Why Romney Got Booed And Biden Got Cheered At NAACP

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Based on polling of the black electorate, the NAACP is an overwhelmingly pro-Obama organization. So it’s no real surprise that Mitt Romney drew boos when he spoke at the group’s national convention Wednesday and Vice President Biden drew cheers.

But the difference between the two NAACP speeches was greater than simple party-line allegiance. Romney reached out to the African American audience with a speech that avoided many of the issues most important to the NAACP; Biden acknowledged those issues head-on, and promised an Obama-Biden administration would tackle them if re-elected.

Romney’s speech made no mention of voter ID laws. The GOP-led legislative push to make it more difficult to vote is deeply concerning to black leaders, and a central focus of the NAACP convention. The Obama administration has voiced strong opposition to the laws, and the Justice Department is challenging some of them in court. Attorney General Eric Holder told the NAACP earlier in the week that the laws were akin to “poll taxes.”

Biden also pounced. “The president and I … see a future where those rights are expanded, not diminished,” Biden said. “Where racial profiling is a thing of the past. Where access to the ballot is expanded and unencumbered.”

Racial profiling also presents a challenge for Romney. He’s walked a tightrope on the Arizona immigration law minority groups fear will encourage racial profiling, and has even embraced the law’s authors on the campaign trail. Romney can’t condemn racial profiling without endangering his relationship with conservatives, which observers still see as tenuous.

Biden also shouted out the health care reform law by touting its advantages specifically for black Americans. The law provides coverage for “8 million black Americans who would’ve never had insurance,” Biden said to cheers.

Romney’s vow to repeal “Obamacare,” which drew the loudest boos of his speech.

By sidestepping key issues — and challenging the audience on others — there was no real way for Romney to convince the NAACP crowd of much. That hasn’t been the case for all Republicans, but it is the unique position Romney finds himself in based on his policy stances and seeming fear of addressing issues beyond the economy.

Romney refused to address much beyond the economy; Biden gave a broad speech that addressed jobs, pay inequality and the auto industry. Both referred to scripture and faith.

“You certainly couldn’t do better with our crowd than that,” NAACP chief Ben Jealous told MSNBC after Biden’s speech. “He even got into talking about racial profiling, which is something that if you go back 12 years, George Bush campaigned against driving while black.”

It’s not just Obama-supporting black Democrats who think Republicans need to tweak their rhetoric a bit when it comes to the African American vote. Former Alabama Rep. Artur Davis — a former Democrat in the House who is now considering running as a Republican in Virginia — called on his new party to speak differently to African Americans than it has in the recent past. There is a black population Republicans could speak to, Davis told TPM. But Romney’s speech didn’t hit the marks Davis set.

“Republicans will need to appreciate that even affluent blacks are sensitive to the plight of the poor,” he said, “while they don’t want to be condescended to, they expect public policy to engage ‘the least of these’ and they are turned off by ‘blame the victim’ rhetoric.”

http://2012.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/07/romney-biden-boos-naacp.php?ref=fpb

[Captain Oates 910]

He grinned from ear to ear when he finally got a boo

He worked hard for it

The rednecks were sat in their red pickup trucks in S Carolina listening on the radio and it made them determined to vote

This guy is sinister

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

Thanks for the insightful story, Captain Obvious!

[rocks 494]

It's really unbelievable how out of touch this man is. He is trying to get elected as president and is ignoring everything apart from "the economy".

If he had filed his tax returns this year, the economy would be doing better.

[Captain Oates 910]

It's really unbelievable how out of touch this man is. He is trying to get elected as president and is ignoring everything apart from "the economy".

If he had filed his tax returns this year, the economy would be doing better.

There is "something of the night" about him

W may have been stupid but at least he wasn't sinister

[one...two...tree 2,762]

It's really unbelievable how out of touch this man is. He is trying to get elected as president and is ignoring everything apart from "the economy".

If he had filed his tax returns this year, the economy would be doing better.

The Republican strategy is to galvanize their base, divide and conquer over wedge issues, and disenfranchise the only voters standing in their way - the real majority. What's scary is that their strategy worked in the past (GW Bush) and could work again.

Edited July 12, 2012 by Mister Fancypants

[Captain Oates 910]

The Republican strategy is to galvanize their base, divide and conquer over wedge issues, and disenfranchise the only voters standing in their way - the real majority. What's scary is that their strategy worked in the past (GW Bush) and could work again.

They should be lured to S Carolina with stories of free red pickup trucks - and then we should build an electric fence on the Mason Dixon Line

Problem solved

[elmcitymaven 9,711]

There is "something of the night" about him

But still, his hair is better than Michael Howard's.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

I just gets more awesome...

Mitt Romney Says He Got Booed Because Black People Just Want Free Stuff

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

But they sure love Marion Barry because the NAACP has about that much intelligence when it comes to choosing a politician to back.

[Captain Oates 910]

But still, his hair is better than Michael Howard's.

jeez I thought that reference would seem fresh over here - you have blown my cover !

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

I just gets more awesome...

Mitt Romney Says He Got Booed Because Black People Just Want Free Stuff

Either post him saying it like in a quote or I'm reporting your post and having it deleted. So let's see that quote because it sure isn't in the link you provided.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

I just gets more awesome...

Mitt Romney Says He Got Booed Because Black People Just Want Free Stuff

Romney is intuitively insightful.

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

Romney is intuitively insightful.

The insightful one is the poster who lied in their post as if it was an actual quote. He's done it before on here. If he can't post anything in this forum other than his usual green energy post with links to totally off the wall sites than what's he doing posting about politics?

I want to see that quote that was in his post on a link somewhere. If you google it nothing comes up with that quote.

[slim 1,514]

The outright racism displayed by both sides of this campaign is horrendous.

I'm fearful Americans are going to let it slip out of control and be forced to deal with it in the coming years.