When Mitt Romney famously conflated two facts about 47% of Americans at a closed fundraiser for wealthy supporters in Florida, it didn't really stick. No one except the usual partisans were outraged by it. The facts were as follows: (1) about 47% of American don't pay any Federal incomes taxes and, (2) at the time about 47% of Americans polled favored President Obama over Governor Romney. As you recall, Gov. Romney went on to say that these two 47% populations were one and the same and they all had a manifest sense of entitlement owing to their self-proclaimed "victimhood" and would therefore never vote for him. The partisans and most of the press taunted Gov Romney reminding him that the 47% who paid no Federal taxes comprised the poor, veterans, the disabled, the retired, on-duty military personnel, widows and widowers. They also reminded him that they paid plenty of other taxes (state, local, sales, etc.) and likely had paid or would pay plenty of federal taxes and, further, that one of the main reasons they paid no taxes was that tax credits and refunds were the manner preferred by (mostly) GOP politicians to deliver these benefits.
Of course, the reason this caused very little noise in the electorate was that those who did pay no taxes like the poor, veterans, the disabled, the retired, on-duty military personnel, widows and widowers viewed themselves as deserving of those benefits and instinctively knew that Gov Romney was refering to welfare cheats, drug addicts, criminals and, you know, basically, all those many ba-zillions of Hispanic and black people who exploit the system to their benefit.
Similar to the great American belief that we are all middle class - regardless of our income (except the poor - they know that they're poor) - there are certain basic views of ourselves that we take to be self-evident. "No one I know is in that 47% of freeloaders and I am certainly not either!" is one of them. That is why, the 47% comment was just raw meat for the Democratic base and meant nothing to anyone else. We, as Americans, all view ourselves as the 53%. So the 53% is really all of us. 53% = 100%
The real problem though that should be of grave conern to we 53% is just what might be in store for us should Gov Romney be elected.
I think it is interesting that the argument about Gov Romney's wealth being a bullwark against him being bought by high rolling contributors was dropped relatively quickly after he began his run for the Presidency.
The Koch brothers have already spent as much on their shadow campaign against Pres Obama as the Republican Party has on its own for Gov Romney. They are but two people. Pres. Obama has stated that it is his intent to let the Bush tax cuts expire and therefore raise taxes on those earning more than $250,000. It seems to me that the brothers Koch could have easily paid their higher taxes for the next four years and even got some change back using that same money they invested in the election. Savvy businessmen that they are, they clearly are expecting some "goodies" should their man prevail. These goodies will not come without cost and will likely balloon the deficit and perhaps provide them some regulatory "relief" that will allow them to depress wages. It also seems likely that they might hire a few hundred or thousand new part-time or low wage employees as tit for Gov Romney's tat.
Sheldon Adelson has made it clear that he has certain expectations from a President Romney with regards to Middle East policy. Putting his money where his mouth is is powerful enough. Start listening for the war drum beating to bomb Iran should there be a Romney presidency.
Who else has made their down payment on a Romney presidential victory? How will those dollars change the policies of the country under a Romney administration? Unfortunately, the only consistency in Gov. Romney's campaign has been the rejoinder that details will be forthcoming only after victory.
I sincerely hope we never find out those details.