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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truth hurts, those who dont work and dont want to work get there welfare check from obama and will vote that way since they get a freebie while the real Americans work hard and have it taken away by opbama redistribution, but soon, very soon the pains of redistribution may take an ugly turn that the godless demoncrats wont expect, haha time is near.
"Real Americans" Don't go there buddy. Among the Americans your candidate insulted are: veterans, senior citizens who worked all their lives, people who are unemployed after years of gainful work and can't get a job no matter how hard they try. "Real Americans" don't write off half the population as no good. You think Obama's out of touch with reality? Get out of the right-wing echo chamber.
If the truth hurts then chew on this: yes, under Obama welfare recipients HAVE grown, by about 500,000. However, under the George W Bush administration welfare recipients grew by a jaw droppping 15 million! So the rate of welfare growth has actuallly slowed dramatically under Obama. In other words, under his leadership we have moved in the right direction. Please check the facts before foaming at the mouth. Have a nice day!
Now I see that you need some psychological evaluation. I support the president because there are a lot of pple out there that are working but have to complement with food stamps. Not that their lives depend on it but cos they need it to supplement. So what you are telling a nursing mother that does not work and uses food stamps to get by is that she is a victim? Man I do not expect this from the Republican party
his point way that 47% dont pay taxes...
and most that 47% use MORE services than anyone....
the left belives that this is sustainable somehow.
Of the 47%, you have the elderly, injured vets, people who work two jobs (but make under $40K) as a large part... and to boot, most of teh 47% live in Red states.
I get Romney's point, but if he thinks that 47% of the country are actual freeloaders, then he needs to get a dose of reality.
"The 61-year-old said that he has been forced once or twice to take food stamps"
LMAO! I guess he is offended because the truth hurts... Romney called him out for feeling like a victim and he says he was "FORCED" to take food stamps... wow, just wow.
Your comprhension is awful. He was stating that his financial position forced him to make the decision to get food stamps, not that some pinko liberal was standing behind him with a gun in his back forcing him to seek assistance. The man was simply ,and I mean simply, saying he felt he had no choice. not that he felt victimized by the government and they owe it to him now. I don't care who you vote for but how you came to your conclusion is beyond reason.
The biggest problem both parties need to deal with is DRUGS and how they are killing our will, our ambition, and our future.
How any of the waiters you see in the film refrained themselves from tossing him some of that food is highly admiralble.
“The American Republic will endure, until politicians realize they can bribe the people with their own money,” the French philosopher and historian Alexis de Tocqueville once said. Wake up America!!!!!!!!
You say that quite a lot. Over and over.
Romney was referring to people who take advantage of the system, the ones that sit on unemployment benefits and medicaid instead of taking a job for $17 an hour, cause they get more from the government.
Obama goes to say people that makes over 2 50K a year are evil and the "bad guy", well to me there is no difference in his comments than Romney. At least Romney is honest in his thoughts, Obama tells you what you want to hear to win the election. His arrogance knows no limit, he speaks division of this country and its citizens, there is nothing more ANTIAMERICAN than Barack Obama
Amen. Well said!!
You put bad guy in quotes like he actually said that...
He SAID 47%. That's what he SAID. How do you get your mind around that without knowing the actual percentage of people actually abusing the system??
Mitt got a $77,000 tax write-off for each of Ann's dancing horses....
You can not not win if you have contempt for almost half of the population, all people of color, the poor, women, elderly, veterans,students,Gays,immigrants, and dogs....
The man is an arrogant fool and has no business in the White House, and the same goes for his arm waving co- liar Ryan.
Romney has an interesting pespective and I do admire him for sticking to his guns. Unfortunately, based on his logic I think he should concede the race statistically. He has said he cannot convince the 47% not paying taxes, including new military service men not making enough to pay, our retirees living on social security, and the disabled. If he concedes that 47%, then he has 53% left. I have always paid taxes, even when I started in the military as an officer almost 30 years ago. I believe in the Obama plan, and he has one that involves cutting spending and raising taxes. I am not even a declared Democrat, but if you looked at the staunch democrats only it is probably more than 10 percent of the 53% and he will lose. Luckily for him he does have supporters in that 47%, although I have difficulty understanding why. By the way since I do not normally post, How do people in the middle class like myself not ask how you cut 5 Trillion in taxes, raise the military b $2 Trillion, cut to match that and not remove every deduction in the system, thus raising the taxes back for the middle class?
The thing that shocked me the most in that tape had nothing to do with the 47% who don't pay taxes. It was the admission that a former Secy of State (probably Colin Powell) told Romney he felt there was a strong chance for peace between Israel and the Palestinians and Romney pointedly didn't follow up on it because he's decided it can't be done. What does that say about his leadership style and ability to use good advice from experts?
I am tired of people blaming others for the condition of the country.
Where are all of those people who bought more home than they could afford
The realtors and brokers who got all the crazy comissions
The people that bought homes and sold them for profit
All those that bought more car than they could afford
Those that are irresponsible with their credit cards
Those that don't look for a job because unemployment hasn't ran out
Those that don't get an eductation because union jobs pay more (when you are young)
and the list goes on....
Lets take some responsibility and work on fixing this country.....Obama has shown us that he is a great speaker but a poor leader. We need change
I am fine with your statement but how do you think change from someone who really won't even discuss what he plans to change is a good thing?
His remarks, as distasteful as they are, do hold some truth. Seniors that rely on social security were productive members of society though. They deserve everything they receive. There are members of our society that refuse to work and their kids grow up with the same mindset. Welfare should not be for life. You should not get more money everytime you have another kid. I make $80K a year and there are people on welfare driving a nicer car than me......and my car isn't that bad. They are just driving a Lexus or Mercedes............
Sure Bill,
Did you write Ronald Reagan's welfare queen speech? Sounds like it. You may have heard that 17 years ago, welfare was changed to require work and a hard limit on years you could receive it. Obamn has not changed that sytem. The reason there are so many Americans not paying taxes is because of two main reasons: baby boomers are retring and many don't have enough taxable income to pay income tax, and the tax credit put in place by Reagan and others since then have made is so that a family of 4 making 40,000/year have no income tax liablity. So what is your solution? Take away the tax breaks for the poor or cancel social security for the baby boomers?
Come on Bill I'm pretty sure that people living on welfare alone are not driving these types of cars as a whole. There are probably those abusing the systems and subsidizing their incomes with illegal activity such as sellling drug who ARE driving those types of cars. Serviously folks, stop generalizing!!!!!
We need Romney so freeeking bad. Come everyone. Stop lying to yourselves. Please !!! I beg.
Romney is finished. He never had much going for him to begin with. Even yellow dog republicans are seeing that.
Imagine this guy trying to juggle foreign policies; I feel a lot safer with Hilary Clinton and Barry Obama with a free Bill Clinton in tow.