Mitt Romney’s campaign is trying to contain blow back from a secretly recorded video at a $50,000-a-plate fundraiser. With less than fifty days until the election, Romney’s leaked comments, in which he dismisses 47% of the country as “dependent on government,” is dominating political coverage at a time when Romney is already down in the polls. It may be little relief to Romney staffers to know that there is an historical precedent to this media debacle. Colombia University historianRichard John wrote in Bloomberg about a dinner with high rollers that sank presidential hopeful James G. Blaine, back in 1884. For more political satire from the early 1900's check out Puck Magazineand Judge Magazine
Here is the video from Romney's fateful fundraiser:
