More Than 47% Wrong

A friend suggested to me not too long ago that there was nothing Governor Romney could do or say that would make me likely to vote for him. I don't think he meant it as a compliment, but I admit there's some truth to that assertion. That said, I did resent the implication that my political leanings had no real foundation. I was reminded of this exchange when I heard Mister Romney's just released comments from a private fundraiser earlier this year where he seemed inclined to write off nearly half the electorate.

"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.

And, I mean, the president starts off with 48, 49, he starts with a huge number. 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 is not to worry about those people. I’ll never convince them they should take personal responsibility and care for their lives."

What surprised me wasn't the substance of the remarks. They present a candidate who not only doesn't understand a large segment of the American people but also doesn't seem to feel that they're worth understanding. Rightly or wrongly, these comments come across as consistent with the persona he's presented to date.

What really amazed me was how angry his words made me. Partly, it was the thought that this man who presumes that he has what it takes to lead one of the most diverse countries on earth was so ready to disparage millions of people when he thought no one was listening. Above all, though, it was the fact that he was disparaging me to benefit his campaign. With that in mind, I'd like to make some things clear.

First off, I am no more "dependent upon government" than any other citizen who depends on our military, firefighters, the FDA and any number of other institutions that make our lives better and safer. Nor do I "believe that mmgovernment has a responsibility to care for [me]." I will concede that I believe that I am "entitled to health care" - provided I pay for it. As for food, housing and the ill-defined "you-name-it" to which the governor referred, I pay for those things as well.

I also pay income tax, contrary to Mister Romney's perplexing suggestion that those who support President Obama don't pay taxes. I do this willingly because I know that it pays for valuable things like those brave firefighters and that mighty military that makes all but the most eschatological of our enemies think twice. I also understand that it pays for things that I thankfully don't use like "food stamps" and other elements of the so-called "social safety net". I'm OK with that because I believe that it's what a moral society does for the less fortunate.

Does that last bit make me some sort of naive idealist? Perhaps, though considering my view on most foreign policy issues is "bomb them", I suspect the idealists wouldn't want me in their camp, which brings us to practicality. Going back to Governor Romney's comments, does my support of President Obama mean that I don't believe that people "should take personal responsibility and care for their lives"? Suffice it to say, if you think that, I think you're a jackass.