Mitt Romney: “I’m Not Worried About The Rich Folk”
Mitt Romney has been busted before for saying that he doesn’t care about the poor. Now he’s been caught saying that he doesn’t much care about the rich either, leaving me to wonder who the Republican presidential candidate cares about at all.
At a gathering in Southampton, Mitt Romney told his wealthy donors that he’s not really all that worried about their interests. Now he cares more about the middle class and the very poor, and helping them out by turning the country around. “If you’re here,” he told his wealthy donors, “by and large you’re doing just fine.” Romney stressed that he’s not worried about the rich, including himself, but cares more about helping out the little guy. “I spend a lot of time worrying about those that are poor and those in the middle class that are finding it hard to make a bright future for themselves.” Of course, his comments awkwardly took place during a trio of fundraising events in the Hamptons, “the ultimate summer resort of the rich and famous,” reports CNN.
Early on during the primaries, Romney had to clear up some similar comments about not being “concerned about the very poor,” in an interview, requiring later damage control and clarification. He stressed later that his main concern was the middle class, and preventing people of comfortable standing from becoming poor themselves.
“Democratic friends are always taking the high road,” he said in the Hamptons, distancing himself some from the Republican base by suggesting that they only care about their own interests. “We all care about the poor, we want to help the poor,” he said, according to local affiliate Fox2. “But what we want to do is not just help; we want to help people from becoming poor.”
His comments reflected similar sentiments back in February when he told reporters that “wealthy people are doing fine,” continuing, “But my focus in the campaign is on middle-income people. Of course I’m concerned about all Americans – poor, wealthy, middle class, but the focus of my effort will be on middle-income families who I think have been most hurt by the Obama economy.”
Romney’s rich friends might get him the election in the long-haul, according to Tim Stanley of the Telegraph. He writes, “everything that the Obama camp hits Romney with when it comes to personality – making money, ruthless financial management, a grasp of basic math – is actually all the stuff that voters classically look for when picking a president,” opining, “At this stage, who cares that Obama is a guy you’d have a beer with whereas Romney’s the brat at cocktail parties lighting cigars with fifty dollar notes? Americans tell pollsters that they want leadership and good accounting, not a new best friend.”
Despite his attempt to endear himself to the middle and lower class, methinks Romney’s Hampton getaways still put him in an alienating position. So did some 200 protestors who met him upon arrival, carrying anti-Romney signs.
What do you think? Is Romney still a stranger or is he beginning to come out of his shell? Can we relate to him? Is he out-of-touch and slightly awkward? Sound off below!
