Neurosurgeon and conservative favorite Ben Carson was the latest to touch on the issue, raising it during an appearance on “Fox News Sunday”and offering a critique of 2012 nominee Mitt Romney’s now-infamous comments that 47% of the population is dependent on government and would therefore never support Republicans.
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“He made one major mistake,” Carson said. “He assumed that they all had the same mentality. They don’t. A lot of people in that 47% are very anxious to experience the American dream.”
He said turning that 2012 liability into a 2016 strength is possible for “creative” Republicans.
“I think that the Republican Party has a splendid opportunity to make the case that we want those people who are dependent in our society to be independent,” Carson said. “We’re creative people. If we use our resources, we can lift people out of poverty as well.”
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Both sides have concluded that with the unemployment rate dipping, sagging wages are the next major economic challenge.
In 2013, the median net worth of upper-income families was $640,000 — almost seven times the $96,500 that middle-income families earned, and the highest gap in 30 years, according to the Pew Research Center’s analysis of Federal Reserve data released in December.
Republicans have argued in recent months that the economic recovery is hollow with wages stagnated and many people still dropped out of the labor force.
The issue could be key for Republicans to bolster their hopes in 2016 — especially since in 2012, 58% of white non-college graduates voted for the GOP, while 40% voted for the Democrat.
