Have you heard the story of Ruth Williams yet? If not, the rock your under sounds like a place I wanna be. Here’s the story:
The bus was picking up Romney after his New Hampshire primary win. Williams did not get to meet him upon his arrival, but aides told her to head to a rally in Columbia that evening, which she did.
Romney, briefed by his staff about her story, came over to talk to Williams after that rally. She spoke to him tearfully and asked him about his economic policies. “He was kind to me,” she said. “He stopped doing everything.” She told Romney she had a sick son and was looking for a job. “I told them about my problems and that I just want to work. I just want to work,” she said.
Williams said she had been cleaning houses for home builders, but with the downturn in the housing market, had been unable to find work since October.
She said Romney took down her contact information and told her that perhaps the state of South Carolina would be able to help. She took down contact information for the campaign and found a warm welcome at his Columbia campaign headquarters the following day. She said she’s been volunteering there ever since, cleaning and cooking collard greens for the staff.
On Saturday, Romney recognized Williams on a rope line here and handed her $50 or $60, according to his staff. Williams said it was the first time that she has directly received money from the campaign, but that South Carolina treasurer Curtis Loftis — who chairs Romney’s South Carolina campaign — paid her light bill this week.
Here’s the problem I have. It’s not with Ruth Williams herself, it’s the spinmeisters beating her story into the ground so let me just say this.
Some black activist was on Massive Shit NoBody Cares about (MSNBC) complaining that Romney giving Williams some cash made her cringe because it played into all the stereotypes people have about black people. Others are carping about how “staged” it must’ve been, because God knows that couldn’t have happened spontaneously.
Here’s the problem if you’re Mitt Romney.
If you don’t give her money when she asks, he’s a racist uncaring one-percenter. If he does give her money, then he’s patronizing and playing into stereotypes.
Is there any angle for this story where Romney can escape criticism? Nope. The lib spinmeisters love a story like this because it’s a win all the way around for them with an outcome that’s not only easy to predict, but portrayed as negative however it plays out.