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Romney: The "47%" Comment I Previously Stood By Is Now "Completely Wrong"
By
Jen Chung
Published Oct 5, 2012
Modified Oct 5, 2012
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By
Jen Chung
Published Oct 5, 2012
Modified Oct 5, 2012
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Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney thumped his chest after his triumphant debate appearance by offering Fox News—a.k.a. the News Corp wing of his campaign—an "exclusive" interview. Sean Hannity decided to ask Romney about the topic that millions of Obama supporters wanted President Obama to nail him on—Romney's remarks about how 47% of Americans are just lousy bums looking for a handout. And boy, has Romney flip-flopped!
Last night, Romney said, "Clearly in a campaign with hundreds if not thousands of speeches and question-and-answer sessions, now and then you are going to say something that doesn't come out right. In this case I said something that's just completely wrong. And I absolutely believe, however, that my life has shown that I care about 100 percent. And that has been demonstrated throughout my life. And this whole campaign is about the 100 percent. When I become president it will be about helping the 100 percent."
Fine—but that's also weird since he stood by the remarks (which were given at a fancy Boca Raton fundraiser) after the video surfaced, "Well, um, it’s not elegantly stated, let me put it that way. I’m speaking off the cuff in response to a question, and I’m sure I can state it more clearly in a more effective way than I did in a setting like that... I am talking about a political process of drawing people in my campaign. … My campaign is about helping people take more responsibility. This is ultimately a question about the direction of the country. Do you believe in a government-centered society that provides more and more benefits? Or do you believe instead in a free-enterprise society where people are able to pursue their dreams?"
Let's just watch the 47% video again:
Now, it's time to kill Big Bird.
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47 percent
47%
completely wrong
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Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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