What did Santorum say? - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Honus · #1 01-08-2012, 09:06 AM

Rick Santorum has been quoted as saying, “I don’t want to make black people’s lives better by giving them somebody else’s money.” He denies saying "black people." He says that he kind of stumbled over his words and said "blah people."

What do you guys think? Here's the video: Santorum's Racist Welfare Rant: 'I Don't Want To Make Black People's Lives Better' With Taxpayer Money | ThinkProgress

Sounds like "black people" to me.

kerry · #2 01-08-2012, 10:10 AM

He said black people.

Botnst · #3 01-08-2012, 10:32 AM

If he didn't say, "black people" he should have.

It is immoral to make anybody's life better by taking from somebody else.

kerry · #4 01-08-2012, 10:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Botnst

If he didn't say, "black people" he should have.

It is immoral to make anybody's life better by taking from somebody else.

That may be true, but Santorum doesn't seem to see it as a general problem. It's black people who who take from white people.

Dubyagee · #5 01-08-2012, 11:08 AM

Next on the list of attacks is.......

kerry · #6 01-08-2012, 11:15 AM

I'm guessing Mexicans.

compu_85 · #7 01-08-2012, 11:31 AM

Just think, if he gets elected we can shift from having a war on terrorism to a war on gays and contraception! Think of the savings!

-J

PaulC · #8 01-08-2012, 11:55 AM

Let's get to a more important point: Who the Hell is dressing him? Last time I saw a sweater like that, Fred MacMurray was wearing it in a 1966 episode of "My Three Sons"...

LaRondo · #9 01-08-2012, 12:11 PM

Rick Santorum Slammed By Jewish Groups For 'Jesus Candidate' Remarks

What a fine mess it is.

chasinthesun · #10 01-08-2012, 12:14 PM

If you get them to talk enough theyll usually wander off the script and thats when they get into trouble,the truth eventually comes out.

Honus · #11 01-08-2012, 12:32 PM

Before denying that he used the phrase "black people" Santorum said this:

Quote:

"I've seen that quote, I haven't seen the context in which that was made," Santorum told Pelley, of the Sunday remarks. "Yesterday I talked for example about a movie called, um, what was it? 'Waiting for Superman,' which was about black children and so I don't know whether it was in response and I was talking about that." Santorum targets blacks in entitlement reform - Political Hotsheet - CBS News

That "explanation" seems to only compound the problem for him because, according to that article, the movie portrays kids of all races. Did Senator Santorum simply miss the kids in the movie who aren't black? Wouldn't that make his comment about wanting to make black people's lives better seem even more racist?

One reason this is problematic for Santorum is that his comments seem suspiciously like the dog whistle comments GOP candidates use to curry favor with racists without appearing to be racists themselves. Ronald Reagan's infamous Welfare Queen is the paragon of this ugly genre:

Quote:

She has eighty names, thirty addresses, twelve Social Security cards and is collecting veteran's benefits on four non-existing deceased husbands. And she is collecting Social Security on her cards. She's got Medicaid, getting food stamps, and she is collecting welfare under each of her names. Her tax-free cash income is over $150,000.

Ronald Reagan on the campaign trail in 1976 Welfare queen - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

It's a model GOPers still use:

Quote:

Throughout his campaign, Newt Gingrich has painted himself as the Republican candidate who will reach out to minority voters, particularly the African American community. Gingrich escalated those comments Thursday when he expressed a willingness to address the NAACP on “why the African-American community should demand paychecks and not be satisfied with food stamps.” When the NAACP called Newt’s comments “divisive,” Newt appeared baffled by their unenthusiastic response.

The Dog-Whistle Behind Newt’s Food Stamps Rhetoric | TPM2012

Maybe that's what Santorum was trying to do, but I have my doubts. He might sincerely believe that it's mainly black people who depend on welfare. Hard to say.

By the way, the wikipedia page that I linked for the Reagan quote has a great line from Susan Douglas, professor of communication studies at the University of Michigan:

Quote:

He [Reagan] specialized in the exaggerated, outrageous tale that was almost always unsubstantiated, usually false, yet so sensational that it merited repeated recounting… And because his "examples" of welfare queens drew on existing stereotypes of welfare cheats and resonated with news stories about welfare fraud, they did indeed gain real traction.

Welfare queen - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

That is Reagan in a nutshell. Rove has tried to carry on the tradition, but he is not in Reagan's league, IMHO.

veggihatetank · #12 01-08-2012, 12:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Honus

Rick Santorum has been quoted as saying, “I don’t want to make black people’s lives better by giving them somebody else’s money.” He denies saying "black people." He says that he kind of stumbled over his words and said "blah people.

As a supporter of the National Association of the Advancement of Blah People I'm very offended.

LandYaghtLover · #13 01-08-2012, 01:04 PM

Never likes the guy anyway. His name sounds like a Roman emperor. He is probably a KKK member.

Botnst · #14 01-08-2012, 01:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kerry

That may be true, but Santorum doesn't seem to see it as a general problem. It's black people who who take from white people.

The principle is the same, regardless of pigmentation.

Botnst · #15 01-08-2012, 01:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LandYaghtLover

Never likes the guy anyway. His name sounds like a Roman emperor. He is probably a KKK member.

Sounds like "Sanitarium", which can't be good.

Probably hates puppies and hates long walks on the beach, too.