BY ADEYEMI OSHUNRINADE

May be the straw that broke the Camel’s back, it is the Romney’s video that has put the candidate and his party in a damage limitation mode. Romney in what was supposed to be a fund raising for his campaign, lashed out at 47 percent of voters not knowing his speech was being recorded secretly, the candidate realized the damage he has done to his campaign and candidacy when the deplorable comment he made was leaked in a Mother Jones video.

While in a private reception with wealthy donors, the candidate described 47 percent of Americans as “people who pay no taxes” and are “dependent upon government.” He said such people would probably support President Obama because they believe they are “victims” who are “entitled to health care, to food, to housing, to you name it.” To fairly judge the tone, it is undisputable his comments represents a sincere expression of his personal opinion and what he thinks about 47 percent of Americans who are both in the middle class and low income category.

Listening to Mr. Romney say those things should make one wonder if the candidate will ever be able to represent all Americans. He has said repeatedly that he wanted to “help all Americans-all Americans have a bright and prosperous future.” However, with the video and the insensitive nature of its contents, every right minded voter should begin to ask whether the Republican candidate will ever be able if elected to maintain a balance between the wealthy and middle class Americans.

Without the video posted by Mother Jones, a leading independent News Organization featuring independent and investigative news, it is unlikely that some undecided in the middle class category would know where the candidate actually stands, when it comes to helping Americans most especially those in the low income category who are caught in the current economic crisis. They are the same people Mr. Romney hopes to win over from the incumbent but with his recent comment, he may have made the job of choosing the right candidate come November easier for such people.

According to Mr. Romney 47 percent of Americans “pay no income tax,” and “so our message of low taxes doesn’t connect.” He said “My job is not to worry about those people. I’ll never convince them they should take personal responsibility and care for their lives.” Remember that Mr. Romney has said repeatedly in the course of his campaign that President Obama intends to turn America into a socialist state, it is now clear this is what the candidate believes and exactly what he hopes to change if he becomes President, which would be to marginalize 47 percent of America mostly the middle class and low income families, while he extends tax cut to his mostly supporters and wealthy Americans.

So far, Mr. Romney has realized the damage the revelation is making to his campaign, he is beginning to receive criticism from his party members since the video has now raised the possibility that his campaign will be sidetracked with a return to the issue of his tax cut for the wealthy, and the release of his personal income tax which so far, he has refused to budge on. Once again people are beginning to question whether he will ever be able to connect with the middle class, a case he tried to make during the just concluded Republican convention.

It is unknown how Mr. Romney and the Republican base hope to spin the damaging story around. The candidate is now in a damage limitation mode, in his response to the leaked video, he has said that he wanted to offer campaign donors a candid sense of his strategy, due to the role they play in his campaign and according to him, “That’s something which fund raising people who are parting with their monies are very interested in-knowing can you win or not and that’s what this was addressing.”

The question is whether someone who is willing to cajole his donors into believing he has a strategy, by speaking candidly in an attempt to get in their purses for his campaign, deserves to be President. Remember the same candidate is one trying to convince half of America he is now criticizing to switch sides and vote for him. They are the same people he promised that if elected he would help get back on their feet. For a candidate to demonstrate such disgust and disdain for half of the country, should trigger condemnation and in fact, it should be the straw that broke the Camel’s back.

Dr. Adeyemi Oshunrinade [E.JD] is the author of ‘Wills law and Contests,’ Constitutional Law-First Amendment’ and ‘SAVING LOVE’ a newly published fiction. Follow on Twitter @san0670.

Categories: Politics

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