HUDSON, N.H. — Democrats and Republicans alike are accusing Mitt Romney of being out of touch after he said during this weekend’s debate that he would make a $10,000 bet with Rick Perry, even as millions of Americans struggle to make ends meet in a troubled economy.
Romney didn’t back away from the comment Sunday — but said he has been reminded he’s not a good gambler.
“After the debate was over, Ann came up and gave me a kiss,” Romney said, referring to his wife. “And she said, ‘There are a lot of things you do well. Betting isn’t one of them.’ “
Romney tried to make the bet with the Texas governor after Perry accused Romney of saying in the original version of his book “No Apology” that Massachusetts’ health-coverage mandate should be a model for the nation.
“You’ve raised that before, Rick. And you’re simply wrong,” Romney said.
Perry said it was true as Romney laughed and said: “Rick, I’ll, I’ll tell you what. Ten thousand bucks? Ten thousand dollar bet?”
He stuck his hand out to Perry, who wouldn’t take it.
Romney’s bet — for a sum that represents more than two months’ salary for Americans with mid-range incomes — has ignited a discussion about whether Romney, a wealthy businessman whose worth is estimated at more than $200 million, is out of step with the challenges facing ordinary Americans.
“I would suggest to you that $10,000 is pocket change for Mitt,” said Perry, who was campaigning in Iowa on Sunday. “Having an extra $10,000 to throw down on a bet seems very out of the ordinary.”
Democrats have seized on the remarks, pointing out just how much $10,000 can buy. Democratic National Committee chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz called the remark “the most out-of- touch moment in any debate so far — offering to bet Rick Perry $10,000 as casually as if it’s something he does all the time,” she said in a statement.
The remark is likely to become an issue in a general election campaign that President Barack Obama has begun to define as a fundamental philosophical struggle between fighting for shared sacrifice and curtailing government to let people fend for themselves.
Romney’s campaign has spent most of the year focused on Obama instead of on his GOP rivals. And while former House Speaker Newt Gingrich has risen to the top of polls in several early states, Romney says he still thinks he will be the Republican nominee.
“I’m going to get the nomination,” he told reporters Sunday night in Hudson.
