August 2012
“It is no wonder that Ryan, and…Romney, set out immediately to distort the president’s “you didn’t build that speech” in Roanoke, because in complicating the causes of economic achievement, and in giving a more correct picture of the conditions of entrepreneurial activity, Obama punctured the radical individualist mythology, the wild self-worship, at the heart of the conservative idea of capitalism. An honest reading of the speech shows that Romney and Ryan and their apologists are simply lying about it. The businessman builds his business, but he does not build the bridge without which he could not build his business. That is all. Is it everything? Surely it takes nothing away from the businessman, who retains his reason for his pride in his business. But it is not capitalist pride that Romney and Ryan are defending, it is capitalist pridefulness.”
—Leon Wieseltier, at TNR.
“Our vision is that one day, music will be like voice mail…”
—Muve Music founder and SVP Jeff Toig
“They will do their best to bring balance to themselves again this week, the Republicans will. There is a common target, and all indications are that we will see the ineffable blend of big money and low politics that has energized Republican politics for going on 50 years now. But, beneath the surface, there are dozens of rivers of pure power, unaccountable to anyone, least of all to the candidate, who has managed to channel enough of them in his direction to become the nominee of a party that, at this point, is something like the Everglades. From a distance, it looks as timeless and unchanging as it ever has. Go deep into the weeds, though, and there are creatures in the muck that never belonged there. The invasive species are the ecosystem now, and, eventually, they will take to devouring each other.”
—Charles Pierce, at Esquire.
“I think I’m established now. My time is now.”
—
“Not now. I have to be honest with you; it’s not about your faith, even if the church itself in its structure is perfect, the people in it are not. That’s not to say he’s not a good person, don’t get me wrong. But I would not vote for him just because he is Mormon. I want to know what he is going to do for the people. I want to see the compassion. I want to talk about something else besides the money. I know how hard it is to send two kids to college when you ain’t got nothing. I know people may not think of me in that way, but this business gives you ups and downs. I had two kids in college at the same time—don’t tell me you are not thinking about them. Don’t tell me you’re not thinking about the people down here struggling trying to get a meal, just being good parents, keeping a roof over their heads—that one statement alone is enough to lose me. Not that I was there anyway! I am a Barack Obama fan, from head-to-toe, always have been. He’s not perfect; nobody is going to be that way. Until you sit in that office, at that desk, don’t tell me what you’re going to do because you are going to come in and have some of the same problems as he did.”
—
Gladys Knight
in response to:
You’ve been Mormon since the late ’90s. Mitt Romney is the most famous Mormon in the world right now. Would you like to see him become president?
more.
