There are a fair number of low information voters out there. I suspect that they are at least proportionately represented among the undecided, perhaps more than proportionately. Unlike a lot of liberals, I use that as term for people on both the left and right. Many people simply don't pay attention to the news and current events. That does not make them stupid, but when it comes to elections it makes them ill-informed.

I agree with this; but for the most part, they're ill-informed because they're not interested. I don't see this as changing their opinion much simply because I don't think they'll hear much about it. To the extent that they do, I suspect they won't be moved much by it. The basic direction of his remarks is pretty much already part of his persona, and (this part I was dismayed to learn) apparently people simply don't believe Romney and the Republicans actually mean it when they go off the deep end.

That said, this election has an unusually small number of undecided voters. Closing the enthusiasm gap between supporters may be more profitable than trying to swing the swingers anyway. I could see this video having an impact there.

I didn't think he was quite so stupid as to say it so openly.

I may be wrong about this, but I was under the impression that he didn't say it openly, it was behind closed doors at a fund raiser with people in his own demographic. I guess it's no big shock that that's what "these people" think of "those people". You may have heard about the remarks from Gina Rinehart (world's richest woman), that people bitching about the rich should just work harder and drink less. (Actually, her remarks were somewhat more nuanced than that, but they were still predicated on... no, is too long. Allow Cracked to sum up: [link] Points 5, 3 and especially 4.) And then followed it up with complaining that Australia has a minimum wage while people in Africa are willing to work for $2 a day. Romney's remarks seem pretty much of a piece.

Dear Aussie INS- your website is opaque. Following instructions (literate web people) my SIL and I both got hit with the $115 visa fee offer. My clueless mother managed to get the right $20 one. You suck. At least the savvy ones know they've been fucked and cancel out ops.

Could you use any help with that?

It's not just a "I'm very rich" mindset. I hear it frequently here in Utah: What kind of lazy loser are you that you can't survive without a handout, ie, assistance you're entitled to. If you're on welfare, it must be because you're a drug addict or stupid or just too lazy to get a real job. Or you gamed the system so you can continue to live on a couch and play computer games and you use your food stamps to get booze (laws delineating proper use of food stamps regardless).

This is particularly hypocritical, because girls are told to go ahead and have kids right after they get married at 19 because there are all these programs to help kids, so it doesn't matter that you can't afford the kids.

Thanks again for the birthday wishes!

Count me in the cynical camp that doesn't think that video will make any difference.

It's not just a "I'm very rich" mindset. I hear it frequently here in Utah: What kind of lazy loser are you that you can't survive without a handout, ie, assistance you're entitled to. If you're on welfare, it must be because you're a drug addict or stupid or just too lazy to get a real job. Or you gamed the system so you can continue to live on a couch and play computer games and you use your food stamps to get booze (laws delineating proper use of food stamps regardless).

True, it's widespread. Which is silly, since IIRC, the primary driver of the rise in the proportion not paying tax etc is the continued greying of the populace. You know what really slashes your tax bill? Retiring.

What I'm so tired of is this insistence in everything on talking points that are simply lies, but they seem to think a lie repeated often enough becomes the truth. Just because people are not paying federal income taxes does not mean they're not paying any taxes. They're paying for Medicare and Social Security in payroll taxes; sales tax; state income tax; federal excise taxes; and property taxes. Counting these taxes, the poor generally pay a larger percentage of their income in taxes than the 1%, even without paying income tax.

Trade it in like move somewhere else? I guess in theory I could, but it's not easy (not that moving to the US is easy!) and less urgent of a change, really.

Which implies that either the effort is so massive the gain is out of your reach, or rather, it's actually pretty damned good here, so never mind until that theoretical election where my peeps lose. And even then...most people would rather stay and try fix it.

Though if I were needing/wanting to move from a 3rd world country, I'd probably go with whoever was easiest to move to/become a citizen of/whatever, and better than my current situation, rather than "who is the most awesomest ever"

Yeah, that's not as often how it goes. To trivialize something serious, it's a) go to nearest country where they're not killing or maiming me and mine b) go to Canada, US, Britain, even though they're fucking hard from most places, but you don't have time to do this by halves. Adjust that by language and different colonialists.

Fiasco with a small f at the airport meltdown on the rebooking phone, snot and everything, and after that, there's and hour or two line to get a hotel room. Fuck it. I have Lunesta. I can sleep wherever I please until the eight thirty flight. But someone stepped out of the line an hour in and insisted she'd been holding my spot (the line looked a manageable 45 mins at this point, and then expanded to maybe 4 hours in the time I was being seen). So i have the worlds smallest hotel room, a DEFCON one migraine, and an urge to knife anyone in the American logo. The knight in shining armour only requested a hug and cheek kisses, the little perv. Gladly paid.

Off to tweet from a backup account. Bitches. I will be 12 hours late for painkillers, and don't dare tell sister, because she'd feel responsible. And painkillers during the day are...even more waiting than today, if you play it wrong.

Oh, no, ita. But at least you got a hotel room.

For anyone who needs some cheering up: ridiculously cute baby otters.

Apparently Mother Jones has more parts of that video. There supposedly is another bombshell tomorrow.

I'm not sure I can take it.

The pundits who I saw on tv today think that this video is damaging to Romney because it reinforces his negatives: more people already don't like him and this emphasizes why we don't like him.

The only thing that surprised me with the video is that the number 47% seemed kind of low. I mean, it is pretty clear to me that there are no more than 100 people in the US he gives 2 shits about and 80 of them he's related to. He can't stand the rest of us.

I also am amused because I think it is possible he hasn't paid income taxes recently and so I'm not sure what it means for him to consider those who don't pay income taxes in such low esteem.

Thurston Howell Romney.

[link]

He's lost David Brooks.

Ugh ita, what a friggin' bummer of an ending to what sounded like a great trip. I'll be around tomorrow if I can help out although I am on kid duty in the afternoon. But call if you need anything.