The 47%: Romney Finally Speaks From the Heart

     Romney can't claim to have committed a "gaffe" on the video released by Mother Jones as he was not speaking to the public but to wealthy donors behind closed doors. So we've finally heard him speak candidly. As former Ohio Governor, Ted Strickland says, what is worrying here is that he did speak from the heart:

     "Former Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland, a President Obama surrogate, lashed Mitt Romney over his fundraiser comments on CNN this morning, telling Soledad O'Brien that the candidate "spoke from his heart, and that's what troubles me."

     "This is how Democrats will frame the argument against Romney based on the comments in the coming days, making expectations for the Republican nominee on his debate performance to help save him for the fall all the higher."

     http://www.politico.com/blogs/burns-haberman/2012/09/strickland-romney-spoke-from-his-heart-135841.html?hp=l1_b6

     There aren't many who want to stand behind these comments. This morning Joe Scarborough wore a bag over his head in embarrassment as a Romney supporter. Irving Kristol makes the good point that there are Republicans who don't pay income taxes:

     "While Romney surrogate Donald Trump said the GOP standard-bearer shouldn’t apologize for his “47 percent” comments, many moderate conservative pundits were gloomy."

      "MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough, a former GOP congressman, felt the need to wear a bag over his head during “Morning Joe” to hide his support for Romney. A Bloomberg View blogger said the tape “has killed Mitt Romney’s campaign.” The New York Times’s David Brooks wrote Romney was “running a depressingly inept presidential campaign.”

      "Weekly Standard Editor Bill Kristol labeled Romney’s comments “arrogant and stupid.”

      “It’s worth recalling that a good chunk of the 47 percent who don’t pay income taxes are Romney supporters — especially of course seniors (who might well ‘believe they are entitled to heath care,’ a position Romney agrees with), as well as many lower-income Americans (including men and women serving in the military) who think conservative policies are better for the country even if they’re not getting a tax cut under the Romney plan,” Kristol wrote. “So Romney seems to have contempt not just for the Democrats who oppose him but for tens of millions who intend to vote for him.”

     Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0912/81333_Page2.html#ixzz26qKlnKqE

     So Romney did something for the Trump vote here, but he already had it in the bag. Meanwhile he's claiming that he meant what he said though he could have put it more "elegantly."

     But in truth this was how he really feels as it was said privately. It''s for this reason that the real question now is what Romney will say next. What's the next inelegant thing he'll say?

     "Kristof tweeted Monday night about the recently leaked video in which the GOP presidential candidate told donors at a Florida fundraiser in May that “47 percent” of President Barack Obama’s supporters are “dependent upon government.”

     Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0912/81336.html#ixzz26qN02piL

     "What will Romney do for an encore? Condemn people who don't save enough for a weekend house? Use #RomneyEncore hashtag."

      Matt Yglesias had this great reply:

      "What's the elegant way of saying 47% of the population refuses to take responsibility for their lives and you don't care about them?"