Mitt and Unity: Why the "47 Percent" Commentary Was More than a "Gaffe"

by Rick Hill

Recently the Romney campaign has faced criticism from voters of all parts of the political spectrum over comments made during a May fundraiser, in which Governor Romney blasted the 47 percent of the American population that does not pay federal income taxes.  Referring to them as “freeloaders,” Romney continued with the assertion that these voters will not support him anyways in the election, lopping off a huge portion of the electorate to which he will appeal.  I understand that the Governor was speaking at a fundraiser, amidst a couple hundred people firmly in support of him.  Looking at the issue from a more populist perspective, and seeking to give Governor Romney the benefit of the doubt, I still find myself still coming up short to support him on his comment.  Consider:

As a college student and a dependent of my parents, I work part-time and pay federal income tax.  However, most of the time it is returned to me at the end of the year, in the form of a tax return. Does this series of actions put me in with the 47 percent?

Let's be honest, Governor... money's tight when you're in your 20s.

I’m not the only college student in this country who works to make a financial dent in my education.  I’m also not the only conservative-leaning college student in that category.  The last thing I wish to be called is a “freeloader,” considering I do what I can to finance a horribly inflated college education without having to rob Peter to pay Paul at the very end.  I want to pay for my education the old way; however, I don’t want to be lumped into a category considered “unproductive” in the process.  With the ambition to get a job that makes an impact on American foreign relations directly out of my master’s program, as well as very low student debt, I don’t consider myself at the moment a particularly large burden on the American taxpayer.  If I’m not paying taxes on the bottom line at the moment, please be patient with me.

President Obama is by all means a divider, with his incendiary commentary regarding the rich and misguided statements against those with traditional cultural values.  Mitt Romney, through a candid comment made amongst a group of loyal supporters, positioned himself as someone no different.

Don't lose NASCAR fans, Governor... just don't.

I used to give Governor Romney credit for not stepping on his tongue while building relationships with the American middle class.  I understood that he was out of touch (comments related to being friends with NASCAR and NFL owners, yet not having a lot of personal interest in either sport, come to mind), but to make a comment that divides an electorate to which he was trying to appeal was beyond ill-advised.  I just heard on the Jerry Doyle Show last night that Romney now polls lower than Obama among NASCAR fans…  NASCAR fans?!?!?!  We’re talking about an interest group, mostly from the American South, who finds its niche among American culture through movies such as “Talladega Nights” and “Viva Las Vegas.”  If any group was expected to vote Republican in 2012, it was those frequenters of America’s answer to the Circus Maximus.  Anyone who believed Governor Romney was out of touch before the comments surfaced received quite the vindication afterwards.  I wanted him to be a “uniter” so fiercely… Unfortunately, even one video clip these days can leave the sourest of tastes in a voter’s mouth.  If Jerry Doyle speaks accurately, I’m baffled.

You can build all the support you want among groups in which you poll among the weakest; but once you’ve lost the base, you’ve, well, lost.

Governor Romney’s comments were not just damaging because of the divisive implications:  he also found a way to alienate part of his base.  Seniors, who have trended Republican in the past three elections in spite of constant Republican cries for Medicare reform, now find themselves in a bind because they fall into the same category I feel that I’ve fallen into.  I’ll still support the Governor in the end, but pissing off the base is about as useful to a political campaign as fumbling the snap is in football.  If there is anything the Republicans need to show up in droves in November, it is the political and ideological base.  If Governor Romney believes that the rich serve as his niche, then perhaps his comment is well-appointed; unfortunately, that group just does not carry the weight necessary to carry the popular vote.

Republicans will discuss back and forth over the next couple weeks as to how exactly to field the reaction to Governor Romney’s comments.  Some will attempt to forget them, others defend them tirelessly.  Others (like me) will plead for Governor Romney to watch his mouth.  In the context of a presidential election as crucial as the one in November, any divisive slip-up will perpetuate the “Divider-in-Chief’s” (borrowing this brilliant term from Kate Obenshain - http://www.humanevents.com/2012/09/10/obenshain-obama-is-the-divider-in-chief/) reign over not only the White House, but the metaphorical driver’s seat on re-uniting the sides of the American political spectrum.