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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He told it like it is, there is a percentage (not sure it is 47%) that will vote for big government and free handouts regardless of the eventual outcome of this action. Romney can't change those votes, similarily California will go democratic in the presidential election, it is a waste of money and time to spend any GOP resources there.
Since our illustrious president will NOT tell it like it is; someone has to do it for him. Mr. Romney's comments are not against the people that are on welfare, etc., etc., etc.; but against the Democratic machinery (Obamalooney and company) that wants to keep them there in order to make them feel indebted and obligated to vote for the president.
If the Obamatoids want to use Mr. Romney's statements against him, let them! These Obamatoids were not going to vote him irregardless.
What would surprise me more would be if the Democratic machinery tried to paint Mr. Romney in a good "light."
Of course, THAT AIN'T GOING TO HAPPEN, EVER!!! Lies and innuendo and playing the blame/racial game is apparently the only way Democrats can continue to stay in power. Democrats are well aware that this president is clueless, a liar and irresponsible. But they will never ever admit it.
America, don't ever be intimidated. Stand your ground, and most of all, be informed and unafraid.
What he said about the 47% is 100% true. Nobody can dispute it. Sort of like an Easter egg hunt. A bunch of kids go our and collect eggs. Some work real hard at it and end up with a bunch of eggs. Other kids (47%) don't try real hard and end up with much fewer eggs. If I was one of the kids that didn't try real hard, and Obama was planning on taking some of the other kids eggs and giving them to me, I'd vote for him too.
Great comment. How many of those "occupy" people do you think pay income taxes????
What do you think all these freeloaders do with the money the government gives them? Do they put it in the bank? That means that the bankers can make more money with it. Do they buy TVs and Cars? Then the consumer goods people get the money. The only way business DOESN'T benefit is if they buy illegal drugs and the drug dealers DO buy expensive cars...
PAT, YOU HIT IN RIGHT ON THE NAIL!! I HAVE NOTHING MORE TO SAY!!!!
ROMNEY 2012
Thank goodness, now if the rest of the RIGHT WING TRASH has nothing more to say that would be good for America.
I am glad Romney said that. He speaks the truth. He wasn't talking about people receiving Social Security, Veterans, etc. He was talking about people like me who work and because of all the tax lupholds. I don't think that it is right that someone pays taxes so that I don't have to. Vote Romney/Ryan This country is going in the wrong direction.
Uh, Bob. that's not correct. He is talking about all the people who make too little to pay additional income tax, because they don't make ENOUGH INCOME. This is inclusive of the unemployed, senior citizens, the disabled, Seriously you need to clean your glasses if you think otherwise. And the working poor do pay taxes – their money is taken out of their paychecks first, leaving them without enough money to pay ADDITIONAL TAXES. Seriously if you have ever filled taxes you should know that this is the way it works. It's not a secret. Oh but yes, 3 percent of those people have filed their taxes in such a way as to exempt them from paying taxes. Perhaps Romeny himself...
Truth – Thanks for educating the US voter that 47% of people in this country rely on the Government to get by! This means that we have to end Obama's plan to re-distribute wealth!
too bad most of that 47% vote Republican. But don't let that confuse you.
You do know that many of the people not paying taxes are only making $15,000 a year or are retired on a small social security benefit that they paid into for years? Also, a surprising number of people paying no taxes include those with very large incomes?
Obama needs to get out a white board during the debate and show EXACTLY how the bush tax cuts have vastly expanded the number of people in the US paying no taxes! – and how Romney's proposed tax cuts would just expand this! The way people are framing this discussion is crazy – It's NOT about welfare ... that's an incredibly small percentage of the 47% – it is about how taxes have continued to shrink in this country! But I am gratified to see, at least, that some of romney's base is insulted – as I predicted!
Pat, did you listen to the speech? Did you hear when he clearly said "those who fail to take personal responsibility for their lives?" Clearly he is referring to those who he feels are the unwashed masses. Sorry, he was wrong and should apologize for it. This was truly pathetic. I am a Republican and am embarrassed for my party and regret that we nominated such a loser candidate.
Politicians are called public servants, they chose not to have privacy.
Everybody knows there are way too many bloodsucker's. This is no surprise, except maybe to the bloodsucker's. Would you argue that the sun comes up from the east and sets in the west also? You send me your responses, I am retired and have nothing to do anyway, lemme hear you whine. Now that this fact is exposed, it's only a matter of time before we put an end to it.
Thank you Pat. Finally someone who gets it!!
While he could have clarified his message a little better, taking responsibility for your life is an American value. You are not owed a home, food or a paycheck...you WORK your behind off and EARN those things. I am personlly sick and tired of supporting people who don't have the initiative to support themselves. In the wild, the weak, slow, and nonparticipant are culled from the herd; just sayin.
Just sayin? Just sayin that it's ok to let the weak, the old, and defenseless children die? If this is the kind of country that Mr. Romney is touting, then he and you should be tarred and feathered.
Pat: How's that koolaid taste? All you did was regurgitate the same old stupid talking points that conservatives who can't think for themselves always spit up: Romney was "not controversial"; he's "not writing anyone off as a mooch"; Obama "has delivered some of the most shockingly offensive, unAmerican, divisive comments I've ever heard"; Obama is "a European-style socialist...in the White House." Blah, blah, blah. None of it anywhere near the truth, but all fitting neatly in the GOP's dream-based playbook that is going to lose them this election by a rout. Turn off FOXNews just for one minute, will ya? And start actually LISTENING to the nonsense streaming out of Romney's mouth, as well as paying attention to what the President ACTUALLY says and does - in contrast to what Rush and Glenn and Sean and all the rest of the knuckleheads are telling you what they want you to believe he says and does. Set yourself free, man! You can do it!
This David Rice guy is STILL going to vote for Romney because of his "social views" after saying that the 47% of the citizens of this country are social welfare cases, lazy and don't want to work? What is wrong with people? You're going to vote for this man to be president who has had all the benefits of power, privelage and wealth handed to him and some how expects it to be easy for the rest of us to achieve the same? Ridiculous and so is David Rice for voting for him!