Right Wingers Selectively Edit Obama’s Speech To Claim He Hates Small Businesses

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Attempting to change the subject from the latest scandal over Romney's tenure at Bain Capital, right wingers have seized on new fodder for the narrative that Obama is secretly out to destroy small businesses. Fox and Friends on Monday morning aired a clip from an Obama campaign speech in Roanoke, Virginia, in which he says, "If you've got a business, you didn't build that. Somebody else did that." The sound bite soon reverberated throughout conservative media outlets. Fox News later ran the headline, "Obama Insults Small Business Owners," and House Speaker John Boehner scoffed, "He said that because he has no idea what it takes to build or run a small business."

The quote also prompted talk show host Rush Limbaugh to declare that President Obama "hates this country."

Of course, Obama's supposedly insulting comment is somewhat different in context. The full text of his speech, rather than denigrate small business, challenged the idea that wealthy and successful individuals have never benefited from government programs:

I'm always struck by people who think, well, it must be because I was just so smart. There are a lot of smart people out there. It must be because I worked harder than everybody else. Let me tell you something — there are a whole bunch of hardworking people out there.

If you were successful, somebody along the line gave you some help.

There was a great teacher somewhere in your life. Somebody helped to create this unbelievable American system that we have that allowed you to thrive. Somebody invested in roads and bridges.

If you've got a business — you didn't build that. Somebody else made that happen.

The Internet didn't get invented on its own. Government research created the Internet so that all the companies could make money off the Internet.

The point is, is that when we succeed, we succeed because of our individual initiative, but also because we do things together.

Without the context, Obama's point that individual effort is bolstered by community systems is completely lost. The idea is nothing new; Senate candidate Elizabeth Warren (D-MA)

that went viral in September of last year. Indeed, far from denigrating small business owners, Obama has cut taxes on small businesses 17 times.

Deliberately editing Obama out of context is not a new tactic for conservatives. In one blatant example, a recent Romney campaign ad quoted Obama saying, "If we keep talking about the economy, we're going to lose," a quote Obama was in fact using to criticize then-candidate John McCain for his refusal to discuss the economic crisis in 2008.

http://thinkprogress...all-businesses/

Edited July 17, 2012 by Mister Fancypants

[Obama 2012 1,714]

LOL - Steven trying to save face for his fuhrer I see.

It's ok, we all heard the speech, read the speech, and know exactly what this moron of a President meant. You can try and spin it your way and try and give it a different context all you want. To know the context, all you need to do is look at the man who's been a "community organizer" all of his life.

[Pooky 3,830]

And where was the outrage from the Left over the selective editing of Mitt Romney with his "I'm not concerned about the very poor" and leaving out the "we have a safety net there"

If you dish it out, you'd better be prepared to take it.

[Dakine10 5,452]

And where was the outrage from the Left over the selective editing of Mitt Romney with his "I'm not concerned about the very poor" and leaving out the "we have a safety net there"

If you dish it out, you'd better be prepared to take it.

Romney has already got this covered. He was actually for the poor before he was against them.

[Neonred 3,647]

Just more clarification on Obama's views on business, taxes, and the role of government in our lives.

[mawilson 2,133]

If you were successful, somebody along the line gave you some help. There was a great teacher somewhere in your life. Somebody helped to create this unbelievable American system that we have that allowed you to thrive. Somebody invested in roads and bridges. If you've got a business — you didn't build that. Somebody else made that happen.

This type of mentality is actually my main problem with Obama and his ilk.

These guys keep telling me the reason I'm successful is because of the roads and bridges and government spending.

Not because I spent the last 5 years working 18 hour days and sacrificing my personal life to make my business successful.

Well, #### you Obama. You didn't make that happen. The government didn't make that happen. I did. Me. And my hard work. Now piss off.

[Penny Lane 8,159]

LOL - Steven trying to save face for his fuhrer I see.

It's ok, we all heard the speech, read the speech, and know exactly what this moron of a President meant. You can try and spin it your way and try and give it a different context all you want. To know the context, all you need to do is look at the man who's been a "community organizer" all of his life.

Can we PLEASE knock off the "fuhrer" garbage? Seriously.

[JohnR! 5,495]

Steven trying to save face for his fuhrer I see.

Isn't this the cutest fuhry bear?

[JohnR! 5,495]

This type of mentality is actually my main problem with Obama and his ilk.

These guys keep telling me the reason I'm successful is because of the roads and bridges and government spending.

Not because I spent the last 5 years working 18 hour days and sacrificing my personal life to make my business successful.

Well, #### you Obama. You didn't make that happen. The government didn't make that happen. I did. Me. And my hard work. Now piss off.

Maybe it is a simple matter of cultural differences, interpretation and lateral thinking.

It may be far fetched to equate government spending and anything good coming out of it, however, in every country infrastructure is not an investment, seldom brings any returns but it is the basis upon which everything else is built, hence 'infra' 'structure'. The thing with these services and facilities is that we never give them a second thought until they are not there anymore, or fail. We never appreciate anything as simple as electricity or running water, until a storm hits and knocks down the power lines. So in that sense, roads and bridges are fundamental for the development and safety of the United States, and every country, for that matter; and no, chances are there is no ROI in roads and bridges.

Although it is only a matter of opinion, I find the expression 'self-made' to be a lie. There has never been anyone in history who was self-made in any sense. Even the most successful entrepreneur have reached their position through a combination of determination, luck and cunning. Every single one of us, IMHO, is where we are because we were at the right place at the right moment. We all have that one person, one moment, or several, which were the turning points in our lives. If you are an immigrant and successful in America, it may not have happened had you not met the person for whom you moved over here. In that sense, as you enjoy the fruit of your labor, take pause and recognize the circumstances that helped you get where you are.

Under that light you are very correct when you say the government did not make it happen, but it would be incorrect to affirm you did it all alone, without help from anyone else and completely at the margin of the existing infrastructure. So in that sense, we do need and depend on others, and at some point we need to understand that those roads and bridges, and the power grid will not maintain themselves. Think of infrastructure as you would a toothbrush.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

This type of mentality is actually my main problem with Obama and his ilk.

These guys keep telling me the reason I'm successful is because of the roads and bridges and government spending.

Not because I spent the last 5 years working 18 hour days and sacrificing my personal life to make my business successful.

Well, #### you Obama. You didn't make that happen. The government didn't make that happen. I did. Me. And my hard work. Now piss off.

But it didn't happen anywhere or out of nowhere. Doubt very much that you would have been nearly as successful as you have been had you been working as hard as you did or even harder in a place like Uganda or Somalia or Sudan. Sorry, bro, but that infrastructure that's available to you here did pave the way for your success - meaning it helped you translate your hard work into wealth. That's true no matter how much you want to deny that.

[kytwell 179]

Maybe it is a simple matter of cultural differences, interpretation and lateral thinking.

It may be far fetched to equate government spending and anything good coming out of it, however, in every country infrastructure is not an investment, seldom brings any returns but it is the basis upon which everything else is built, hence 'infra' 'structure'. The thing with these services and facilities is that we never give them a second thought until they are not there anymore, or fail. We never appreciate anything as simple as electricity or running water, until a storm hits and knocks down the power lines. So in that sense, roads and bridges are fundamental for the development and safety of the United States, and every country, for that matter; and no, chances are there is no ROI in roads and bridges.

Although it is only a matter of opinion, I find the expression 'self-made' to be a lie. There has never been anyone in history who was self-made in any sense. Even the most successful entrepreneur have reached their position through a combination of determination, luck and cunning. Every single one of us, IMHO, is where we are because we were at the right place at the right moment. We all have that one person, one moment, or several, which were the turning points in our lives. If you are an immigrant and successful in America, it may not have happened had you not met the person for whom you moved over here. In that sense, as you enjoy the fruit of your labor, take pause and recognize the circumstances that helped you get where you are.

Under that light you are very correct when you say the government did not make it happen, but it would be incorrect to affirm you did it all alone, without help from anyone else and completely at the margin of the existing infrastructure. So in that sense, we do need and depend on others, and at some point we need to understand that those roads and bridges, and the power grid will not maintain themselves. Think of infrastructure as you would a toothbrush.

I agree with infrastructure improvements. Gas, water, electric, phone, roads, bridges, etc, etc.

Government has no money of its own to spend. It spends our tax dollars. I would think the vast majority of people would have no issue with our tax money going to infrastructure, homeland defense and some other legitimate, essential functions of our gov't. Where I digress though is that the business owners assume all the risk up to the point of when they begin to be profitable and a success. There's no risk to the gov't, except for cases like Solyndra. That risk should not be penalized later on, if they had been playing by all the rules to that point. If so, it will eventual weaken the desire to take risk again, because it wouldn't be worth it.

60% of federal gas taxes are used for highway and bridge construction, so if he's driving and his father and mother drove and his grandfather drove, then they've been paying for infrastructure improvements all along, as has he. Those driving electric cars and hybrid's aren't paying their fair share. Tax 'em!

[JohnR! 5,495]

Those driving electric cars and hybrid's aren't paying their fair share. Tax 'em!

I subscribe to the notion that we don't appreciate that which is given to us for free and on that principle alone, I honestly believe that every single person in this country should pay taxes. No matter how small a percentage, no matter how much money you make. Pay something so that you don't feel your kids' school is 'free' or other services as well.

So you drive a hybrid and I do not. We both pay taxes because we both use the same roads.

[mawilson 2,133]

But it didn't happen anywhere or out of nowhere. Doubt very much that you would have been nearly as successful as you have been had you been working as hard as you did or even harder in a place like Uganda or Somalia or Sudan.

Yes, I would have. Maybe not in a failed state like Somalia, but in any normal country - even China, Thailand, Greece or Russia - I would have.

[JohnR! 5,495]

Yes, I would have. Maybe not in a failed state like Somalia, but in any normal country - even China, Thailand, Greece or Russia - I would have.

But you didn't. You did it here, in the US, which is all the more reason to say that one does not do it alone. You could have ended up anywhere else but you ended up here, and I bet you did not do it alone.

Edited July 17, 2012 by Gegel

[mawilson 2,133]

Although it is only a matter of opinion, I find the expression 'self-made' to be a lie. There has never been anyone in history who was self-made in any sense. Even the most successful entrepreneur have reached their position through a combination of determination, luck and cunning. Every single one of us, IMHO, is where we are because we were at the right place at the right moment. We all have that one person, one moment, or several, which were the turning points in our lives. If you are an immigrant and successful in America, it may not have happened had you not met the person for whom you moved over here. In that sense, as you enjoy the fruit of your labor, take pause and recognize the circumstances that helped you get where you are.

Under that light you are very correct when you say the government did not make it happen, but it would be incorrect to affirm you did it all alone, without help from anyone else and completely at the margin of the existing infrastructure. So in that sense, we do need and depend on others, and at some point we need to understand that those roads and bridges, and the power grid will not maintain themselves. Think of infrastructure as you would a toothbrush.

I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree.