Politics & Government

Was Romney Right About the 47% — or Will It Doom His Campaign?

Mother Jones released a video of Mitt Romney telling a private audience that 47 percent of Americans are "dependent on government" and will never vote for him. Was this a ruinous gaffe, or has Romney told a hard political truth?

 

A secret video obtained by Mother Jones magazine has rocked the political world. In the video, Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney said 47 percent of Americans believe they are victims, are dependent on the government and will never vote for him. He went further, saying he wasn't worried about them. The magazine released a portion of the video Monday.

In a late night press conference Monday, Romney said the comments were not "elegantly stated," but were part of a larger conversation about the role of personal responsibility. Romney went on to say the comments were a reflection on "the political process of winning an election, and, of course, I want to help all Americans—all Americans—have a bright and prosperous future."

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Mother Jones said it would release the full video by late Tuesday afternoon.  

UPDATE: Mother Jones posted the full video just after 2:30 p.m. Tuesday.

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Do you think the video shows Romney's true feelings about half of the American electorate, or was this an out-of-context snippet? Will this hurt Romney's chances of willing the election, or is it one blip in a very long campaign? Tell us what you think in the comments below.


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