GOP to America: ‘We Built It.’ But Who’s the We?

As the Republican National Convention kicks off this week, the question remains: What's Romney's economic plan, and who's it actually for?

By Imara Jones Aug 27, 2012

Though the actual Republican National Convention is delayed due to Tropical Storm Issac, the RNC economic message machine is at full tilt. Today’s official theme at the forlorn Tampa gathering is "We Built It." The GOP doesn’t specify who the "we" are or what the "it" is exactly. With zero percent support amongst blacks for the Republican ticket, African Americans have apparently concluded that the "we" is not them. The 44-point gap amongst Latinos and the 33-point gap amongst youth would seem to suggest that these groups believe the same. That’s because on jobs–the number one issue important to black and brown America, young people, and the country as a whole–Mitt Romney is largely silent. The centerpiece of the Romney economic plan is tax cuts for the wealthy, along with less regulation for companies. The GOP believes that [giving millionaires an extra $265,000 a year](http://taxvox.taxpolicycenter.org/2012/03/23/paul-ryans-budget-plan-more-big-tax-cuts-for-the-rich/), in addition to allowing businesses to pollute more and violate worker protections, will magically return the economy around. Oddly, Romney has said that his [first action on the economy](http://www.mittromney.com/sites/default/files/shared/BelieveInAmerica-PlanForJobsAndEconomicGrowth-Summary.pdfRomney)–"day one, job one"–is it to repeal Obamacare.