Romney: 47% of Americans are victims

[dirk digler]

I guess this maybe the kill shot for his campaign. I know some of you believe you this and won't find a problem with what he said but as a person running for POTUS you probably shouldn't write off 1/2 the country especially in a disparaging way.

A hidden camera video of Mitt Romney at a fundraiser shows him talking disparagingly of people who will vote for President Obama.

Said Romney: "There are 47 percent of the people who will vote for the president no matter what. All right, there are 47 percent who are with him, who are dependent upon government, who believe that they are victims, who believe the government has a responsibility to care for them, who believe that they are entitled to health care, to food, to housing, to you-name-it. That that's an entitlement. And the government should give it to them. And they will vote for this president no matter what...These are people who pay no income tax."

He adds: "My job is is not to worry about those people. I'll never convince them they should take personal responsibility and care for their lives."

[patteeu]

Originally Posted by banyon

Romney didn't say "I only meant it figuratively and not literally".

He said it was "completely wrong", your attempt to confound Aristotelian logic notwithstanding.

None of that changes the facts that I laid out for you in the previous post. His statement was "completely wrong" to the extent that you're a slave to it's literal meaning (so he was right yet again). It was right wrt the points he was making about three different subsets of people though.

[RNR]

Originally Posted by suzzer99

I don't agree with you about it being a truthful statement. But I have respect for you for at least saying this, whereas with Patteau it's just spin spin spin.

I am simply saying that the part where he referred to the group of people who see themselves as victims. No matter what he says or does there is a very large group of people who will not vote for him. Obama plays to this crowd making promises and assuring them he will take care of them. He has done nothing but decrease their chances of succeeding. The cold hard fact is everyone is going to have to pay more taxes rich included. The problem is how do you go about generating growth? Taxes will not pay the tab.

Both sides claim they want to cut costs as long as it is not any of their stuff that gets cut. There are several here who are much more educated than me on how the economy and government works. I do know this much Obama has showed he is ill prepared to run our country. I am so disappointed in the entire government I have become disillusioned. The cancer in our government runs much deeper than the president, and both parties are malignant~

[Swanman]

Originally Posted by RedNeckRaider

I am simply saying that the part where he referred to the group of people who see themselves as victims. No matter what he says or does there is a very large group of people who will not vote for him. Obama plays to this crowd making promises and assuring them he will take care of them. He has done nothing but decrease their chances of succeeding. The cold hard fact is everyone is going to have to pay more taxes rich included. The problem is how do you go about generating growth? Taxes will not pay the tab.

Both sides claim they want to cut costs as long as it is not any of their stuff that gets cut. There are several here who are much more educated than me on how the economy and government works. I do know this much Obama has showed he is ill prepared to run our country. I am so disappointed in the entire government I have become disillusioned. The cancer in our government runs much deeper than the president, and both parties are malignant~

My main issue with Romney's statement was that the "47%" cannot be made to be responsible over their own lives. That was a nasty, uncalled for statement given only a small portion of that figure (after excluding senior citizens, active duty military, working poor, etc) are actually true moochers that are lazy and taking advantage of the system. I know he was trying to pander to his audience, which was made up of rich douchebags, but he still went too far even given that.

I tend to think a man is being more truthful when he doesn't realize he is being recorded. It was a wise move to do a 180 on those comments, but I don't know how many people will buy it.

[go bowe]

i don't buy it...

[banyon]

Originally Posted by patteeu

None of that changes the facts that I laid out for you in the previous post. His statement was "completely wrong" to the extent that you're a slave to it's literal meaning (so he was right yet again). It was right wrt the points he was making about three different subsets of people though.

Mitt Kerry

" I was completely right before I was completely wrong."

[theelusiveeightrop]

How do I get in on some of that 'free' money Obama is giving away?

[WhiteWhale]

Originally Posted by Swanman

My main issue with Romney's statement was that the "47%" cannot be made to be responsible over their own lives. That was a nasty, uncalled for statement given only a small portion of that figure (after excluding senior citizens, active duty military, working poor, etc) are actually true moochers that are lazy and taking advantage of the system. I know he was trying to pander to his audience, which was made up of rich douchebags, but he still went too far even given that.

I tend to think a man is being more truthful when he doesn't realize he is being recorded. It was a wise move to do a 180 on those comments, but I don't know how many people will buy it.

That's the part that bugged me. The 47% number, touted by right wing radio, is bullshit that tries to paint the lowest income earners in the States as the 47% when that's completely false.

Some of them are goddamn billionaires. Some of them are just middle class families with a lot of kids. A huge group of them are the people you pointed out in this post. I'm in the lower 47% of income earners and I sure as hell pay federal income tax.

[patteeu]

Originally Posted by banyon

Mitt Kerry

" I was completely right before I was completely wrong."

Good luck selling that. No one who watched, or even heard about, the debate will be buying it.

[banyon]

Originally Posted by patteeu

Good luck selling that. No one who watched, or even heard about, the debate will be buying it.

Not many people read the completely wrong comments, it was kind of buried in the Friday trash.

So, I suspect rather, we will mostly hear about the video many more times and he will get to explain it to a broader audience and perhaps he can give us a 3rd view on what he meant to say.