Complete Transcript of leaked Romney fundraiser remarks PART 2

* * *BEGINNING OF PART 2* * *

(This is a rush transcript. Accuracy is not guaranteed.)

MITT ROMNEY: (BREAK IN AUDIO) –about twice as much as China. Not 10 times as much like is reported. And– and– and we have responsibility for the whole world. They’re only focused on one little area in the world, the South China Sea, the East China Sea. That’s it. And they’re building a military at– at a rapid rate.

So– this idea that somehow we– oh, we spend so much money on the military. It’s like, “Guys, don’t over think how strong we are.” We– we have said– you probably know. This is a couple years ago. When we had one of our aircraft carriers (UNINTEL) by– by Japan. And– and the Chinese pulled up behind it in– in a diesel sub, a super quiet diesel sub. Pulled up behind it. They could have te– torpedoed it. And– they were (UNINTEL).

Where– where does that (UNINTEL)? Our Navy’s smaller in number of ships than anytime since 1917. And this president wants to shrink it. The– the list goes on. Our Air Force is older and smaller than anytime since ’47 when the Air Force was formed. And he wants to shrink it. If we go the way of– of Europe, which is spending 1% to 2% of their economy on the military, we will not be able to have freedom in the world.

MALE VOICE: When– when the electorate tunes in September, the markets are gonna be looking marginal tax rates rates going up. Another debt ceiling fight. The sequestration under the debt ceiling deal. What do they call it? Taxageddon– you know, they call it. (LAUGHTER) The– the Obamacare– taxes on dividends and capital gains. I mean– it– (OVERTALK)

MALE VOICE: –the markets are gonna be speaking very loudly about COBRA and all of those issues.

MITT ROMNEY: They’ll– they’ll probably be looking at what the polls are saying, but if it looks like I’m gonna win the market– markets will be happy. If it looks like the president’s gonna win, the markets should not be terribly happy. It depends on, of course, which markets you’re talking about. Which types of commodities and so forth.

But my own view is that if we– if– if– if we win on November 6th there will be– a great deal of optimism about the future of this country. And we’ll see capital come back and we’ll see– without– without actually doing anything, we’ll (CHUCKLES) actually get a boost in the economy.

If the president gets reelected, I don’t know what’ll happen. I can’t– I can never predict what the markets will do. Sometimes it does the exact opposite of what I would I ex– would have expected. But I– my own view is that– that– if we get a tax– a Taxageddon, as they call it, January 1st, with this president– and with a Congress that can’t work together and I– it’s– it really is frightening. It’s really frightening in my view.

MALE VOICE: 54% of American voters think the Chinese economy is bigger the U.S.’ economy. When I first met you four or five years ago you did the diagram where you went very granular and you said, “Look, guys, this is a small group.” You said, “This is it. This is– this is what it is.” Tell us (UNINTEL PHRASE) this. Not– how are you gonna win if 54% of the voters think China’s economy is bigger than our own? Or if it costs four cents to make a penny and we keep making pennies?

Canada got it right a month ago. Why isn’t someone sayin’, “Stop makin’ pennies. Round it to the nearest nickel.” That’s an easy thing, you know, compared to Iran. I wanna see you take the gloves off and talk to people that actually read the paper, that read the book and care about knowing the facts and– knowledge is power. As opposed to people that are swayed by, you know, what sounds good at the moment. You know, I– if you turned into a– like eager to kill, it would be a landslide, in my humble opinion. (LAUGHTER)

MITT ROMNEY: Well, I– I wrote a book that lays out my view for what has to happen in the country and– and people who are fascinated by policy will– will read the book. We have a website that lays out white papers on a whole series of issues that I– I care about.

I have to tell you, I don’t think this will have a significant impact on my electability. I– I– I wish it– I wish it did, but I think our ads will have a much bigger impact and the debates will have a big impact. I– you know, I– I– you know, I– I–

MALE VOICE: I don’t even know who (UNINTEL) Peterson and he told us–

MITT ROMNEY: Well, but that’s– (OVERTALK)

MALE VOICE: –we were in trouble 20 years ago.

MITT ROMNEY: I– but that’s– that’s my point, which is– is just being– being right. My dad used to say, “Being right– early is not good in politics.” And– and– in a setting like this– a highly intellectual subject on a whole– discussion of a whole series of important topics typically doesn’t win elections. And there are– there are– there are fra– and, for instance, this president won because of “hope and change.”

FEMALE VOICE: Right.

MITT ROMNEY: All right? He won because of “hope and change.” (OVERTALK)

Yeah. But I– (LAUGHTER) so– so it’s– it’s– I– I– and I– I can tell you I have a very good team of extraordinarily experienced, highly successful– consultants. A couple of people in particular who’ve done races around the world. I didn’t realize it. These guys from the U.S., the– the Karl Rove equivalents, they do races all over the world. In Armenia. In Africa. In Israel.

They– I mean they worked for Bibi Netanyahu in his race. And so they do these races and they see which ads work and which– which– which processes work best. And– and– we have ideas about we– what we do over the course of the campaign. I’d tell it to you, but I’d have to, you know, shoot ya. (LAUGHTER) You know? Hopefully we’ll be successful. Please?

MALE VOICE: I think– I think one of the aspects about “hope and change” that worked well for Obama four years ago was he promised to bring us more honest, transparent– (LAUGHTER) governance in Washington. I’ve been around politics. The first campaign I worked in was Barry Goldwater’s in 1964. So I think I’m the oldest Republican here (UNINTEL PHRASE).

But– from what I’ve seen in the last months because of my own personal involvement in the issue is– is the government in Washington right now just is permeated by cronyism, outright corruption. Our– our regulatory agencies that are supposed to protect the public are protecting the people that they’re supposed to be regulating.

And– I think people are fed up with that. Doesn’t matter whether you’re in the Tea Party or Occupy Wall Street, people see that the government is working for the powerful interests and the people who are well connected politically and not for the common person. Which threatens that whole idea that we have this great opportunity.

Which we should have and have had that historically in the U.S. for anybody from what background to become successful. One way in which that becomes compromised is when the government is no longer seen as being an honest agent and where our tax dollars are not really-they’re being put to work for us but for the people who are plugged in politically (UNINTEL PHRASE). You know, you have– you had cases like Solyndra and the Fullbush (PH), which I talk about (UNINTEL) involved in. You’ve got Eric Holder, who’s probably the most corrupt attorney general that we’ve had ever in– in– in American history. And– I think it’s something that– that– if spun the right way and in simple terms, can actually resonate with the American people.

Obama did not keep his promises. Nancy Pelosi was supposed to give us an honest Congress. Has– has given us just the opposite when she was speaker. And– I think that’s a campaign issue that can work well. I’m optimistic that you’ll be elected president and my recommendation would be clean house immediately. SEC, the CFBC– are– are– are disaster areas. And– (OVERTALK)

MITT ROMNEY: And what– I wish we weren’t unionized so we could go a lot deeper than you’re actually allowed to go. But– (MALE VOICE: UNINTEL)

Am I in the way here? Yeah. I– I– I can say this, which– and I’m sure you’ll agree with this as well, which is we– we speak with– with voters across the country about their perceptions. Those people I told you, the 5%, to 6% or 7% that we have to sort of bring on– on our side? They all voted for Barack Obama four years ago.

So– and, by the way, when you– when you say to them, “Do you think Barack Obama is a failure?” they overwhelmingly say, “No.” They like him. But when you say, “Are you disappointed that his policies haven’t worked?” they say, “Yes.” And– and because they voted for him they don’t wanna be told that they were wrong. That he’s a bad guy. That he did bad things. That he’s corrupt.

The– these– those people that we have to get, they want to believe they did the right thing but he just wasn’t up to the task. They love the phrase that he’s over his head. But if we’re– when we– but, you see, you and I, we spend our day with Republicans. We spend our days with people who agree with us. And– and these people are people who voted for him and don’t agree with us.

And– and so the things that animate us are not the things that animate them. And the– and the best success I have in speaking with those people is saying, you know, “The president’s been a disappointment. He told you he’d keep unemployment below 8%. Hasn’t been below 8% since.

“50% of kids coming out of school can’t get a job. 50%. 50% of the kids in high school in our 50 largest cities won’t graduate from high school. What are they gonna do?” And the– these are the kinds of things that– that I can– I can say– to– to that audience that– that they nod they head and say, “Yeah, I think you’re right.”

What he’s gonna do, by the way, is try and vilify me as someone who’s been successful. Or who’s– or who’s, you know, closed businesses or laid people off and this is an e– an evil bad guy. And that may work. I– I actually think that right now people are saying, “I want someone who can make things better. That’s what– that’s gonna motivate me. Who can get jobs for my kids and get rising incomes.” And I hope to be able to be the one that wins that battle. Yeah, please.

FEMALE VOICE: I’ve seen Obama a lot of times on these sort of talk shows, making (UNINTEL PHRASE). I’ve never seen you on– on any of them. And I think a lot of (UNINTEL), especially, you know, (UNINTEL PHRASE) talking about, I think they will (UNINTEL) see you in a different light, because I think a lot of women, especially, do not watch debates. They don’t come to these functions. They can maybe you have to show your face more on TV and talk in your just, like, regular aesthetic. Is that (UNINTEL PHRASE). (UNINTEL) the typical (UNINTEL PHRASE). But it’s–

MITT ROMNEY: It’s (UNINTEL).

FEMALE VOICE: It’s (UNINTEL). Yeah.

MITT ROMNEY: See, in Sweden, you’d– you’d say Johansen (LAUGHTER) (UNINTEL PHRASE) about that.

FEMALE VOICE: So I think maybe you could reach a lot of new votes.

MITT ROMNEY: Well, thank you. I– I have been on The View twice now. (LAUGHTER) But– (UNINTEL PHRASE) President Obama. I’ve been on The View twice. (OVERTALK)

It went– it went very well. (FEMALE VOICE: UNINTEL)

But– Regis is gone.

MALE VOICE: Kelly and Michael Straham (UNINTEL PHRASE).

MITT ROMNEY: And I’ve done the– I’ve done the night– the– the evening shows. I’ve been on Letterman a couple of times. I’ve been on– on Leno– more than a couple of times. And now Letterman hates me because I’ve been on Leno more than him. (LAUGHTER) So (UNINTEL)– very, very jealous of one another, as you know.

And– and there’s– I was asked to go on Saturday Night Live. I– I did not do that in part because you– you wanna show that you’re fun and you’re a good person, but you don’t wanna– you– you also wanna be presidential. And Saturday Night Live has the potential of– of looking slapstick and not– and not presidential.

FEMALE VOICE: I agree.

MITT ROMNEY: But The View was– The View was fine. Although The View is– is high risk because of– of the five women on it, only one is conservative. Four– (FEMALE VOICE: UNINTEL)

–are– are sharp tongued and– and not conservative. Whoopi Goldberg in particular. Although last time I was on the show she said to me, “You know what? I think I could vote for you.” And I– and I said, “I must have done something really wrong.” (LAUGHTER) I– (FEMALE VOICE: UNINTEL)

I’m gonna sit down and enjoy my– Darlene, you get the last word.

DARLENE: I was just gonna say that I think– our media strategy that will be sending Ann on The View and having her sit there.

FEMALE VOICE: Yes.

MITT ROMNEY: Got it.

FEMALE VOICE: Because she, I think, is your– your best surrogate (UNINTEL).

FEMALE VOICE: Yes.

FEMALE VOICE: Your best advocate. She–

FEMALE VOICE: I agree.

FEMALE VOICE: –connects so well. I mean we talked so much about this (UNINTEL) and somebody said, “Oh, many people think of you as a rich– rich guy.” And those of us who know you know that’s– you know–

MITT ROMNEY: You know–

FEMALE VOICE: –not the– not–

MITT ROMNEY: –I’m poor as a church mouse, right?

FEMALE VOICE: Yeah, yeah. (OVERTALK)

FEMALE VOICE: Well, we do know that you’ve (UNINTEL PHRASE). Or (UNINTEL).

MITT ROMNEY: My (UNINTEL). Yeah.

FEMALE VOICE: And that Ann really connects with people and she can tell the story about her father. And she’s the (UNINTEL) person who can sit with Matt Lauer and go on Good Morning America (UNINTEL PHRASE) and go on The View and hold her own with all of these people. And really– get you I think the women connecting to you more (UNINTEL).

FEMALE VOICE: Especially more (UNINTEL). And I think she’s– she’s a great–

MITT ROMNEY: I hate to (UNINTEL) you. (UNINTEL PHRASE). We– we– we use Ann sparingly right now so that people don’t get tired of her or– or start attacking.

FEMALE VOICE: (UNINTEL) get tired of it. Who gets–

MITT ROMNEY: And–

FEMALE VOICE: –tired of Ann (UNINTEL)? (LAUGHTER)

MITT ROMNEY: I’ll tell you– but– but you will see more of her– in the September, October timeframe. And– you know, we have a -what’s her name- in Hillary Rosen, who– who, you know, attacked her and– and that– that made Ann much more visible to the American people, which I think was very helpful. It gave her a platform she wouldn’t have had otherwise. And– I agree with you. I think she will be extraordinarily helpful.

FEMALE VOICE: Just to sort of– (UNINTEL PHRASE), people who friended her on Facebook or what– whatever happened after the Hillary Rosen thing, just– that shows you the value of social networking and just, like, how important media can be to selections like that. I– I just think that she is– is (UNINTEL). And I know she wants– she wants you to win for (UNINTEL).

MITT ROMNEY: She’s out there.

FEMALE VOICE: She is.

MITT ROMNEY: She’s in– she’s in– in Texas tonight. She was in Louisiana last night. She’s– raising money in those places. (FEMALE VOICE: UNINTEL)

She was at Ben Crenshaw’s house for dinner today. Tonight. Isn’t that something? So there are some benefits. (LAUGH) One of the benefits is eating the world’s best dessert, which I will. Thank you. (APPLAUSE) You’ve been great.

(OFF-MIC CONVERSATION)

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