Congrats Capitalists: Reagan Democrats Abandon Romney

They're called Reagan Democrats. And if our idiot GOP elites weren't so dumb so as to try and conflat what's interpreted as predatory capitalism, with ethical free enterprise, they wouldn't have invested so much effort in tarring the entire party with this brush.

But the most interesting finding is among whites with incomes of under $50,000: His negative numbers among them have jumped 20 points, from 29 percent to 49 percent.

The argument for free enterprise can be made effectively to this critical demographic. But that takes the right message and, just as importantly, the right messenger. Mitt Romney ain't it. If the capitalism uber alles crowd were half as smart as they think they are, they would have appreciated that, it was that Romney's critics were trying to point out and they were never attacking capitalism in any form worthy of defending.

Add the income issues to Romney being unable to project himself as anything but an elitist, and you have a real losing combination in a national election. What is it about this simple point that you fools can't understand? To re-invoke Reagan:

In late 1979, during an economic strategy meeting, Ronald Reagan was talking about his upcoming presidential campaign. At one point, somebody expressed concern that John Connally, the former governor of Texas and another presidential candidate, was gaining support among corporate chief executive officers, with all the financial support and credibility that that entailed. Reagan said this didn't bother him at all. "Let him have the Fortune 500," he said. "I want our campaign to stand for Main Street, not Wall Street. I want us to stand for the worker, the shopkeeper, the entrepreneur, and the small businessman." Reagan's instincts were right on the mark.

Comments

[Ragspierre]

"...dumb...to try and conflat what's interpreted as predatory capitalism, with ethical free enterprise, they wouldn't have invested so much effort..."

Or, more truthfully...

It is dumb to try to counter BULLSH!T Collectivist myths about "predatory capitalism" that I sort of believe by pointing out objectively that the myths are based on lies.

[Keating Willcox]

Romney's deal is to get others to pay his bills. The MA Romneycare was a way to get other states to send $385 million to subsidize MA bills. His private equity fund benefits from having earned income commissions treated as capital gains, so he has us pay half his taxes. This is a well known scam. And the Kansas City company that Bain bought and closed ended up costing Kansas City millions and pension funds millions.

Contrast with Herman Cain, a successful businessman who made a better burger, and prospered. Romney, on the other hand, takes every legal advantage and pays few taxes, walks away from every instance where he sticks the bills to others, and when accused, cries out that we don't need capitalism. As a MA resident he was not a bad guy, but a lousy one term candidate, and a liberal governor.

[Ragspierre]

"His private equity fund benefits from having earned income commissions treated as capital gains, so he has us pay half his taxes. This is a well known scam."

No. It is either---

a. following the tax code, or

b. illegal

You don't get to call things a "scam" if they are done according to the rules that govern the game.

[Rich]

"Predatory Capitalism," brought to you by Dan Riehl, Populist.

[Huey]

Good lord. "Predatory capitalism?"

Guess it's like pornography, you know it when you see it - or art as it's in the eye of the beholder (and if you "conflat" those two - that's not my fault.)

Is it "predatory" when he does the same things to different companies but has widely diverging results? One business grows and prospers - another doesn't. Same actions - different results.

We're judging his BEHAVIOR on the ADVERSE RESULTS he had in SOME CASES although in OTHER CASES the SAME BEHAVIOR had different results? (And I would - hand to God - HOPE are results which would be judged "ethical" as they resulted in the retention/creation of tens of thousands of jobs...)

This is just depressing. I have similar conversations with supposed "conservatives" frequently and an frequently dismayed by how they (those who don't risk their time and treasure) think I should run my business "ethically."

They don't have any problem taking that weekly paycheck from those who DID risk their time and treasure so that the risk adverse have a frapping job.

Sickening.

[Ragspierre]

Geez, Huey.

I FEEL you, brother...!!!

Another 100%!!!!

[Anna]

The only candidate left articulating those Reagan ideals is Rick Santorum. I hope he hangs in there. The first few months of GOP voting has been rigged for Romney by RINO and Dem operatives in each early primary / caucus state.

[Mouna]

This all just barkes my poor little heart. But I love when you carry on; carry on, my dear.

[Criztian]

Aint — My guess is when your house falls into a dlliirng hole the bastard cockroaches will run for the hills and deny all responsibility/liability. Don’t feel bad about living in Tex-ass. I live in U-tard. ; )Jon — Welcome! Iceland looks like a wonderful place to visit. I hope the ground is stable by the time I finally make it there.Donna — Excellent and insightful comparisons of post-presidency acts. I didn’t even think about that. Knowing him, Dubya’s legacy will probably be to get drunk and run neked through a college football bowl game.Yes, we really did take a can of bear spray. We bought it last year when we went to Jackson Hole, WY. We’d read the grizzlies were having more encounters with people, possibly because of a dwindling food supply attributed by some scientists to climate change. Thankfully we never had occasion to use it. OTOH, our Katmai bear guide in Alaska carried flares instead. He swore bear spray has a troubling tendency to incapacitate its wielders (spraying capsaicin into the wind is generally painful and not a good idea) but “no bear will approach a live flare.” If we went somewhere with an active bear population we would probably take both.Ahab You may be right about Santorum escaping! (haha)These dlliirng folks have run amok, particularly during the past few years. The Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance (SUWA) persuaded them (for now) not to drill in Utahs majestic Desolation Canyon. Had SUWA not gotten involved we would have Halliburton, et al, tearing up that landscape too.