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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Lord Toronage likes Pumaman. LT says read the tax code and stop watching GLEE and Modern Family. Those shows are not helpful to becoming successful.
Not eloquently worded, but the issue is something we need to address. We are broke, more people wanting govt help. Obama lies to his supporters when he says tax the rich to pay for it. As a nation our net worth is about 56trillion. Our liabilities are 75trillion.
Obama's supporters who pay nothing don't care about driving the car over the cliff. They have nothing to lose.
CNN = MSNBC/NBC/NYTimes Lite
Brutal Truth. Get Obama out before America is on a downward slope that we ca't pull out of.
Romney is in the group that don't pay taxes,,and he does not under stand
I see that the ibs are stuck on stupid still...the tape has been edited we are finding out and the liberal media hasn't reported it...and yes it is the truth...deal with it! Vote Romney.
Or simplified truth
Those damned disabled veterans! Those damn WWII vets in the 80's and 90's! Nothing but leeches - according to Romney and the GOP
Respected world leaders and business executives from other countries have been saying the exact same thing for the past two decades. Most Americans hate having the truth shoved in their face. But, when it comes down to it: yes, Romney is right. The Obama administration and Democrats have made it simpler over the last three years for people to continue living off of government aid. And not just lazy, either. Dumber, too. Don't believe me? Turn on the TV and flip around the channels during prime tonight.
99 weeks of unemployment benefits- totally ridiculous. Swallow your pride and take what you can get until you can get something better.
Mitt has it right. I AM a gov employee; I do expect something from the gov. But I gotta say it: I produce nothing. I build nothing. I do not grow, harvest, refine, reap anything. Not one ... single ... thing. Thank God others do. I STAND IN AWE of the small business folks and the builders, welders, farmers - yup, the FARMERS - and researchers, etc. that use brains and hands to feed this country and make this country work. Mitt sez we need more of that, more or less. Again, he is right. A lot of those bills that Obama wanted but did not pass congress were LOADED with more gov growth ... and it would be people like me that do nothing to really help this country flourish. I hurts to say ... but I feel better. I'm going with Mitt. If 99% of the people like me disappeared, you would not even know it. Say that about the farmers? You can't.
Aside from being a draft-dodging, tax-evading, shape-shifting, plutocratic, vulture captalistic chickenhawk , I think Mitt is a pretty nice guy.
Forgot the magic underware.
I receive a small pension from back East, but because of my full retirement age of 66 (Finally!) my combined income of SS + pension will not put me over the allowable non-taxable earnings limit for 2012. So I guess that makes me a bonifide American freeloader, or as Romney says, "victim". Interestingly, the majority of seniors historically vote Republican. I wonder how that's going to work for Romney this year.
When seniors can't see a doctor, because his medicare payouts have been cut yes let them vote. A senior in favor of Obamacare is like a person on a sinking boat wanting more water.
Tom. Good for you. To have SS earnings and a pension – that means that you did your part. You aren't even being talked about. You have earned your retirement. Enjoy! and Thanks!!!! How about voting for someone who say's they want to give someone a job – rather than a handout?
Romney is 100% correct! Romney believes in the American dream- that if you work hard, sacrifice, save your money and get ahead you are rewarded. Obama is destroying the American dream- that if you work hard, save your money and get ahead you should pay for everyone else! 62% of households earning less than $20,000 annually owned between two and four televisions, according to the 2009 Residential Energy Consumption Survey, About one-third of the lowest income households had either LCD or plasma TVs. The average household defined as "poor" in 2005 had air conditioning, cable TV and a DVD player,If there were children in the home, the family likely had a game system. 1 in 2 Americans own a smartphone!
I'm a disabled veteran, so I guess I don't deserve the TV, computer, and DVD player because I get VA benefits and SS.
Even poor people need a diversion from their lives.
Yes, He is the first politician dare to point this plain truth out.
Alfredo, I don't think Romney means to say people like disabled, elderly, etc.. He means to say those young and healthy people who do not pay tax.
Joe,
Have you tried to buy a CRT television lately? They don't sell them.
HOPEFULLY the people commenting on this article are not the same people who voted Bush in for two terms
Romney's is absolutly right. Every American knows that his words are true.
Obama and dems are for controling the needy by their handouts.
It is so hard to beleive that there are so many Americans not working.Hope and change has been such a failure. I feel cheated. Energy prices are so much higher, groceries, taxes, health insurance, unemployment, national debt are much higher too. Not to mention we are stll at war, and the US has the lowest respect inthe world ever. Yet foolish people still beleive in the Muslim Obama. Jimy Carter would be better than Barack. No wildabout Romney but we will not have a national depression for the next four years with him as prez.
How hard is it to understand the facts. The majority of those so called 47 percent are the elderly or students. Only 6 percent are long term welfare recipients. The rest are the working poor who still pay payroll taxes. Not everyone can or wants to be a millionaire. I am public servant,, because I believe in being a good citizen and doing something that makes a difference. There are a large number of public employees who have lost their jobs because of the slashing of programs. Do y not understand that when that happens, a lot of people lose jobs. How dare Romney and Ryan talk about personal responsibility when so many people are trying to do the righty thing. By the way, it is the GOP in congress who are blocking wills that create jobs. Nobody is asking the rich to pay more. All the middle class want is for the rich to pay their fair share instead of expecting the middle class to pay for our country's infrastructure.