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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The truth of the matter is that all these free trade agreements let middle class jobs become minimum wage jobs in developing countries all in the name of capitalism. Why we are even talking about this is dumbfounding.
Thanks to Bill Clinton who signed the Open Trade Agreement with China and influencing WTO to accept China as member.
Now we have cheap products, we don't have to work because our manufacturing are gone.
Maybe that can be blamed to GW Bush, too.
The liberal media... Romney was commenting about groups of voters and whether he could assume support from them. A candidate that wants to shrink the size and role of government is not likely to win voter support from those that work for or depend on the government in other ways. Romney spoke a simple truth and people are offended? Those offended were not likely to have voted for him in November. The media is sure milking this story for all its worth.
Thanks, good post and also accurate.
Stop blaming the messenger. The media is not responsible for Romney's stupidity and arrogance.
While there are some people that would like to live the life of a loafer, most Americans are hard working and have had to come to terms with some bad breaks in a rough economy- jobs scarce, layoffs, plant closings etc... Romney's remarks proved very divisive, even if there was some truth in them, that entire 47% is not a bunch of freeloaders. The majority of that 47% are good people who would love nothing more than a good, steady job. His recent comments show that he is only out to protect the wealthy, he made a very bad mistake and the voters won't forget in November. Pesident Obama has been a good President, he is not a miracle worker and neither is Romney. President Clinton was right no one can magically fix this mess overnight . If the Republicans worked less at protecting their wealth and more at making sure all Americans can achieve and maintain a better standard of living, they might have a platform, but the remarks of late have blown it.
Cry me a river. This nation is now into four generations of people that have never worked, nor have any plans to work as long as the government give aways are still there. 16 trillion in debt and counting. This problem will solve itself eventually, as in a bankrupt America with no give aways.
Romney has yet to release his tax returns...for all we know, he may be one of the 47%.
Hypocritical don't you think?
We have too many "takers" in society, welfare used to be something of a stigma, now they get cel,l phones, unlimited food stamps, day care, on and on.
Paying people who produce ANYTHING and dont do anything, thats a "great society"?
I meant peolpe who produce NOTHING, the welfare leeches.
Hey Evil Taxpayer...at first I thought you were talking about politicians....
We not live in the political correct world where the truth can not be spoken. George Orwell called it news speak in his book 1984. Of course its the truth about the 47% that will vote for Obama no matter what, thought the number is 49% !!!
There is nothing truthful to suggest these people should not be the concern of whomever is elected president...nor should people on social security and medicare, nor college students, nor people serving America in combat areas fell like they are less America, like Romney suggest.
We've gone from "No Taxation without Representation" to "Representation without Taxation". That road had only one end – economic collapse – because people with no physical stake in America who are playing with house money – will never vote to cut down their share.
This is just who Romney is. Sounding off to his group of good ole boys about how he REALLY feels. Look out poor, old, sick and low income Americans, Romney will have you living on the streets. You can say what you want about Obama over the last 4 years, but at least he does think of you as a person, not a self victimized nothing.
16 trillion in debt and counting, all the give aways are going to end, the hard way.
"Obama over the last 4 years, but at least he does think of you as a person, not a self victimized nothing".
I wonder how you will judge a person who can ignore his own poor brother who needed help but not gained even an attention from a rich big brother. Unfortunately, his half-brother (George Obama) is not an American, he is Kenyan, cannot vote for him. Nothing to gain, huh. George Obama is a person, too (never mind being a brother).
What would you call that big brother?
The Middle East is on fire after the president hit the re-set button. No American there is safe, and we are worried about what Romney said to a bunch of donors recorded by a spy. Unbelievable.
I dont know if someone already mentioned the Gallop Poll a few months back in regards to government assistance. The poll stated 40% of Americans believes government should be doing more for them. So Romney stated 47% gallop poll showed 40%. that is pretty close to the margin of error.
I was on federal welfare from 1975 – 1977 when my GI Bill paid for my tuition and fees for my Master's Degree. Since then, I have been fortunate to find good jobs. Not all of my friends and neighbors have been as lucky as me. I am happy to pay taxes to help those good Americans get through a rough patch.
If Uncle Sam had not been there for me, I would never have gotten the degree that has supported me for 40 years.
By the way, the university I attended was a tax payer supported state university. I am grateful to the tax payers who built it for me to attend. I am happy to pay state taxes so that other veterans can find a good university at a reasonable price.
The 47% are the elderly, the handicapped, the unemployed, the working poor, single moms, fast food clerks, and sick people. I'm sure there are a few borderline loafers among them who could hold down a fast-food job but who have chosen not to.
They are Exhibit A of the failure of the Private Sector to provide jobs that pay living wages to their employees. The Private Sector has figured out how to make all the products we want to buy while employing only 80% of us. That 20% is the people who have given up on finding work because there are no jobs.
CNN can slant any story anytime to support their boy pal, Obama !!
"...In that group are Christians who shudder at the thought of voting for abortion and gay rights."
Whaddya know... an ultra-conservative who just woke up to the fact that there are much larger issues affecting the nation. Glad he's seeing through the smoke screen. The rest of his ilk should get the same clue.
Yeah we should've left the bankers out to dry as well with all that TARP assistance- ungrateful lot. Down with government for the people and by the people!