Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney was unsurprisingly booed today when he proposed as president, that he would “eliminate every non-essential program,” including “Obamacare” at a speech given to the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) today in Texas.
Romney received an icy reception at the NAACP, but was the first major political figure in this year’s election to address them. Vice President Joe Biden will be speaking tomorrow.
Romney, however, did not tread lightly on divisive policy positions; despite being booed and yelled at by some in the crowd regarding his Obamacare remarks, he continued to boldly reaffirm his point.
Romney then cited a report on how the U.S. Chamber of Commerce claims the Affordable Health Care Act will make many employers less likely to hire new employees.
Romney began his speech by making the case for the Republican Party and why they should reach out to the NAACP. Romney said he wanted to present his case to “every voter.”
“One reason, of course, is that I hope to represent all Americans of every race, free of sexual orientation,” said Romney.
Romney tried to make a stark contrast to President Barack Obama by saying what he would do differently as president, including what he would do differently with education.
“Today, black children are 17 percent of students nationwide, but they are 42 percent of the students in our worst performing schools.”
Romney cited his experience as governor of Massachusetts, where he said the public school system closed many achievement gaps, provided better funding for schools, raised the standards required to graduate, and gave bonuses to the best teachers.
Romney also touted his experience in pushing for charter schools in Massachusetts, despite strong opposition from unions.
He also touched on the economy, stating “free enterprise is still the greatest force for expansion [of] the middle class.” And as president, Romney said he would also take a hard line against China’s purging of U.S. jobs, and make job creation his top priority.
Despite his chilly reception, the crowd warmed up to Republican presidential candidate received a standing ovation when he finished.
