Why Romney welcomes the NAACP boos

GOP presidential hopeful Mitt Romney took his economic message to the NAACP - and got booed when he talked about repealing President Obama's health care initiative, reports Jan Crawford.

This post originally appeared on Slate.

Mitt Romney was booed. It was a good day for Mitt Romney.

When the Republican nominee told the NAACP that he was committed to eliminating Obamacare, audience members shouted out. The negative reception might have been momentarily jarring to the candidate, but the moment had a political upside. It offered a chance for a candidate criticized for his malleability to look principled in the face of opposition. That might not have mattered to the audience in the auditorium, but as Romney advisers explain, this speech was not just aimed at the people sitting in their seats or African American voters in general. Like Romney's contentious visit to the largely African-American school in West Philadelphia weeks ago, this speech was aimed at rounding out Romney's image. "I believe that if you understood who I truly am in my heart, and if it were possible to fully communicate what I believe is in the real, enduring best interest of African-American families, you would vote for me for president," he said.

Hearing this, swing voters might think Gov. Romney has a bigger heart than those mean Democratic ads claiming he sent jobs overseas. At the very least the speech, and the negative reaction it provoked, replaced the outsourcing of American jobs as the political topic of the day. That may be the biggest political benefit of all of Mitt Romney's NAACP speech: He changed the conversation. In an election that is so close, both campaigns seem less concerned about the substance of their argument than that the argument take place on favorable turf. On issues from health care to charges and counter-charges about outsourcing, both Romney and Obama are willing to endure boos, howls from fact-checkers, and even some cries of hypocrisy if it will keep the argument on the topics that do them the most political good.

Watch video of Romney's mixed reception at NAACP convention.

Romney was also applauded by the NAACP audience, as his supporters were quick to point out. True, but it's in their candidate's interest to get booed and to have that booing reported. Quiet golf clapping and even sustained applause would rob Romney of explaining how steadfast he is going to be in the interviews that followed. It would weaken the Daniel in the Lion's Den story. Big deal Daniel, the lion's just purred at you. This is why, when candidate Obama in 2008 told of being grumbled at by auto executives for his position on auto emissions, he left out the part about how they gave him a standing ovation at the end of the speech.

The boos are particularly helpful in building ties with conservatives who prize constancy in the face of opposition among all political attributes and who have specific concerns about Romney's commitment to repealing the president's health care plan.

It should be noted that the appearance of bravery is distinct from actual bravery. This was not a Sister Soulja moment, named for Bill Clinton's comments at a conference sponsored by the Rainbow Coalition criticizing a popular rap artist for contributing to the coarsening of the culture. Jeb Bush talking about his party's strict views on immigration is the closest thing to a popular GOP official challenging his base.

In this case, Romney was telling leaders of a community disproportionately lacking quality health care that legislation expanding the system is a bad thing. Romney asked the audience to see his heart, but after so quickly dismissing this policy that has deep consequences for the African-American community he offered no alternative health care vision or hint that he understood the depth of the need that Obamacare--as flawed as it may be--was trying to meet. (When Romney later suggested those who liked Obamacare wanted more "free stuff" that made it even harder to see his heart.)

Gov. Romney was also willing to endure a few uncomfortable moments when he recently declared that the individual mandate in the Affordable Care Act was a tax. That statement contradicted a senior aide who had labeled it a penalty and contradicted Romney's position as governor of Massachusetts. But it put him in sync with GOP Congressional leaders accusing President Obama of advocating a new tax. As one Republican official argued, the Romney campaign was happy to have an extended debate about the tax issue, even if it momentarily touched on Romney's possible lack of conviction, because all voters would hear was a debate about taxes. Any time the debate is about taxes, argue strategists for both parties, it's a good argument for the Republican candidate. Voters just tend to trust Republicans to give them lower taxes, which they'd prefer. Also, for Romney his pitch to independent voters who don't like the law is that if he's elected the tax will disappear. If Obama stays, it won't.

President Obama is also willing to take his own hits to keep the argument on his turf. His campaign is running a variety of ads charging Romney with outsourcing jobs while the head of Bain Capital. A variety of fact-checking organizations have called the president on it, giving him the most negative ratings possible, challenging his assertions, and saying his campaign can't back up its claims. Yet, the ads are still running. The Obama campaign is convinced the TV attacks are working because any conversation about outsourcing is one Democrats think they are going to win. The idea is unpopular and voters are likely to believe that the candidate who sells himself as a business guy and whose firm sometimes shuttered factories was the one involved in outsourcing. When Mitt Romney retaliates that Obama is the "outsourcer-in-chief," it's not likely to be that effective because voters are not predisposed to believe that of President Obama. (In addition to the fact that the charge is pretty weak.)

The Obama campaign is also running an ad making a claim about Romney's position on abortion that is wafer-thin, as Time's Michael Scherer demonstrates. But a fight about women's reproductive issues is a fight Democrats are happy to have; it is more than worth enduring a few boos from the crowd. Though the president makes it sound like he is the overwhelming victim of negative ads, that's not so. President Obama is a long way from the 2008 candidate who used to inveigh against political game playing. Though, even at the time, Obama was willing to say one thing and do another, and his campaign ran more negative ads than any in history.

This is further confirmation of an essential truth both campaigns have embraced about fact checking: The upside from a strong distortion is better than the downside from the hall monitors. If you're not getting four Pinocchios or a pants-on-fire, you're not doing it right. Let them boo--as long as the message gets through.

More from Slate:

Judge Keeps Sole Miss. Abortion Clinic Open--for Now
Obama and Romney Represent Two Types of Elitism. Which Do You Prefer?

[BaGuaDoc]

This article perfectly describes the fundamental problem in our Nation today. For some reason, and I think it is the "marketing mentality", we as a society have accepted that it is OK to willfully deceive one another for the purpose of gaining an advantage, "winning". No social contract can succeed in the absence of Trust, and we are witnessing that very thing being played out here in our Nation today. We were the most successful society in the world when we revered George Washington for not lying about chopping down the cherry tree and HONEST Abe Lincoln was revered for that essential quality that provides the only foundation upon which Trust can be built. We have embraced Vince Lombardi's idea that winning isn't everything it it he only thing, but if Societal Suicide is to be avoided we will have to get back to the idea that it doesn't matter if you win or lose but rather how you play the game. Without a reversion to a social contract where Integrity is rewarded and deceit punished we are lost.

[Casca0001]

E-Verify 'The Legal Workforce Act' (H.R. 2885) although just voluntary at this time, is an electronic program operated by the Social Security Administration and Customs and Immigration Enforcement. —The last entity I would listen too is the Liberal Press, who have transferred their loyalty to hard core radical people like socialist George Soros? The mainstream media Editorial reeks of deceit and rhetoric, when it comes to illegal immigration. The progressives in the news media are especially dangerous. The liberals will lie and cheat, no matter the consequences to America. So it is with E-Verify, which they have demonized because, it actually flags illegal immigrants in the workplace and opens up jobs for U.S. citizens and residents. The liberals have been very predominant in using the influence of the press, to erect a barrier against Mandatory E-Verify, except they didn't reckon on the growing masses of the TEA PARTY. Unlike the two main political parties the TEA PARTY will enforce all laws and statutes pertaining to illegal immigration, whereas the Dem's and GOP tend to intentionally overlook such state ordinances as Sanctuary Cities and states like California?

REMEMBER THE TEA PARTY WILL ENFORCE 'THE PEOPLE'S' LAWS. THERE WILL BE NO PLEADINGS FOR ANY CRIMINAL ILLEGAL ALIEN, NO OBAMA BACKDOOR AMNESTIES, NO DREAM ACTS, NO SANCTUARY CITIES, NO CHAIN MIGRATION. E-VERIFICATION WOULD ALSO BE FULLY ENFORCED WITH STRINGENT PUNISHMENT, FOR THOSE WHO DON'T COMPLY? POTENTIAL PRESIDENT MITT ROMNEY BETTER STAY AWARE OF THE 'TEA PARTY' EMPOWERMENT, AS IF HE THINKS OF PLAYING ALONG IN THE ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION ISSUE, HE WILL BE RECOGNISED AS A FLIP-FLOPPER.

[Casca0001]

Even the House Speaker John Boehner has refused to bring up compulsory E-Verify for a House vote. Obviously he and his entrenched colleagues will not allow it anywhere near the Congress, as he and his fellow conspirators are subject to the corporate donations, to keep the old school corrupting our system of government. E-Verify is just one bill that must be passed to save the jobs of millions of low income Americans mainly.

The Independents, and uncountable numbers of delusional Democrats, Republicans are recognizing that the Lib-Democrats are out to win the grand price in November, but now millions of TEA PARTY people will not fall into their political trap. This is the same with photo ID to vote, who have ruthless personages as U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder and the Kings court caterwauling 'voter Suppression', when all the TEA PARTY requests is a fair and equitable election. Surf the internet under 'Voter Fraud' and you will discover the hundreds of cases of this diabolical use of our most trusted right of American citizens, being compromised by NON CITIZENS, felons and illegal aliens. This began with inception of canvassing provided by ACORN organization, which signed up just about anybody and were eventually caught and 11 states are resolving this criminal issue.

Another law that remains quietly concealed from the public is the Rep. Steve Kings THE BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP ACT (H.R.140). An astronomical amount of money is being extracted from every taxpaying American that supports the annual arrival of an estimated 400.000 smuggled babies into the United States. They are concealed in their Mother's womb and once here becomes the taxpayers charge. These females although illegal that once they set foot on American soil, their offspring receive a free delivery, free heath care and a free education, thanks to unfunded mandates handed down by the courts. The only salvation from this misjudged law is to amend the 14th amendment, which an only child with one citizen parent qualifies for instant citizenship. Illegal alien parents are well aware that if they smuggle the unborn child through an international airport terminal or past the U.S. Border Patrol, they are free and clear as the misguided law stands today.

[Casca0001]

With only four months to go before D-Day us the voter only has that one slender chance of changing the direction of our country. With the democrats cocooned with the Liberals, the only promise is uncontrolled 'Tax and Spend' so elevating the 16 Trillion dollar deficit we owe the rest of the worlds investors. Then under the Republicans, a lesser of the evils, but even so they must be controlled by the TEA PARTY LEADERSHIP.

Anybody who contradicts the writings in the U.S. Constitution, who is adverse to a real border fence, who is unconcerned about the 20 million plus illegal aliens already here or the harbinger of a further invasion from Central and South America needs to be relieved of their seats in Washington, not excluding the majority of legislators in Congress, state governors as Deval Patrick of Massachusetts, Jerry Brown of California, and Mayors as Rahm Emanuel of Chicago, Antonio Villaraigosa of Los Angeles—all must be replaced by TEA PARTY MEMBERS. All the pro-illegal immigrant law makers are destroying this sovereign country, as they are well aware that illegal aliens vote. That is why Americans, Hispanic, Latin, Black, White Asian and others should join one of the thousands of local chapters of the TEA PARTY. They should be ready to oversee the elections, including the rampant fraud in the absentee ballot. Around the country the election rolls are crowded with the names of the deceased, others who have moved to a different state. There are many ways our most sacred of rights have been compromised and only the citizen voter can change it.

Remember under Obama Imperial court we will be paying not only for any person who illegally ventures here, but for millions of Americans who have found it easy, to just live of the taxpayer. Beneath our feet is abundance of wealth in oil, natural gas and coal for energy that President Obama denies us. Those trillions of dollars in excess gallons of crude oil could clearly go to replenish state treasuries and the remainder could be sold to our friends in other countries. Under Obama and decades of environmental zealots, we have not been cut off from our own resources, relying on governments abroad that hate us. Even the abundance of oil from Canada is better than dealing with foreign potentates.

[syslmod]

The corporate new entities are not bringing up Mittens smart response about the booing and they must have been freeloaders. Please pass this along to our African American Friends.

[TimeToEvolve]

The Republicon party of borrowing and spending is the most divisive major party I have ever seen. They don't even want to accept science for God sake. The reason you know they are divisive is that they accuse others of it. The reason you know they only represent the Top 1% is that they say they are for the middle class. How stupid do they think we are?

[ugacrew]

When I took Speech 101 in college, the first rule of thumb for public speaking was "Know your audience."

It is still "Know your audience."

Perhaps Mr. Romney never took Speech 101. He is rather fortunate that he wasn't at the Apollo Theater.:)

[TimeToEvolve]

This is RIGHT ON and worth repeating. The Wall Street filthy rich love us fighting left versus right so we don't pay attention to the fact that they have become America's biggest and most powerful enemy.

Just to add to this, the giant corporations approached General Smedley Butler to mastermind a coup to take down Franklin Roosevelt. They did, still do and always will want extreme capitalism (fascism).

by IPonUall July 12, 2012 9:44 PM EDT
There are no leftists........ We are AMERICANS.
We have been betrayed, by a conspiracy that's been in operation for decades....
One of the objectives was to turn us against each other.
Public employed vs Private, Immigrant vs Native born, Union vs Non Union...WAKE UP

Research the Business Coup of 1933 on youtube, google or wiki.
Make the link I found....that the very same forces that attempted to take this country by force have become multinational corporations that have ruined middle America. You will see the roles of Prescott Bush (Traitor who dealt with Hitler), GE, GM, DuPont, Morgan and others...
We have been deceived and you have been played

[winfreyr]

Romney's NAACP pitch falls flat. My thoughts here:

http://yourthoughtshere.wordpress.com/2012/07/13/romneys-naacp-pitch/

[IPonUall]

by IPonUall July 12, 2012 11:22 PM EDT
oops I said Jefferson....so embarassed...I meant Andrew Jackson....lol
Again, I'm not perfect.....oops...:)