--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We knew we had to act for the middle…" description: "\"We knew we had to act for the middle class. We immediately went out and rescued General Motors. We went ahead and made sure that we cut taxes for the m..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e48/joe-biden-454_general-motors_we-knew-we-had-to-act-for-the-middle-cla_193177.jpg" --- # We knew we had to act for the middle class. We immediately… ![“We knew we had to act for the middle class. We immediately went out and rescued General Motors. We went ahead and made sure that we cut taxes for the middle class. And in addition to that, when that...when that occurred, what did Romney do? Romney said, 'No, let Detroit go bankrupt.' We moved in…” quote by Joe Biden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e48/joe-biden-454_general-motors_we-knew-we-had-to-act-for-the-middle-cla_193177.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e48/joe-biden-454_general-motors_we-knew-we-had-to-act-for-the-middle-cla_193177.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e48/joe-biden-454_general-motors_we-knew-we-had-to-act-for-the-middle-cla_193177.jpg) > “We knew we had to act for the middle class. We immediately went out and rescued General Motors. We went ahead and made sure that we cut taxes for the middle class. And in addition to that, when that...when that occurred, what did Romney do? Romney said, 'No, let Detroit go bankrupt.' We moved in and helped people refinance their homes. Governor Romney said, 'No, let foreclosures hit the bottom.'” [Joe Biden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-biden/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He claims the administration saved the middle class and intervened in crises, contrasting with opponent’s stance. **In simple terms:** He says they helped the middle class and stopped bankruptcies. Key Takeaway Highlight proactive economic policies. Themes economic policy political rhetoric leadership crisis management Mood political assertive Type political motivational When to use this quote - campaign speeches - debates - policy announcements Key Concepts government intervention tax cuts housing finance Questions to Reflect On - What evidence supports these claims? - How do such actions impact long‑term growth? A Different Perspective Opponents may argue overreach or inefficiency. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cut Taxes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cut-taxes-266848/) [Detroit Bankrupt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/detroit-bankrupt-2036534/) [General motors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/general-motors/) [Middle class](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/middle-class/) [Motors Went](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/motors-went-2036533/) [Romney Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/romney-said-763657/) ## Related quotes > [Let Detroit go bankrupt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitt-romney/let-detroit-go-bankrupt/) [Mitt Romney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitt-romney/) > [On Iraq, the president said he would end the war. Governor Romney said that was a tragic mistake, we should have left 30,000...he ended…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-biden/on-iraq-the-president-said-he-would-end-the-war-governor-romney-said/) [Joe Biden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-biden/) > [With regard to Afghanistan, he said he will end the war in 2014. Governor Romney said we should not set a date, number one.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-biden/with-regard-to-afghanistan-he-said-he-will-end-the-war-in-2014/) [Joe Biden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-biden/) > [I told the American people that I'd cut taxes for middle class families, and I did. I told you I'd cut taxes for small…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-told-the-american-people-that-i-d-cut-taxes-for-middle-class/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [You want to know whether we're better off? I've got a little bumper sticker for you: Osama bin Laden is dead and General Motors…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-biden/you-want-to-know-whether-we-re-better-off-i-ve-got-a-little-bumper/) [Joe Biden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-biden/) > [My Dad sold automobiles as a general manager of a General Motors automobile dealership. He was a job creator. Everyone of those cars he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-biden/my-dad-sold-automobiles-as-a-general-manager-of-a-general-motors/) [Joe Biden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-biden/) > [Osama bin Laden is dead, and General Motors is alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-biden/osama-bin-laden-is-dead-and-general-motors-is-alive/) [Joe Biden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-biden/) > [Let's not let a few dumb things Mitt Romney said in private overshadow the many idiotic things he's said in public.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-borowitz/let-s-not-let-a-few-dumb-things-mitt-romney-said-in-private/) [Andy Borowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-borowitz/) > [Romney said that his tax reform proposal is 'very similar to the Simpson-Bowles plan.' How I wish it were.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erskine-bowles/romney-said-that-his-tax-reform-proposal-is-very-similar-to-the/) [Erskine Bowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erskine-bowles/) > [I don't think Romney is wacky at all, but religion makes intelligent people say and do wacky things, believe and affirm crazy things. Left…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/i-don-t-think-romney-is-wacky-at-all-but-religion-makes-intelligent/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [In an interview last night, Rick Perry criticized Mitt Romney for flip-flopping on the issues. Romney said that Perry has no idea what he's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-fallon/in-an-interview-last-night-rick-perry-criticized-mitt-romney-for-flip/) [Jimmy Fallon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-fallon/) > [Mitt Romney said many years ago that he thought Russia was the single biggest geopolitical threat to the United States and their presence in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-baker/mitt-romney-said-many-years-ago-that-he-thought-russia-was-the-single/) [Charlie Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-baker/) > [Mitt Romney said that he liked to fire people. Well, there's a pretty good message to send to Middle America. When Rick Perry heard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-letterman/mitt-romney-said-that-he-liked-to-fire-people-well-there-s-a-pretty/) [David Letterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-letterman/) > [The irony is that we've seen this model work really well in Massachusetts because Gov. Romney did a good thing, working with Democrats in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-irony-is-that-we-ve-seen-this-model-work-really-well-in/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Gov. Romney said he would veto the Dream Act. Gov. Romney essentially said the 11 million people ought to just go home, they ought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-plouffe/gov-romney-said-he-would-veto-the-dream-act-gov-romney-essentially/) [David Plouffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-plouffe/) ## More by Joe Biden > [Success will come when the societal attitude changes and not a single woman in America asks herself the question 'What did I do?'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-biden/success-will-come-when-the-societal-attitude-changes-and-not-a-single/) [Joe Biden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-biden/) > [I always kid the president in different circumstances. Mr. President, a country's never going to be more optimistic than the president.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-biden/i-always-kid-the-president-in-different-circumstances-mr-president-a/) [Joe Biden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-biden/) > [Anybody who pretends that how you read the 10th and 11th Amendment doesn't have a fundamental impact on the things we care about is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-biden/anybody-who-pretends-that-how-you-read-the-10th-and-11th-amendment/) [Joe Biden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-biden/) > [“He wanted me to understand two big things: First, that nobody, no group, is above others. Public servants are obliged to level with everybody,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-biden/he-wanted-me-to-understand-two-big-things-first-that-nobody-no-group/) [Joe Biden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-biden/) > [Don't hold against me that I don't own - that I don't own a single stock or bond. Don't hold it - I have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-biden/don-t-hold-against-me-that-i-don-t-own-that-i-don-t-own-a-single/) [Joe Biden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-biden/) > [“True bravery is when there is very little chance of winning, but you keep fighting.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-biden/true-bravery-is-when-there-is-very-little-chance-of-winning-but-you/) [Joe Biden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-biden/) > [No public funding for abortion; it imposes a view.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-biden/no-public-funding-for-abortion-it-imposes-a-view/) [Joe Biden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-biden/) > [I've known and continue to know every one of these major world leaders by their first names, and I have access to them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-biden/i-ve-known-and-continue-to-know-every-one-of-these-major-world/) [Joe Biden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-biden/) > [We are working to deploy a powerful new radar network with American early warning systems,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-biden/we-are-working-to-deploy-a-powerful-new-radar-network-with-american/) [Joe Biden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-biden/) > [I'm joking, I'm joking. Best decision I ever made.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-biden/i-m-joking-i-m-joking-best-decision-i-ever-made/) [Joe Biden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-biden/) > [ Somalis have made my city of Wilmington, Delaware, \[their home\] on a smaller scale. There is a large, very identifiable Somali community, i might… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-biden/somalis-have-made-my-city-of-wilmington-delaware-their-home-on-a/) [Joe Biden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-biden/) > [“And don’t any of you, by the way, any of you guys vote Republican. I’m not supposed to say, this isn’t political. …don’t come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-biden/and-don-t-any-of-you-by-the-way-any-of-you-guys-vote-republican-i-m/) [Joe Biden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-biden/) > [We also wanted to change the story - change the approach to the 21st century on energy, on education, on transportation, on infrastructure, generally,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-biden/we-also-wanted-to-change-the-story-change-the-approach-to-the-21st/) [Joe Biden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-biden/) > [The spirit of Thanksgiving rests in our recognizing the blessings in our lives, and as we all take stock, I hope you will join…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-biden/the-spirit-of-thanksgiving-rests-in-our-recognizing-the-blessings-in/) [Joe Biden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-biden/) > [The president has a big stick.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-biden/the-president-has-a-big-stick/) [Joe Biden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-biden/) [Explore all 546 Joe Biden quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-biden/) ## More General motors quotes > [Well, as you know, General Motors does not make hybrids. Ford only made 4,000 hybrids last year.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-markey/well-as-you-know-general-motors-does-not-make-hybrids-ford-only-made/) [Ed Markey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-markey/) > [I don't hurt the industry. The industry hurts itself, by making so many lousy movies - as if General Motors deliberately put out a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/humphrey-bogart/i-don-t-hurt-the-industry-the-industry-hurts-itself-by-making-so-many/) [Humphrey Bogart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/humphrey-bogart/) > [People are in denial all the time, hiding things. If I tell you a racist or dirty joke and you laugh, you're telling me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-landau/people-are-in-denial-all-the-time-hiding-things-if-i-tell-you-a/) [Martin Landau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-landau/) > [The power of branding, particularly when it comes to automobiles, is overwhelming. You go back to the seventies and eighties with the General Motor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/the-power-of-branding-particularly-when-it-comes-to-automobiles-is/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [Instead of mindlessly tossing billions at or taking billions from the Net as such, investors should be spending their time making sure that it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-surowiecki/instead-of-mindlessly-tossing-billions-at-or-taking-billions-from-the/) [James Surowiecki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-surowiecki/) > [“It is a fact that today steel can be made more cheaply outside America. This is also true of many other products: shoes, shirts,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dinesh-d-souza/it-is-a-fact-that-today-steel-can-be-made-more-cheaply-outside/) [Dinesh D'Souza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dinesh-d-souza/) > [Sadly, at Ford, General Motors, and Chrysler sales continually trend downward, manufacturing costs rise, and employment declines. As the result of the decrease in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-o-toole/sadly-at-ford-general-motors-and-chrysler-sales-continually-trend/) [James O'Toole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-o-toole/) > [Investing is the greatest business in the world because you never have to swing. You stand at the plate; the pitcher throws you General…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-buffett/investing-is-the-greatest-business-in-the-world-because-you-never/) [Warren Buffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-buffett/) > [“To make good decisions, CEOs need the courage to seek out disagreement. Alfred Sloan, the longtime CEO and chairman of General Motors, once interrupted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chip-heath/to-make-good-decisions-ceos-need-the-courage-to-seek-out-disagreement/) [Chip Heath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chip-heath/) > [Although the reasons for Michigan's malaise are varied, one big reason is our state's almost uniquely uncompetitive tax structure, which one General Motors official…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-bouchard/although-the-reasons-for-michigan-s-malaise-are-varied-one-big-reason/) [Mike Bouchard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-bouchard/) > [No grant of feudal privilege has ever equaled, for effortless return, that of the grandparent who bought and endowed his descendants with a thousand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kenneth-galbraith/no-grant-of-feudal-privilege-has-ever-equaled-for-effortless-return/) [John Kenneth Galbraith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kenneth-galbraith/) > [I hate to let people down. I was like that in sports and I was like that in comedy. I was like that at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-mac/i-hate-to-let-people-down-i-was-like-that-in-sports-and-i-was-like/) [Bernie Mac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-mac/) > [Our thinking behind these agreements is that we want all jobs in General Motors to be good jobs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-e-wilson/our-thinking-behind-these-agreements-is-that-we-want-all-jobs-in/) [Charles E. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-e-wilson/) > [The size of General Motors is in the service not of monopoly or the economies of scale but of planning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kenneth-galbraith/the-size-of-general-motors-is-in-the-service-not-of-monopoly-or-the/) [John Kenneth Galbraith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kenneth-galbraith/) > [Official Washington cannot tell the American people that the real purpose of its gargantuan military expenditures and belligerent interventions is to make the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-parenti/official-washington-cannot-tell-the-american-people-that-the-real/) [Michael Parenti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-parenti/) [Browse all 112 General motors quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/general-motors/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We knew we had to act for the middle class. We immediately went out and rescued General Motors. We went ahead and made sure that we cut taxes for the middle class. And in addition to that, when that...when that occurred, what did Romney do? Romney said, 'No, let Detroit go bankrupt.' We moved in and helped people refinance their homes. Governor Romney said, 'No, let foreclosures hit the bottom.'", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Joe Biden" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-biden/we-knew-we-had-to-act-for-the-middle-class-we-immediately-went-out/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "General motors" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-biden/we-knew-we-had-to-act-for-the-middle-class-we-immediately-went-out/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e48/joe-biden-454_general-motors_we-knew-we-had-to-act-for-the-middle-cla_193177.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e48/joe-biden-454_general-motors_we-knew-we-had-to-act-for-the-middle-cla_193177.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e48/joe-biden-454_general-motors_we-knew-we-had-to-act-for-the-middle-cla_193177.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We knew we had to act for the middle class. We immediately went out and rescued General Motors. We went…” — Joe Biden", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Joe Biden", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-biden/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "We knew we had to act...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-biden/we-knew-we-had-to-act-for-the-middle-class-we-immediately-went-out/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-biden/we-knew-we-had-to-act-for-the-middle-class-we-immediately-went-out/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```