to believe it is not necessary for the Senate to fulfill its legal responsibility by debating and passing a budget to account for $3.8 trillion in federal spending next fiscal year, $15.6 trillion of debt and, according to figures produced by the Senate Budget Committee Republican staff, more than $65 trillion in additional unfunded liabilities.
To provide some perspective to these incomprehensible numbers, the total net private asset base — that is, the net value of all household assets, small business assets, and large business assets — of the United States is $82 trillion, according to figures from the Federal Reserve Flow of Funds Account from March 8, 2012.
Even worse, President Barack Obama and his administration seem to view budgeting as just one more political maneuver. His efforts have been so completely unserious that the President’s 2012 budget was rejected by a vote of 97-0 in the Senate. And three weeks ago, when Rep. Mick Mulvaney, R-South Carolina, sponsored a budget proposal based on Obama’s 2013 budget plan, it lost in the House by a vote of 414-0.
That’s right, not a single member of Congress cast a vote in favor of Obama’s last two budgets. That is a stunning repudiation of his leadership. What it really represents is a total abdication of leadership.
Has anyone stopped to consider that Democrats may not know what a budget is?
getalife
April 29th, 2012
2:26 pm
Jay has reprimanded me too @@ but if you can still post there, you are not banned.
getalife
April 29th, 2012
2:29 pm
After they passed w’s budget to explode the deficit, they decided to fund government as much as they can.
Tiberius - Banned from Bookman's and proud of it!
April 29th, 2012
2:35 pm
“Has anyone stopped to consider that Democrats may not know what a budget is?”
I don’t think there is any doubt about the answer to THAT question, @@.
getalife
April 29th, 2012
2:40 pm
“My God, do we have to fight over everything” orange dude.
Yes, it was the gop strategy all along.
They decided to fight against our recovery and be very unpatriotic Americans.
@@
April 29th, 2012
2:41 pm
Getalife:
if you can still post there, you are not banned.
I can’t post under my own, @@. That, in and of itself, requires that I mislead readers into thinking I’m someone other than myself. jay and dems thrive on identity politics, yet I’m not allowed to identify myself as @@.
getalife
April 29th, 2012
2:46 pm
@@,
@2 is a pretty good clue of who you are.
I got banned after one post using the name Joe Wilson on free republic so I feel your pain.
@@
April 29th, 2012
2:52 pm
Moronically juvenile
NO!
These are moronically juvenile.
Just a difference of opinion. I’ve learned to tolerate them.
I even gave one to a liberal who was very fond of them.
@@
April 29th, 2012
2:56 pm
Getalife:
Once he discovered @2 was me, he began to block it too. I stole it from Bruno.
Enough about the banning. I’m not experiencing pain, Getalife. No need to worry.
getalife
April 29th, 2012
3:05 pm
Anybody but flip flop willard was the con position.
cons got marginalized by the gop establishment again.
I feel your pain cons.
Perhaps you should stay home and send the gop establishment a message.
Lil' Barry Bailout (Revised Downward)
April 29th, 2012
3:11 pm
Bookman’s a thin-skinned coward. He likes an honest, intellectual debate until he loses one or two, and then you’re gone.
getalife
April 29th, 2012
3:41 pm
lil bar,
You never won anything.
I Report (-: You Whine )-: mmm, mmmm, mmmmm! Just sayin...
April 29th, 2012
3:42 pm
Not true Lil’ B, I used to pound on kookman almost every day, even got him to publicly renounce a couple of his own blog topics. And she always took it like a good little girl, save for a few bouts of PMS.
Problem now is, an election draws near and the gaystapo at the AJC cannot allow criticism of comrade obozo upon the pages of their raggedy “news” paper. They are tasked by the DNC with dutifully passing along all obozo propaganda until further notice, no exceptions allowed.
Just read today’s Urinal for proof of what I say. You’d think we were in some sort of economic boom, hahahahaha.
What else could it be, delusion?
I Report (-: You Whine )-: mmm, mmmm, mmmmm! Just sayin...
April 29th, 2012
3:46 pm
When President Romney unleashes the economic power that is capitalism, not only will we all be far better off, we’ll also get to listen to the sniveling liberals whine and shriek every day.
Call it a bonus.
I Report (-: You Whine )-: mmm, mmmm, mmmmm! Just sayin...
April 29th, 2012
3:48 pm
Well, after reading gitmo’s comments, I guess delusion is a viable option.
getalife
April 29th, 2012
3:54 pm
Andy,
Delusion is believing anything your party says.
La la land .
getalife
April 29th, 2012
4:02 pm
“Mitt Romney’s Lies
From ‘100,000 new jobs’ to Obama’s jobs record to his first name, Mitt Romney has a truth problem.”
http://www.usnews.com/opinion/articles/2012/01/12/mitt-romneys-lies
Corporate media and you cons never challenge his lies but we will.
I Report (-: You Whine )-: mmm, mmmm, mmmmm! Just sayin...
April 29th, 2012
4:02 pm
In 2006 the dummycrats took over Congress and with it, control of federal spending. This, of course, plunged the country into a massive economic depression. Since then, 6 years along, obozo’s done what? Made it better?
What are you babbling about, gitmo?
I Report (-: You Whine )-: mmm, mmmm, mmmmm! Just sayin...
April 29th, 2012
4:08 pm
The Romney campaign released a response taking issue with the ad. “President Obama’s policies have been particularly devastating to women,” spokesman Ryan Williams said. “After more than three years of the president’s failed economic policies and nearly a million more unemployed women workers, women voters – like all Americans – realize we can’t afford four more years of President Obama.”
Yeah, maybe if they had a job they could pay for their contraception.
A unique concept, eh, moonbats?