Romney: 47% Believe "They are Victims" Entitled to Healthcare

Mitt Romney refers to 47 percent of Americans as ‘dependent victims’ in a secred video from a closed-door fundraiser, released Monday, Sept. 17.

USA Today posted Romney’s remarks:

“There are 47 percent of the people who will vote for the president no matter what. All right, there are 47% 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 …

“He starts off 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 not to worry about those people. I’ll never convince them that they should take personal responsibility and care for their lives.”

Critics are beginning to wonder if this will cost Romney the election.

“It’s shocking that a candidate for president of the United States would go behind closed doors and declare to a group of wealthy donors that half the American people view themselves as ‘victims,’ entitled to handouts, and are unwilling to take ‘personal responsibility’ for their lives,” said Jim Messina, Obama’s campaign manager, in a statement. “It’s hard to serve as president for all Americans when you’ve disdainfully written off half the nation.”

One opinion article for the Bloomberg View is titled, “Today, Mitt Romney Lost the Election,” in reference to Romney’s words.

Romney had a press conference Monday night where he stated, “At a fundraiser you have people say, ‘Governor how are you going to win this?’ And so I respond ‘Well, the president has his group, I have my group. I want to keep my team strong and motivated and I want to get those people in the middle.’ That’s something which fund-raising people who are parting with their monies are very interested in,” reported CNN.

However, he did say that he should have been clearer, and his words were not elegantly stated.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wVtZz_Jsvo