I think it's a brilliant statement. It is just the sort of thing that goes down extremely well with the average RWN primary voter. It is a way for them to feel like black welfare queens are the problem without really coming out and saying it.

We don't really have welfare queens any more (not like we used to) but the trope was so extraordinarily politically successful in the past for the right that I can understand why an old culture warrior like Gingrich wants to resurrect it if possible.

Its true that we mostly don't have welfare queens anymore.
Its also true that Gingrich played a part in ending it, continuing to push welfare reform even after Clinton veto'd it twice.

Presently its nothing more than a red meat soundbyte to both stir up the masses and tee up his ability to point to past accomplishments.
The hot air of 2012 will greatly increase global warming.

 

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This is true and is definitely his greatest accomplishment.

I wonder if he regrets it now because the right has a harder time crying about black welfare queens these days to drum up support with workign class whites. Although it doesn't seem like they are having any trouble getting those votes anyhow. Despite systematically screwing them in the pooch.

We pay out more in welfare now than we ever have. We just politically corrected it.

 

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Only if you define welfare in your stupidly broad way.

And another difference is now we make people cheat the system for it. I don't know if that's an improvement or not but it is a change.

What a disgustingly ignorant thing to say.


I'm not sure what's worse. What Newt said or knowing that millions of soft-headed Americans will fall for this subtle manipulation of their petty resentments.

It's also simplistic, because demanding paychecks doesn't magically create jobs. Most of them WANT more money than they're getting, which they realize is what will happen if they had a job. Conservative politicians make getting a steady job in that demographic sound easier than it is.

 

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If you give someone a check every month that is welfare. They undoubtedly use that check to pay rent, buy food, pay for school, pay for school lunches, supplement income lost to taxes.

Now if I give you a check for each of those instead it's magically not welfare right?

EIC was the single biggest success for the anti welfare crowd and it INCREASED welfare.

 

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And EIC is just the start. Throw in WIC, food stamps, Section 8, utility subsidies, rent subsidies, childcare subsidies, free school lunch (and breakfast), and free medical care.

And then be puzzled when people don't want to give that up to improve their lot in life.

A single parent who works 20 hours/week at minimum wage will make $8k/year in wages and get an additional $15-$20K+/year from the government.

So why should they go to college or learn a trade when they will lose all those subsidies and have to work full time for the same net result? Especially when they have been taught from birth that that is the way the way to game the system?

It is rough to overcome the indoctrination of being brought up in an entitlement household.