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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Who cares if it is mistake or truth? I am voting against Romney yet not for obama.
A extreme left person will become a professor.
A extreme right person will become a white supremacist.
END OF STORY we all know what Mitt is.
This comment has NOTHING TO DO WITH YOU BLOGGERS!. This is for CNN. Dear CNN, you guys have this nasty habit of over doing it. STop talking about Romney whether he made a mistake or not he said what he said. Just get over it move on to something that actually matters. How about you spend a week talking about world hunger or something that has actual meaning to the people. YOU guys arent repoters you gossip columnist. Inform us of policy that will help our society. Stop talking about dumb mistakes for a week straight and move on to matters that are vitally important. Go do some real reporting and inform us of things that can better our society and not just stupidity!
I agree. CNN needs to focus on being journalists not influencers of elections.
Well put and spot on.
The media's goal isn't reporting, its ad revenue. And that means pandering to a demographic in order to drive readership.
Romney is right about some people living off the government, but to say it is 47% is INCORRECT and lumping eveyone into the same bracket shows his ignorance, that is not a way to start a national conversation. If you want real tax reform, then you should look at the 4000 millionaires who are also in the 47% not paying taxes. You should look at the combat troops in the 47% not paying taxes. The tax policy has to be complex to fit everyone person's needs, someone who lumps everyone into one category does not have the nuance to be President of the US.
I own two rental properties and I have seen people on welfare checks living in my properties and trash them, let me tell you I hate it. But you need a social safety net for people who fall on hard times or kids of poor parents and with that, you get some people who are moochers. For that reason, you can't get rid of all aid programs. I make $250K plus and I pay all my taxes and I go to work every day and work hard so I'm part of the 53% who was a moderate Republican in VA but Romney has lost my vote. His comment was un-presidential and shows his arrogance and lack of understanding American society.
Glad you enjoy paying your taxes, get ready to pay much much more if Obama wins. If you think Obama understands the "nuances" of all this you are sorely mistaken.
Though he shouldn't write off people "in the 47%" altogether as there are certainly individuals in that pool that embrace Romney's Fiscal or Social views or who are just plain worried about the continued damage that Obama's policies may do to an already wobbling economy, he certainly brings a very important fact about our society to light – almost half the people in the boat aren't rowing. Instead of just asking the athletes in the boat who are already rowing their brains out to "row harder, row your fair share!", why don't we ask a few more people to pitch in. Maybe they wouldn't be contenders for Olympic Crew Gold Medals, but many hands make light work. Don't get me wrong – the solution is not MORE taxes, but rather less (WAY LESS) spending on the part of our government. Just like any household, we need to make a budget and stick to it, even if that requires a few sacrifices. We have to stop relying on our "credit cards" and going deeper and deeper into debt. Time to stop buying the Cadillac and all the designer clothes – time to shop at the thrift store and go one a few less vacations for a few years and start paying off our debt. Sincerely, a member of the "53".
like Romney? he most likely falls into that group...
Another one for "Well said". You obviously understood his comments.
My father was very successful in business and left a sizable amount of money for my mother. After she had a stroke, she was forced to spend down her assets to qualify for Medicaid. She does not pay taxes, does Governor Romney think the millions of people like my mother are on the dole? I am a fiscal conservative and social moderate who believes that we must have a discussion about how we get people back to work and off government assistance where possible. Is there someone out there who can explain how a loving husband and father, like Governor Romney, presents himself in such a hard hearted manner?
OH, PUT A CORK ON IT ALREADY ABOUT THAT! IT'S SO DAMN OLD! PEOPLE LIKE YOU ARE THE REASON WE ARE IN SUCH A MESS–SO BULLHEADED AND SO INTO JUST VOTING ALONG PARTY LINES THAT YOU WON'T EVEN CONSIDER THAT ROMNEY IS RIGHT! HE IS! I'M NOT VOTING DEMOCRAT THIS TIME LIKE I ALWAYS HAVE. THE PARTY IS OVER, BABY!
ALSO, NOTICE HOW CNN PUTS IN THEIR VERY LAST SENTENCE ABOUT THIS TOPIC SOMETHING STILL NEGATIVE ABOUT ROMNEY? IT' S LEFT-MEDIA BIAS. IT'S SO BLATANT AND EXCUSE ME WHILE I GET MY BARF BAG!
GO ROMNEY
The aasertion that 47% do not pay income tax at all is correct. It should also be mentioned that the rate was 40% prior to the Bush tax cuts, so the GOP increased the percentage by 7%
The assertion that 47% of the poulation thinks something is owed to them represents a fundamental misunderstanding of the americam populace.
the person in this new letter is not of the 47% romney was refering to, he is bad off as many of us but he try to work and help himself. the 47 % for oabam want to live off the goverment and not try to work or help them self. i am on S> S and when OBAMA TOOK OFFICE I DID NOT GET A RAISE UNTIL THIS YEAR WHEN THE GOP TOOK CONTROL OF THE CONGRESS SO WHO IS HE LOOKING OUT FOR NOT SENIORS.
Let's all be honest for a second – though times are tough, if you think about the people in your life who are without work or are needing assistance for perhaps the 2nd, 3rd, 4th time in their life – then you are not thinking about the people with a constant motor and a drive to work their hardest / best at all times. Those are the people who are the last to get fired / laid off / severed, and the first to get a new job or make an opportunity for themselves. (And don't come back at me about your elderly parent or someone with a medical hardship etc.). Bottom line is, this is America – if you want it, all you have to do is reach out and take it. If not, then just sit back, take another sip off your beer or another hit off your joint and complain about how bad it is out there.
People who decided on voting for Obama will do so anyway while those who decided on Romney will do so too....now those who were undecided will now vote for Obama.
You are probably right, and the deterioration of American will continue.
You silly nerds.
MITT IS SCREWEDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD. JUST LIKE MCAIN, MITT ALSO LOST HIS OPPORTUNITY TO WIN. STUPID REPUBLICANS.
Romney reminds me of that old saying... "Whichever way the winds blowin' "
It is a whole lot better than speaking out of both sides of his mouth with a forked tongue like One-Term Obama. Oh did I forget to mention the knife Obama is stabbing the American people in the back with? Or our allies Obama is alienating?
Mitt Romney's speech infront of his rich donors was not a mistake. HE WAS SPEAKING FROM THE BOTTOM OF HIS HEART. HE WAS VERY FLAWLESS AND COMFORTABLE THE WHOLE TIME. If somebody thinks otherwise, HE OR SHE IS LYING!!!
Do you get that he didn't "say it" to anyone publicly? He said it to a bunch of investors and not to the American people. He wouldn't have had anything to "back up" had it not been outed. Before this, he's been saying that he wants to help everyone. He was caught saying that his "job is not to care about them" behind closed doors.
He doesn't have a choice but to back up his statements. Maybe he would have been more upfront if he was Latino. lol