What Romney's new revelations about the "47 percent" scoop say about workers

The MoJo Daily newsletter, Monday through Friday. [View in browser]( [Mother Jones Daily Newsletter](     October 24, 2023 The UAW strike keeps expanding. This morning, the United Auto Workers announced that 5,000 workers at [Arlington Assembly Plant]( in Texas, General Motors' largest and biggest "moneymaker," would walk off the job. The move follows a similar announcement yesterday from members at [one of Stellantis' major plants]( in Sterling Heights, Michigan. The union, it seems, is going after a major revenue stream for the Big Three automakers: pickup trucks. As my colleague Noah Lanard has [reported](, the UAW has gained some major concessions during their strike. But as of Tuesday, this has not yet resulted in a contract that workers deem fair. But there's a way of thinking of strikes—even when workers are being forced to such extremes—as part of a larger movement with some ancillary positives. Because it means something to see people on the street demanding something more from their bosses, both for other workers and more broadly for those far from the top of a decidedly unequal society. The broader support for the strike has been notable too. Perhaps American culture is shifting? Unions across the country are [making]( major gains. It was a little less than a month ago that President Joe Biden became the first US president to [visit]( a picket line. That used to be unthinkable. Across parties, there has been a move (if only in [rhetoric on the right]() to be friendlier towards more outwardly pro-labor actions. This was a reaction to Trumpism, and the need to speak to an ([often imagined]() version of the working class, but also to the presidential campaign of Mitt Romney. After Romney's loss in 2012, the Republican National Committee conducted a post-mortem on what went wrong in the campaign; it [called]( for "inclusion" and comprehensive immigration reform. In 2016, Trump won based on, well, the opposite of that. In general, Romney's brand of Republicanism has been in retreat, even though he won a place in the Senate. He came off like an out-of-touch elite during that campaign—in part because of our "[47 percent](" scoop, in which we published a video of him describing a wide swath of the population as not possible to appeal to voting for because they do not “take personal responsibility and care for their lives." Which brings me to a new book, out today, on the senator and [the personal effects of that scoop](. As David Corn writes, [Romney beat himself up over it;]( he contemplated dropping out. It's a fascinating window into Romney's soul. But, thinking about the UAW strike, it's equally interesting to wonder: Why did that scoop stick in the news? What did it speak to? That core, of wanting more from life as a worker—of feeling condescended to—might connect the disgust at Romney's comment and the verve to strike: a sense that the overlords don't think you're even worth noticing. So why not make yourself seen? —Jacob Rosenberg Advertisement [Hope Credit Union]( [Top Story] [Top Story]( [Former Trump Lawyer Jenna Ellis Joins Guilty Plea Parade in Georgia]( "If I knew then what I know now, I would have declined to represent Donald Trump." BY DAN FRIEDMAN FROM THE MOTHER JONES STORE   Mother Jones Store Mother Jones Mugs are back! With a new design, just in time for warm beverage season. That said, we are down to 90 mugs, and they are going fast. Get on over to the official [Mother Jones Store]( and grab one for yourself and a friend today! [Trending] [How the 47 percent video drove Mitt Romney to depression and nearly out of the 2012 race]( BY DAVID CORN   [Sugarcane burning is a plague on these Black Floridians]( BY MICHELLE MAIRENA AND KYNDALL HUBBARD   [Sidney Powell is apologizing to Georgians. Why stop there?]( BY DAN FRIEDMAN   [UN farming unit stifled methane emissions research]( BY ARTHUR NESLEN Advertisement [Hope Credit Union]( [Special Feature] [Special Feature]( [How the gun industry targets kids using TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and video games]( A new report exposes the marketing of AR-15s and other firearms to America's youth. BY MARK FOLLMAN [Fiercely Independent] Support from readers allows Mother Jones to do journalism that doesn't just follow the pack. [Donate]( Did you enjoy this newsletter? Help us out by [forwarding]( it to a friend or sharing it on [Facebook]( and [Twitter](. [Mother Jones]( [Donate]( [Donate Monthly]( [Subscribe]( This message was sent to {EMAIL}. To change the messages you receive from us, you can [edit your email preferences]( or [unsubscribe from all mailings.]( For advertising opportunities see our online [media kit.]( Were you forwarded this email? [Sign up for Mother Jones' newsletters today.]( [www.MotherJones.com]( PO Box 8539, Big Sandy, TX 75755