Conservatives defend Romney's "47 percent" remark

AP Photo/Charles Dharapak

(CBS News) Following the release of a video showing Mitt Romney characterizing supporters of President Obama as people "dependent on the government" who "believe that they are victims," several prominent conservatives this week have jumped to defend the Republican presidential candidate's remarks. Pundits on the right and Romney supporters largely said that Romney's remarks were truthful and that he would be well-served to stand by them as he faces media scrutiny.

"Mitt Romney probably could have better explained himself," Rep. Allen West, R-Fla., said Tuesday on Fox News. "I think he was a little clumsy in doing it."

West said that Romney was right to say the U.S. is "moving toward economic dependence instead of economic freedom." As evidence, West pointed to the increase in food stamp recipients under the Obama administration as well as poverty and unemployment rates.

Romney delivered the remarks in question at a private fundraiser earlier this year. Video of the event was obtained by the left-leaning media outlets Mother Jones and the Huffington Post.

"There are 47 percent of the people who will vote for the president no matter what," Romney is heard saying in the video. "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."

Romney on Monday did not apologize for the remarks but said they were "not elegantly stated" and that he was "speaking off the cuff."

Some moderate conservatives and libertarian commentators -- and at least one prominent conservative -- chastised the GOP candidate.

Conservative commentator Bill Kristol called Romney's remarks "stupid and arrogant."

"It's worth recalling that a good chunk of the 47 percent who don't pay income taxes are Romney supporters--especially of course seniors (who might well 'believe they are entitled to heath care,' a position Romney agrees with), as well as many lower-income Americans (including men and women serving in the military) who think conservative policies are better for the country even if they're not getting a tax cut under the Romney plan," he wrote. "So Romney seems to have contempt not just for the Democrats who oppose him, but for tens of millions who intend to vote for him."

New York Times columnist David Brooks called Romney's economic vision "a country-club fantasy."

"It's what self-satisfied millionaires say to each other. It reinforces every negative view people have about Romney," he wrote. "Personally, I think he's a kind, decent man who says stupid things because he is pretending to be something he is not - some sort of cartoonish government-hater. But it scarcely matters. He's running a depressingly inept presidential campaign. Mr. Romney, your entitlement reform ideas are essential, but when will the incompetence stop?"

Matt Welch at the libertarian magazine Reason wrote that Romney's characterization of the "47 percent" is "economic determinism at its worst" and goes against the core conservative belief in the chance for upward economic mobility.

"What the 53/47 dividing line says... is that income status is a permanent political condition, defrocking all Americans of agency and independent thought," Welch wrote.

Welch concludes, "But the reason this controversy will have legs is ultimately because many Republicans think Romney's comments were just fine. They are about to learn what the rest of the country thinks about that."

Many conservative commentators did defend Romney's comments, for various reasons.

On Fox News Tuesday, conservative radio host Laura Ingraham argued that Romney was simply making the point that there's a large segment of the electorate that will surely vote for President Obama.

"That there is a small slice of the electorate that is undecided," she said. "That's basically what he said there... I think it's ridiculous that people are seizing on it and that we're even giving all that much airtime to it, frankly."

Pressed further on how Romney can defend his remarks, Ingraham said, "He has to hammer home the fact that my policies... what I'm going to do when I'm president... is I'm going to lift all the boats... Don't resent rich people, become a rich person."

Jonah Goldberg at the National Review argued that "lots of people, most importantly lots of independents, understand the basic and irrefutable point that there are too many people who feel entitled to consume a lot more tax dollars than they contribute."

Republican consultant Rick Davis said on "CBS This Morning" that the release of this video was bad news for the Romney campaign but that the candidate could use this moment as an opportunity to excite voters.

"Now he is going to have to take a step back a little bit and say the reason I have these views about my economic plan is because of who I am. He's going to have to double up that message a little bit," Davis said.

Erick Erickson of RedState.com similarly wrote that the Romney campaign should "double down" on the remarks.

"The trouble for the left and media (but I repeat myself) is that most Americans agree with Mitt Romney," he said. "Most Americans consider themselves part of the 53 percent and it is not a winning proposition for Barack Obama to convince Americans they are less than they think they are when most Americans already recognize he has made them less than they were."

It's worth noting that the characterization of the "47 percent" who don't pay taxes is misleading. This figure only covers federal income taxes and ignores the substantial amounts households pay in other federal taxes, like the payroll tax. The remaining taxpayers who pay neither federal income tax nor payroll taxes are typically elderly, disabled or students.

Still, as Erickson points out, most Americans think the government is too involved in things that should be left to individuals or businesses.

Michael Walsh at the National Review also urged Romney to stand by his remarks.

"Romney sounded remarkably like... a real conservative," he wrote. "He ought to own it."

He continued, "What he ought to do is step up and embrace the basic division in our nation, including the fact that nearly half the country pays no income taxes. Acknowledge it -- and then explain why, morally, this is not a good thing...Will Romney rise to the occasion and fight? Or will he retreat? Only one path can lead to victory in November."

[Shannon-Jacobs]

I don't think President Obama is superman and I wish he was not so effectively blocked by purely partisan neo-GOP obstructionism, but still... I have two questions I would ask a rational person who wants to vote for Romney:

(1) Admitting that politicians always wrestle with the truth, is there ANY lie that Romney could tell (or has already told) that would be too big for you to stomach?

(2) Given that the president must make many decisions, is there ANY mistake that Romney could make (or has made) that would prevent you from voting for him?

My current theory is that rational dialog is no longer possible in America because the neo-GOP supporters absolutely demand SHORT and simplistic answers, even when those answers are wrong. If the rational discussion would require considering a complicated answer, the discussion is over before it begins.

[paulstewart9]

Mitt has written off half of all Americans.

I guess he sees them as irresponsible and an expense to America; not his America. I suppose he sees not a "self made" man or woman among them. They didn't build this country? Romney owes them an apology, yet; he wouldn't know an apology if it punched him in the nose.

Mitt sees the Presidency as not to help the needy; but rather, to help those who don't need it. These people are the old and less fortunate, maybe even some thrown in the street after the pillaging of American companies. Mitt and Bain cheated the American Treasury and buried their treasure in the Caribbean. What does Mitt really believe?

What is more shocking is that it is possible to write off half the country and still get elected in America! Because of the political duopoly and the blind faith of GOP followers. Plus the GOP's efforts to disenfranchise many Americans; a fraudulent attempt to prevent "fraud".

America needs Obama. It is actually Obama's footprints that remain at the RNC; and it is Obama who will move America Forward and rebuild the nation.

http://www.allvoices.com/contributed-news/12989871-from-breaking-to-building-a-nation-the-change-is-you

http://www.allvoices.com/contributed-news/12889195-footprints-at-the-republican-national-convention-in-tampa-florida

http://www.allvoices.com/contributed-news/12903382-michele-obama-and-bill-clinton-lay-out-at-the-rnc-just-how-much-obama-believes-in-america-does-mitt-romney-believe-in-america-or-something-else?clear_cache=true

[audemus]

The Republicans created the troubles and problems that have resulted in the increase in people needing food-stamps, and the increase in poverty and joblessness. Their candidate for President, is DIRECTLY responsible for Americans losing jobs, pensions, and in some cases their lives. He is also responsible for some jobs relocating overseas in order to maximize profits at the expense of American workers. And this Romney/Ryan ticket exacerbates their despicable actions by unashamedly and unapologetically lying about it all.

Time and time again, the Republican party has proven that if you are poor, of color, elderly, disabled or too young to exert any political influence whatsoever...you simply do not count. You don't matter. The ONLY ones they now listen to, are the extremely wealthy whose back pockets they occupy.

This is going to be a historical election...and more Republican right-wing extremists are going to be surprised and disappointed than anyone can imagine at this point. The true nature of what America is all about is going to re-exert itself, and these bought-and-paid for political ass-kissers are in for a harsh dose of USA reality. The kitchen light is about to be turned on, and it will be fun watching these right-wing fruitcake roaches, scramble to get back into those dark places where they belong. I can't wait....

[stevex47]

If this guy had not been born with a silver spoon in his mouth, he'd be penniless now.

[bois-darc]

They want to pry those government checks from the hands of those freeloading, pesky Social Security, Medicare, and military retirees and disabled; there are just going to be more of them! They are included in the Romney comments... Is this what is advocated???

[davcor2]

What Mitt didn't say was that of the 46.4 % that don't pay taxes a good portion of that figure earn over $550,000. You have to take an awful lot of deductions (right !) to not earn enough to pay taxes or salt it away into retirement annuities or off shore accounts.

[EmpireGeorge______--]

According to the Census Bureau, 49% of Americans in the second quarter of 2011 lived in a household where at least one member received a government benefit.

[stevex47]

For gosh sakes, robme's horse got entitlements with my tax dollars.

Try some more sping.

[lloydbest1]

Some have touched on it and one or two here have explicity stated what should be obvious to everyone:

The "freeloaders", the "deadbeats", "welfare queens" with their large livin' and the "moochers" sucking off the government t!t are a figment of the neo-con's fevered imagination. They exist only to divide and to sow Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt (or "FUD" for short)......

....I am in my seventh decade and I have yet to met even one. I suppose they exist but their numbers are so small they are not even worth considering.

The real reason 47% pay no federal income tax (and note, there are other taxes as some posters have pointed out) is the tax structure is such that those whose incomes fall below a certain level are considered too poor to pay them. I might add that minimum level is generally set so low as to be laughable; there are far more Americans that SHOULDN'T have to pay federal income taxes than there are now.

I reported an income of $14000 in 2010 and 12% percent of that went into the federal treasury so, no, not all poverty stricken people pay no federal tax. When you add up payroll taxes, medicare, state income taxes and sales tax, almost 40% of what I earned went into someone's pocket other than my own. By way of disclosure I am now making more than twice what I did in '10 so that much of a bite is not anywhere nearly as painful

My point is, in case anyone missed it; is the vast majority of poor people; those who do not pay federal income taxes are working poor. Those who are not, are retirees who used to work and are now on fixed incomes or small children too young (by law) to work. The able-bodied welfare contingent is such a small fraction of the total that for all intents and purposed they simply do not exist.

So the conversation should be directed toward promotion of the "living wage" concept. Which is to say that anyone working or who has retired from working is, by virtue of his service to his/her country or employer, ENTITLED to a livlihood that is consistant to minimum standards of human dignity. If we want ALL Americans to start contributing to the credit side of our national ledger, living wage (as opposed merely to minimum wage) is the surest and fastest way to get there. That there are as many as reported who don't pay a federal income tax is indicative of how far from that ideal we are.

[qyeteye]

Time wounds all heals.
Particularly the under-qualified and overly ambitious.

[mattsmusings]

I must be part of the 53 percent, and I'll even post ten years of my tax returns on You Tube or Facebook to prove it--if Mitt will also post his.

I think my mother is probably in the 47 percent, as she is 93 years old and receives Medicare and Social Security (and for some unfathomable reason supports Romney).

My daughter was in the 47 percent until last year, when she turned 24 and landed a decent job. While she was mooching off society and refusing to take personal responsibility for six years (from 18 to 24), she earned a Bachelor's and a Master's Degree--without a dime of government funding. She was lucky enough to have a parent to pay her way, kind of like Mitt.

So, I am looking around America today a bit differently, realizing that 47 percent of the people I see are freeloading off me and the other 53 percent.

Of course, the biggest freeloaders are people like Mitt the Twit--hauling in millions from bankrupting companies and stealing pensions from workers, and then storing the loot in the Cayman Islands.