Was Romney Right About the 47 Percent or Will This Doom His Campaign?

A secret video obtained by Mother Jones magazine has rocked the political world. In that video, Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney said 47 percent of Americans believe they are victims, are dependent on the government and will never vote for him. He went further, saying he wasn't worried about them. The magazine released a portion of the video Monday.

In a late night press conference Monday, Romney said the comments were not "elegantly stated," but were part of a larger conversation about the role of personal responsibility. Romney went on to say the comments were a reflection on "the political process of winning an election, and, of course, I want to help all Americans — all Americans — have a bright and prosperous future."

Mother Jones later released the full video.

Do you think the video shows Romney's true feelings about half of the American electorate, or was this an out-of-context snippet? Will this hurt Romney's chances of winning the election, or is it one blip in a very long campaign? Tell us what you think in the comments below.

(Editor's note: This question came from Jamaica Plain NY Patch.)