Give to the Rich
For most of the country’s comedians—political junkies included—47 percent is close enough to “half” to get a good guffaw or an astounded groan. Of course, it’s about Mitt Romney writing off 47 percent of the nation as tax-dodging “slackers.” But leave it to the conservative pundits to make lemonade of Romney’s gaff. Morgan Philpot is one of many suddenly doing the math. Philpot has run a couple of unsuccessful races and was a state representative and vice-chair of the state GOP. He has a story problem that speaks against the progressive tax system. It’s about 10 men who daily go out for drinks that cost $100. It ends with, “Tax them too much, attack them for being wealthy, and they just may not show up anymore. In fact, they might start drinking overseas, where the atmosphere is somewhat friendlier.” He must be talking about Romney’s offshore accounts.
Name Calling
Then there’s Paul Mero’s tweet comparing four more years of Obama to a Venezuelan rally to re-elect President Hugo Chavez. Mero, who heads the Sutherland Institute, says that after four more years, the slackers will be more like 70 percent than 47 percent. Mero cites a website called France 24, whose mission is to cover international current events from a French perspective and to convey French values throughout the world.” The article spoke of a rally that focused on Chavez’s “signature social programs.” Of course, it’s not as though Chavez’s opponent is a tea-party kind of guy. It’s Henrique Capriles, whom they call center-left. And he supports Chavez’s housing and health-care programs—not exactly a mirror of the United States.
When Insults Backfire
For Sen. Orrin Hatch, this past week has been a boon to his seemingly unstoppable campaign. His Democratic challenger, Scott Howell, sought Hatch’s medical records in saying he might just pop off if he wins another six-year term. You know, Hatch at 78 is, uh, old. Old enough to be Howell’s dad, and apparently, Howell doesn’t want his dad running for office. Well, that set off a firestorm of “ageism” charges. That’s different from being in office too long, and didn’t bode well for Howell. The Salt Lake Tribune endorsed Hatch, and commenters on the story offered ideas such as Botox for Hatch and maybe a grim prospect of the governor appointing Gayle Ruzicka to the Senate. So, all in all, Howell gave everyone a good laugh, and probably gave Hatch a boost in the polls.
About The Author
Katharine Biele
A City Weekly contributor since 1992, Katharine Biele is the informed voice behind our Hits & Misses column. When not writing, you can catch her working to empower voters and defend democracy alongside the League of Women Voters.
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