Most recently, 47 percent has been the most buzzed about number in politics as well as campus discussion. This is in reference to recent controversial remarks about Obama voters made by Republican presidential candidate, Mitt Romney, who has been greatly changing the political landscape for this year’s election.
In a secretly taped video taken in a closed door gathering of 30 major campaign donors in Boca Raton in May, Romney is taped making eye-raising generalizations on Obama voters with what would be described as a serious and almost passionately expressed rant. The center of the speech that seemed to have caught everyone’s attention and spark instant response regardless of political background, is listed below.
“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. Forty-seven percent of Americans pay no income tax. So our message of low taxes doesn’t connect. So he’ll be out there talking about tax cuts for the rich. I mean, that’s what they sell every four years. And so my job is not to worry about those people. I’ll never convince them they should take personal responsibility and care for their lives. What I have to is convince the five to ten percent in the center that are independents, that are thoughtful, that look at voting one way or the other depending upon in some cases emotion, whether they like the guy or not.”
The footage was published through Mother Jones, a leading independent news organization and taped by a person who refuses to disclose his and her identity due to fear of lawsuit. In the message, Romney seemed to be writing off 47 percent of the country as Obama supporters who pay no income tax, claiming that they can’t take initiative for their own lives or responsibility. Where did Romney pull out the percentage of 47 percent? It comes from a report by the Tax Policy Center that shows 46.4 percent of U.S. households paid no federal income tax in 2011. However, this does not factor federal payroll taxes which pay into Social Security and Medicare, as well as state and local taxes such as sales, gas and property taxes. The estimate number of households that receive some sort government benefit is about one hundred million.
From all ends of the political spectrum, there was a disapproval and approval of the candidates’ comments. The comments certainly concerned SFSU collegiettes, most of which are exempt from paying income tax either because they don’t make enough in their side jobs to make the bracket or because of their pursuit of higher education. Freshman, Karina Banuelos, who politically identifies herself as a Democrat Socialist, had a few sound bites of opinion stemming from Mitt Romney’s 47 percent quote.
“He is alienating half of the country by making them all out to be people who expect some sort of entitlement,” explained Banuelos. “Which, is kind of what the government is for. This directly targets poor, disadvantaged, older people, and also people of color who have no other alternative. He has no concept of economics and poverty in this country, and sure does not give a damn about welfare of the people.”
With less than forty days until the election, Romney’s comments prove to be a blow to his campaign, with his opponent, Barack Obama (Dem) surging in poll approval ratings by five to seven percent in key battleground states of Florida, Wisconsin and Colorado. The statewide polls were conducted by the Democratic-affiliated firm Public Policy Polling shortly after Romney’s 47 percent comment.
To alleviate the firestorm of criticism with Obama’s campaign team not hesitating to release a stream of attack ads based on the 47 percent comment, Romney defended his words by saying that they were “not elegantly stated.” Obama’s first response to Romney’s words were aired during his appearance on “The David Letterman Show” just a day after.
As for SFSU students, it seemed like many were out of touch from Mitt Romney, feeling that his comments were a better representation of his character than candid interviews and speeches. Freshman Judy Ly had similar views.
“I feel that Mitt Romney can apologize all he wants, but it won’t go through,” Ly said. “I feel that the behind the scenes thing really shows his true self behind the curtains. That makes me question. Do I really want to vote for somebody who says I’m lazy for not paying the income tax? I don’t think so. Especially if he says he’ll ignore the 47 percent who can’t pay income tax. We don’t make that much to pay income tax! We spend it on books and tuition!”
In a similar note, conservative Donald Trump was quoted in regards to Romney’s 47 percent comment.
“He has to not apologize, because we’ve seen enough apologizing already, and he cannot apologize,” Trump said on NBC News.
What he said is probably what he means. This raises more questions to voters this year. What do my fellow presidential candidates get involved with? Is Romney’s 47 percent comment truly ‘not elegantly stated?’ or was a clear representation of his true Presidential self and motives?
With the election drawing near, do you believe Romney’s 47 percent comments serves as a negative catalyst to his campaign? Or does it not matter? Romney’s 47 percent comments have stirred a sensitive spot for many who are tax-exempt. Especially if you’re part of the population of hardworking students of SFSU students.
Photo by Austen Hufford, Flickr
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