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trailmonkee

(2,681 posts)
Tue Sep 18, 2012, 09:24 PM Sep 2012

How a Mother Jones reporter pursued the Romney ‘47 percent’ story

Source: washington post

-snip-

Corn, the Washington bureau chief for Mother Jones magazine, on Monday wrote one of the most-talked-about stories of the 2012 presidential campaign about a video of Mitt Romney telling Republican donors at a May 17 fundraiser, among other things, that President Obama’s supporters constitute the “47 percent” of the nation who are “dependent upon the government, who believe that they are victims.”

Corn, 53, spent about four weeks coaxing the person who had surreptitiously shot the footage to hand over the full, undoctored video. It was recorded, apparently without Romney’s knowledge and via an unknown device, at the fundraiser at the home of a wealthy private-equity investor in Boca Raton, Fla.

In the end, Corn said, getting the story came down to trust.


-snip-

At roughly the same time, Huffington Post Washington bureau chief Ryan Grim was doing his best to coax the source out of the shadows.

The source, whom Corn will only identify as a “he,” had apparently tried to provoke interest in the Romney recording by posting a brief clip, in which Romney describes the appalling conditions inside a Chinese factory, on YouTube shortly after the May 17 fundraiser.

In a further bid to attract attention, the source apparently posted links to some of the clips and anonymous comments about them in the message sections of Huffington Post and DailyKos, a liberal commentary site.


Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/how-a-mother-jones-reporter-pursued-the-romney-47-percent-story/2012/09/18/c6dc17e8-01d1-11e2-b257-e1c2b3548a4a_story.html

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How a Mother Jones reporter pursued the Romney ‘47 percent’ story (Original Post) trailmonkee Sep 2012 OP
The source has good reason to be concerned about avebury Sep 2012 #1
get it out of the cycle.... its got to be a nightmare for them right now trailmonkee Sep 2012 #5
That little weisel brietbart wanna-be O'Keefe gets away with it Historic NY Sep 2012 #6
Think Progress has an article dealing with Legal Concerns 66 dmhlt Sep 2012 #13
I actually don't see what the big deal is.. naaman fletcher Sep 2012 #2
I agree. We all think this proves rmoney is an Ahole. But there are lots Hoyt Sep 2012 #4
question is, did Rmoney ever need help with that kind of voter? 0rganism Sep 2012 #9
actually naaman fletcher Sep 2012 #11
The press has only focused on ONE PART... SkyDaddy7 Sep 2012 #12
Corn is a great reporter BeyondGeography Sep 2012 #3
Your link is no good. Th1onein Sep 2012 #7
thanks, fixed trailmonkee Sep 2012 #8
Jimmy Carter's grandsome brought the video to Corn's attention drm604 Sep 2012 #10

avebury

(10,952 posts)
1. The source has good reason to be concerned about
Tue Sep 18, 2012, 09:29 PM
Sep 2012

potential legal ramifications. However, in light of all of the fallout from the video and its impact on the Romney race I hardly think that it would benefit Romney to go after the source.

 

naaman fletcher

(7,362 posts)
2. I actually don't see what the big deal is..
Tue Sep 18, 2012, 09:36 PM
Sep 2012

They believe this. we all know they believe this. I think the leak of this might actually help Romney connect with the "Joe the plumber" types who also share this view.

 

Hoyt

(54,770 posts)
4. I agree. We all think this proves rmoney is an Ahole. But there are lots
Tue Sep 18, 2012, 09:48 PM
Sep 2012

of fools who'll get all excited because they think rmoney is right.

0rganism

(23,957 posts)
9. question is, did Rmoney ever need help with that kind of voter?
Tue Sep 18, 2012, 11:23 PM
Sep 2012

I think Rmoney has the "Joe the plumber" demographic sewn up pretty handily. What's costing him big-time is his dismal performance with women (hehe) and his abysmally low appeal to Hispanics, and the leak is bound to damage him further in those areas.

 

naaman fletcher

(7,362 posts)
11. actually
Wed Sep 19, 2012, 12:44 AM
Sep 2012

I don't think he had joe the plumber sown up. I think "joe the plumber" types would never vote for Obama, but weren't all that excited about Romney. This will get them excited, which is important.

SkyDaddy7

(6,045 posts)
12. The press has only focused on ONE PART...
Wed Sep 19, 2012, 07:21 AM
Sep 2012

The 47% comment...There are many other more important comments in that video that involve racism & trashing the Middle East peace plan! But the media decides what is to be talked about when something like this comes out.

BeyondGeography

(39,374 posts)
3. Corn is a great reporter
Tue Sep 18, 2012, 09:47 PM
Sep 2012

Very competitive, a healthy ego, but always in the service of a good cause. This will go down as one of his greatest achievements. I am happy for him.

drm604

(16,230 posts)
10. Jimmy Carter's grandsome brought the video to Corn's attention
Tue Sep 18, 2012, 11:28 PM
Sep 2012

and put Corn in contact with the source.

Corn, a liberal commentator on MSNBC, got a major assist from a freelance researcher, James Carter IV, who first found the snippet on YouTube and suggested to Corn that there might be more in the full video held by the source. Carter, the grandson of the 39th president, also alerted the Huffington Post that a longer video might exist.
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