So, this guy is the front-runner for the 2012 Republican nomination for President of the United States?…
TPM has more context, etc., and you can decide for yourself whether Romney was echoing the absurd Citizens United line there (that corporations are Constitutionally entitled to the same rights as human beings), or whether he was trying to say that what is good for corporations is good for the people who own and/or benefit from them.
But what strikes me is that Romney appears quite flustered and weak in that exchange. The entire tussle, with a few hecklers at the Iowa State Fair serves to make him appear profoundly unPresidential, when appearing Presidential is one of the few things he can be good at…at times. Perhaps Mittens oughta stay away from state fairs…and campaign appearances where actual people get to ask questions and stuff…for a while.
One thing is for certain though. Fairly or unfairly, that comment is likely to haunt him for a long time to come. I suspect it will become a landmark moment in Romney’s political trajectory frankly. That view seems to be shared by both Rachel Maddow, who points out this isn’t the first such awkward campaign appearance by Mitt, and by Stephen Colbert as well, who says Romney’s “historic” statement yesterday makes him “this generations civil rights champion — a Dr. Martin Luther, Inc., if you will.” (Videos of their takes below.)
Nonetheless, for the moment, even after last night’s very lively and entertaining Iowa GOP Debate on Fox “News” (a few, if not all, of the high/lowlights of what TPM describes as ‘GOP Fight Night’ here), Mitt still remains the man to beat — though that’s not saying much, given the current Republican field a full 15 months away from next year’s Presidential election.
Maddow and Colbert video takes on Romney’s “Corporations are people, my friend” comment follow…
From the 8/11/11 Colbert Report…
From the 8/11/11 Rachel Maddow Show…
The statement “corporations are people” is devoid of historical integrity, not to mention not passing the common sense test.
So, I suspect it may be a fragmented fractoid from a growing ideology of one denomination of the survivalists movement.
Because if you think about it, a machine person is properly called a cyborg.
Look at the poll “my friend” …
“Nationwide Fox News Poll – Ron Paul WINS Iowa GOP Debate In A Landslide”
For clarity, Mick, that doesn’t appear to be a “poll”, so much as one of those online unscientific things where folks can likely vote for Ron Paul (or second place “winner” Newt Gingrich, for example) as much as they like.
So please remember to take such “polls” for what they are worth (not a whole helluva lot.)
I suspect old Mitt will have a hard time ever getting past that comment.
Mitts is going to spend the next few weeks trying to explain how he knew exactly what he was saying and it’s going to get worse with every new explanation much like TardChute Palin does ALL the time.
I think Mitt was the 1st to start using the new Heritage bullet point. I give it a few weeks before the teabagger in the street is telling you Corporations are People…
“If Corporations are People, I demand to see the Long Form, Certified Copy of the Birth Certificate, if not a domestic corporation, I demand to see their Naturalization Papers, or Immigration Papers. Papers, Please!….No papers, get the hell out!!!! Call the ICE and prosecute their asses, and seize the assets that they have accumulated during their illegal stay and deport them.” ~ Joyce Frazier Melanson
Brad, the extreme right-wingers have already won. Elections are rigged to favor corporate lackeys and mainstream media complicit in the gutting of US democracy. The media-promoted lies about ACORN are an example of this sickness afflicting the United States. The New York Times’ persistence in lying about it despite being exposed in its lies demonstrates the cynicism guiding US mainstream extremism. Yes, fascist extremism is now mainstream in the US. Ask the kangaroo Supreme Court. You already know this. Much of it I learned from you. As was the case with the Soviet Union before, elections in the US are now in place to maintain an illusion of democracy. Now, they’re exploring how to pull the plug on Internet. The USA is hopeless and its own worst enemy. Like cancer it will continue to try to drag other countries down with in its destructive and ravenous greed, but will still sink while more enlightened nations rise. RIP, USA.
Adam I believe you are from Canada, if I am wrong, sorry. I think we are on the sinking ship also with our “Harper Government” -as he wants it called.
Harper wants to introduce tougher laws, incarcerate more Canadians, and spend $9 billion for more prisons.
axe the per vote subsidy ($1.95 per vote)
We had robo calls the last election…
http://rabble.ca/news/2011/01/ten-reasons-oppose-harper-candidate-your-riding
They just let go 700 EPA workers so we are well on our way to having the problems the US is having IMO.
Recently the Green party thought having internet voting would be “cool”. I wrote with the information from brads blog. They did respond and said they would spread the word. I haven’t heard anything since. (Wow am I influential!:)
Also: The (Harper)government wants to make providers monitor your personal info online.
http://thetyee.ca/Mediacheck/2011/07
/20/NoInternetSpying/
GWN
I live on the Canadian Border. Noticed that when Harper got in office, your TV went south. It was better , to me, than ours prior.
Remember when g bush was selected. One of our first Academy Awards shows..there was an enormous bill board with g bush on it. Looked very third worldish. Then the nominees had to line up before the winner was announced, like a reality show. Then our movies and TV went south.
From the 14 points of fascism.
6. A controlled mass media
Under some of the regimes, the mass media were under strict direct control and could be relied upon never to stray from the party line. Other regimes exercised more subtle power to ensure media orthodoxy. Methods included the control of licensing and access to resources, economic pressure, appeals to patriotism, and implied threats. The leaders of the mass media were often politically compatible with the power elite. The result was usually success in keeping the general public unaware of the regimes’ excesses.
… GWN
Yes, it is ugly. Canada has long followed in the United States shadows’ and reflects US trends in politics and culture. That is one of the major reasons that US issues personally concern me so much.
The Canadian Conservative government (think of it as Republican Lite) even took to trying to make gun control into an issue. The nations are intertwined like Siamese twins. There are some differences — most of them in Canada’s favor — but the Canadian Harper government is working on “reform” to erase that.
Adam and GWN…Its quite easy.
Get rid of Frank Luntz up there. Thats when the problems started…
Power to the bleeple.
FLO!! THERE you are! I was starting to worry! SO happy to see you!
Here’s the latest from one of my faves, David Michael Green, on what’s wrong with us. As usual, he pretty much nails it.(for those with attention-deficit–this article is on the longer side)(for those who don’t like to look at uncomfortable realities–this article is on the stronger side)
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2011/08/13
Still kickin Jeannie…
Adam it is scary for sure. Like the US in the earlier years most here are unaware of what is happening
Floridiot, yes indeed Luntz has been a mentor to Harper form some time, plus Harper met with Murdoch and Roger Ailes last year. Next comes electronic voting. In return for Diebold we got Luntz!
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/lawrence-martin/is-stephen-harper-set-to-move-against-the-crtc/article1677632/
We need to lobby and agitate Congress to initiate a Constitutional amendment that explicitly denies personhood to corporations, and thus overthrow the decisions of many corrupt US Supreme Courts since late in the 19th Century. An amendment is not easy to get passed – it has to first get support from so many equally corrupt elected representatives persuaded by money more than votes. I believe we can prevail eventually, though, since corporate personhood is so contrary to what most Americans regard as common sense and just.
While I hope Romney gets dragged down by this remark, the truth is that he just put into words a principle that our legal system (and political system) has accepted for a long time.
Corporations have been given the legal rights of citizens (but without many of the responsibilities).
It’s a terrible truth. Romney’s mistake is to speak out loud one of the guding tenants of the U.S. ruling class.