Mitt Romney backtracks on the '47 percent': Is he in the clear?
The GOP nominee finally concedes that he was "just completely wrong" to write off half the country as lazy moochers
In the days after Mitt Romney's secretly taped remarks disparaging the 47 percent of Americans who don't pay federal income taxes were first leaked, the Republican nominee insisted that his comments simply were "not elegantly stated." But on Thursday night, he told Fox News' Sean Hannity that the remarks, which he made to wealthy donors at a May fundraiser, were "just completely wrong." (Watch the video here.) The Obama campaign has had a field day using the "47 percent" line to portray Romney an arrogant, out-of-touch millionaire who doesn't care about average Americans. Will voters give Romney a break now?
Good move, good timing: Romney had to walk back his 47 percent insult, which qualified as "a serious gaffe," says Rick Moran at The American Thinker. And it was pretty shrewd of Romney to offer this mea culpa while he's basking in the success of Wednesday's debate win. This "lances a boil that might have been a problem in future debates, while removing a potent attack line for his opponent."
"Romney's mea culpa on his '47 percent' remark"
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The 47 percent will still haunt Mitt: Romney can't "undo all the damage caused by the video," says Margaret Hartmann at New York. The people who Romney said "believe they are victims" aren't likely to forget what he said, or that he tried "pretending he'd said something entirely different" before finally conceding the point.
"Romney reveals new '47 percent' defense he'd prepared for the debate"
If anything, Romney is making matters worse: This was a big mistake on Romney's part, says Steve M. at No More Mister Nice Blog. By walking back the 47-percent remark at this late stage, he's getting a double-whammy. The remarks made him look like an uncaring jerk, and now his reversal fuels his reputation as a flip-flopper. He's playing right into Obama's hands by helping to back up his argument that the nice Republican guy Americans saw on the debate stage was "a fake Romney pretending to be the real Mitt Romney."
"Is this why Obama didn't bring up '47 percent' at the debate?"
Read more political coverage at The Week's 2012 Election Center.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
'Making a police state out of the liberal university'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
8 looming climate tipping points that imperil our planet
The Explainer New reports detail the thresholds we may be close to crossing
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
Try 6 free issues of The Week Junior
Spark your child's curiosity with The Week Junior - the award-winning current affairs magazine for 8-14s.
By The Week Published
-
Arizona court reinstates 1864 abortion ban
Speed Read The law makes all abortions illegal in the state except to save the mother's life
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Trump, billions richer, is selling Bibles
Speed Read The former president is hawking a $60 "God Bless the USA Bible"
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
The debate about Biden's age and mental fitness
In Depth Some critics argue Biden is too old to run again. Does the argument have merit?
By Grayson Quay Published
-
How would a second Trump presidency affect Britain?
Today's Big Question Re-election of Republican frontrunner could threaten UK security, warns former head of secret service
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
'Rwanda plan is less a deterrent and more a bluff'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By The Week UK Published
-
Henry Kissinger dies aged 100: a complicated legacy?
Talking Point Top US diplomat and Nobel Peace Prize winner remembered as both foreign policy genius and war criminal
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Last updated
-
Trump’s rhetoric: a shift to 'straight-up Nazi talk'
Why everyone's talking about Would-be president's sinister language is backed by an incendiary policy agenda, say commentators
By The Week UK Published
-
More covfefe: is the world ready for a second Donald Trump presidency?
Today's Big Question Republican's re-election would be a 'nightmare' scenario for Europe, Ukraine and the West
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published