This Waitress Refuses Romney’s Tips
Romney was cutesy avoding the topic of taking on bin Laden by taking on Barack Obama yesterday in the debate, but he couldn’t handle the questions of a real American in New Hampshire.
Romney was such a kidder in the Republican debate yesterday. What a soundbite line that was about Jane Fonda, Barack Obama and Dr. Strangelove. The fact is, Romney was able to avoid the issue with that soundbite, avoid noting that he has no stance concerning the confrontation of rogue nations or even concerning finding Osama bin Laden. Does any Republican want to find Osama? Certainly Romney has joked his way out of addressing the notion that we should go after Osama — he wouldn’t want to be called Dr. Strangelove, now would he?
But Mitt couldn’t get past the waitress in Manchester, NH. Heck, Romney’s got the best record of anyone on healthcare, and a robust record as a popular governor of a liberal state, at least unless you ask current governor Deval Patrick. But he wasn’t able to glibly and smoothly get past some tough questions by a waitress struggling to get healthcare for her sick children. Her name is Michele Griffen and she gave it to Romney when he made a campaign stop to her restaurant. Oh, the video and story here are nice! From the WaPo:
Mitt Romney was about a minute into an answer about his commitment to fighting the global spread of AIDS and health care diplomacy on Wednesday when a waitress behind the counter yelled out a question.
“What about our nation? How ’bout the USA? C’mon!” yelled Michele Griffin, a 12-year veteran behind the counter at one of Manchester’s most famous eating establishments.
That was just the start. Michele Griffen had Mitt Romney backpedaling and sputtering the whole time, and the crowd looks very supportive of her taking him on. Oh, yeah, this is exactly why Mitt Romney is afraid of the YouTube debate. He’s afraid to actually have dialogue with real Americans.
It would be helpful in your article to not be so biased. On the record a reporter for the Union Leader a news paper in New Hampshire wrote about the incident and also reported after the incident Romney went up to talk with her because she was tearful, something of which the washingpost chose not to include.
Union Leader, “Mitt Romney, candidate for the Republican nomination for President, stopped at Manchester’s famed Red Arrow diner on Wednesday. It was a quick stop in a busy campaign day for Romney. But by the time he left it had become a classic New Hampshire primary moment.
After Romney shook hands with everyone, he stopped and agreed to answer questions. Red Arrow waitress Michele Griffin asked what Romney would do about health insurance costs.
The former Massachusetts governor tried to explain how he’d created subsidized health insurance for low-income Massachusetts residents, but Griffin kept at him, wanting to know specifics about co-payments and drug costs. She said she had three sick children and her husband had to work two jobs, one just to pay for the family’s health care.
Romney tried to explain the details of his health care plan, but it was clear that Griffin did not get the in-depth answer she wanted. That was demonstrated by a Washington Post video of the exchange, which was posted on the Drudge Report on Friday and became an Internet sensation. What the Post reporter did not record was a second exchange between the possible future President and the diner waitress.
On his way out the diner’s back door, Romney saw Griffin in the kitchen and approached her. He said she didn’t seem very happy, and at that she broke down. In tears she explained her situation while Romney listened. Just a distressed mom and a presidential candidate talking health care.
That exchange, common in New Hampshire, is what makes the New Hampshire primary so vital to the presidential selection process. No large state can provide that one-on-one interaction between voters and candidates. When White House hopefuls come here, they have to listen to real people’s concerns. They don’t just see polling data. They have to actually interact with real people. That’s what the New Hampshire primary is all about. And it is why it should — and will — always remain America’s first-in-the-nation primary.”
To tk, that was the most on message talking point rebuttal, ever from a true cyber soldierof the hard right. Now you know why true Republicans are turning more and more to “none of the above”.
keybla