Politics

King: presidential election was ‘Santa Claus versus personal responsibility’

Alexis Levinson Political Reporter
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ALTOONA, Iowa — At Iowa Republican Gov. Terry Branstad’s birthday fundraiser on Saturday night, Republican Rep. Steve King echoed Mitt Romney’s recent remark that President Barack Obama won the race by giving “gifts” to certain demographics.

“Well, he did,” King told The Daily Caller, when asked for his thoughts on Romney’s comment that Obama had promised gifts to Hispanics, African-Americans and young voters. “It was Santa Claus versus personal responsibility and fiscal responsibility.”

King said that, in his analysis, too much of the electorate wants to rely on government. (RELATED: Republican Gov. Bobby Jindal repudiates Romney’s ‘gifts’ comment)

“I think that I’d characterize it a little bit differently. I think that the people who voted for dependency outnumbered the people who voted for personal responsibility,” King said. “Obama promised, and those promises resonated with people who decided that they would rather be dependent upon government, rather than have their freedom and their opportunity to have a real, vigorous economy. So that’s what I think was the dividing philosophy.”

Romney also struggled with turnout among conservative voters, King added, noting that on Election Day the Republicans lost ground with groups like Hispanics and African-Americans, relative to how the party normally polled.

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