Your morning jolt: James Earl Carter IV and the ‘poetic justice’ behind the Romney video
Updated at 5:30 p.m. with link to WABE (90.1FM) interview:
One of the most ironic notes of the 2012 presidential campaign was sounded last night when a video surfaced — courtesy of liberal magazine Mother Jones – in which Republican nominee Mitt Romney told a group of California fundraisers that he considered nearly half of all Americans to be unreachable moochers who can’t be weaned away from President Barack Obama.
The fellow who dug that video up was James Earl Carter IV of Dunwoody, 35-year-old son of Chip and grandson of the former president. “There are some people on Twitter and other places who are saying it was poetic justice that it was a Carter that found this, because of the way the Romney campaign has treated my grandfather,” Carter IV said. “I completely agree with that sentiment.”
Carter IV, who is currently unemployed and trying to break into the political research business, said he conducts daily searches on YouTube and other sites, looking for ground-breaking video. “At the end of August, I came across a video of Romney at a fund-raising event, talking about a factory he visited in China,” he said. Much of it had been blurred out, but it looked promising.
The video was posted – falsely – under the name of Rachel Maddow, the MSNBC host, but then disappeared after Maddow’s people filed an objection with YouTube. Shortly afterwards, the video popped up again – this time under the name of Anne Onymous.
Carter IV sent messages to the originator of the video through YouTube, then Tumblr. He soon had a new Tumblr follower named Anne Onymous. Direct contact quickly followed.
The video that had been posted so far had not included the portion in which Romney declared:
“There are 47 percent of the people who will vote for the president no matter what. There are 47 percent who are with him, who are dependent upon government, who believe that they are victims, who believe that government has a responsibility to care for them, who believe that they are entitled to health care, to food, to housing, to you name it.”
Carter IV didn’t know where or when the recording was made. “The first thing I asked was can you tell me where this was filmed,” Carter said. “They wouldn’t tell me this, but they did respond to me.” (The video was made May 17 at the Boca Raton, Fla., home of financier Marc Leder, as part of a $50,000-a-person fund-raiser.)
As it turned out, the shooter of the video was associated with Global-Tech, a Hong Kong-based firm that a Bain Capital affiliate had acquired. Several weeks earlier, Carter IV had worked with Mother Jones writer David Corn on an article on the acquisition. Thus Carter IV was able to establish his bone fides with the source.
“They wanted to get the story out and they wanted to assure their jobs,” Carter said. And they wanted to make sure they weren’t running afoul of any privacy laws. So on Aug. 30, the last day of the Republican National Convention, Carter IV handed off the video contact to Corn of Mother Jones, who eventually obtained the whole of the video.
“Once I realized there was a lot more involved in this than I could personally deal with, my goal became to get the story out,” said Carter IV, who met Corn for the first time at the Democratic National Convention this month.
“I thought it would be a little bit of a story, but it has gotten a lot bigger than I would have ever thought,” said Carter IV, who picked up 1,500 Twitter followers overnight. He’s still looking for work, but things are looking up. “I’ve had some offers now. I haven’t accepted any of them yet, but that’s not a concern anymore, I guess,” he said.
Catch the Associated Press follow-up on the story here.
Denis O’Hayer of WABE (90.1FM) has posted a 14-minute interview with James Carter here. It’s worth checking out. O’Hayer asked him if revenge was a factor in his research. Said the president’s grandson:
“It wasn’t a part of the motivation, but it was definitely a part of the satisfaction.”
***
Walter Jones of Morris News Service says Republican Lee Anderson of Grovetown has declined yet another opportunity to debate U.S. Rep. John Barrow of Augusta:
A spokesman for Republican challenger Lee Anderson told the nation’s second-largest press club that he is declining an invitation to debate the man he wants to unseat, Democratic Congressman John Barrow.
The Atlanta Press Club’s Oct. 21 debate would be televised throughout the whole district on Georgia Public Broadcasting, unlike local media outlets that only reach voters in various parts of the 12th District. Anderson participated in the club’s debate during the primary.
***
Meanwhile, the AJC’s Politifact Georgia today takes a look at Republican charges that U.S. Rep. John Barrow, D-Augusta, “left taxpayers on the hook for $950k study on genetic makeup of ants.”
***
And Lori Geary of Channel 2 Action News looks at complaints that the preamble to the proposed charter school amendment on the November ballot has been tweaked to encourage approval:
- By Jim Galloway, Political Insider
For instant updates, follow me on Twitter, or connect with me on Facebook.
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
291 comments Add your comment
Mary Elizabeth
September 18th, 2012
8:13 pm
I received an e-mail today from my friend of 45 years from NYC, who asked and answered this question: “Who are the 45% really?” I asked her if I could post that on blogs in Atlanta. She said she would be pleased for me to do so. Here it is:
————————————————-
Who are the 45% really?
The disabled veterans who come home brain damaged or missing limbs? Or damaged by Agent Orange from the VietNam war?
The elderly who depend on Social Security, to which they have contributed all their lives?
The disabled, struck down by injury or illness through no fault of their own?
How about ordinary citizens struck down by bullets from assault weapons carried by psychos who obtained them easily thanks to the efforts of the NRA?
Members of the middle class who worked all their lives with the agreement that part of their job agreement would be a pension which would enable them to live comfortably into their retirement? Many of these pensions were cut by a third, or in half, or outright disappeared by top execs who either grossly mismanaged, or who stole the money to fatten their own pensions and golden parachutes?
Those members of the middle class and working people bankrupted by an unexpected illness, who because of it lose their jobs, health insurance, and then all their money and their homes as they struggle to pay for uninsured care?
Those screwed by insurance companies who claim they had a prior condition? (Romney wants to undo Obamacare)
In Romney’s dog-eat-dog every man for himself and the devil take the hindmost world, no one cares for anyone else. People get fired because it is convenient to ship their jobs to a cheaper venue. And what happens in the countries where labor unions are attacked or destroyed, and where their governments don’t regulate corporations? The recent terrible fire in a Pakistani textile factory, where 300 people were either burned to death, died from smoke inhalation, or dashed to death on the pavement because they jumped out of windows—is what can happen when there aren’t strong unions, strong government regulation of the workplace, and a community that seriously cares about its members.
Romney revealed what he really is. Fortunately.”
hiram
September 18th, 2012
8:14 pm
Obama was supposed to dig himself out of this in three years, having to fight every inch of the way?
http://bettermarkets.com/reform-news/cost-crisis-caused-wall-street-no-less-128-trillion-dollars
tell the truth
September 18th, 2012
8:15 pm
But he just didn’t state it elegantly right??? This guy is the biggest joke since Sara Palin. He has no idea how to care about the entire country. So everyone on social security and medicare considers themselves to be victims? THey want more cash from the government? I wouldn’t vote for this guy if you put a gun to my head!!!!
Buckhead Boy
September 18th, 2012
8:19 pm
If there are any victims, it is those who would defend a fool who suggests specific conclusions from a general statistic embracing 129,000,000 people.
tell the truth
September 18th, 2012
8:24 pm
Mary Elizabeth Good post- thanks for sharing- Don’t waste your time however trying to share this one with your conservative friends- they have believed the lies of talk radio that the 45-47 % are all moochers- are all useless people who are either communists or socialists. I blame Neal Boouutz and his right wing talk radio cronies more than anyone or anything else for the total inability in DC to get things done through compromise.
td
September 18th, 2012
8:29 pm
Do you libs really think this is going to effect the election? Romney was right. There is a % of this population that will not vote for Romney or any Republican for any reason because they are dependent on government for their day to day existence. There is also a group that will never vote for a Democrat, the religious right. This election is about the 4 or 5% independents and turning out you base to vote.
If you listened to Rush or Sean or Neal today then you would realize that the base is now excited about Romney for the first time. They are not just against Obama but want Romney to win.
tell the truth
September 18th, 2012
8:29 pm
Fan You must be so proud of your Mitt- he only guy I know whose mouth is big enough both for his foot and his silver spoon.
tell the truth
September 18th, 2012
8:31 pm
td Only people like you listen to Faux news and neal buttz.
hiram
September 18th, 2012
8:37 pm
td/cc said:
“If you listened to Rush or Sean or Neal today then you would realize that the base is now excited about Romney for the first time. They are not just against Obama but want Romney to win.”
If I listened to Rush or Sean or Neal today, my wife would have me in the psych ward – she would know that I’ve either suffered a serious head injury or had a stroke…
td
September 18th, 2012
8:43 pm
“At an October 19, 1998 conference at Loyola University, Barack Obama spoke against “propaganda” that said government doesn’t work and the need to “pool resources and hence facilitate some redistribution because I actually believe in redistribution.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ge3aGJfDSg4
hiram
September 18th, 2012
8:45 pm
One theory about Mitten, is that his arrogance is religious based – the crazy cult he belongs to has convinced him that there’s only a limited number of people who will fit on the space ship, and the infidels left behind are doomed anyway.
td
September 18th, 2012
8:45 pm
tell the truth
September 18th, 2012
8:31 pm
td Only people like you listen to Faux news and neal buttz.
3 million per day watch Fox and 100,000 watch PMSNBC.
Kris
September 18th, 2012
8:50 pm
@ tell the truth
fan “You must be so proud of your Mitt- he only guy I know whose mouth is big enough both for his foot and his silver spoon.:
Humm I thought the spoon (which he did not build) went in the other end…
hiram
September 18th, 2012
8:51 pm
Has anyone ever clicked on one of td/cc’s links?
hiram
September 18th, 2012
8:53 pm
td/cc,
… and, most of them live in Georgia, the land of honey boo boo, and td/cc.
SMH
September 18th, 2012
8:59 pm
@concerned american…they had 2 choices. Take what was offered or not work at all. There are no other positions for these people in our county.
Michael
September 18th, 2012
9:01 pm
Just confirms what we already knew about Mitt, and the video wont change rigid minds. First rule of being in a hole Mitt is to stop digging.
Clinton - I lied too so what?
September 18th, 2012
9:07 pm
Any of the unemployed freeloaders backing Obama and his marxist cohorts should seek work as extras in some of the zombie movies. They would be well qualified since they are already brain dead. Obama was elected by black racists and ignorant whites and if he is reelected it will be by black racists and stupid whites. To vote for or against a person because of his color makes you a racist. To vote for someone whose intent is to destroy this country and make it another socialist loser country is a stupid person. I can see maybe a couple thousand Dumacrat simpletons voting for Obama but for anyone else to vote for this country wrecker is mind boggling. Just look in the mirror and if you still plan to vote against your country you should look for the zombie movie producers and ask for a part because you are BRAIN DEAD.
SMH
September 18th, 2012
9:12 pm
@Clinton–I lied…what is the difference between ignorant white and stupid white?
Somebody needs to point out the fact that the people blogging in support of Romney’s statement would not attend a $50,000.00 a plate dinner. Just so you know, even though he didn’t say it out loud, he doesn’t care about you either.
honested
September 18th, 2012
9:23 pm
td,
Well your numbers for Faux and MSNBC explain the uninformed dolts.
I’m glad the rest of us have PBS to gain FACTS unfiltered by bias.
And ‘fan’ as to your question I was unable to answer while I was working, Yes, I’m much better off than I was in the depths of the ‘Bush Depression’.
td
September 18th, 2012
9:24 pm
“We believe in free people and free enterprise, not redistribution. The right course for America is to create growth, create wealth, not to redistribute wealth.” Mitt Romney
honested
September 18th, 2012
9:25 pm
Clinton, whatever…
Was there a contest to get as many wrong-wing-nut buzzwords and false premises into one post as possible?
Did you get a free gallon of gas at Sams?
honested
September 18th, 2012
9:27 pm
td,
So why have mitt’s cohorts (they certainly are not mine nor yours even though you gladly attach yourself to them) been asleep at the switch and not ‘creating wealth’?
Could it be that our current anemic Tax and Regulatory system does not require them to get off their privileged behinds and put in a good days work?
td
September 18th, 2012
10:00 pm
honested
September 18th, 2012
9:27 pm
There has been plenty of wealth created and only 4% unemployment rate for people with a degree. It is the bottom 47%, the uneducated, the no skill set the Obama supporters that can not find a job.
ATL Guy
September 18th, 2012
10:06 pm
Not sure why Republicans feel they should type in ALL CAPS AS IF IT PROVES THEIR POINT OR MAKES THEM SOUND SMARTER. It’s about time you guys realize that Romney is a lost cause. Paul Ryan needs to come out tomorrow morning and say I made a mistake, I thought this guy was serious about being President and I didn’t know he was this stupid. But to try to justify what this idiot of a man is saying is in itself idiotic.
hiram
September 18th, 2012
10:30 pm
Apparently td/cc’s imaginary news sources, “the three tontos”, didn’t breakdown the components of the 47%, like the real news channels…
cc
September 18th, 2012
10:50 pm
td:
I see that ‘all the usual suspects’ are present tonight and that you are outnumbered. Continue to fight the good fight even though it is in vain. You are unable to either give sight to the blind or improve substandard IQ’s. I do admire you for the efforts, though.
For the feeble minded: td probably grows weary of having himself identified as me, and I’m addressing YOU, HIRAM.
Hang in there, td. I’m off to bigger and better things!
Kris
September 18th, 2012
10:56 pm
Any one for a peanut butter sandwich,all this b*&#Hing makes me Hungary. speaking of food the movie Hunger games depicts a society where there 47% of have nots and 47% have all and the others have too much and pay no TAXES. How do we know this its smitt math. Most people use both hands and toes to do math, but smitty has only 15 the other 5 are back there with his silver spoon (he did not make).
Have a Plains. GA PBJ…the mighty s mitt done in by the grandson of a PEANUT FARMER…
Re-elect President OBAMA
td
September 18th, 2012
11:00 pm
cc
September 18th, 2012
10:50 pm
I understand completely. Jim is down to so few readers now and the ones he does have are lamer by the day.. I have been spending time on Kyle’s blog and then even Jay’s has much more intelligent libs then over hear. I will hand for a while longer, at least long enough to rub it in the day after the election.
honested
September 18th, 2012
11:19 pm
td,
What does your mormon messiah have to say for the folks at the Briggs & Stratton plant?
Oh that’s right, if they had degrees from Bob Jones or Liberty they would be like ralph reed and wouldn’t have to work for a living.
honested
September 18th, 2012
11:21 pm
td,
No need to hang out until the election.
I think that one is settled today.
Of course razmunchken still has a Quixotic take that, as always, is opposite to every other legitimate polling organization.
td
September 18th, 2012
11:29 pm
honested
September 18th, 2012
11:21 pm
td,
No need to hang out until the election.
I think that one is settled today.
Of course razmunchken still has a Quixotic take that, as always, is opposite to every other legitimate polling organization.
And Gallop was what today? 1 point Obama lean with at least a 5% Democratic over sampling and Real Clear has it at 1.8% lead with serious over sampling of Dems in some of their polls they average.
Kris
September 18th, 2012
11:30 pm
@ td/cc…cc/td have a safe trip to Kyle’s blog. May the fax be with you
Anyway back on the farm….
In 5 4 3 2 ?????? The flop next comes the flip “” “I disagree,” said Romney on the issue of redistribution. “I think a society based upon a government centered nation where government plays a larger role”””
Mittens has been undone by his own unspeakable arrogance, and the grandson of a peanut farmer
Re-elect President OBAMA
Mary Elizabeth
September 18th, 2012
11:43 pm
tell the truth, 8:24 pm
Thank you. And, I agree with you about rightwing talk show hosts. Many have helped to deeply polarize the citizens of our nation, while they have made much money in the process of doing so. Having wealth, however, has never guaranteed having character, or class.
honested
September 18th, 2012
11:47 pm
td,
Just accept defeat gracefully (lets not have a replay of the War Between the States as that one has cost us for over 150 years.
Smile and speak it out proud OBAMA 2012!!
Anyway, word has it that anne robme has been on the satellite phone all night attempting to hail the ‘Kolob Express’.
td
September 18th, 2012
11:55 pm
honested
September 18th, 2012
11:47 pm
Your prediction power is not the highest quality. If I am not mistaken you were one of the ones predicting that Barnes would defeat Deal in Georgia. LOL
Edmund Ruffin
September 19th, 2012
7:25 am
I guess that forever and ever the descendents of James Earl Carter will be bitter because of his defeat at the hands of my lifetime’s best President, The Gipper.
RCB
September 19th, 2012
10:32 am
How do some of you have so much time to post repeatedly? Are you all retired? I try to read all the AJC blogs, but no way do I have enough time in my day to respond 10 or 20 times to each post. BTW, I won’t be reading Galloway’s blogs anymore. He’s just not truthful in his headlines.
pb
September 19th, 2012
11:44 am
Yes, RCB, same ones on here repeatedly… Gets very old and repetitive, doesn’t it? I try to keep reading Jim’s blog, but find it increasingly difficult. Too bad. Now watch the “regulars” tell me I should go away and no one will miss me…
Carol
September 19th, 2012
12:37 pm
I’m cracking up at the replies from the wrong-wingers towards the end of the day. They went from saying Romney was correct to, it’s not going to change the election. Keep telling yourself that. You already have people like Bill Crystal and other writers who probably want to slap the crap out of Romney or Carter for exposing it.
I love to watch Romney try to back pedal out of this like a car stuck in the mud.
Jocie
September 19th, 2012
1:18 pm
@ Columbus ….As a person from GA (Columbus) you make me ashamed at some of your comments….should he change his given name bc it has Islamic etiology…speaking of the real history of the US…hmmm is all Im gonna say about that….apparently we have read and learned from different versions…Herman Cain huh…why is it that he is not among the contenders again…if you were as astute as you claim and as spiritually discerning your sentiments would have a totally different spin….the only thing that I agree with you saying is II Chronicles 7:14…that is true BUT the MY PPL God was referring to was the body and not those of unbelievers….it amazes me as to how ppl can blame POTUS for everything…this madness with the banks and all came from the Reagan Era and the allowance of an anything goes theme along with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and all else…not failing to mention the get tough on crime…which created another whole population of ppl…where we you and persons such as yourself when Ms Murray single handed took prayer out of our schools…why were you all not crying out then…ppl are out of jobs bc they were sent over seas…and quiet as it is kept…they did not all just get shipped over in the past 4 yrs….speaking of government…I truly dont think that you have a jist either bc it is supposed to work for all of us in this melting pot that we call America…Muslim, Jew,Christian, Atheist, Blk, White, Red, Yellow or Brown….whatever…all of us….BECAUSE God loves us all…maybe not our actions but us in general…until we can truly get on one accord and stop all this divisiveness things are continue downward….Oan FYI…we have been in hock to China and Japan long before ‘08…Media as always serves its purpose…it causes strife bc it never tell the truth…and persons such as yourself are wuick to judge…since youre a scholar and well versed in the word….you should know that we are commanded to pray for our leaders and not judge but extend that same grace that the Lord has extended us when we were off kilter….you guys act as it God has changed His mind just bc someone wrote something into law…He hasnt and Im smart enough to realize that He is still in control and all things are gonna come to a head soon…you cant stop prophecy dear one…God bless