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
Romney is only a sacrificial lamb for the GOP-E. Their main goal is to rid themselves of “Tea Party Disease” in the House and Senate, and they are willing to cede the White House, the House, and Senate to the Democrats to do so. They will then try again in 2014 and 2016 (with Jeb Bush). This explains why Romney is acting the way he is.
“”I’m not concerned about the very poor....”
Jes’ wonderin’ outloud, but...
What would Ayn Rand have said about this very subject?
Having written that, Mr. Gingrich ought to plaster the airwaves with the above comments juxtaposed against his response to Juan Williams in the South Carolina debates...
This explains why Romney is acting the way he is.
_____________________________________________
NAH
it comes natural for him...
I'd bet Ayn Rand was human.
***Do we really want Newt or anyone to focus on the poor and not on the middle class and business?***
Newt has presented his philosphy for the ‘poor’ that they leave the Democrat plantation of dependency; the WORK ethic to attain the American dream, by lessening the restrictions on ‘child labor laws’.
Sweat shop factories are a far different cry from paper routes, cleaning school lunchrooms, baby sitting, mowing lawns and other part-time, paying jobs. Every successful individual understands that to eat one must work and not take from those who do.
Mitt Romney is a very rich but brain dead.
Did the $10,000.00 bet he tried to make with Perry not give anyone a clue?
He also tried to tell us that the $350,000.00 + he made (in speaker fees?) was chicken feed. This is not the man we need to lead our country in these times of economic distress.
He will not win the General Election against obama. The obama “family are clapping their hands with glee at the stupidity of the voting public. Romney’s win in Florida just went to show that $$$$$$$$$ will win an election. obama HAS MONEY behind him, much more than Mitt Romney.
Newt’s welfare reform plan from Contract with America actually helped the poor by getting them to work and off entitlements. Newt’s unemployment insurance plan is also tied to work training. But if you don’t have a job then Mitt isn’t for you.
The article states: “Romney also said he would leave concern for the poor to the Democratic party.”
Actually, he never said that. Even more distortion from Public Broadcasting. Still, it seem that Romney has as much chance of becoming President as McCain did.
“Romney has no clue how we scrape by, how we work hard and try to put food on the table.”
He just thinks you’re buying Gucci bags and flat screen TV’s with welfare money.
(rolls eyes)
If Obama didn't believe in Santa Claus before, he has got to be a believer today.
Mr. niteowl77
Isn’t it amazing (and horrifying) that so many Republican voters don’t see this? Romney is the left’s dream candidate.
How can they be so dim-witted?
“but through policies that expand the private sector and keep government from destroying the values by which alone the poor can advance. Romney might have said something like that ... but then again, I don’t think in his heart he believes it.”
He doesn’t which is why his tax plan is so weak. Great the middle class will get a tax cut but that won’t create many jobs.
[who lost the South Carolina primary on January 21 after opponents painted him as a heartless capitalist]
huh? This is not why Newt won SC!
Thanks. :)
I needed that.
Yeah, Romney seems to be saying that he would expand the welfare state to help the poor. Does he not understand the welfare state hurts poor?! He doesn’t grasp the most basic of conservative concepts!
Of course, what else would one expect from the Mr. Obamneycare!
They don’t know their history. It used to be that the Republicans were country clubber corporatists. FDR ran against those kinds of Republicans. Reagan appealed to the common man.
Say what you will about McCain (I’d probably agree with it), but he actually served our nation, the hard way. Suffered lengthy torture when he could have gone home first class, express — just by opening his mouth and betraying his principles and his country.
Romney would never get the votes McCain got.
Romney did not say what you said! Romney says he would fill hole in the welfare state! In other words, expand it! Sounds just like Obama to me!
Right now the Easter Bunny is hopping down Penn Ave...
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