Romney Not in Touch With Concerns of Working Class Americans
By Zerlina Maxwell Democratic Strategist and Writer September 18, 2012
About Zerlina Maxwell:
Zerlina Maxwell is a Democratic strategist and contributing writer for The New York Daily News, EBONY.com, theGrio.com, and Feministing.com.
Yes, the video sank the Romney campaign. But let's be clear—Mitt Romney's campaign was already circling the drain.
After a week of stumbles in response to the violence in Libya and Egypt and the type of anonymously sourced post mortem of a losing campaign usually saved for after the election, Romney entered this week in a very weak position 50 days out.
The tape released by Mother Jones yesterday, where Romney is heard saying with contempt that 47 percent of the country is dependent on government, pay no income taxes, and feel they are entitled to food, shelter, and healthcare, is simply another nail in the coffin in a dying Romney effort to reach the White House.
[See a collection of political cartoons on the 2012 campaign.]
The reason why this comment is so damaging to Romney is because it fits into an already established narrative. The comments are not surprising coming from Romney who has time and again shown he is not in touch with the everyday concerns of working people. That lack of empathy that Romney has for his fellow man is nothing new—it's just that this time he's caught being even more candid than he is on the campaign trail.
That's why Romney didn't apologize for the remark, instead choosing to double down. What he said about 47 percent of Americans—Obama supporters—being freeloaders is what he really believes. The reason it will sink his campaign is because more than half of the country will view this remark as callous especially coming from a man who is running to be the president of all Americans, not just the ones he thinks are worthy.
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