Presumptive GOP nominee Mitt Romney addressed the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) convention on Monday to deliver his campaign message. Romney received some booing at his mention of repealing ObamaCare yet did end the speech receiving a standing ovation.
Here is Romeny’s complete 23 minute address:
Report from Business Week:
HOUSTON (AP) — Unflinching before a skeptical NAACP crowd, Mitt Romney declared Wednesday he’d do more for African-Americans than Barack Obama, the nation’s first black president. He drew jeers when he lambasted the Democrat’s policies.
“If you want a president who will make things better in the African-American community, you are looking at him,” Romney told the group’s annual convention. Pausing as some in the crowd heckled, he added, “You take a look!”
“For real?” yelled someone in the crowd.
The reception was occasionally rocky though generally polite as the Republican presidential candidate sought to woo a Democratic bloc that voted heavily for Obama four years ago and is certain to do so again. Romney was booed when he vowed to repeal “Obamacare” – the Democrat’s signature health care measure – and the crowd interrupted him when he accused Obama of failing to spark a more robust economic recovery.
“I know the president has said he will do those things. But he has not. He cannot. He will not,” Romney said as the crowd’s murmurs turned to groans.
At other points, Romney earned scattered clapping for his promises to create jobs and improve education. In an interview with Fox News after the speech, Romney said he had expected the negative reaction to some of his comments. “I am going to give the same message to the NAACP that I give across the country which is that Obamacare is killing jobs,” he said.
Vice President Joe Biden will be addressing the NAACP convention today. President Obama will not be making a speech at the convention this year.
