Just for your edification, should you be sympathizing with Mitt Romney's pickle over insulting almost half the country: the 47% of citizens who do not pay federal income tax is not necessarily a monolithic Obama bloc. Take a look at the map below. Tell me how many of the states in red voted for Obama in the last election. I'll wait. . .
Image from Tax Foundation
If you're wondering, the answer is two, New Mexico and Florida, the latter being a perpetual swing-state. The rest of them were McCain/Palin country. And let's not forget that the 47% that Romney spoke of included retirees, disabled veterans and many others who are not just slackers on the government dole. To say that they are is insulting and over-simplistic to say the very least.
UPDATED: Just to mention. . .is this what Willard wants to be talking about right now? How much taxes people pay? We don't even know what he paid himself. . .
I get irritated when I hear that 47% figure batted around, that same 47% that Mitt Romney has insulted by saying they are people "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." Usually, the figure is used by people who follow the number by saying those people "don't pay taxes." [Story continues below]
Of course, virtually everyone pays taxes. Not everyone ends up paying federal income tax, but that is often glossed over. But it is even more dishonest than that, when you break down that 47%. Just who are we talking about there? Does anyone really believe that nearly fully half of Americans are lazy layabouts, just waiting for their gubment check? I know that Republicans do not do nuance, but it really isn't that difficult. And if you'll read through the excerpted article below, you will see that this is one more place where Mitt is on both sides of the issue.
[Excerpt] Mitt Romney versus the 47 percent
. . .Let’s set aside the question of whether this is what Mitt Romney really
believes deep down in his heart. Maybe this is what he thinks. Or maybe
he just thought it was a good line to buck up jittery donors. What we can
say is that the last part is wrong. There is no fair accounting in
which 47 percent of Americans take no “personal responsibility and care
for their lives.” Take this simple breakdown from the Tax Policy Center of what households paid in taxes in 2011. . .
