Mitt Romney Cares Not for Our Poor

Though he hasn't yet commented on our tired or our huddled masses, Mitt has made it explicitly clear that he is not "is not concerned about the very poor." Strangely, Mitt is also not concerned about the very rich, which should be troubling to the handful of billionaires who are funding his campaign not to mention his own family.

But it is Romney's callous attitude towards America's poor that is morally and economically troubling, not to mention statistically unsound. Let's explore further.

First off, Mitt claims that 90-95% of Americans are both middle class and struggling. The assertion that 90-95% of Americans are struggling, even in hard economic times, is absurd as a stand alone comment, but in the context of what else Romney says it makes even less sense. For one thing Mitt's numbers are all wrong. According to census data, the percentage of Americans living in poverty in 2010 was 15%, not the 5% Romney is talking about. And if Romney truly cares about struggling Americans he should care about that 15% of the population. His given reason for ignoring their plight is "There is a safety net there. If it needs repair, I'll fix it." This is probably true since Romney is a moderate, but it's a bizarre political comment for a man who is trying to depict himself as a conservative, especially when one considers that the current conservative mantra is to cut all spending that would help impoverished Americans.

What the Republican party once knew but seems to have forgotten is that Americans make America great. The government has a responsibility to help all citizens, especially those who need it most. It is a moral failing and a national embarrassment for a man hoping to lead the world's greatest nation to dismiss the plight of 15% of the population. Furthermore, from an economic standpoint - supposedly Mr. Romney's strong suit - the more income inequality there exists in America, the more unsustainable our economic future looks. If a significant percentage of the population cannot afford to consume the goods and services we are providing then we are only hurting ourselves. Not worrying about the very poor isn't just morally wrong, it's economically backwards. If Romney truly cared about the middle class, he would be very worried about poor Americans; he would be worried about finding ways to get them into the middle class.

Mitt Romney should know better, but Mitt Romney doesn't seem to know who he is or what he stands for so I can't say I'm completely surprised. The reason Romney seems to be so out of touch with average Americans is because he is. The man seems to never have met a position his audience didn't like. Mitt Romney the moderate would be a good president, but Mitt Romney the candidate is out of touch with Americans, average, poor, and probably rich as well.