Do we need any more evidence that
it's just not in Mitt Romney's DNA to have any empathic conception of what ordinary people's lives are like? He makes these awkward gaffe's that obviously come from his life experience where getting money when you need it has just never been anything he had to think about.
Not that we needed any more evidence, but here's the latest: Talking to college students at Otterbein University (Columbus, Ohio) about taking initiative, developing their futures, etc. He said: "We've always encouraged young people: "Take a shot, go for it, take a
risk, get the education, borrow money if you have to from your parents,
start a business."
"Borrow money from your parents"
This is less than 24 hours since the big fight in the House over student loan interest rates. Doesn't he realize that the conversation is about college students whose parents don't have the money to pay for their kids' education? So how are they going to be able to lend them money to start a business?
So here's a new slogan for Romney's opponents (with apologies to "Sleepless in Seattle"):
Ralph
Joshua Dorner, a spokesman for the Center for American Progress leaped at this target Romney painted on his own back. Dorner said:
ReplyDelete"Only someone who paid for college by selling stock given to him by his CEO father would just casually assume students could go borrow $20,000 from their parents to deal with the economic challenges they face."
I don't think Romney is basically an insensitive man. I think his life experience has just been so removed from that of people who have to struggle financially that he just doesn't see the problem with his comments.
On the other hand, he makes much of the fact that as a one-time leader of his local Mormon group, he did have to counsel those who were having problems. So you would think that would have opened his eyes.
The fact that it apparently didn't is troubling -- quite a bit, in fact.