I know: "it's not over 'till it's over" and "anything can happen." But I also know that–in politics–words can be bullets and that some wounds don't heal.
Given the dynamics of the campaign, I don't think Mitt Romney will recover from the damage his comments will cause.
It doesn't matter whether what he said is statistically true. The court of public opinion has different rules than a court of law, and, in this case, truth is not a defense.
What Romney has done is reaffirm every doubt any American has about him and the Republican Party. He's made moderates and independents wonder about his values, and his ability to communicate.
And Romney's problem is not what he'd like it to be–it isn't that what he said was "not elegantly stated," because, actually, it was elegantly clear.
President Obama's campaign calls Romney's remarks "shocking." Please, spare me! My guess is Team Obama is celebrating, and should be. I can't remember more damaging comments, more terribly timed, in any recent presidential campaign.
According to Romney, "47% of the people…believe that they are victims… entitled to health care, to food, to housing, to you name it."
There are Americans who feel entitled to what they don't deserve, but–if they're 47% of the country–then this nation is living on borrowed time.
On election day, we'll take the only poll that counts.
But, right now, I don't believe a majority of Americans will vote for Mitt Romney's vision.