From Yes We Can to No I Can't

[Mecklomaniac]

"You can't change Washington from the inside, you can only change it from the outside".




He said he can't change Washington from the inside, he can only change it from Outside. Well we're going to give him that chance in November."

"His slogan was 'Yes we can', his slogan now is 'No I can't'".

[Rohirrim]

Romney is the candidate of change?

BTW, Obama's comment is dead on.

[orinjkrush]

I believe Martha (W) was the first to express this opinion.

[Kid A]

First, the full quote is:

I’ve learned some lessons. Most important is you can’t change Washington from inside, only from the outside. That’s how some of our biggest accomplishments like health care got done — mobilizing the American people.

This isn't a flip flop, it's him giving credit to the American people for legislative achievements. Honestly, it's a mushy, semi-pandering kind of statement—Obama DID have success in Washington via "insider" politics. You don't pass the ACA, stimulus bill, etc without playing the political games necessary to get anything done. But this is campaign-ese, so he's just trying to say nice things about potential voters at this point.

Oh, and a second thing:

I don't think you change Washington from the inside. I think you change it from the outside.

-Mitt Romney, December 2007

Of course, in full context, this identical statement doesn't actually mean Romney doesn't think he can change Washington from the inside. But what kind of person has time to worry about context...

[Smiling Assassin27]

2008: Hope and Change

2010: No Hope For Change

Guess we weren't the ones we were waiting for, it turns out.

Spin away!

[houghtam]

Originally Posted by Kid A

This isn't a flip flop, it's him giving credit to the American people for legislative achievements.

But this is what FoxNews told Mecklomaniac to say. I know because I watched them report it yesterday, and I immediately thought "I can't wait to see which tool posts this on the message board."

My money was going to be on DBrule, but I guess I'm glad I didn't bet.

[Rigs11]

Flip flop Willard is on the ropes.new poll shows Obama leading by 8 in Iowa.

[Mecklomaniac]

Originally Posted by Kid A

First, the full quote is:

This isn't a flip flop, it's him giving credit to the American people for legislative achievements. Honestly, it's a mushy, semi-pandering kind of statement—Obama DID have success in Washington via "insider" politics. You don't pass the ACA, stimulus bill, etc without playing the political games necessary to get anything done. But this is campaign-ese, so he's just trying to say nice things about potential voters at this point.

So adding the second part of the quote (the part with the lie) makes it better?

Obamacare was an outside washington solution? The American people were mobilized to support it? Actually the opposite was true, the people were mobilized to defeat it and Congress and Obama rammed an unpopular bill down the throats of America. Who wrote the bill, the average American, or inside DC Pharma/Insurance lobyists.

Originally Posted by Kid A

Oh, and a second thing:

Of course, in full context, this identical statement doesn't actually mean Romney doesn't think he can change Washington from the inside. But what kind of person has time to worry about context...

Was Mitt Romney in 2007 inside or outside Washington?

Unfortunately many people come to D.C. from the outside with big ideas of reform, and are quickly corrupted by power and become Washington insiders. Duke Cunningham (R) and Charlie Rangel (D) are both good examples. Both were really honorable and well respected before they became corrupt politicians.

[Paladin]

Originally Posted by Smiling Assassin27

2008: Hope and Change

2010: No Hope For Change

Guess we weren't the ones we were waiting for, it turns out.

Spin away!

You eat yellow snow, too?

[Kid A]

Originally Posted by Mecklomaniac

So adding the second part of the quote (the part with the lie) makes it better?

Obamacare was an outside washington solution? The American people were mobilized to support it? Actually the opposite was true, the people were mobilized to defeat it and Congress and Obama rammed an unpopular bill down the throats of America. Who wrote the bill, the average American, or inside DC Pharma/Insurance lobyists.

The OP framed the first part of the quote as Obama admitting he was unable to change Washington. The second line shows he was actually saying it was the efforts of lots of Americans that made those changes happen. If you watched his DNC acceptance speech, he's just echoing that same theme: I wasn't the change, you were the change.

Personally, I find that a little silly and not the most effective line of attack, but it is what it is—typical political talk to cater to some demographic of voters. He did, indeed, use insider politics to get bills through Congress. He's the POTUS; he's the most inside inside Washingtonian there is. And, in my opinion, he's actually been pretty skilled in that area on some major legislation. But that's not something you can admit to cameras—candidates instead fall back on the "I don't believe in inside politics" schtick.

Though, I would add that passing a health care reform bill, after campaigning on doing just that, with the approval of a duly elected congress, isn't exactly "ramming it down the throats of America."

Originally Posted by Mecklomaniac

Was Mitt Romney in 2007 inside or outside Washington?

Outside, for sure; that quote was from a primary when he was going against McCain. I'm was saying it's silly to use that quote as an admission by either guy that they can't change Washington from the inside.

Every politician panders to this idea that they represent an approach that is "outside the Beltway." Hell, Paul Ryan, who's been in Washington basically from the day he got out of college, frames himself as "never seeking" to be a Washington insider. It's pandering, on all sides. Just seems funny to me when people, like the OP, remove the full context and then project a bunch of meaning onto it.

[Arkie]

"Yes We Can" is so 2008. It's time to move Forward.

[DBruleU]

Originally Posted by houghtam

But this is what FoxNews told Mecklomaniac to say. I know because I watched them report it yesterday, and I immediately thought "I can't wait to see which tool posts this on the message board."

My money was going to be on DBrule, but I guess I'm glad I didn't bet.

Oh, you're just so smart! I bet you like to hear yourself talk too, huh?

[ant1999e]

"We've got to pass it so we can see what's in it."

[ludo21]

so basically, the prez is worthless gig? Thanks obama for trying

[Paladin]

Did anyone read the titli pf the OP? It said "Yes WE can, no I can't. Mitt the Madadroit Twit said the same thing several years and a previous campaign ago.

[frerottenextelway]

It's funny that Romney had that "can't change it from the inside" quote almost verbatim too a couple years ago. Keep trying, let's see who wins!!

[frerottenextelway]

Originally Posted by Paladin

Did anyone read the titli pf the OP? It said "Yes WE can, no I can't. Mitt the Madadroit Twit said the same thing several years and a previous campaign ago.

2007. Almost verbatim. Romney is a freaking comedy show!

[Arkie]

Originally Posted by Paladin

Did anyone read the titli pf the OP? It said "Yes WE can, no I can't. Mitt the Madadroit Twit said the same thing several years and a previous campaign ago.

They should make the 2012 slogan, "Yes We Still Can If You Would Get Off Your Ass!"

[The Lone Bolt]

Wow. The Romney camp is really getting desperate.

Does anybody seriously believe this nonsense will resonate beyond hard-core righties?

[Paladin]

Gotta frequently stir them nuts when you broil them.