By now you’ve probably heard about Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney’s comments at a private fundraiser where he said:
There are 47 percent of the people who will vote for the president no matter what. All right, there are 47 percent who are with him, who are dependent upon government, who believe that they are victims, who believe the government has a responsibility to care for them, who believe that they are entitled to health care, to food, to housing, to you-name-it — that that’s an entitlement. And the government should give it to them. And they will vote for this president no matter what. These are people who pay no income tax. [M]y job is not to worry about those people. I’ll never convince them they should take personal responsibility and care for their lives.
The first thing I thought after hearing the comments was that Mitt Romney sure acts differently when he’s around big-dollar donors than he does when he’s around regular folk.
The second thing I thought about after hearing the “dependent upon government” part was my father who had health problems that prevented him from working. He ended up receiving Social Security disability and as his minor child I received a monthly payment, too. We were entirely dependent upon the government. Anyone who’s been “dependent upon government” can tell you that those disability payments don’t move you into Mitt Romney’s tax bracket. I remember my father being embarrassed and depressed at not being able to contribute more to our family.
But one thing for sure – my dad never felt he was a victim.
I also thought of my fellow veterans who were injured in the military and receive disability compensation from the Veterans Administration. Many depend on the government for their healthcare and for disability compensation.
Candidate Mitt Romney has probably never had a tough day where he had to choose between food and medicine or decide which bill to pay because his paycheck did not stretch far enough. He probably never stood in line at the Social Security office or at the local Job Service office trying to get assistance. He’s lucky that he has never been “dependent upon government,” but if he had he just might have more compassion for the millions of people who have.
Each and every week we are learning more and more about how out of touch Mitt Romney is with real America – and America does not like what we’re finding out about Mitt Romney.
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The Western Word 
Hellow my name is Jill and I’m a student and this site really aided me. I’m inspired! Thank you!
Jack,
I don’t think that Romney is talking about our parents generation or the guys you fought with. I have spent the last 25 years traveling the US and abroad for my company. 20 countries and 49 states. He is talking about those who find it easier to be on unemployment or disability rather then work. They can actually make more money there then being in the work force, paying taxes and daycare. While that percentage is probably closer to 35%-40% then 47%. The fact is, it is easier to not work in this society then it is not to work. I personally believe, we should always help those who can’t help themselves, but today I find myself helping those who chose to be helped that can work, but don’t. That needs to be fixed. I came from a family of farmers in the Dakotas. They still live off governed subsidies and only do what they need to in order to get that funding. That is how they have made their livelihood for many years. They probably make more money off wind farms then crops or cattle.
Back to Romney, his statement is entirely accurate in that the 47% will vote for Obama not matter what. I have several of those people as friends and they are protecting their union workplace and their entitlements. Again, unions create a work environment where we do only what we need to do to keep the job, nothing more and nothing less. They exist in their job. And they are happy. Don’t move my cheese! I work in an environment where I get a base pay (that hasn’t changed in 8 years) and receive a commission on what I sell above $3M annually. If baby needs new shoes, I gotta sell something. If I want to make more money, I gotta sell something. By the grace of God, I am blessed with those talents.
I also believe that their is a % of people that will vote for Romney only because he is the Republican candidate. I would imagine that percentage is in the same range 35%-40%. But I can’t validate that.
I became an independent in Clinton’s first term. I voted for Clinton in his second term. I did not vote for Gore, but I am thankful he invented the internet. You probably are too!
Obama made us many promises and toted “Hope and Change”. He has failed to help business grow, but instead, made it harder for them to stay in business. Unemployment remains above 8% for his entire term. The debt is now over $16T and growing. It will be over $20T by the time this next term is over unless we suck it up and fix the problem. Obama does not know how to fix it. Obama wants ti diminish the military at a time where we need it most. By the way, I grew up an Air Force brat. I They were great men and women. They still are today. As for Obamacare…well…we’re screwed there. It has already tripled in cost to over $3T only to help cover 10M people, most of whom do not want it.
I recall the words of Jack Nicholson in that, “It’s the truth….You can’t handle the truth!”
Have a great day, keep writing and I’ll keep reading…now back to work I go.
All the best, Barry
Good comments Barry – Thanks!
I don’t think Romney has been able to connect with the average Joe and Jill so far and he’s running out of time. Things like the 47% remark makes it even harder. He needs some of those 47% and he’ll have a hard time getting them now.
Obama seems more like the fellow you’d most like to drink a beer with and people seem more inclined to give him another chance to fix things.
Thanks again for your comments!
-Jack
Jack,
For me, I can say, I don’t want a president I can sit down and drink a beer with. I know plenty of those guys, maybe too many! I want a guy who can commit 100% of himself to the game for 4 years straight. No golf, no lavish vacations, focus on the issues and challenges and solve the problems of the day. He has to be in the game. Obama has played more golf then i did over the past 4 years. I would have played more but I had to work twice a hard in this economy to get the job done. Romney will never connect with the “entitlementers”, they just operate on a different plane from those of us who work for a living and want to make a difference.
All the best, Barry
Barry – I understand but “drink a beer with” means voters are comfortable with him. Obama has that and that is what attracts voters. -Jack