"I don't want to take care of those people"
by digby
NPR did a story on this preposterous welfare reform lie the Romney campaign refuses to stop telling. The reporter attempted to explain why they would keep doing it even though it's been rated "pants on fire" over and over again and they interviewed some voters.
I think this is the one who makes it pretty clear what's going on:
This specific attack about welfare ties into a broader concern that many Republicans share: Romney often argues that Obama and the Democrats are making America a government-dependent society.
"I really don't want to help somebody who just decides, 'Oh, well, I was raised on welfare. I can raise my children on welfare,' " Malcolm said. "I had a cousin who, she is a registered nurse and the stories she told me about people coming in there and having babies just so they could get more on their food stamps and more on their welfare. It's like no, I don't want to take care of those people."
That's a GOP base voter for you. When in doubt go to old faithful. Obama's taking away their health care and giving it to "those" people, too. And I think we know who those people are, don't we?
This isn't the first time the Republicans have played on racist tropes top win an election, but this one is worse than usual since their entire premise is built on a lie. But it does allow them to put the first black president in ads with the word "welfare" and activate that wingnut lizard brain. It's a very sensitive lizard brain when it comes to race.
Adele Stan had this campaign pegged from the beginning for exactly what it was. Romney will be remembered as the guy who reanimated Lee Atwater's vision for the Republican Party. It will go on his tombstone.
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