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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Funny how we can't leave comments on Obama's Socialism video. How's that for truth?
LOL. Do you even know the meaning of socialism?
America, wake up. All anyone wants is a fair sake at the opportunity. This is not the America that our Grandparents grew up in. We do not have any thriving industries. They are all overseas. We do not have a base of people making buying power wages. These problems are real and become a disease. Poverty is an infectious virus that pollutes the streets we live in. Success is also an infectious virus that changes life and lifts people. The problem is that our current system is very stingy with success but it has plenty of poverty. So what do we have, Americans wanting help. It is up to the individual to get out of bed but it is up to the system to provide opportunity. So how many of you would get out of bed for 10 cents a week? This is what happens when there is no redistribution of wealth. Social systems are taxes by infected people.
Amen! Everyone wants to eat off food stamps while they sit there and text off of their iPhones. Ridiculous.
I am not associated with either party, I consider myself more neutral. But here is one thing you Democrats need to consider. Just because your last 5 generations voted Democratic doesn't mean you should. What used to be a Democratic vote is much more Republican these days than you might think.
Look at what the Obama administration has done. Their environmental policies are all but killing the coal industry. There have been over 1500 layoffs in the Appalachian coal industry just this last week, because of a lack of need for coal. Companies are going to Natural Gas instead since Obama's EPA has it out for coal plants. You can barely afford to run one.
So go ahead and vote Democrat and pro-whatever you think you are voting for. You may want all those Union jobs they say they support, but in the background, they are killing them with taxes and regulations galore.
Why doesn't CNN cover that? Not one story on it, and its been on like every other news page. Oh ya, they only do extreme liberal stuff... and nothing that would make anyone else seem right.
They closed the Appalachian coal strip mining because it was the harshest of coal mining practices. It was putting sludge and slip in streams and killing off the Appalachian landscape, a Bush endeavor. Obama is mining just as much coal just in a more respectful way. The 1 lady that said she had to move back to the original coal mining town, her husband was back at work. Although she wants her son to go into mining is doing her son a disservice. Why not educate him in engineering, alternative energy, or a doctor. Generations have to change and grow with industries and newer cleaner energy, why not teach your child to be and live for the future not the past.
Common Sense, I think that you need to use a little of it. The reason for the shift in use from coal to natural gas isn't due to environmental regulations on the coal industry it is due to the price of natural gas. Simple free market economy. The price of a commodity goes down the demand increases... The price of natural gas has gone down due to cheap explorations methods, fracking. So next time please use some common sense and get the facts before you place blame where it doesn't belong.
The site moderator is going to be mad at you. You're right, of course, but he'll still be mad.
It is Romney's truth and a mistake.
Amazing how hard these media outlets are trying right now to control the narrative with a panicking white house and liberal establishment. It's like they are all a bunch of hamsters running on their wheels but not getting anywhere. Coming up with useless story after useless story trying to hide the incompetence of this unqualified president and the harsh reality of this horrible economy that is not getting any better.
Americans are not fooled. They are working, trying to hire people, trying to pay for increases in heath care, paying more for gas while Obama continues to fly around in Jet to hang out with Letterman, JayZ, and Beyonce and all his other hollywood and entertainment friends. Americans are smarter now and they know where to go for truth. Drudge report is a GREAT source of tracking what is really happening out there. All this junk on CNN and all the other legacy media sites in nothing but a big con job.
CBS=ABC=NBC=Liberal=CNN=NYimes=Propganda=WashingtonPost=NewsWeek=CorruptMedia=============Americans are not fooled anymore by the false narratives of by the LEGACY MEDIA SHILLS
During a CNN discussion of Israel (9/20/12) noticed Wofl Blitzer did not show the entire clip of Mitt R discussion about the difficult issue of Israel and Palestine, where Rominey said it was a problem with no solution and should be punted down the field. Who is throwing Israel under the bus?
If Blitzer continues to play favorites I will stop watching the Situation Room.
Does not surprise me...
The good thing about this is that it is true, people will vote for obama just because they are on state and federal aid and they don't want to lose it. Generations after Generations has misused the system for so long it is now their primary income. I'm more impressed that someone in our government actually said it, these Medicaid recipients are a burden to us all.
A sheep will always follow the flock even as it goes over a cliff.
We know Jim, it's too bad those students get to vote.
Always looking for a handout
Jim you are very correct. Our politicians will make us like Greeks soon.
California is already worse than Greece! Proportionally!!
And the wealthy will follow Romney. Except people like Obama who know and count their blessings and not afraid to pay more. Romney paid 13% taxes, Obama paid 26%. Obama Biden 2012
Even on conspiracy sites people know that Alex Jones lacks credibility.
In the article says
"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."
Sanli says I worked hard and built it all from scratch and I pay alot of taxes. Then why is Sanli complaining if pays alot of taxes. Romney wasn't talking about you Sanli. Romney was talking of people who DON'T pay any taxes.
Do you people see how CNN tries to twist the story?? Make it look like people are complaining but what you really see in the story is that it doesn't make sense because this is about people who don't pay taxes. People need to get their brains straight.
He is talking about our military, who do not pay income tax while being deployed; just one group he insulted.
Yeah, our soldiers are a bunch of deadbeats aren't they?
The 47% that Romney spoke of don't pay federal income taxes because that is the way the law is written. They are given marriage deductions, child deductions and mortgage deductions. For the 47% we call it deductions. For all of the rest we call the laws that they take FULL advantage of – LOOPHOLES! Both are legal. Until you make it illegal, then Romney should shut his face and because perfectly legal activities are taking place. This 47% DOES pay other types of taxes: state taxes and sales taxes. When you consider that most of America's wealth is tied up in the top 10% of Americans, then these figures don't look bad at all.
@one of the 53%ers You got to be kidding me right? He didn't insult that group since soldiers are consistently paying income taxes, they don't have to pay state and federal income taxes if they are in area that falls under the combat tax exclusion. Any other time they pay income taxes. I find you to be insulting to be insinuating the connection of deployed soldiers and free loaders. Seriously, Democrats are doing the same thing that Romney's team did with "You didn't build that." Taking a single line out of a statement taken out of context and exacerbating the actual message. Romney was just trying to get his point across about his campaign strategy at a fundraiser that he does not need to concern himself with that 47% because regardless of what he says or does they will blindly vote for Obama. His only concern to win this election is to focus his attention on the 8% of swing votes and lets be honest Obama is thinking the same thing. You are being ignorant to follow the media's spin on this and believe that Romney doesn't and won't care for the "47%" as a president. Look at his history as governor of Massachusetts which held a large Democratic majority during his tenure. During his tenure he was able to eliminate a $3 billion state deficit while producing a $600 million surplus in his last two years. He also closed tax loopholes within the state to create fairness and generate revenue. He worked with Democrats to develop and sign into law a Massachusetts health care reform the first of it's kind. Not to mention his success in turning around the failing Olympics in 2002 and actually putting it back on track. So, not only does Romney have a history of working with Democrats to create reform policies and budgeting. He has a history of eliminating deficits created by his predecessors but the ability to generate revenue. To say Romney is unfit or incapable to run the country is a fool hardy given today's current economic climate, if anything it makes him more suitable to be in charge than Obama.
Drudge is where you go when Fox isn't Right Wing and biased enough for you. If you want an actual site that will give you a pretty unbiased review of facts, Slate is pretty good.
"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."
Romney was talking 47% in total - part of that is the left wing liberal Hollywood folks and so-called do-gooders who think conservatives don't care (did you know conservatives donate more time and money to charitable causes because they WANT TO. Liberal Democrats charitable contributions are MUCH LOWER). And part of it is the bottom feeders of our country who abuse the welfare system that was designed for those who COULD NOT work for physical, mental, etc. reasons. He was NOT describing those who are part of the newly unemployed/underemployed who are victims of Obama's bad policies. Their best bet is Romney if they really want a job. If not, then Obama is your man.
do you pay governemtn taxes and take any tax breaks or deductions? ( these are goverment hand out to make you feel better about them taking your money). I too am a business owner with many employees. There are tax credits and deductions I take thinking im getting a break- but in the end- the gov sponsors so manythings that you use daily that being 100% independant is totaly impossible to avoid.
The silly thing is -The gov. is a business too( though it is exempt from taxes)- it shoudld pay taxes on its income from our tax dollars spent on all branches and every US citizen should be their own 'IRS department' looking to collect on them as much as they are to us. Rightnow- thre are no checks and ballances in that department.
These people just lie to whomever they happen to be speaking to to get their vote, always have. Since only 4.1% of the country is on welfare, the kind Republicans think about when they hear the word, where you get a check from the government for rent or food, not Pell grants, not SBIR grants, not subsidized farmer's insurance, not Medicare, not a federal student loan, then obviously the 47% is objectively wrong. Even counting all those other kinds of help, it's only 36%. And since unemployment is only at 8% or 9% right now, how could 47% of the country be not working? I mean c'mon, you are totally spiteful and insecure if you believe that because you just want to believe you're better than someone.
The 47% refers to the 47% of households that do not pay income tax. Some even get a refund for taxes they never paid – the EITC... The thing that gets lost in this conversation is that there are a LOT of different taxes. The vast majority of that 47% do pay some payroll taxes – Social Security etc. – but there are WAY too many people not paying income taxes.
True short story – woman works for 1 week, gets paycheck, quits. Why? She states, "I can make $5 a week less on welfare – I QUIT". Job was high paying for the work required, had pension and health care. Apparently, welfare is a way of life for her and unfortuntely, many others – probably more than 47%.
Sounds like an urban myth to me. Where did this happen? Let me guess: a freind of a freind told you, right? And if you know this woman, report her. You can do that, you know.
no myth. I have seen it happen with 2 of my own employees in the pats.
1. If she worked more than 25 hours in week, her gov. health insurance would no longer be valid so she quit.
2. He could not work more than 40 hours a month or it would hurt his monthly SS and Medicare coverage. He wanted to work- even offered to work for free so he would have something to do with his free time each day.(I declined his offer as its a legal liability to do this).
Its a matter of economics- people are not a stupid to what they will choose compared to what the gov. will give them for not working.
I plan to vote for Obama, but even I know there is some truth to what Romney said about people who expect a handout for their entire lives.
This must change. The question is, how do you root out the ones who don't deserve money, without punishing those who do? And how do you prevent people from exploiting the system, by having baby after baby, starting in their teen years?
Romney and Obama both cant change what is in motion in this day and age. Vote for yourself to be president, not for Obama or Romney.
The problem the USA is facing is not with them or any previous president, its with US, or WE THE PEOPLE.
Maybe every american citizen needs to go to a Rehab of some sort? Maybe? No? What do you think- it truely does matter what you think. What I do know is we are all masters of our own destination and we dont need someone sterring the ship that is not focused on the people and it needs 100%( not wants) with no detour.
Untill we change America and the way we all think and do things- no real changes will come and we will repeat the cycle hoping one leader or another will change it for us. 1 person cannot possibly represent all 50 states- maybe it worked for 13 colony's back in the beginning – be we are 100X+ larger now, relying on the same old system that is overburdoned to the point that not even the people know what is really going on up there because the average citizen is so small that they cant believe that they do make a difference.