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Romney And The 'Binders Full Of Women' Blunder - Foreign Affairs - Nairaland

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Romney And The 'Binders Full Of Women' Blunder by tyson55(m): 4:25am On Oct 18, 2012
Mitt Romney’s already infamous, infelicitous phrase at Tuesday night’s debate—“binders full of women”—gave the GOP challenger a true Norma Rae moment. You see, when he was governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Romney, as he explained when questioned about wage inequality, learned a lot about the bum deal women get in this life.

“I had the chance to pull together a cabinet, and all the applicants seemed to be men,” he elaborated. “I went to my staff, and I said, ‘How come all the people for these jobs are all men?' They said, ‘Well, these are the people that have the qualifications.’”

Feminist avenger Romney apparently didn’t like that answer so, he continued, he started a one-man ladies’ affirmative-action program. He went to his minions and said, “‘Gosh, can't we find some women that are also qualified?’ And so we took a concerted effort to go out and find women who had backgrounds that could be qualified to become members of our cabinet. I went to a number of women's groups and said, ‘Can you help us find folks?’ and they brought us whole binders full of women.”

The remark did not accomplish what he’d hoped. In fact, it tipped the hand of Romney’s women panic so thoroughly that it’s likely his court-the-undecided-females’ game is now thrown.

Plus, it misses the mark of normalcy so absolutely that he comes off as comical. No wonder it became a meme on Twitter and other social media sites.

Just in case the humor seems opaque, let me offer a binder full of analysis.

First, his answer to a question about the grave subject of wage inequality flaunts his gender bias: In his anecdote, Romney ostentatiously refuses to consider qualified applicants just because they’re men.

Second, Romney in this instance was hiring for positions largely about optics: He wanted women in his cabinet so he could say he had women in his cabinet. He recruited women to be women—not cabinet members.

Third, the binders response raises the specter of a still more hideous idea. Before answering the question, Romney had been reminded that women earn about 72 percent what their male counterparts do—and his response was to say, “Exactly! That’s why, given half a chance, I hire women!” Bottom line, Romney recruits women because they look good and they come cheap.



The remark has done more than alienate women, for whom—as all recent data confirms—no one needs to do any special favors. For years, and to the despair of mothers of sons, females have been far more educated and better qualified than male applicants for almost anything. They also get jobs easily and don’t need someone searching high and low for binders of resumes. They just need to get paid fairly for what they do.

Lastly, Romney’s remark exposed something on flagrant display all night. It’s that he’s a boss—and only a boss. He sees everything from the throne of a massive realm: Massachusetts, Bain Capital, and the many businesses he’s “had the privilege of staffing,” or however he puts it.

In yet another riff, one which might be more telling about Romney’s persona if less hilarious than the binder comment—and given in response to the question, “What plans do you have to put back and keep jobs here” in the U.S.—Romney said half-a-million manufacturing jobs had been lost in the last four years. “One of the reasons … is that people think it's more attractive, in some cases, to go offshore than to stay here. We have made it less attractive for enterprises to stay here than to go offshore from time to time.”

People think it’s more attractive to go offshore? I don’t know about you, but I’ve never met a single person—no Joe Neighbor or Sally Gastroenterologist—who says, “I’m going offshore, where it’s more attractive.”

Who goes “offshore,” then? Enterprises do. Corporations. The same entities that, in his heart, Romney still believes are people. When Romney speaks of turning every American into a small-business king, it’s his way of rhetorically transforming American citizens, who baffle him, into American businesses, which he understands.

This is too bad. Romney is never going to make a connection with ordinary people—women or men—as long as he sees corporations as people, and people as the pitiful 47 percent of us who drag down that corporate super race.


Last night, when a college kid asked Romney whether he’d find a job out of college, Romney more or less promised to hire him. That’s the Romney solution. At the same time, Romney refuses to admit that this time around he’s the job seeker. The American people may not have a binder full of women at the moment, but we have a binder with two resumés in it. And, as we do every four years, we get to decide who gets hired.

Culled from yahoo news.
Re: Romney And The 'Binders Full Of Women' Blunder by tyson55(m): 5:34am On Oct 18, 2012
Bottom line, Mitt is condescending to women and he would rather hire them instead of men because he can pay them more cheaply. He made it look like it was almost impossible to find qualified women so he had to look and look. Women should run the other way from Mitt as fast as they can. They cannot afford to be fooled.

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Re: Romney And The 'Binders Full Of Women' Blunder by Iaz93: 8:57am On Oct 18, 2012
tyson55: Bottom line, Mitt is condescending to women and he would rather hire them instead of men because he can pay them more cheaply. He made it look like it was almost impossible to find qualified women so he had to look and look. Women should run the other way from Mitt as fast as they can. They cannot afford to be fooled.

yawns... Exactly!!!
NEXT!!!
Re: Romney And The 'Binders Full Of Women' Blunder by Nobody: 9:01am On Oct 18, 2012
Romney can say anything, as long as it doesnt make sense.

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Re: Romney And The 'Binders Full Of Women' Blunder by REVOLUTNIS: 9:02am On Oct 18, 2012
Women has caused a lot of trouble than good to mankind,they shouldn't be consider in the issue of leadership,
they shouldn't be appoint to lead.
Re: Romney And The 'Binders Full Of Women' Blunder by sindyko(m): 9:04am On Oct 18, 2012
This thread is haphazard to understand. D only ting I culd grap is the issue of the binder of full woman in job. NA THEM SABI, DIS ONE NO CONCERN ME.
Re: Romney And The 'Binders Full Of Women' Blunder by gosj(m): 9:06am On Oct 18, 2012
"Binders full  women"  wonder if he was packaging the women folk as objects. He shud better be kful coz women H̶̲̥̅̊a̶̲̥̅̊v̶̲̥̅̊e̶̲̥̅̊  great stake in the American election Ǻn̶̲̥̅̊ԃ they know very well that he has alwes been  male chauvinist.
Re: Romney And The 'Binders Full Of Women' Blunder by bright007(f): 9:12am On Oct 18, 2012
Yawns....this write-up is boring
Re: Romney And The 'Binders Full Of Women' Blunder by Nobody: 9:14am On Oct 18, 2012
Go Obama GO...

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Re: Romney And The 'Binders Full Of Women' Blunder by cdamsel(f): 9:18am On Oct 18, 2012
Hw about u said dat cos he knows hw women re unfairly treated & he wants 2 give dem just as much opportunity as d men,did he say he hired all of dem?na wa ohhhhh.dats hw pple keep analyzing & d real idea behind d quote is completely lost.wat do i knowaccording 2 d posts b4 mine,women re notin bt just interior decor,mtchewwww
Re: Romney And The 'Binders Full Of Women' Blunder by Foxybone(m): 9:20am On Oct 18, 2012
Wetin concern me with American politics... Anything they do there does not affect prices in whichever way here in Nigeria....
Re: Romney And The 'Binders Full Of Women' Blunder by Iskra: 9:20am On Oct 18, 2012
Obama says to Americans "You can be anything and whatever you want to be with hardwork and looking out for each other". Mitt "the Morph" Romney says to Americans "I can be whatever you guys want me to be". The former is consistent to an extent and with a soul to his personality while the latter is;you say it, just souless and slippery. I hope Obama wins

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Re: Romney And The 'Binders Full Of Women' Blunder by Nobody: 9:32am On Oct 18, 2012
Brand_new: Go Obama GO...

go where? grin grin grin grin

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Re: Romney And The 'Binders Full Of Women' Blunder by Nobody: 9:40am On Oct 18, 2012
This Space is For Sale. Special Sallah Offer-Reduced Rates on block booking plus free wrap of Ganja.

Re: Romney And The 'Binders Full Of Women' Blunder by Nobody: 9:46am On Oct 18, 2012
If na tonto or davido thread now, e for don reach 3pages. As e come be say na intellectual analysis see as people dey yawn, some no fit read am finish self.

Una dey tire me

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Re: Romney And The 'Binders Full Of Women' Blunder by Policewoman(f): 9:54am On Oct 18, 2012
I personally don't feel it was an insult on us. People should stop sensationalizing stuff. I for one believes Romney has respect for women. So does Obama. Let the best man win.

2 Likes

Re: Romney And The 'Binders Full Of Women' Blunder by amefi(m): 9:59am On Oct 18, 2012
REVOLUTNIS: Women has caused a lot of trouble than good to mankind,they shouldn't be consider in the issue of leadership,
they shouldn't be appoint to lead.


Come again sir!
Re: Romney And The 'Binders Full Of Women' Blunder by WAM1(f): 10:13am On Oct 18, 2012
Surprised no one is talking about his take on illegal immigrants - making life miserable for them and asking them to serve in the US military -like seriously ? Service in the US military as a pathway to permanent residency Who is more likely to be loyal in the battle front ? Us citizen or an illegal who already calculated his gains?
Re: Romney And The 'Binders Full Of Women' Blunder by bolaino(m): 10:15am On Oct 18, 2012
REVOLUTNIS: Women has caused a lot of trouble than good to mankind,they shouldn't be consider in the issue of leadership,
they shouldn't be appoint to lead.
lwkmd, u are a very dumb mofo, folks like u are d reason Nigeria is still backward, people dey comment u won still comment, so dat dem go feel say u be intellectual, lol, I laff ur face, romney is a typical misognystic republican, he's a sexist dats no news, obama for all!
Re: Romney And The 'Binders Full Of Women' Blunder by adesojiaderemi(m): 10:18am On Oct 18, 2012
Policewoman: I personally don't feel it was an insult on us. People should stop sensationalizing stuff. I for one believes Romney has respect for women. So does Obama. Let the best man win.

I live in MA and I have heard a lot of Romney's deceptions, Romney is a successful entrepreneur no doubt about that,but when it comes to politics he wants to treat people like "a boss".He is as unstable as water, very in-consistence such a person can never be a good leader.
Re: Romney And The 'Binders Full Of Women' Blunder by Pain(m): 10:25am On Oct 18, 2012
I need binders full of women for the weekend
Re: Romney And The 'Binders Full Of Women' Blunder by kent05: 10:26am On Oct 18, 2012
Reasons why Ǻ♍ nt with Obama 4 his 2nd term are:
1.Africans supported & celebrated d triumphant entry of their son into white house but he did nothing for them.
2. The signing of Gay right/law
3. Bill clinton's hypocrisy for 2016. We al aware hilary clinton is next.
4. Unemployment. 4get d recent decrease, it's a scam
5. Useless Obamacare
I rest ma case.

1 Like

Re: Romney And The 'Binders Full Of Women' Blunder by nanaboi(m): 10:26am On Oct 18, 2012
@ WAM, he said that? That's a pity. He's almost as flagrant in his carefree remarks as Nigerian politicians.
Re: Romney And The 'Binders Full Of Women' Blunder by adesojiaderemi(m): 10:35am On Oct 18, 2012
kent05: Reasons why Ǻ♍ nt with Obama 4 his 2nd term are:
1.Africans supported & celebrated d triumphant entry of their son into white house but he did nothing for them.
2. The signing of Gay right/law
3. Bill clinton's hypocrisy for 2016. We al aware hilary clinton is next.
4. Unemployment. 4get d recent decrease, it's a scam
5. Useless Obamacare
I rest ma case.

.so will you like to put another war on credit card again for Syria and Iran? wasting million of dollars to boost republican ego,sending innocent people to battle field while preparing their kid for the white house?
Re: Romney And The 'Binders Full Of Women' Blunder by Nobody: 10:43am On Oct 18, 2012
Romney is so desperate to get power. He z startn 2 sound like a nigerian politician. Hope he doesn't cry at d next debate 2 whip up sympathy like our own politicians here do.
Re: Romney And The 'Binders Full Of Women' Blunder by greaterlove(m): 11:13am On Oct 18, 2012
kent05: Reasons why Ǻ♍ nt with Obama 4 his 2nd term are:
1.Africans supported & celebrated d triumphant entry of their son into white house but he did nothing for them.
2. The signing of Gay right/law
3. Bill clinton's hypocrisy for 2016. We al aware hilary clinton is next.
4. Unemployment. 4get d recent decrease, it's a scam
5. Useless Obamacare
I rest ma case.
all the reasons you gave are no reasons.
1. obama never signed any gay right law, go and check, 66% of americans are in support of gay marriage, he just said he is comfortable with it but its up to the states to determine.
2. hilary clinton has every right to contest in 2016 or is it a crime again?
3. when he took over america was losing 800,000 jobs monthly, obama stopped the loss and turned it to 5million job plus in less than 4years.
4. go to a senior and tell him or her obama care is useless, i think you dont still understand the policy. its only bad because obama proposed it, something that in the past has been supported by republicans.
5. on what he has done for africa, what do you want him to do? give african government billions of dollars? how much did bush give to us and what did ur leaders do with it? how much did africa loose during the global meltdown caused by bush policies?

1 Like

Re: Romney And The 'Binders Full Of Women' Blunder by gunpoint(m): 11:19am On Oct 18, 2012
If na garri dem dey talk about nw una 4 don rush full dis topic! angry
@op, instead of sayin binder full of women he shuld hav said basin full of women no?
Re: Romney And The 'Binders Full Of Women' Blunder by Callotti: 11:28am On Oct 18, 2012
Thank our gods. . . no 'Lewinsky' CIGAR-SUCKING SCANDALS!
The man get wife!!!! kiss
Binder or no binder. . . .
Goooooooooooooooooooooooooo ROMNEY!!!!!
WIN, LOSE OR DRAW. . . . .YOU DEY KAMKPEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!! cool

Thank awa gods. . . no drunken papa from Kenya. . . with dorty, ashawo history.
No. . .polygamous 'binders of women' HOE factories. . .
No. . .ganja-smoking.
Praise the finest MORMON in the world with the prettiest of wives. . . and aje-butter pikins and grand pikins them.

No 'binders full of women' in his closet or blokos!

Romney my man. . . YOU GAT CLASSSSZZZZ!!!

Let them saaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!!!!! kiss
Re: Romney And The 'Binders Full Of Women' Blunder by chymystique(f): 11:36am On Oct 18, 2012
: PD fact is that Obama is d nxt American President.
Re: Romney And The 'Binders Full Of Women' Blunder by lukecent: 11:44am On Oct 18, 2012
New dictionary word;
Binders full of women= Where Mitt Romney gets his women.
Re: Romney And The 'Binders Full Of Women' Blunder by KayDee4: 12:14pm On Oct 18, 2012
Mitt the gaffenator grin
Re: Romney And The 'Binders Full Of Women' Blunder by mariong(m): 12:30pm On Oct 18, 2012
kai! All this campaign for Obama. Romney this, Romney that. In Politics, you say 'M' and your rivals try to make it 'W'. Well, who ever wins doesn't change anything for me, unless i am affected, i can only but watch as evrything unfolds.

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