A new Rasmussen poll could have large-scale implications for President Barack Obama after his controversial “You didn’t build that” comment last week.
The Rasmussen poll found that 72 percent of Americans believe that entrepreneurs who start small businesses are responsible for more economic growth than big business or government.
The national telephone survey also found that just 13 percent disagreed, and Americans also believe small business owners are the hardest working group of people.
In what is now being called the “You didn’t build that speech” President Obama tried to make the case that business could not succeed without the infrastructure put in place by the government.
However, as the poll shows, a compelling number of Americans disagree with the President’s remarks that government created the environment for business to succeed.
The Obama 2012 campaign claims that GOP Presidential nominee Mitt Romney took Obama’s words out of context, but Romney says that isn’t the case.
“It wasn’t a gaffe. It was his ideology,” said Romney. “I don’t think the president understands what makes this country great.”
According to the latest numbers available from the Small Business Administration’s advocacy office, in 2009 there were 26.8 million businesses in America classified as small businesses (businesses that employ less than 500 people). Additionally, SBA’s data shows that 99.7 percent of all employers in the US are small businessses and 49.2 percent of people working in the private sector work at small businesses.
Given the large number of Americans who own or work for small businesses it’s no surprise that the President’s comments were out of step with the views of so many Americans. If President Obama loses in November, his “you didn’t build” that comment will undoubtedly be a memorable factor.
