Mitt Romney’s videotaped remark to wealthy supporters that 47 percent of Americans “believe they are entitled to health care, to food, to housing, to you-name it” and that “my job is not to worry about” people who won’t “take personal responsibility and care for their lives” was pretty stunning any way you look at it. It cements the impression of Romney as someone who cares only for the rich. It shows a contempt for others that had previously existed only in Democratic attack ads. It writes off half the nation. And it diminishes and undermines the substantial tradition of conservatives who do care about helping the less fortunate. In this way, Romney’s self-revelation illuminates a troubling shift within the Republican Party that he has now come to embody.
First, some context: It’s true that 47 percent of workers paid no federal income tax in 2010. But Romney is wrong to imply they didn’t pay any taxes. Most paid Social Security, sales, payroll, and property taxes. Many paid a higher percentage of their income than Romney did. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that only about 10 percent paid no federal tax at all, and most of those were retirees.
Comments
Joshua is a shill for the liberal media, and reciting their narrative like a good boy. Romney's point was NOT a condemnation of the EITC, or any other program. He recognizes that the people who pay no income tax would like to be out of that position, and understands the need for various safety nets to help.
Romney's point was this: There are many who support Obama, whom he will not pursuade. There is a drive from Obama to INCREASE the rolls of those supported by government programs, who will be endeared to Obama as a result. The food stamp president is creating a culture of government dependency, and Romney would work to end that. But that is in no way suggesting that safety nets should not exist.
But, like all of the media, Josh is more concerned about Romney's taped words than Obama's actual performance during a crisis.
If Romney wants the job I suggest he say something to convince people to vote for him, and do it soon.
The daily dose of right-wing victimization from Richmond12.
Joshua, your point is irrelevant. Republicans create their own reality to suit their needs.
Actually what is important in Mr. Green's piece is that RR is the one who proposed this. Today's Republican would oppose it and I honestly believe reject much of what RR stood for and did. RR did not hate government he certainly had a different vision than liberal Democrats did, but he did not hate it and believed it could do good things for its citizens. As a moderate or liberal Republican whichever label you wish to stick me with, I supported RR. Federal workers had the best 8 years during RR's term. The poor actually had their assistance from govt. increased. RR wasn't crazy he was a very practical guy that's why the EITC came into existence. He felt it would help the poor improve their condition. He was right. Today's Republicsn's now say he was wrong.
Looking at the rolling circus that defined the Republican primaries, the question is: How many clowns can fit into a campaign-Volkswagen and then come tumbling out only to be run over by the vehicle they were traveling in? Because that's the impresssion any thinking person has of the collection of misfits (Gingrich, Santorum, Cain, Perry, Romney, Bachmann, et al) the GOP came up with, hence, the Crazy Train designation. That Mitt Romney can't take two steps forward without tripping over his own tongue shouldn't really surprise anyone.
How much longer do you think the Globe can keep this story going?
As long as Mitt and the GOP keep hitting us over the head with it?
Sorry, this one is not going away. This is Ronmey's "Macaca Moment".
If more than 50% of your country is getting a government check, of one kind or another, you don't have a 'country' for very long after that. Why don't you put the basic dire warning in a haze of fog, I'm sure that will all work out well for us, right? What a disservice to your readers.
You seem to miss the point. It's not 50% receiving checks we're nowhere near that, it has to do with how many do or don't pay taxes. Your outrage wuld be better suited to a factua argument.
That's funny, I keep thinking it's funny the GOP is attacking people for not paying taxes, when as far as I can tell that's been a fundamental goal of the GOP for years. They pledge allegiance to Grover to cut taxes and when they succeed to the point where some people pay no federal income taxes they scream about them being leeches on society. I'm starting to interpret this dichotomy as just being mad that someone else has been allowed to stop paying federal income taxes (usually by being so lucky as to make so little money they don't qualify), while those people unfortunate enough to have enough money to live on are forced to pay. You know, if you really don't want to pay either, you could always just give up all of your income and money and live like the bottom half of the country, the lucky ones. What, doesn't sound appealing to you? Huh, maybe it's not that great for them, either.
L - O - L!! L - O - L!!
They all laughed at Rockefeller center/ Now they’re fighting to get in/ They all laughed at Whitney and his cotton gin/ They all laughed at Fulton and his steamboat/ Hershey and his chocolate bar/ Ford and his Lizzie/ Kept the laughers busy/ That’s how people are They laughed at me wanting you/ Said it would be, "Hello, goodbye."/ But oh, you came through/ Now they’re eating humble pie/ They all said we’d never get together/ Darling, let’s take a bow/ For ho, ho, ho!/ Who’s got the last laugh?/ He, hee, hee!/ Let’s at the past laugh/ Ha, ha, ha!/ Who’s got the last laugh now? L - O - L!! L - O - L!!Green says, "many Republicans have stopped feeling that they have any duty to help those who are struggling". He then quotes Pew research that shows the percentage of "compassionate conservatives" in the GOP has dropped from 62% to about 40% over the years. I don't, however, think that more than 20% of the GOP has simply changed its mind on this issue. I think the older GOP members have died off or been outflanked by newer party members who have NEVER felt like giving a helping hand to what they believe to be "slackers" and "moochers". These people are and have been permanently aggrieved by having to, in their minds, take care of people that they believe to be beneath them. In many instances, we're talking about multi-millionaires like Romney, who, although they shouldn't have anything to complain about given their situations, nonetheless continue to whine about the "others" who don't pull their fair share. They are in the process of redefining "citizenship" and what it means to be a compassionate American, and their version is not pretty.