Romney is right about the 47%

The Ed Morrissey Show,with Investors.com’s Andrew Malcolm, had a discussion about media bias on their September 18 broadcast – which highlighted how they still have some pull shaping the narrative, especially when it’s a concerted effort.  Thankfully, the proliferation of blogs have been able to blunt or outright debunk the various narratives the mainstream media disseminates daily.  Nevertheless, Morrissey mentioned that when the lack of security at some of our embassies was starting to gain traction – the “47 percent” video was released and the whole picture changed.  After all, when you have reports that the president decides to forgo intelligence briefings, which make him look weak and unprepared as commander in chief – then you must initiate secondary protocol.  And that’s what the left did.

Sadly, I passed out early last night due after a recent bout of insomnia, but Allahpundit posted about this “earth shattering” event on September 17.  The video has the Republican nominee saying:

‘There are 47 percent of the people who will vote for the president no matter what. All right, there are 47 percent who are with him, 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. That that’s an entitlement. And the government should give it to them. And they will vote for this president no matter what…

‘And I mean the president starts off with 48, 49 … he starts off with a huge number. These are people who pay no income tax. Forty-seven percent of Americans pay no income tax. So our message of low taxes doesn’t connect. So he’ll be out there talking about tax cuts for the rich. I mean that’s what they sell every four years. And so my job is not to worry about those people. I’ll never convince them they should take personal responsibility and care for their lives. What I have to convince the five to ten percent in the center that are independents that are thoughtful, that look at voting one way or the other depending upon in some cases emotion, whether they like the guy or not.’

However, the exact number does vary. In February of 2012, Rob Bluey over at Heritage reported that 49.5% – or 151.7 million Americans – don’t pay any federal income taxes, which is up from 14.8% in 1984. Patrick Tyrrell, also at Heritage, posted on September 18 that 48.87% don’t pay income taxes.

Regardless, is this more controversial than when Obama said that rural voters “get bitter, they cling to their guns or religion?”

Romney does have the misfortune of having a horrible relationship with the press.  Granted, Americans didn’t like Bush, but he had a good relationship with the media thereby they allowed some things – de minimis things – skate by.  With Romney, everything is scrutinized.  However, Romney’s statement rings true.  The more people who aren’t responsible for a government they aren’t paying for leads to perverse behavior.  They have zero incentive to restrict it’s size  – which George Will remarked at CPAC in 2010 represents a “classic case of moral hazard.”

Additionally, there is entitlement/dependency agenda, which is why the left is so appalled. In the left’s eyes, the more people on food stamps or a government program represents an equalization of outcome that increases the public good.  Hence, why the Dependency Index has increased 23%under the Obama administration.  In fact, Tyrrell wrote:

The Index rises 3.28 percent in next year’s report, for which 2011 is the latest year the underlying data are available. It is adjusted for inflation, so it rises or falls because of spending in real dollars. The updated Index reveals:

• Government dependency jumped 3.28 percent in 2011, with the largest increases in higher education loans and grants and in retirement spending.
• This is the fourth year in a row that the Index has risen, rising 31.73 percent in that time.

After all, this is the administration that thinks food stamps are a form of economic stimulus. 

Lastly, 49 million Americans will become dependent on government-run health services once Obamacare is fully implemented.  An event that will also lead to 20 million Americans losing their health care coverage according to the CBO.

While the left will hammer Romney as being out of touch or racist, what he said isn’t controversial in the slightest.  There is an entitlement mentality and a dependency agenda peddled by the left that seeks to grossly transform the socio-economic fabric of this country.  With an increasing number of dependents and an incrementally smaller tax base to support them – Tyrrell and other conservative commentators warn that  ”…the conjunction of these two trends… concerns those interested in the fate of the American form of government.”

Also, “in last year’s 2012 Index of Dependence on Government, it was reported that 70.5 percent of federal spending goes to dependency creating programs—showing that the often-repeated mantra, ‘We have a spending problem, not a revenue problem’ could not be more true.”

For those of us who pay taxes, and yes I am one of them, the burden of the state is becoming increasingly heavier and changes need to be made to end this ”war on responsibility.”

Originally Posted on Hot Air.