Gov. Deval Patrick Lambasts Romney For ‘Turning His Back’ On Half The Country

Gov. Deval Patrick made a strong and emphatic showing at the Democratic National Convention, and the governor of Massachusetts — the man who has Mitt Romney’s old job — said he is stunned and saddened that the guy running for office on the GOP ticket seems to have abandoned half the citizens of the US before even being elected.

Deval Patrick appeared this morning on Meet The Press, and spoke candidly about his reaction to the leaked video last week of Mitt Romney essentially dismissing a block of voters he feels will never vote for him because he will “never convince them” to take responsibility for their lives or aspire to achieve anything. The 47 percent to which Romney was referring isn’t necessarily clear, but regardless of his meaning, the tape was considered by many to be damning and divisive.

Patrick says that as a person who achieved his position after growing up in poverty, the message seemed an insult as well as a bad precedent, and the governor explains:

“It’s just shocking to me that a candidate could aspire to be president by turning his back on half the country, and I think that’s what came through … I can tell you — as someone who grew up on welfare, who spent some time on food stamps — my mother was just the kind of person … who was aspiring to get to a better place, to get her GED, to get a job, to stand on her own two feet.’’

Deval Patrick continues:

“And the notion that she or we or people like us would be belittled while we needed some help to be able to stand on our own two feet is exactly what I think Governor Romney is conveying.”

Supporters of Romney have said that the message was inaccurate and that the GOP candidate does include the “47 percent” in his plans.