TCTI: Too Crazy Too Ignore
 Dave Ross

Now look who's beating him up

September 19, 2012 @ 7:23 am (Updated: 9:08 am - 9/19/12 )

Even conservative commentators have now turned on Mitt Romney for his comments about the 47% who don't owe income tax but still depend on government.

David Brooks in the New York Times points out that they include Iraq War veterans who use VA hospitals.

William Kristol points out that they include seniors who get social security and depend on Medicare.

In fact it turns out that of the 10 states with the highest percentage of filers who don't owe any income tax, eight voted Republican in 2008.

And what's interesting to me about all this is that Romney was simply repeating a core conservative value.

Government creates dependency. Government has created a welfare industry.

Look at the audience question that prompted his comment:

"How are you going to convince everybody you've got to take care of yourself?"

Strangely, there was one political pundit who seemed remarkably sympathetic to Romney:

"All of us make mistakes, all of us say the wrong thing once in awhile," said President Obama in a recent interview, referring to his own comment about small town voters clinging to guns and religion. "What I said, I immediately said 'I regret this'."

But Romney regrets only the choice of words. David Brooks in his column says Romney got tripped up because he's pretending to be a government-hater when in fact he is not.

But maybe he's not pretending.

Maybe a Romney presidency would actually demonstrate what happens when you adopt the philosophy of conservative talk hosts, and apply it even to the loyal audiences who didn't think it applied to them.

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Comments (89)


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  • logical open mind wrote...
    one thing the left is ignoring as well as lefty Dave is with the huge fed debt, even if 47% are all deserving of paying zero, this means that 53% have to pay for fed gov
    September 19, 2012 7:49 am
    this means it may be hard to get the extra trillion from only 53% of the tax payers. Laffer curve. If taxes are too high, revenue will NOT increase.
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  • Cbrew wrote...
    You're looking at it on an innacurate scale
    September 19, 2012 1:45 pm
    The 47% is only talking about Federal income tax, it's not referring to payroll taxes that many of those 47% do in fact pay... also none of this accounts for state and local taxes or of course Sales tax which many pay.
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  • logical open mind wrote...
    cbrew is not fed income tax what funds the gov and is the largest tax most people pay the biggie?
    September 19, 2012 6:48 pm
    is not the federal debt due to not enough fed income taxes. Come on!1
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  • Zyato wrote...
    Half of all Americans, at some point in their life, will be on food stamps before the age of 20?
    September 19, 2012 7:54 am
    Nearly one in seven people in America is on food stamps, 45.8 million. The number of people relying on the government for survival is increasing every day; over half receive more in government benefits than they pay in taxes. The federal government is broke. What happens when inflation renders food stamps and unemployment benefits useless? The government makes the claim food stamps are “the most direct stimulus you can get in the economy during these tough times” and even the Secretary of Agriculture (Tom Vilsack) says, “Well, obviously, [food stamps are] putting people to work.” Does anybody truly believe this makes the country stronger?
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  • sportsguru wrote...
    What the righties are failing to see is
    September 19, 2012 7:56 am

    "In fact it turns out that of the 10 states with the highest percentage of filers who don't owe any income tax, eight voted Republican in 2008. "

    Don't let the facts get in the way please, but that's ok, our president wants to make sure you have a chance as well even though you dummies are too stupid to know that you are shooting your own self in the foot.

    I repeat, 80% vote republican, that means that only 20% democrats don't pay federal taxes, so republicans get up off your a55e5 and get a job and pay for that welfare you keep trying act like you don't get like some constant poster's on this thread.

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  • maplefish wrote...
    @sportsguru
    September 19, 2012 8:25 am
    OK - Now that was hilarious! Those lazy Republicans...LOL! Seriously, that made me laugh. Good one! Excellent spin!
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  • logical open mind wrote...
    sportsg-I will ignore the 80% nonsense and ask u what I previously posted.
    September 19, 2012 8:57 am
    Do u think if the 53% that pays and is shrinking while the 47% is growing. Answer this-will the 53% be able to pay the budget, the whole budget unlike only a portion we pay now? Laffer curve-if taxes get to high, the revenue to the gov WILL NOT INCREASE. Do you really think we can hammer the rich, the 1% who in 2008 paid 38% of all fed income taxes? Dont ya think accounts will find a way to get around higher and higher taxes? It's simple, the US needs to spend less. The defecit WILL kick our rear ends, only a fool thinks we never have to deal with it.
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  • Chuck Gould wrote...
    L.O.M. the 53-47 split isn't the result of a bunch of lazy folks who feel entitled...
    September 19, 2012 9:10 am
    Sure there are a few deadbeats out there, and just enough welfare queens to provide the rare examples that feed the flow of rhetoric about "half the nation feels its entitled to free health care, food, and housing from the government"...

    The number of people who are not paying taxes is increasing because so many of the jobs created in the last ten years or so are truly lousy. There are good jobs out there, to be sure, but if you look at the aggregate statistics you will see that overall the middle class hasn't had "raise" in a long, long, time.

    Nothing is growing faster than the gap between rich and poor in this country. The middle class is slowly eroding, with a handful of the former middle class moving "up" and the rest of the people leaving the middle class dropping into worse circumstances. Wages for line workers in some companies have actually dropped, while at the same time in many of those same companies top management takes out additional millions of dollars per year in compensation.

    Maybe if we all evolved, and realized that the enemy here is poverty, rather than "poor people", we could make some meaningful social progress. That's unlikely to happen though, not with people like Romney stirring up *class warfare* by announcing that he "won't care" about the 47% who don't pay any income tax.

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  • Sean wrote...
    He said he didn't care...
    September 19, 2012 4:05 pm
    about their VOTES, since they're already, undeniably, committed to Obama. He wasn't saying he didn't care about them as Americans.
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  • mobeta wrote...
    Up yuou Chuck! You should be committed!
    September 20, 2012 4:47 pm
    Spewing non-sense is what he does! I have a great friend that could help with your mental illness!
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  • sportsguru wrote...
    logical
    September 19, 2012 9:20 am

    Of course not, of course we have to pay down our debt, but if you have a republican congress who will not allow this to happen just to get a republican in the oval office, there is not much you can do.

    If you have a republican congress that is run by a lobbyist (see nordquist) and not the American public who they took an oath to work for, what can you do as a president when the people you are trying to work with are bought off by lobbyist?

    As an individual, I have to have a certain amount of debt to income ratio to borrow money or I can't get a loan, when my debt is to high for the income my family takes in, I have to start eliminating debt in order to stay solvent, the U.S. should live by the same standard, I have never ever argued against paying down the debt but people like you keep arguing as if the American public don't care to pay down the debt, it's your republican legislators that won't compromise on paying down the debt unless it is there way or the highway and they have chosen the highway and you are ok with that I guess.

    Why ignore the facts presented to you, that's the problem, when facts are presented, you want to ignore them, "In fact it turns out that of the 10 states with the highest percentage of filers who don't owe any income tax, eight voted Republican in 2008. ", 8 out of 10 is 80%, do the math your self and quite ignoring facts.

    You keep talking about hammering the rich? I have not heard any democrat talk about hammering the rich, they want them to pay there FAIR share of taxes, when the rich pay less by percentage then the people that actually does the work, there is a problem logical don't you think. So your idea is to hammer the poor and people that are just surviving and/or making ends meet and leave the rich out of the equation, yeah that makes sense.

    Quit buying into the BS and starting doing research and think for yourself for once in your life.

    Trust me, if the republicans came up with an idea that was equitable for every citizen in the union, I would be all over it, but they haven't, they keep using smoke and mirrors and sold you an illusion and you have fallen for it hook line and sinker, too bad.

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  • logical open mind wrote...
    sportsg my earlier post-please answer
    September 19, 2012 5:50 pm
    The point is not whether most, some of the 47% are good folks, the question is with a 1 trillion debt per year and growing, a growing % of zero income tax payers is it plausible that the 53% and shrinking tax payers will not provide the revenue. Look into the Laffer curve. i make good money, Im fine with the tax I pay now. If my rate goes way, way up, I will simply get a new contract to work part time. Therefore the feds will get LESS FROM ME.
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  • mobeta wrote...
    Lefty loosie whacko Dave leaves out all the facts that Obummer has failed and lied to us on and the list is too long to list and people are up in a lather about a comment by Romney. Who votes for Obummer are true and utter idiots and are unAmerican!
    September 19, 2012 9:12 am
    Middle east is burning up, unemployment is really 16%, vilance in Chicago is off the charts (obummers home town), poverty at an all time high, food stamps at record levels never seem before, incomes are 10% lower than 4 years ago and you lefty whacko's are worried about what Romney says about the 47% who depend or spounge off the government? Has also has a complete and utter idiot as a VP. What a friken buffoon. WELL, it all true, but actually he lied, its' 49%!, 25% of US pay 86% of all taxes. Big money has ran from this country and will not come back until this imposter is out of office. Black against white, class warfare is the only thing he can drum up because his record is so BAD and the people who still vote for him show how stupid people are! Obummer never has created one job, wasted trillions of dollars on companies that are now bankrupt (where did that that money go?) Can any of you brainiaics tell me where that money went? He is a total failure and stupid people will blindly do the same thing and vote for this total incompetent. Go ahead and vote for this clown and the middle and lower class will be the ones hurt and will suffer the most, not the rich you ignorant people! This is war for freedom and democracy and if you folks want dictatorship and ternary, we are close! Congratulations! Here listen to this, in Obummers own words, a bunch of lies! C:UsersScottDocumentsObama Un-narrated Documentary-Review (in his own words) - YouTube.mht
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  • Chuck Gould wrote...
    Mobeta: Why are so many of the Romney people calling names
    September 19, 2012 9:24 am
    on this forum?

    You guys need to reach out to the middle. You already have those who are passionate on the right. The roughly half the country that sincerely hates Obama doesn't need to be motivated to vote against him...job well done quite a while back.

    Loading every sentence with insults leveled at people who dare to see things differently than you might makes your position seem less appealing to anybody trying to make a logical (rather than an angry and emotional) decision about the presidential race.

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  • William Lawn wrote...
    Willard is in trouble
    September 19, 2012 10:04 am
    http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2012/09/19/political-perceptions-poll-points-to-risks-for-romney/
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  • mobeta wrote...
    Chucky!
    September 20, 2012 6:16 am
    Because we are tired of trying to be reasonable. I will call names to what you folks are. Brain dead, socialist, communists, ignorant, passifist, one item voters that have been infected by the liberal mindset that you can't be reasoned with anymore and we conservative are coming at you whacks hard to save America from yourselves. You bunch of friken morons!
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  • mobeta wrote...
    Chuck U
    September 21, 2012 6:50 am
    Because you can't convince stupid people who can only see things from a micro way. Like their brain, micro. Tried to be logical and democrats and liberals are infected with a mental disease and probably can't be fixed so I will continue to brate stupid people like yourself who are Unamerican, non-patroitic, fiscally stupid and don't give a dam about the future of this country and what our forfathers built who understood freedom that you and all your left wing whacks take for granted. Well, you are losing your freedoms one by one and pretty soon a government that is big enough to give you something is big enough to take it away! Screw democrats and all liberals!
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  • sambra27 wrote...
    one "Left Wing Parrot" remark
    September 19, 2012 10:20 am

    In that post by mobeta and I may have assumed it was It's me, Ha ha!

    I said this before, as one of those "47%" who do not pay income taxes, I was not offended by Romney's statements nor do I think he should apologize for them. The fact of the matter is what was said was incredible, nonsensically stupid because he blatantly insulted tens of millions of people, many of which are republican. Hypthetical question: If you are a republican voter, or an undecided voter, and you are included in that pool of people who have a family, who maybe support a parent, who work hard to make ends meet, but don't make enough to pay income taxes, are you still voting for Romney after he tells you (whether you want to interpret it this way or not) that you are lazy and irresponsible, and that his JOB is to ignore you during his election campaign?
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  • howcome wrote...
    mobeta
    September 19, 2012 10:21 am
    I watched this video and every time Obama was shown talking his lips did not match the audio. It was out of synch but they claim the video was unedited. This video is just a Redneck trying to feed his hate Obama crusade.
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  • Rick W7PSK wrote...
    Howcome
    September 19, 2012 11:46 am
    THEY ARE STILL HIS OWN WORDS.

    Just cause they are out of sync a little bit they are still his own words. PERIOD.

    Romney's comment on the 47% were out of sync so was that edited too then ???

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  • Roark wrote...
    These are the same people....
    September 19, 2012 10:46 am
    who told us Mitt Romney was the only candidate who could beat Obama. Now they're beating up on him. Well, one thing this proves is that the conservative press is a LOT more honest than the liberal press who would NEVER do such a thing to their messiah, Obama.
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  • It's me! Ha ha! wrote...
    Well then it is a good thing
    September 19, 2012 12:08 pm
    those Conservative newies are not running for President. 53 percent of us would not vote for them anyway!
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  • It's me! Ha ha! wrote...
    I repeat, 80% vote republican, that means that only 20% democrats don't pay federal taxes, so republicans get up off your a55e5 and get a job and pay for that welfare you keep trying act like you don't get like some constant poster's on this thread
    September 19, 2012 12:12 pm
    Most of those Republicans are not sitting on their hindends and are working and paying the taxes that pay for the 20 percent Obama supporters who do not! That 80 percent are not voting for Obama and if any of them are not working it is because of this ObamaEcnomomy. When is your Dear Leader going to start running on this proud accomplishment of his instead of running away from it?
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  • sportsguru wrote...
    It's me! Ha ha!
    September 19, 2012 12:30 pm
    um It's me! Ha ha! , you got your facts twisted, "Most of those Republicans are not sitting on their hindends and are working and paying the taxes"

    Don't let the facts get in your way, 80% DON'T pay federal taxes, it's the democrats that are paying for there existence in this great country and YOU have the nerve to try and bite the hand that is feeding you. Talk about being ungrateful,lol.

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  • sambra27 wrote...
    Assumption
    September 19, 2012 12:31 pm
    Is a dangerous game. Make sure you all identify what is your opinion from what the facts are.
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  • Rick W7PSK wrote...
    Sure thing, Obama is for the little people
    September 19, 2012 12:50 pm
    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2205541/280-000-champagne-tower-Obama-fundraiser-Jay-Z-Beyonce-Manhattan-night-club.html
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  • Exhausted wrote...
    Just by looking at Seattle/King County alone
    September 19, 2012 1:06 pm
    I know just what Romney was talking about! Too many freeloaders!!
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  • It's me! Ha ha! wrote...
    80% DON'T pay federal taxes, it's the democrats that are paying for there existence in this great country and YOU have the nerve to try and bite the hand that is feeding you. Talk about being ungrateful,lol.
    September 19, 2012 1:11 pm
    Dude! What does this post of yours even mean?

    Are you high or something?

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  • sportsguru wrote...
    Dude! What does this post of yours even mean? Are you high or something?
    September 19, 2012 1:22 pm
    Yes, I am high from paying all the taxes for you lazy bums. The post means that that the majority of the 47% that don't pay taxes are the republican base, look at the state of washington, I am willing to bet that the liberals in king county is paying for most of rural king county, the same with across the country of the U.S., but let people in the city want a safety net for people and yall RWNJ get your panties in a bunch.
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