Romney responds to NAACP booing: 'If they want more stuff from the govt. tell them to go vote for the other guy'

Jul. 11, 2012, 10:21 PM EDT

By MS NOW

Mitt Romney had this remarkable message for the members of the NAACP who booed him when he told them he’d repeal the Affordable Care Act:

Remind them of this: If they want more stuff from government, tell them to go vote for the other guy—more free stuff. But don’t forget, nothing is really free.

Rachel Maddow reported on Romney’s remarks tonight, which he made at a fundraiser in Hamilton, Montana. Maddow sourced the comments to a pool report.

Romney has been accused of hoping to get booed during his speech at the NAACP in order to drum up right-wing support, and as Maddow pointed out, these latest comments lend support to that theory.

“It seemed like Mitt Romney wanted to get booed at the NAACP this morning,” Maddow said. “He wanted to wear that around his neck like a badge of courage. It looks like he is not wasting any time in doing so.”

And later on The Last Word, Goldie Taylor of The Grio had a more visceral response to Romney’s comments.

“That tells me all I need to know now about Mitt Romney, who at first I believed is just disconnected,” Taylor said. “Now I know his problem is much bigger than that.”

Late Update, 7/12/12, 9:20am: Here’s the full context for Romney’s comment, from the pool report:

By the way, I had the privilege of speaking today at the NAACP convention in Houston and I gave them the same speech I am giving you. I don’t give different speeches to different audiences alright. I gave them the same speech. When I mentioned I am going to get rid of Obamacare they weren’t happy, I didn’t get the same response. That’s ok, I want people to know what I stand for and if I don’t stand for what they want, go vote for someone else, that’s just fine. But I hope people understand this, your friends who like Obamacare, you remind them of this, if they want more stuff from government tell them to go vote for the other guy-more free stuff. But don’t forget nothing is really free.

It’s worth noting that Romney has used versions of the “free stuff” formulation before, in contexts unrelated to the NAACP or the ACA. For instance, in March he said something similar about those who want “free birth control.” But in this case, it’s clear he was responding quite directly to those who booed him at the NAACP.