Apparently, Mitt Romney has a lot of explaining to do.
We all know about his bigoted comments about how he wouldn’t appoint a Muslim to his cabinet because of the lack of Muslim representation in the country. It’s called government-by-demographic-table. Well, it gets worse. Apparently Mansour Ijaz asked Romney the question because of something he heard from people at the Nevada Republican Party:
TPM Election Central has learned that at a private fundraising lunchleon in Las Vegas three months ago, Romney said a second time he would probably not appoint a Muslim to his cabinet — and on this occasion, he made other comments that one witness described as “racist.”
The witness, Irma Aguirre, a former finance director of the Nevada Republican Party, paraphrased Romney as saying: “They’re radical. There’s no talking to them. There’s no negotiating with them.”
A second witness, a self-described local registered Republican named George Harris, confirmed her account.
We’ve gone from just kind of a dumb statement with an empty rationalization, to an out-and-out racist remark. This is “old-guy-from-Twelve-Angry-Men” territory:
Juror #10: Look, you know how these people lie! It’s born in them! I mean what the heck? I don’t have to tell you. They don’t know what the truth is! And lemme tell you, they don’t need any real big reason to kill someone, either! No sir!
[Five gets up from his seat]
Juror #10: They get drunk… oh, they’re real big drinkers, all of ‘em – you know that – and bang: someone’s lyin’ in the gutter. Oh, nobody’s blaming them for it. That’s the way they are! By nature! You know what I mean? VIOLENT!
Juror #10: [Nine rises and crosses to the window] Where’re you going?
Juror #10: Human life don’t mean as much to them as it does to us!
[Eleven gets up and walks to the other window]
Juror #10: Look, they’re lushing it up and fighting all the time and if somebody gets killed, so somebody gets killed! They don’t care! Oh, sure, there are some good things about ‘em, too. Look, I’m the first one to say that.
[Eight gets up and walks to the nearest wall]
Juror #10: I’ve known a couple who were OK, but that’s the exception, y’know what I mean?
[Two and Six get up from the table. Everyone's back is to Ten]
Juror #10: Most of ‘em, it’s like they have no feelings! They can do anything! What’s goin’ on here? I’m trying to tell you… you’re makin’ a big mistake, you people! This kid is a liar! I know it. I know all about them! Listen to me! They’re no good! There’s not a one of ‘em who is any good! I mean, what’s happening in here? I’m speaking my piece, and you…
Making broad generalizations of this type against Muslims may even help Romney in a Republican primary – heck, I wouldn’t be surprised if he leaked this himself. But this is an indisputably racist statement. Saying that all Muslims are radical and “there’s no talking to them?”
From watching the Republican primaries, I know pretty well that Romney is largely without core principles. He probably stumbled into saying this because it’s what he thinks the base of the party would applaud. He’s confused “never negotiate with terrorists” with “all Muslims are terrorists,” a confusion that he’s made before. I don’t know what’s worse – that a Presidential candidate would be this insensitive to say something so stupid, or that he would say it precisely because he expected to gain votes from it.
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Left by The Right’s Field » Romney Tries, Fails to Explain His Comments on Muslims
November 28, 2007 at 8:50am