Mitt Romney, the Leaked 47 Percent Video, and Contemptuous Conservatism
In 2000, George W. Bush sought to put a kinder, gentler face on his party’s animating philosophy, which had developed a reputation as being harsh, uncaring, and uninterested in helping society’s most vulnerable. Bush campaigned for the presidency as a “compassionate conservative.” A dozen years later former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who publicly describes himself as “severely conservative,” filled in the details on what that means in a private, $50,000-per-plate Florida fundraiser in May. On a video publicized yesterday by Mother Jones, Romney says that the 47 percent of the country who don’t pay income tax are “victims” owed an “entitlement” from the government. The biggest defense he could be bother to mount last night at a hastily called press conference was that his comments were inelegantly phrased. But he stood behind the broader sentiments. Romney sounded forced when he self-described in February as severely conservative, but his private expression shows he’s a contemptuous conservative.