Romney says 47 percent remark was wrong

5 Oct 2012, 7:07 pm   -   Source: AAP
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Mitt Romney now admits remarks that dismissed 47 percent of Americans as dependent on government handouts were "completely wrong".

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Fresh from a much-needed debate victory, Republican challenger Mitt Romney said his earlier remarks dismissing 47 percent of Americans as government dependents were "completely wrong".

The admission came amid a campaign reset that shocked President Barack Obama at Wednesday's debate, in which his invigorated rival for the White House vowed to fight for middle class families that were being "crushed" by the president's policies.

"Clearly in a campaign with hundreds if not thousands of speeches and question and answer sessions, now and then you are going to say something (that) doesn't come out right," Romney told Fox News late on Thursday.

"In this case, I said something that's just completely wrong. I absolutely believe, however, that my life has shown that I care about the 100 percent."

The video released last month by the liberal Mother Jones website showed Romney, in a closed-door gathering with wealthy donors, saying that 47 percent of Americans paid no income taxes, viewed themselves as victims and would vote for Obama in order to keep getting government handouts.

Romney admitted when the remarks surfaced in mid-September that they were "not elegantly stated", but he slid in the polls leading many to wonder if the video had torpedoed his years-long quest for the presidency.

But on Wednesday an energised Romney delivered a surprisingly strong performance in the first of three presidential debates opposite a listless Obama, injecting new momentum into his campaign ahead of the November 6 vote.

To the surprise of many supporters, Obama did not mention the "47 percent" remarks during the debate.

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