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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Very few Americans are pure "coasters" on the dole. Most have either paid a decent share of their life's salary into taxes payroll and SS and sales, gas and other taxes. Most Americans want to work and do work for a living. If unemployment is 8% that means 92% employment...do the math...the 47% are a lot of your neighbors and congregations. Our society will be judged on how we help the needy, not the rich.
"official" unemployment figures only account for those actively seeking jobs. Thus, the "coasters" that people speak of taking advantage of government handouts are unaccounted for. To say 92% of Americans are working is ridiculous. What about retired people? Where do they fit into your math equation? Even saying 92% of individuals of working age is asinine. Just common sense stuff.
The only way Harry Reid won his last election was because his opponent Sharon Angle was viewed as mentally handicapped. Thats putting it nicelyl. Unfortunately this will be the same way that Obama will win.
I don't know where all of you live who don't believe 47% is truthful, but here where I am, at least 47% walk around with their hands out. Whether it's food stamps, Medicaid, SS disability payments for petty made-up disabilities, or some other freebie, MANY of my friends, neighbors, and even family members choose to live on government assistance. I get really tired of people not being self-sufficient when they are able. I was accosted in a parking lot just last night by a beggar who asked me for $7. I also get tired of buying ground meat and bologna while the people in line ahead of me are buying T-bones and ribeyes with my tax dollars.
You've been hitting the Faux News Koolaid waaaay too much. Put it down and come back to reality.
I think the better question is, where do YOU live.... I live in Oregon and I don't see free loaders anywhere. I see families working hard who may be part of the 47% since they can claim the earned income credit due to their low income. This was passed over 20 years ago and has been endorsed by both parties for years.
there are credits for children also, which may make it possible for other hard working families to pay less tax. Accepting a oscial security check is NOT freeloading, millions of senior citizens use this for a good piece of their income. They paid into it for years,, so it's actually just their own money that the government is finally sending them.. You need to study this a bit more before you start denoucing a big chunk of the people here.
This Saturday is my grandfather's 70th birthday and he has voted for a Republican president since 1964. He also is a member of the 47% who did not pay income tax last year because he has no retirement savings because he spent all of his savings for medical bills when he battled cancer for two years at the age of 63. He is a Vietnam War veteran, he worked and paid taxes for 35 years, and now lives solely off of money given to him by the government.
Fast forward two generations and take a look at his grandson (me). I too did not pay income taxes last year. I'm 22, graduated college a semester early while working two jobs (one of which was a work study job funded by the government), and saved enough to move to Washington D.C. where I now work at an intellectual property firm.
I'm saddened to now realize that we both lack motivation and are dependent on government to provide for us. Because all along I had the distorted notion that the help the federal government provides my grandfather could be seen as a thank you for his service, and the money and loans I got for school is an investment in a productive member of society who will spend a lifetime paying taxes. Maybe when I get older and have more disposable income, I too will thumb my nose at society.
The truth hurts!
I'm gay and I'll vote for Mitt. Obama let me down.
So will God if you don't change!
I'm an Obama supporter but I absoultly agree with Mitt Romney (I can't belive I just said that).
"I worked hard and built it all from scratch..."
Did not! The dude you are voting for has made it clear that YOU DIDN'T BUILD THAT.
Romney is 1000% correct and a real hero for having the courage to state the truth. Grow up, losers!
Romney is so wrong it's not even funny.
He never pays taxes, is he included in his deadbeats?
Hey Terry, when was it that Michelle Obama ran for POTUS?
Romeny is an even bigger idiot than Obama. I just can't believe either one could win this election!
We need a true third choice!
Romney's remarks huge mistake or plain truth? Well, to be quite honest it's probably both. No doubt its truth but sadly it also is a mistake in a presidential campaign to say it...but welcome to politics, where speaking the truth is punished.
Unfortunately, Romney is not a politician. A politician will tell you what you want to hear and do something entirely different when voted in office. A businessman such as Romney will tell you the truth because that's what people in business do especially during an economic crisis. To think that millions of people who are government dependent think that the money will never run out are sadly mistaken. We are in a crisis in this country and jobs are very well needed. Enough of welfare jail – these people (unless they are retired or disabled) need to work – if anything for their self-esteem.
Also... no good deed will go unpunished!
Actually .... It's only sort of the truth. Let me explain: 28.3% that make up the 47% pay Payroll Tax instead (Business Owners and Job Creators), then 10.3% are Retired and Elderly (Rmoney falls into this) and 6.4% make under $20,000 a year and have exemptions. So it's not actually 47%, it's more like a little over 6%. Republicans, manipulating facts for personal gains since 1854.
I highly question Romney's ability to handle foreign policy. I get the feeling that the Republican party is not being represented by folks that are very intelligent in the last few years. I AM NOT VOTING FOR THIS CLOWN!!!
Al Qaeda is standing triumphant on the walls of the US embassies in Cairo burning the US flag while raising their own, assassinating US diplomats in Libya, expanding their global influence and reach by a catastrophic mismanagement of the Arab Sprong, and you highly question Romney? I highly question you.
mathematically, there are at least 7 US embasies that I can think of off the top of my head who are under attack, protest, threat etc. around the world at this very moment. Can you think of another time EVER in the history of our country where our foreign policy has been worse than that? If you think that is becaue of some stupid video, you are brain dead. Radical sects of the Muslim faith simply hate americans, our policies toward their countries over the last 4 years have been weak, or non-existent. Even to the point where the administration claimed they wanted to "lead from behind". How could any foreign policy get any worse than this now? Even if our policy was literally to start dropping bombs on these protests, the outcome wouldn't be much worse than what is happenning now. The protestors literally want to kill you, me, and anyone else simply because we're here and don't believe what they believe. What a great job our president has done to make that all better....Seriously?
Our current foreign policy obviously isn't working in the middle east and we blame a movie and he is "going to work" with the Russians "after the election." Don't you get it???
TRUTH! People don't want to hear the truth.
If you stop listening to fox news you might actually here facts. Most of the 47 % work or are retired or disabled, only 18% of that 47 are on the goverment dole. So now those people on Social security and medicare and medicade are deadbeats? really what about the soldiers who don't make much money they are also in the 47%. Romney insulted all of us, we work and work hard some of us cleaning his house so that makes us slackers?? really, Wow someone can insult you and you still sing their praises wow. the dumbing down of american continues
Georgia? One of the top 10 states for non-taxpayers.
My vote remains with Romney/Ryan absolutely NO change! I understood completely what Governor Romney was saying. There is more footage to that video which will never see the light of day. Considering this footage was illegally taken by the grandson of a former democratic president I'm not putting much stock in it. The mainstream media is only showing the American public what they want to.
I live in CT. The tax payers were hit with the largest tax increase in the state's history last year and the budget still isn't balanced! Imagine that. The politicians just don't get it. In order to generate tax revenue, people need to have income from jobs to be taxed. CT's unemployment is 8.6% which is above the national average. Where are the jobs President Obama?
News flash, sorry to disappoint you but the entire video has been released.
The entire video was released...and there are much much worse remarks than the "47%". Take for instance him saying if he were Latino his chances of winning the election would be better, or how he completely contradicted himself on his stance with the middle east. Not saying he's any different than any other President we've had, they all lie, it's just that most don't get caught, especially before they potentially take office...
MrsB61 – you are misinformed. It was Carters Grandson who saw it on youtube and brought it to light. He did not take the video. See how rumors and things get started and twisted.
The entire video has been released. There were a couple minutes that did not get filmed. Not quite the same thing, but go ahead, spin away.
Hey MrsB61, you may want to check your facts a bit. First, Pres. Carter's grandson did not TAKE the video, he found it on YouTube. The video was likely (but not confirmed) taken by a guest at the $50K per plate dinner – so that was probably a Romney supporter. Next point is that folks like you just can't seem to grasp the fact that many of the so-called 47% are not the bums you think they are. Maybe they are retired and living on social security. Maybe they are disabled veterans who just returned from a war that you and your family did not participate in. Maybe they are just really hard working American families who struggle to get by and each year all of their withheld income tax is refunded to them and they are just following the tax rules to do this. Unfortunately you and Mr. Romney and many others like you are under the false impression that 47% of the US population are a bunch of bums and leeches. So stop listening to your right-wing talking heads and learn the facts. The person you are insulting may be living next door.