(The Root) — The Republican excuse train is apparently being produced by a late-1990s version of Sean "Diddy" Combs … because it can't stop, won't stop.
As reported by the New York Times:
In a conference call with fund-raisers and donors to his campaign, Mr. Romney said Wednesday afternoon that the president had followed the "old playbook" of using targeted initiatives to woo specific interest groups — "especially the African-American community, the Hispanic community and young people."
"In each case, they were very generous in what they gave to those groups," Mr. Romney said, contrasting Mr. Obama's strategy to his own of "talking about big issues for the whole country: military strategy, foreign policy, a strong economy, creating jobs and so forth."
"With regards to the young people, for instance, a forgiveness of college loan interest was a big gift," Mr. Romney said. "Free contraceptives were very big with young, college-aged women. And then, finally, Obamacare also made a difference for them, because as you know, anybody now 26 years of age and younger was now going to be part of their parents' plan, and that was a big gift to young people. They turned out in large numbers, a larger share in this election even than in 2008."
Take that, take that …
Why, yes, Mitt Romney is saying that President Obama gave minorities and women "free stuff," and that's why he won the election. Why, yes, that is the same thing Romney said when after got booed at the NAACP. Why, yes, Romney is an out-of-touch sore loser.
Do Romney and the Republican Party understand how insulting this line of commentary is? These groups didn't vote for Obama because they disagreed with Republican policies or anything. These groups didn't vote for Obama because Romney's budget plan was mathematically impossible and would most likely raise taxes on the middle class and lower. These groups didn't vote for Obama because the dog-whistle commentary coming from the GOP was more like a dancehall-reggae air siren.
Everyone just wanted free stuff! I'm wearing my brand-new platinum chain that says, "Government handouts, bitchez" in diamonds that Obama sent me right this very moment.
But it gets better. Check out this magical line:
"You can imagine for somebody making $25,000 or $30,000 or $35,000 a year, being told you're now going to get free health care, particularly if you don't have it, getting free health care worth, what, $10,000 per family, in perpetuity — I mean, this is huge," Mr. Romney said.
So … that's free stuff? Having the capability of getting sick and not having your entire life destroyed? Getting free stuff is having preventive care so that you don't end up broke and sick, leaving the taxpayers to pick up the tab? So Romney thinks that Obama gave away free stuff because he implemented policies that the majority of Americans liked?
Oh, and just a quick question: What were these initiatives that targeted black folks? What did we get specifically that doesn't help all Americans? Did the Electric Slide get its own holiday that only black folks can take off and get paid for?
Irrelevant rich white guy who lost is still irrelevant.
Elon James White is a writer and satirist and host of the award-winning video and radio series This Week in Blackness. Listen Monday to Thursday at 1:30 p.m. EST at TWIB.FM and watch at TV.TWIB.ME/LIVE. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and Tumblr.