David A. Rice feels like Mitt Romney wrote him off.
The 61-year-old has always been a values-based voter, generally votes Republican and could be a key vote in the swing state of Florida. But he's also among the 47% of Americans that Mitt Romney said don't pay income tax and rely on government support.
"There are 47% of the people who will vote for the president no matter what," Romney says in a clip from a secretly filmed private donor meeting in May, which was first posted on Monday afternoon. "There are 47% who are with him, who are dependent on government, who believe that, that they are victims, who believe that government has the responsibility to care for them. Who believe that they are entitled to health care, to food, to housing."
Romney's '47%' – Washington's tax-break obsession to blame
Rice says he is working part-time and doesn't pay taxes because he can't find a good job. And the fact that Romney wrote him off in those comments is frustrating.
"I am insulted. I support you and you just wrote me off with the 47% who pay no taxes. In that group are those who cry every time they use food stamps; people who would trade them in a minute for a real job. In that group are Christians who shudder at the thought of voting for abortion and gay rights," he wrote in an iReport. "You have strengths that appeal to the demographic you just wrote off ... use it! In the middle of rich supporters you cannot afford to write off a huge group with a careless word."
The 61-year-old said that he has been forced once or twice to take food stamps - and unlike what Romney contends in his comments - he maintains it was not something he was proud of or hopes to ever have to do again.
"It really hurt me," the iReporter told CNN. "It was not something that I wanted to do, I did it because I didn't have a job."
Rice says he didn't think it was right for Romney to lump every low-income person into the same group.
"Not everyone who takes food stamps is a food stamps junkie," Rice told CNN. "There are people who think the government owes them a living and that the government ought to take care of them and be their momma and daddy all their life. That doesn't apply to everyone."
It all left Rice a bit uneasy.
Which leads to the big questions swirling around the Romney campaign: How much damage will Romney's comments do to his chances for winning the election? Were his comments a big enough gaffe, combined with previous missteps, to really dent his campaign? Were his comments just the brutal truth others don't want to hear? Will it sway the votes of Republicans, independents or the undecided?
Rice says he'll still be voting for Romney because of the candidate's social views. But he knows it may not be the same for others.
"I think it was a mistake on his part because he insulted a lot of people who he needs to vote for him," he said.
CNN asked our readers on Facebook what they thought about the remarks and more than 71% said Romney was wrong and should apologize. Twenty-four percent of readers who answered our unscientific poll said he was right, and it was something someone needed to say. Just about 4.5% felt that Romney was right but shouldn't have phrased the remarks the way he did.
Nevin Sanli, from Los Angeles, California, said he is in the 47% and Romney's recent remarks, as well as other gaffes, have sealed his decision to vote for Obama.
"I never took a penny in help or government assistance money or otherwise. I own two businesses, and all I have been doing, along with my business partners, is creating jobs. I am not a victim," Sanli said in response to the CNN poll on Facebook. "I worked hard and built it all from scratch and I pay a lot of taxes. I am not as rich as Romney, but I sure pay a much bigger percentage of my income in taxes than he does. I find his remarks to be un-American, shocking and insulting."
And definitely unbecoming a president, he added.
"Elitism, silver-spoon arrogance and outright divisive statements, with undertones of racism, cannot be attributes of an American president," Sanli wrote.
For his part, Romney has stood behind the comments from the secretly recorded video. They were an honest reflection of his campaign's message, he said.
"This is a message I'm carrying day in and day out and will carry over the coming months," Romney said on Fox News. "This is a decision about the course of America, where we're going to head. We've seen the president's policies play out over the last four years."
Kristopher Daughtrey agreed with those tough words and took them to show that Romney won't shy away from the truth and will stick to his convictions.
"I applaud Romney for his remarks. He's the only one willing to not sugarcoat it. I'm not a huge supporter of either party, but at least Romney has the guts to speak out frankly about it, instead of Obama, Congress, and other politicians trying to justify their actions constantly or running away with their tail between their legs," Daughtrey said. "If you're going to be president then you need to have the backbone to walk the walk and not just talk about it."
Jason Asselin, an iReporter from Iron Mountain, Michigan, is an independent who says that he generally votes for the best candidate, despite their affiliation, though he likes the ideas and stances of the tea party.
While Asselin is normally a critic of Obama, he said Romney's comments really angered him because he doesn't pay taxes, but it isn't because he doesn't want to.
"I try paying taxes each year and every year they say we don't make enough, it isn't that I don't want to pay my taxes - they won't take them," he says. "Our government put rules and regulations in place for the lower class of people. It isn't our fault for falling under that. I don't like being called the 47%, I'd like to be called American."
Asselin said he is frustrated that Romney makes assumptions about how he will vote. And he is not alone.
Jeff Zicker, 21, might have been a candidate for the 47% category. He's college-aged, but left college because he landed a job performing with a national Broadway tour. He worked two jobs all through college, and these days he pays all his taxes, which puts him in the 53% category.
“For (Romney) to say his plan only appeals to those who don’t victimize themselves just further proves how out of touch he is with the rest of the American public,” he said.
Zicker is a moderate Democrat who will be voting for Obama this fall.
“I honestly believe that somebody that would say that a large of a portion of Americans, that this group victimizes themselves and tries to appeal to voters in that way, I don’t think that shows that they would be fit in any way to be president," he said.
But others say that Romney is merely beginning a dialogue that many Americans refuse to have. Steven Evans said that he thinks the discussion is an important one as the country moves forward.
"It is time to start a national dialogue on whether we are creating a major dependency class," he said on Facebook. "I am glad to see him tell the truth. Let's decide whether we are going the way of Greece or the traditional USA."
But some believe that having that conversation with only half of the country is problematic.
“It’s not in touch with what America’s values are and what we should be in a country," Zicker said of Romney's comments. "At the end of the day, we’re all connected. What I do affects you economically and socially. We shouldn’t see it as an one-for-all system.”
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Americans are used to hearing politicians play with words, nobody really wants to hear the real truth. What he said is the brutal truth of today's America. You want your president who will get those 47% up with rest of hard working Americans but people who are used to livying on government cheques are wondering and feeling insulted. Trust me i am one of those 47% as well and i promise to vote for him this election.
What an honest and truthful statement.
Mr. Romney, you clearly want this to happen. So be it.
Lot the American Class Wars officially begin.
Signed
A taxpayer
A senior citizen – who paid sor my SSI, Medicare, and yours
A one time unemployment receipient when my company moved to China
And one of your 47% who want all the tax dollars I have paid since I aw 14 returned to me!
What you have begun will be your demise.
No offence to anyone but how do you not make enough to pay taxes? I'm currently 19 years old and I've made enough to pay taxes since I was 16. I didn't drop out of high school to only work either, I went through high with straight A's and during my senior year I worked 3 jobs. Right now I'm a freshman in college going for a BSME and still working 2 jobs and paying taxes so I just don't really understand not being able to pay taxes and not being able to get a job, I was in high school with no experience and had 3 so how can someone that is 30 or 40 years old with work experience not get one? I think you need to get off your high horse and work at freakin mcdonalds if you have too. Seriously I will go with out eating before I ever take help from this government cause I have pride and would rather shovel crap on a farm then take unemployment or food stamps.
Have a few kids (married or not), take the EIC and child care credits, buy a house and take the mortgage deduction, etc. You will qualify for a full refund of any tax withheld and may even get more back than you paid in.
Romney unfit to be president.
It appears to be the truth depending on how you define it. But in todays political environment, anything that can be spun to appear disruptive, will be done.
Romney's comment about 47% of households not paying federal income taxes is 100% correct. It should also be pointed out that Romney was making a campaigning strategy statement, not a governing policy statement. In other words, he said that he was not focusing his campaign strategy on that segment of the population that relies on government assistance because he doesn't believe he would gain many of those votes. He did NOT say that if elected Pres he would not disregard that segment of the population as part of his governing policy. This is standard practice when campaigning. You focus your dollars and time traveling to and pandering to groups you are most likely to win votes from. Obama did not attend the NAACP convention. Why? He didn't see the need to spend time and travel dollars begging for votes from a group he will already get 90% or more from anyway. Same thing.
Sorry to say this is the plain truth The current configuration of this country is to take from the upper middle class and rich and give to the middle class and poor. Basically if you earn above a certain amount let's say $160K as a family you are expected to start to pay for everyone else. We pay enough in taxes to cover someone's whole salary. Between my wife and myself we pay approximately $90K annually in taxes. When you take in Federal, State and SSN / Medicare we are paying about 38% tax on our income. The best thing about this messed up system is even though I dont claim my wife as a dependant we still owe a bit at the end of the year. When is enough enough. Everyone getting a tax return, benefits or some other form of governmen assistance needs to realize that the money doesn't come from some magical money fairy. People are paying your way. If you don't have a job .... McDonald's is hiring in my area. If you have more kids than you can afford .... Well then maybe your wife needs to get out of the house. If you are broken and can't work .... then we have no problems helping out.
All I can say is these people saying that the upper 5% are the only ones getting off with not paying their way are lying to themselves. We need a change in this country and that means everyone needs to chip in.
I have noticed a HUGE ABSENCE of the regular Pro Republican garbage on Facebook lately. Most of my Facebook friends posted Pro-Romney crap every day - but now, they are all suddenly SILENT!
I wonder what that means?
We are all packing and leaving the country and taking our money with us.
Miller, to which country will you go? All the other modernized countries have universal healthcare, long, paid maternity leaves, paid-for higher education...those darn leeches!
Go Eleanor, I am not gung ho on either one of the people that is running to run our great country. I don't like Obama, don't trust Obama, but I am not that sure about Romney either. One thing: Obama hasn't done anything in his 4 years and I don't think he has the best interest in mind for our country, we don't know what Romney will do, he might get in there and get this economy running again and get this country back on tract. I think he deserves a chance.
To which country I should go? Hmmm, how about Switzerland, Singapore, Hong Kong, Brazil, Thailand, Romania. There are many countries right now that has already modernize their society, laws, attractions, fun, business laws.
If you are rich, then Brazil for example is a great place to live and work, and endless access to gorgeous women. I am laughing at you average people because you really don't realize that rich people have alot of choices where to move.
This guy is a perfect example of what Romney was addressing, it's noted at the beginning of the article that he doesn't work or pay income taxes because "he can't find a good job." The key word here is GOOD. I don't necessarily like my job, and it doesn't pay well, but I refuse to quit and live off of other people's money just because I can't find my dream job that pays me all the money I want. Really disappointing that so many people don't feel the same way.
They can go to Somalia. That is their dream country. Minimal government and no taxes. They would be free to succeed based on their own merits without the government bogging them down.... or they would be gunned by one of the armed mobs that run the place.... or, if they managed to survive, they would find their is no infrastructure to support even basic sustenance, let alone any kind of business enterprise... nor are they any employees able to do even menial tasks because their is no educational system. One's career choices in Somalia are limited to crime, terrorism or piracy. THAT is what you get when you implement a conservative government.
@Vote for Romney-Bon voyage.
Your friends did 5 minutes of research and realized Romney would be terrible for anyone that isn't a millionaire?
Beliz and Costa Rica do not tax foreign retirement income and lower property taxes. Really.. can pay for all of that here if he wants. Wait until inflation hits and our doctors are replaced by Indians similar to our technology as Obama dictates their what they receive in pay. 4 more years = socialism.
Unpatriotic rich people that move abroad are no loss. If you don't love America, you should leave it.
It was refreshing to see Romney's interest in Americans miraculously go from 53% to 100% once he got in front of a Hispanic crowd (with no money) last night. I suspect it will go quickly back to 53% when he gets back in front of his wealthy donors (with all the money in the world).
Wow! Not once in this article did I read anything in the world about the RECESSION that we just crawled out of on all fours. That is because the rich weren't as affected by it. Nor did you hear the word RECESSION at the Republican National Convention. I'm assuming that none of them were affected by it. I don't know how you can get by with elitist propaganda knowing that the Republican party threw us face first into a recession.
Well written article. I'm in the same position as this man. On assistance now because I have to beat Leukemia. I desperately want to get back to work. I hate feeling a like a burden to anyone. Sure, there are some who live their whole life this way but not nearly as many as you think. Most are like me. Ashamed, but doing what they have to do until they are back on their feet. I don't have any contempt for people with a lot of money and success. Good for them. I just don't want to be looked at like some parasite that's sinking America.
The Romney campaign's initial assessment of the non-working bums included Medicare and Social Security recipients until they were told that this is not welfare. Romney seems to be grasping at straws to make the non-working bum numbers dependent on the government seem higher than what they are. His success at the Olympics was due to federal dollars sent his way to make it happen. Is he a bum for accepting that money?
Has your disease caused your self esteem to be so low that you believe having cancer and being on assistance is somethign to be ashamed of. He wasn't talking about you!!!! I don't know the percentage and most likely he chose a percentage that wasn't accurate and is causing people to get all bent out of shape! I can't speak for Mitt Romney but I as a conservative am interested int he percentage of people who do not want to go back to work and are content with living off the government for ever and wouldn't care to see their children follow in their footsteps! I hope you beat this horrible illness and I am saddened to think you think he was talking about you! He wasn't!!!!!
I remember back, right after Romney won his party's nomination, that he was having a fund raiser and had closed the door to journalists. There was speculation as to why that was being done. Now we know.
As an Independent, I see ideas in both parties that I disagree with....ideologies that aren't mine. We aren't going to be able to have the 'perfect' president. So I've had to choose the one I trust the most to do his best for the majority of Americans. Romney doesn't strike me as a caring man. I don't think he understands people who haven't had the privileges he's enjoyed. He doesn't realize how hard life is for some Americans. He's also not very diplomatic, as shown by his remarks during the Olympics and during the recent problems with the embassy attack. He also has made some comments about Iran that worry me. I simply don't trust Romney.
That's why I'm voting for Obama.
Steer clear of Romney and help bring gay Americans to the forefront. "All men are created equal" has been a thorn in the sides of Republicans for a very long time. We know that they are at odds with this sentiment when they write garbage like Don't Ask, Don't Tell. That was yet another horrible episode of American history brought to you by Republicans. Only two Republican Senators voted with the majority of Democrats to scrap this second class citizenry bull crap. The preach smaller government for everyone except gay Americans.
James if you have the right to be gay, I as a business owner should have the right to not hire you based upon your orientation! That's true equality!
"In that group are Christians who shudder at the thought of voting for abortion and gay rights." Wow, really? As one of those people, you decided to call it what it is and still find conflict in it? "Rights." I bet you would have been opposed to women's suffrage and civil rights too, huh? Kudos CNN, you've picked the crème de la crème of iReport posters for your article.
Romeny's remark is absolutely true. We all know that half in this country pays nothing. That is 0%
Those liberals who tries to makes excuses such as that 47% pays Medicare/Social Security, state state or sales tax, those are tiny compared the federal income tax which is a big one.
Romney is absolutely correct.
The 47% that don't pay is 71 million people. That is huge! We need to make those people pay more, pay more fair share. I am not talking about those 4000 millionaires. 4000 vs 71 millions is nothing in compare.
The poor and the middle class must pay more of their fair share of tax. No more 0% federal income tax for them.
I completely disagree. I'm sixteen and pregnant. Obama will provide me with the middle class American dream. Romney wants me to take responsibility for my actions and get a job. That's crazy.
i would happily pay more if my job paid me more. wouldnt you? why dont we address the pay first hmm?
You may be disgusted to learn that, after you factor out the retired people (and shame on you for thinking an 80 year old man who worked for 60 years until his body gave out should have to pay some of his meager retirement earnings so Mitt Romney can afford another car elevator and $70,000 dressage horse) most of the rest of those "47%" are NOT lazy people sitting at home and watching Oprah while waiting for their government checks. They are people who work their butts off at low paying jobs to support their families, and therefore qualify for the earned income tax credit. Since clearly you have no memory, please be reminded that the earned income tax credit has long been a FAVORITE of conservatives because it offers an economic (i.e. a capitalist) incentive for people to work rather than collect welfare. Here you have one of the very few conservative ideas that actually work (along with Romneycare by the way) and you want to get rid of it so a couple of plutocrats can buy an extra vacation mansion or two.
Yeah thoses elderly living on $14,000. a year should pay their fair share of that. Just because they paid into SS and the government stole the money using it as a slush fund is no reason for them to be stagnant. They must get a job and pay for them to breath. What a nimrod you are VoteforRobme. But the wealthy should be vultures and tax avoiders because they made it legal. If Romney wins it will make him "Tax avoider in Chief."
Romney's plan takes away deductions for the middle class mortgage deductions, child credit deductions, whille giving his wealthy buddies a capital gains tax cut, the only person declearing war on classes is Romney.
Apologies for my earlier comment. I personally know a lot of people who have no will to work and expect the government to take care of them. The 47% does exist if people choose to open their eyes. I mean no disrespect to those that use the assistance to to get themselves back on their feet. I am more concerned about those who have no intentions of getting back on their feet because the government has provided them a long term crutch.
Just because you "know some people", that doesn't mean that they add up to 47% of Americans. Are their lazy people who would rather sit at home instead of working? Absolutely. Should we do everything in our power to get those people working at jobs with living wages including "tough love" if necessary? Absolutely. Does the number of people like this add up to 47% of Americans? NOT EVEN CLOSE. The level of mathematical gymnastics necessary to come up with that 47% number is astounding. It would be downright laughable if it wasn't be used to spur hatred for almost half of all Americans, most of whom actually work their butts off every single day or had previously worked their butts off for 50 or 60 years until they were literally too old to continue working.
The amount of that 47% that actually work is a small percentage. I run my own business, a majority of which employs low end, minimum wage starting jobs. I get hundreds of applications yet only a very few actually 'want' to work. I get people missing as many as 30 days a year before I have to eventually fire them for absentee causes. Yet they complain that they need work? Ya right. They go home and live off the government and just pretend to search for work. Their life style doesn't change much between minimum wage and government assistance, so why would they?
Unless you are telling me that a couple of hundred million Americans have applied for work at your small business and you had to fire each and every one for absences, you don't know anything. You have direct knowledge of about 0.00004% of that 47% number.
Not that I was going to vote for Romney anyway, but having a president who states that he doesn't care about nearly half the US population would be an atrocity. Particularly when you consider that in the 53% of people he supposedly does care about are a good number of gays, Latinos, women, and others that he'd already written off. I'm a 53-percenter who sure isn't going to vote for him.