SkipCaptcha, Automoderated users, edit
2,592
edits
Changes
Romney's 47 percent comment (view source)
Revision as of 16:17, October 1, 2012
, 16:17, October 1, 2012started article
Presidential candidate [[Mitt Romney]] attended a private fundraiser at the Boca Raton home of private equity manager Marc Leder on May 17, 2012. Although no press were allowed to attend, someone secretly filmed Romney's remarks and sent the video to ''Mother Jones'' magazine.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2012/09/secret-video-romney-private-fundraiser|title=SECRET VIDEO: Romney Tells Millionaire Donors What He REALLY Thinks of Obama Voters|first=David|last=Corn|accessdate=October 1, 2012}}</ref> At first, the video did not attract much attention, but political commentators later focused on this passage of Romney's remarks:
<blockquote>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.<ref name=cbs>{{cite news|url=http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-57515033-503544/fact-checking-romneys-47-percent-comment/|title=Fact-checking Romney's "47 percent" comment|date=September 18, 2012|accessdate=October 1, 2012|work=CBS News|first=Lucy|last=Madison}}</ref></blockquote>
''Mother Jones'' also posted a partial list of donors who attended the event.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.motherjones.com/mojo/2012/09/romney-47-percent-fundraiser-florida|title=Who Was at Romney's "47 Percent" Fundraiser?|first=Dave |last=Gilson
|date=Sep. 18, 2012|accessdate=October 1, 2012|work=Mother Jones}}</ref>
==Accuracy==
Romney was correct that 46.4 percent of American households paid no federal income tax in 2011. However, many of these households pay sales taxes, payroll taxes and property taxes. Also, combat troops do not pay taxes on their military pay. So, while some people who pay no federal income taxes are in demographic groups that tend to support Obama, other people who pay no taxes, including the military and the elderly tend to support Romney.<ref name=cbs/> Many of the people who do not owe federal income taxes do not consider themselves as "victims."<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/mitt-romneys-47-percent-fantasy/2012/09/18/1728482a-01aa-11e2-b257-e1c2b3548a4a_story.html|title=Mr. Romney’s ‘47 percent’ fantasy|date=September 18, 2012|work=Washington Post|accessdate=October 1, 2012}}</ref>
==Democratic Response==
The Obama Campaign placed an ad on television and on websites that played portions of the video with the text of Romney's words superimposed on the screen.
David Plouffe said on ABC's "This Week" program that the comments send the message that Romney has "already written off half the country."<ref name=wsj>{{cite news|title=Ryan Acknowledges 'Missteps' in Campaign|work=Wall Street Journal|date=October 1, 2012|page=A4|first=Tom|last=Barkley}}</ref>
The AFL-CIO sent a large mailing to union members in swing states focusing on Romney's remarks.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://thehill.com/business-a-lobbying/259393-afl-cio-hits-romney-on-47-percent-remarks-in-mailer|title=AFL-CIO targeting Romney’s ‘47 percent’ remark in swing states|first=Kevin|last=Bogardus|work=The Hill|date=October 1, 2012|accessdate=October 1, 2012}}</ref>
==Republican Response==
ABC News asked Romney what he meant by "I'll never convince them they should take personal responsibility..." and Romney replied, "What I am talking about is a political process. I will never get 100% of the vote."<ref name=abc>{{cite news|url=http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/video/mitt-romney-responds-47-percent-comment-17333552|title=Mitt Romney Responds to '47 Percent' Comment |work=ABC News|date=September 26, 2012|accessdate=October 1, 2012}}</ref> Romney then aired a new ad saying "President Obama and I both care about poor and middle class families."<ref name=abc/>
Vice-presidential candidate [[Paul Ryan]] acknowledged that the "inarticulate" remark was a "misstep" on Fox News Sunday.<ref name=wsj/>
==References==
<references/>
[[Category:Politics]]
<blockquote>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.<ref name=cbs>{{cite news|url=http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-57515033-503544/fact-checking-romneys-47-percent-comment/|title=Fact-checking Romney's "47 percent" comment|date=September 18, 2012|accessdate=October 1, 2012|work=CBS News|first=Lucy|last=Madison}}</ref></blockquote>
''Mother Jones'' also posted a partial list of donors who attended the event.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.motherjones.com/mojo/2012/09/romney-47-percent-fundraiser-florida|title=Who Was at Romney's "47 Percent" Fundraiser?|first=Dave |last=Gilson
|date=Sep. 18, 2012|accessdate=October 1, 2012|work=Mother Jones}}</ref>
==Accuracy==
Romney was correct that 46.4 percent of American households paid no federal income tax in 2011. However, many of these households pay sales taxes, payroll taxes and property taxes. Also, combat troops do not pay taxes on their military pay. So, while some people who pay no federal income taxes are in demographic groups that tend to support Obama, other people who pay no taxes, including the military and the elderly tend to support Romney.<ref name=cbs/> Many of the people who do not owe federal income taxes do not consider themselves as "victims."<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/mitt-romneys-47-percent-fantasy/2012/09/18/1728482a-01aa-11e2-b257-e1c2b3548a4a_story.html|title=Mr. Romney’s ‘47 percent’ fantasy|date=September 18, 2012|work=Washington Post|accessdate=October 1, 2012}}</ref>
==Democratic Response==
The Obama Campaign placed an ad on television and on websites that played portions of the video with the text of Romney's words superimposed on the screen.
David Plouffe said on ABC's "This Week" program that the comments send the message that Romney has "already written off half the country."<ref name=wsj>{{cite news|title=Ryan Acknowledges 'Missteps' in Campaign|work=Wall Street Journal|date=October 1, 2012|page=A4|first=Tom|last=Barkley}}</ref>
The AFL-CIO sent a large mailing to union members in swing states focusing on Romney's remarks.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://thehill.com/business-a-lobbying/259393-afl-cio-hits-romney-on-47-percent-remarks-in-mailer|title=AFL-CIO targeting Romney’s ‘47 percent’ remark in swing states|first=Kevin|last=Bogardus|work=The Hill|date=October 1, 2012|accessdate=October 1, 2012}}</ref>
==Republican Response==
ABC News asked Romney what he meant by "I'll never convince them they should take personal responsibility..." and Romney replied, "What I am talking about is a political process. I will never get 100% of the vote."<ref name=abc>{{cite news|url=http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/video/mitt-romney-responds-47-percent-comment-17333552|title=Mitt Romney Responds to '47 Percent' Comment |work=ABC News|date=September 26, 2012|accessdate=October 1, 2012}}</ref> Romney then aired a new ad saying "President Obama and I both care about poor and middle class families."<ref name=abc/>
Vice-presidential candidate [[Paul Ryan]] acknowledged that the "inarticulate" remark was a "misstep" on Fox News Sunday.<ref name=wsj/>
==References==
<references/>
[[Category:Politics]]