Basking in the company of people he believed to be supportive and like-minded, Romney let loose with his observation that 47 percent of the population were “takers,” living off the largesse of big government. These people would never vote for him, the governor said—which made it especially important to reach out to the other 53 percent. But Romney’s targeting, it turned out, was inexact. The caterers circulating among the donors, serving drinks and canapés, were outsiders.
