Please Punish Mitt for His 47% Slur Tonight

In a previous post, just before the Democratic National Convention, I expressed the hope that the Dems would forcefully defend the remarks delivered in that July campaign speech by Obama that contained the phrase "you didn't build that." That speech was an attempt to explain how successful businesses rely not only on individual initiative but, among other things, government initiatives, public infrastructure and the help entrepreneurs get from their fellow citizens..

Instead of giving that message the rigor and eloquence it deserved, Obama delivered an inarticulate mess that the Republiconservative distortion machine then used to accuse him of insulting hard working business owners by not giving them the credit they deserved. After taking that phrase out of context in order to make it seem that Obama was saying the exact opposite of what he did say, they then made it their fucking convention theme!
What a bunch of dirty, low down, underhanded skunks.

I have yet to hear one of these right-wingers square these other words (from that same speech) with their canard that Obama was denigrating individual effort:

"And what this reminded me of was that, at the heart of this country, its central idea is the idea that in this country, if you’re willing to work hard, if you’re willing to take responsibility, you can make it if you try "

"...and if they’re willing to work hard, then they can achieve things that you wouldn’t have even imagined achieving."

"The point is, is that when we succeed, we succeed because of our individual initiative..."

The Dems could have made Obama's real message their own campaign theme. They could have explained how the efforts and contributions of all of us are what makes the economy -- and the economy is what provides the opportunities that allow individuals to become rich.
That would have been brilliant. But having been burned once, the Dems decided to stay away from that.
How pathetic.

Now my hope is that in tonight's debate Obama will give Romney the punishment he deserves for the false, outrageous and insulting slander he committed against 47% of the American people. My guess is that he'll try. But I'm afraid that he won't do that job justice.
I must say that every time Obama has been given the opportunity to make the case for liberal principles he has fallen short. Worse than that, he often turns those opportunities into fodder for that 'Republiconservative distortion machine' by serving up some 'inarticulate mess' which they then seize on and use against him.

From Joe the Plumber to attacks on his ‘socialism.’ From the public option to rationing and death panels. From the Bush tax cuts to redistribution of wealth. From apologizing for America to 'you didn't build that.'
Obama just can't seem to defend himself.
It’s not just him, it’s the entire Democratic Party and the left in general.
However, there are a small handful of exceptions and I will highlight them in future posts.

Consider this revolting irony:
Romney just uttered, probably, the most insulting accusations ever made against the American people by a presidential candidate. And they were based on complete falsehoods. (to be fair, he did exclude all rich people from those insults even though many of them don't pay any income taxes and are dependent on government handouts.)

How is it that right-wingers can make such hay out of things that Obama never said, did or thought, incorporate it into their convention theme and drive themselves into a mindless rage, but the Dems can't effectively put Romney's feet to the fire for the most unambiguous insults we've ever heard from a presidential candidate? We've never seen Mitt so relaxed and at ease as when he made those comments.

It wasn't Obama who denigrated the efforts of people, it was that bastard Mitt Romney!
Romney hasn't suffered nearly as much as he should have for this. His candidacy should be completely over by now. Despite the fact that his efforts to squirm out of this are so fucking pathetic, he's actually succeeded to a large extent.
Out of all the insults he stuffed into the load of garbage he delivered to those rich donors, the worst by far was this one:
"I’ll never convince them they should take personal responsibility and care for their lives.”

Wow. Damn. Hoowee. That's 47% of the American people he's talking about. What a fuck.

You know, even if Obama did mean you didn't build that 'business', at least that would be partially true. Because people who start businesses -- while contributing initiative, ideas and/or capital -- don't usually build it themselves. They usually hire other people to build it for them. People like the 47% of irresponsible moochers that Mitt and his donors seem to despise.
Romney's horeshit, on the other hand, is just a god-damn flat out lie.

The only person I've seen so far to do this issue proper justice is the great Paul Krugman.
If you haven't read his recent NYT Op-Ed please do. It is beautiful:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/21/opinion/krugman-disdain-for-workers.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit_th_20120921&moc.semityn.www&_r=0