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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So your acceptance of Section 8 payments from the government isn't milking the system? Yeah, those of us in the know are well aware that you are being paid to rent your house out to Section 8....
If you were really interested in helping people who need a place to live, you would have just put a "For Rent" sign out on the front lawn and did what you had to do to get your money.
While Mitt was generalizing, he is basically correct. Many of the 47% pay taxes, but get it all back when they file. Watch Judge Judy and listen to all the losers who say they were waiting for their refund check. No, Mitt is not perfect, but look up Obama gaff on the internet and there are some doozies. He visited all 57 States did you know? So all I say is In with Mitt, and out with Mutt. Better a Mormon in the WH than a MORON.
I like the part where he said, he will kick the can down the road for the next president to deal with on Middle East Peace process. Really? Does this mean, kick the can down the road on foreign policy. So, they want to make a mess of things like Karl Rove/Dick Cheney/Goerge Bush, and leave it for another president to clean up. Do they have plans to start another war? What did the Dick Cheney and Karl Rove leave Obama – Un-neccesary war, economic disaster, environmental disaster, fast and furious and a trillion dollar budget deficit – Thank you Dick, thank you Karl, thank you Allberto Gonzalez and George Bush.
It is amazing that this dufus has even 45% support among voters.
Ummm.... not a news story. The person who said he was voting for Obama was going to vote for Obama anyway. The person who said he was going to vote for Romney, is still going to vote for Romney. Romney didn't lose any votes because of his (truthful) comment. The MSM is making more out of this than really exists but that's what they do and anyone who is even paying attention half of the time can see it. How many votes did Obama lose when he said that conservatives were "bitter" and "cling to God and guns"? and he would not get their votes (April 2008) If you read the news articles surrounding that story all of the journalists said Obama would not be elected President because he said that.
Obama visited all 57 States. It was those extra 7 States that swung the vote. LOL. What an idiot that man is. Google Obama gaffs and and compare to Mitt's gaffs. Mitt is a genius compared to Obama.
When Romney said that "those 47% DON'T PAY TAXES and FEEL victimized" ....he made it sound that "those 47% were living OFF THE BACKS of the rest of us who WORK for our keep.
Those 47% WHO DON'T PAY TAXES actually MAKE SO LITTLE, that according to the TAX CODE.....THEY ARE NOT REQUIRED to pay taxes. They USED to make MORE....that is....before "the great recession" of 2008-2009. And all this happened because of WALL STREET GREED, and all of them.....could be Romney's friends.
With this statement....Romney JUST LOST......the Election. I am one of those so called "47%" and I feel offended by this statement. And so are the rest. It makes us feel that..NOT ONLY do we NOT pay taxes......we LOVE to live off the backs of those who are fortunate enough to EARN MORE...and PAY TAXES. This was the GIST of Romney's remark. It was OFFENSIVE. This statement was TYPICALLY REPUBLICAN. "I got mine......where's yours?"
Vice President BIDEN warned us about "those RIGHT WING IDEOLOGUES" who are NOT IN TOUCH.....with the man on the street. Yes, we want to WORK and EARN MORE......but we are just not FORTUNATE enough to do so.
No. You're wrong.
you're double wrong Raplh. You are the problem with today's America.
WRONG RALPHY . . . GO BACK TO SLEEP!
If you really wanted to work, you'd be out working not trolling CNN news boards. I guarantee there is someone within an hour's walk from where you are right now that would pay you more than minimum wage to do something they need done but don't want to do. Go find them.
W all know, Payroll Tax collection are wrong and illegal, for state taxing corporate profits are legal and taking wage earners wages is illegal..
taxes are supposed to be voluantry ..
yess thats right ..
Regardless of the truth in it that is not the statement of a president, its the statement of an yet another rich, elitist, out-of-touch politician. This man does not posess the qualities required to lead this nation, he has illustrated that he is just another cookie-cutter politician like the ones that have driven this country into the international joke that it has become. We as Americans need to turn this around or may as well learn to speak chinese.
DON'T YOU MEAN SPANISH?!?!? THAT'S THE WAY WE ARE HEADED WITH OBAMA!! IDIOT!!
WAKE UP AND KNOW THE TRUTH!!!
Wait a minute. I'm a disabled, combat veteran that fits into Mitt's category. What a nerve to say that about veterans when Mitt didn't have the guts to serve in Nam. I'm a Republican and won't vote for him. No veteran should.
see ??? he was right. what are you crying about???
I FEEL SORRY FOR YOU, REALLY. BUT YOU ARE MISGUIDED. STOP FEELING SORRY FOR YOURSELF AND GET THE HELP NEEDED FOR YOU TO DO SOMETHING WITH YOUR LIFE BESIDES LIVE OFF OF THE HANDOUTS AND SYMPATHIES OF OTHERS. . . FROM A FORMER DEMOCRAT, NOW INDEPENDENT?
Pretty clear that Romney doesn't like seniors, veterans, students, working people, small business ownersnd , the middle class.
He is busy cozing up to the oil companies and casino operators, the oil companies are sporting his campaign by overcharging us for gas at the pump, and donating the money to Romney, who is encouraging this rip-off for his benefit, and flattrering his billionaire supporters by insulting the rest of us.
This article is useless wthout its own poll.
We have trillion dollar deficit 4 years in a row now. We need all hands on deck not 47% on the sidelines.
absolutely right. we need to reverse the Bush tax cuts. they should never have been given in the first place...not while going into two wars..
TRUTH HURTS and is completely unacceptable to a society of liberals who refuse to ever accept personal responsibility for any shortcomings. Whenever something bad happens they always expect the government to make it better for them. Disgusting.
...even if you believe with all your heart that Mitt's comments were benign...how can one possibly claim that they are the truth when out of those 47% Mitt was talking about:
- Half are Senior Citizens on Social Security and Medicare...
- 7% are people making less than 20K a year...
- 21,000 of them are people making more than 500K a year...
- Thousands of wounded Veterans
- and a overwhelming majority of rest those who fall into this 47% group are actually in the Bible belt Red States (start with Georgia and end at Texas, + Montana)..
....and ALL of these people (100% of them) are voting for Obama???!!!
states that had the highest levels of people not paying federal tax....the south. the ones that vote republican.
Can someone please point me to the CNN article that digs into Obama's remarks about distribution of weath? I suspect that it doesn't exist, as CNN wouldn't want to do anything to hurt their boy.
They did, 14 years ago when they were made.
right with you on that one... I do believe there hiding his faults will bite them in the end... Media should never be bias and that may be why their ratings are so low.. Wake up Media, you may be digging a grave with all this mush mush for Obama.. too evident for smart people
@Patrick in Wisconsin
So, then using that same line of reasoning, why didn't they report the Romney remark back in May when it was made? Seems like if one is relevant after the fact (now), then the other is just as relevant. Besides, 14 years ago, nobody knew who Obama was.
you mean the distribution upward right? because taxing investment income at half the rate of earned income is doing just that. Even Reagan felt they should be taxed the same and raised capital gains to 28% in 1986 to be equal to earned income tax.
Look, whether you support Obama or Romney, the reality is there always has been and always will be a certain level of redistribution in any Democracy. Period. Ever since taxes have been collected there has been redistribution of wealth, otherwise there wouldn't be a need to collect taxes. Every presidential administration that has overseen a tax code has redistributed wealth (Reagan included). To my knowledge the tax code has always been regressive with those of higher incomes paying a higher marginal rate. So let's have a real conversation. The issue is not redistribution, unless you can direct me to a single democracy existing now or ever where that did not occur.
When you think about it all taxes (local/state/federal) you pay are in someway redistributed to pay for some government function. I don't hear many complaints when tax revenues are redistributed to give certain companies subsidies, build more prisons, increase defense spending, or fund pet projects in Republican districts but the minute those funds are used to help someone put food on the table or prevent them from being homeless, OH NO....REDISTRIBUTION OF WEALTH.... please get real.
Well-said, I hope people listen!
Smoke another one!