I read and article today that stated that Romney says 47% of voters will vote for Obama no matter what because they don't pay income taxes and are dependent upon the government for so much crap.
Unfortunately, I probably fall into the 47% who don't pay income taxes because my husband and I don't make very much on an annual basis. And though we do have government assistance to care for our baby, we would love to have the ability to care for ourselves. I mistakenly assumed that that was the general feeling--Wanting to be able to care for your own family.
This belief was recently shaken up when I ran into a friend whom I associate with the liberal crowd. She asked me what I was doing and I told her that I was being a stay at home mommy, in part because I had been laid of from my job. Her response was shocking to me "Being laid off is always nice." After a brief pause, she asked, "Are you getting unemployment?" For her and for my readers, the answer to that is "No." I am not getting, or seeking, unemployment because I believe I could find a job if I was willing to accept just any old job. But I'm not--I need a job that allows me to stay home with my son. So telecommuting or babysitting are the most dominant options.
When I explained my job requirements to her, she basically said that I could meet the job application requirements for unemployment and still not get a job by telling potential employers all the things I won't do when they interview me. The problem is, there are probably a lot of people out there doing just that. My uncle recently told me that he has people on unemployment come in and ask if they are hiring--he says he tells them yes and they basically walk right out the door!
So, though I don't think all 47% of people who are not paying income taxes and are using government assistance feel entitled to all those things, it has recently become easy for me to see how that generalization could have formed in Romney's mind.
And--I am still voting for Romney!
