Posted on 02/01/2012 9:33:28 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
TAMPA, Florida - Mitt Romney regained the lead in the Republican presidential nomination race with a big win in Florida, but drew criticism on Wednesday in what should have been his victory lap with remarks suggesting he was indifferent to America's poor.
Romney rolled to an impressive triumph in Florida, capturing 46 percent of the vote to Newt Gingrich's 32 percent after pounding his nearest rival with negative advertisements.
The victory restored him to front-runner status in the state-by-state battle for the Republican nomination to run against Democratic President Barack Obama in the November 6 general election.
But the wealthy ex-governor and former private equity executive, who lost the South Carolina primary on January 21 after opponents painted him as a heartless capitalist, gave a reminder of the challenges he will face winning over voters struggling with the economic downturn and high unemployment.
In an interview on CNN, Romney said he was not concerned about the poorest Americans, but that his primary focus was on the middle class.
"I'm not concerned about the very poor, we have a safety net there," he said, adding, "If it needs repair, I'll fix it."
Romney also said he would leave concern for the poor to the Democratic party.
"We will hear from the Democrat party the plight of the poor," Romney said. "And there's no question it's not good being poor and we have a safety net to help those that are very poor. But my campaign is focused on middle Americans.
"You can choose where to focus, you can focus on the rich, that's not my focus. You can focus on the very poor, that's not my focus. My focus is on middle income Americans, retirees living on Social Security, people who can't find work."
TOUGH PATH AHEAD
Opponents seized on his remarks. Democratic National Committee spokesman Brad Woodhouse emailed them to journalists, with the introduction, "I'm glad he cleared that up."
U.S. voters have said the sputtering economy is their main concern for the 2012 elections.
Romney has touted his business experience while harshly criticizing Obama and his Republican opponents for their lack of private sector experience.
Romney, who has a personal fortune estimated at some $270 million, came under fire earlier in the campaign for saying that he liked to fire people, although those comments were taken out of context. continued
Damn. That was an incredibly stupid statement. There’s something really creepy about Mr. Romney.
If it needs repair, I’ll fix it.
—
I bet he would. Yikes!
That's -- I'm running for office, for Pete's sake, I can't have illegals. [video clip] -- Mitt Romney, GOP presidential debate - October 18, 2011 - Las Vegas, NV
Instead of saying he’s deeply concerned about the poor, and therefore will focus on economic/job growth, he lays an egg like this. Anyone want to be that this will be one of Obama’s most devasting commercials in the fall? I think Mittens electability is vastly overstated.
Whoever is in the lead will be deflated by the media asap. Do we remember what happened to Palin, Perry, Cain, Newt?
I know Newt is now supported here. (Meaning after Cain, etc). I’d just like to see less attack on the GOP candidates, all of them. And especially when it’s a liberal sounding attack.
I’m not against the poor but I’m also not for any new programs, other than jobs and the economy, which will lift the poor as well. Do we really want Newt or anyone to focus on the poor and not on the middle class and business?
Just asking.
FOX, DRUDGE etc will be all over this ARF
Romney is what the left calls republicans, the rich, self centered, out of touch, establishment republican.
The left are going to have a field day with all that money he has and comments like these will now be shown on obama’s billion AD blitz
Well done establishment, you fought like mad to take our candidates down, you paid people off, you promised them positions like Bondi.
Coulter, Drudge, Hannity etc all sit there but have no clue how many of us are not rich, how may have to look at food tore brands and choose only a bit of food and that is why they love their elitist pro homo, cross dressing cocktail parties while we try and scrape by.
Romney will never get my vote after the way he and the establishment ran their lying crap here in FL
“Everywhere my dad has gone, he's fixed things,” Tagg Romney said.
I have always viewed Romney vs Obama as a 2000 map race plus Romney getting MI and going from there. This guy scares me to death now.
Rush is talking about what the GOP’s Wall Street Poster Boy said twic right now 2/1/2012 11:30 am.
Romney has no clue how we scrape by, how we work hard and try to put food on the table.
He and his elitist pals have shown yet again how out of touch they all are and the left have now put this on an AD I guarantee.
The establishment should have stayed out of this and let us choose who we want but yet again they put a RINO up there a man who ran to the left of Kennedy and thinks we’ll all get behind him come Nov
Well he pissed on us the base here in FL and I, my family, and others here have said we will never vote for him as there is not pone issue which is different to obama’s and when the homosexuals have no problem with Romney then we know for sure how liberal he is
Are you purposely working this hard to miss the point?
In other words, he's the Left's ideal opponent. He really, miraculously, manages to look more fake than Barak, and that's not easily done.
When you land in a safety net, you eventually need to get off of it and stand on your own two feet so someone ELSE can get a soft landing.
The Obama people are cutting the TV commercial as I type this.
I know two people that are going to be very happy this fall - John McCain and Bob Dole.
The same way that Jimmy Carter was happy once our current fool for a president took office.
Well, there is an upside here. He just gave Newt some new material for ads.
“I like firing people...
...and I’m not concerned about the very poor.”
What an A________.
You can focus on the very poor, that’s not my focus. My focus is on middle income Americans, retirees living on Social Security, people who can’t find work.”
__________________________________________
What an ignorant piece of white trash...
“retirees living on Social Security, people who can’t find work.” are the poor, stupid...
That statement is probaqbly why he now has secret service
theyre not there ro keep him safe
theyre thre for our sakes
as keepers to protect the people from this wild out-of=control-mouth
if anyone needed a collar and chain and a few keepers its this creature..
LOOK OUT !!!
Keep your ears away from the cage
Dangerous Vocali Cordus
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