Was '47% Video' Turning Point in the Campaign?

In my new ebook, I suggest that it played an extremely key role.  You'll remember that even in Nate Silver's estimation, the Obama-Romney race was very tight with Obama losing momentum after a nice DNC boost.  Then the reaction to the secret video, which emerged on Sept. 17,  boosted him to a clear and strong lead--which he essentially never relinquished.   It was enough of a jolt forward that he was able to take a big hit after the first debate and still remain in front.  Without it--he would have been playing catch up all October, and who knows what would have happened on Election Day.

So, in tribute, a flashback now to how I reported it the evening it appeared.  Much more in my ebook Tricks, Lies, and Videotape.
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My old pal David Corn has a story here at Mother Jones on video it has obtained from a "confidential" source--and authenticated--of Mitt Romney telling a private gathering of rich folks what he really thinks of Obama backers.  It's shocking in that it is not all that surprising--but still a potential bombshell, being on tape and all.  Paul Krugman in a blog post calls it "The Real Romney." He concludes: "The idea that half of Americans are just grifters is grotesque. If this is real, it’s very, very ugly."

Greg Sargent of the Wash Post tweets this response from the Obama campaign: "It’s hard to serve as president for all Americans when you’ve disdainfully written off half the nation.” Romney camp now responds: He wants to help all "struggling" Americans but does not refute or question the video or his statements. (And see my other post with map on where Mitt's "freeloaders" mainly live.)

I love this from Corn:  "At the dinner, Romney often stuck to familiar talking points. But there were moments when he went beyond the familiar campaign lines. Describing his family background, he quipped about his father, 'Had he been born of Mexican parents, I'd have a better shot of winning this.'" Here's the money shot (so to speak) but David has much more at the site.

There are 47 percent of the people who will vote for the president no matter what. All right, there are 47 percent who are with him, who are dependent upon government, who believe that they are victims, who believe the government has a responsibility to care for them, who believe that they are entitled to health care, to food, to housing, to you-name-it. That that's an entitlement. And the government should give it to them. And they will vote for this president no matter what…These are people who pay no income tax.