Yesterday when I was at the dentist, the receptionist pulled me aside. She wanted to talk to me about how appalled she was at Mitt Romney’s comments about the 47%. She was really angry and upset and wanted to know how to fight back.
I think a lot of people feel that way, and the best thing to do – in addition to telling others how you feel about Romney’s comments – is to be sure to vote. We can not allow someone like Mitt Romney to become president.
That video of Romney at his high-dollar fundraiser is a window into what he thinks about people who are not rich -- people like the soldiers who fight and die for our freedom, students, seniors, and the many millions who work hard and struggle to get by on low paying jobs. He called nearly half of Americans freeloaders, victims, and dependent on government. And he said it was not his job to worry about them!
I was shocked to hear a presidential candidate write off half of America. But it is not just Mitt Romney who feels this way. According to the New York Times, even Joe Gruters, chairman of the Republican Party of Sarasota, said he thought Romney’s comments would “play into his strength.” Romney’s comments shine a light into the cold dark heart of today’s Republican Party.
Disdain for half of America may explain why House Republicans voted more than 30 times to repeal the health care reform that makes health care more accessible to millions of Americans. It may explain why they blocked President Obama’s American Jobs Act, a bill that would have created over a million new jobs and enhanced opportunities for millions of middle class families, and why just this Wednesday they blocked a bill to help veterans find jobs.
And it may explain why they voted twice for Paul Ryan’s budget – a draconian budget which would cut taxes for the rich, while destroying Medicare, gutting funding for education, social programs, research, and health care, and increasing the deficit and raising taxes on the middle class.
These actions illustrate where the Republican philosophy would lead us. And in almost every case Republicans -- including Sarasota’s own Congressman Vern Buchanan -- have voted in lock step.
We should thank Mitt Romney for saying what he believes – and for showing us that he and many other Republicans don’t care, and often do act against the interests of most Americans. His disdain for half of America confirms they are the Party of the few, the Party of “I’ve got mine,” the Party of “you’re on your own.”
That is why the people must vote – vote for Barack Obama – and for Keith Fitzgerald and other Democrats running for Congress, for Democrats in the Florida Legislature and on down the ballot. We can not afford to be governed by those who only care about a few.
President Obama said, “if you want to be president, you gotta work for everybody, not just for some.” That’s the candidate and the Party I will support, and that is the attitude that will move America forward!
I noticed that you didn't dispute the number that Romney cited. 47% of Americans receiving some form of government assistance means that the other 53% are paying for it. What happens when the 47% becomes 53%? I'm guessing that you took math in school. Let ALL of us look at factual information instead of relying on emotion packed talking points to assist us in making our voting decision. One other comment-why deride Romney for high dollar fundraisers when Pres. Obama does the same thing. One could say that our President should spend more time being the president than campaigning to keep his job.
It was obvious from listening to ‘the’ tape, that Romney was acknowledging that there would be little value in investing time and resources ($$) to seek their votes and that he and his team were going to focus on the more open minded constituents.
Like those of us who are happy that Obama has been revealed…as shown (on multiple video tapes) to be in favor of re-distribution of wealth, from those that earned to it to those that didn't...to even the playing field as he says. It helps us remain open minded to someone like Romney who at least want to make government smaller and less restrictive to encourage and permit people to build businesses and earn a living, so that those who truly are disabled can be better supported in the future.
It's rare that you meet a candidate who has such little regard for the people born without silver spoons in their mouths. I give him credit for not pretending that he does, at least when he appears before his fellow silver-spooners. I'll bet my dressage horse, on an Obama win - oh, wait, I dont own a dressage horse. Do you?
Twisting the intent of his statement is a difficult thing to defend, but I will try again...your statement that Romney does not want to 'invest' in those in need is off base. His reference was investing energy/resources in his campaign efforts - not in supporting people in need. Our system is broke and the path Obama has taken us has exasperated the problem exponentially. His intensions to continue with the failed policies and programs are not sustainable. The Congress that convened in 2007, of which he was a part of, have put us on a deadly course as a nation, that this administration has ‘capitalized’ on. I for one am not able to support the overall policies that we have all witnessed and experienced in the last 6+ years. I will hold my nose and vote against them. I will continue to engage my elected officials, friends & neighbors in conversations that will bring this nation back to the values that we were founded on, yet sadly never really embraced because people are too willing to ignore the rules. Subsidizing businesses is a great example of inappropriate activity by government. Where in the Constitution is that outlined?
The "fair shot" relates also to kids who want a good education but are limited by financial considerations. Seems Elayne despises them also, along with the millions who are desperately seeking work but cannot find any. It must be comforting to be inside a cocoon like Romney and Elayne and just write off the 47% as lazy slobs who don't deserve any help.