Romney Compares Protesters to a Greek Chorus

August 25, 2012, 11:52 am

By ASHLEY PARKER

POWELL, Ohio - Mitt Romney had a message for the protesters who greeted him and Representative Paul D. Ryan, along with 5,000 supporters, here on Saturday morning: “This is kind of like the Greek chorus in the background,” he said, in a reference to President Obama's speech four years ago at the Democratic convention in Denver, which he delivered in front of large Greek columns.

“Everything they do reminds us of Greece and we're not going to Greece,” Mr. Romney said. “We're going to get America back to being America.”

Mr. Romney said he had re-read Mr. Obama's Denver acceptance speech, and that it was “really a brilliant speech.”

“He says marvelous things,” Mr. Romney said . “He just hasn't done them.”

He returned to the Greek theme later in his speech, using the protesters to attack Mr. Obama's record.

“Our Greek chorus out there is chanting, ‘Four more years!' ” Mr. Romney said. “Do you want four more years of high unemployment? Do you want four more years of declining wages? Do you want four more years of home values in the basement? Do you want four more years of the big banks getting bigger, the small banks getting smaller? Do you want four more years of Barack Obama?”

As the crowd shouted “No,” Mr. Romney replied: “Neither do I.”

Mr. Romney, who often uses his wife, Ann, to make a pitch to female voters, made the appeal himself Saturday.

“Just a word to the women entrepreneurs out there,” he said. “If we become president and vice president, we want to speak to you, we want to help you. Women in this country are more likely to start businesses than men. Women need our help.”

He returned to the topic later.

“I want to speak to the women of America who have dreams, who begin businesses in their homes, who begin businesses out in the marketplace, who are working in various enterprises and companies: I want you to be successful,” he said. “Our campaign is about making it easier for entrepreneurs, women and men, to start businesses, to grow businesses.”

Even Mr. Ryan got in on the routine. Talking about growing “the pie so everybody has a chance at the American idea,” he made sure to use the female pronoun.

“We want every American to be able to achieve her potential,” Mr. Ryan said.