This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Gov. Mitt Romney now claims that he lost the presidential election because President Barack Obama gave "gifts" to the same "entitled" 47 percent who Romney attacked in the famous unauthorized video of his talk to donors in Florida. He implied that Obama bought the winning votes with these gifts.

Romney misses the point: In the video (and much of his campaign) he directly insulted half of all Americans, which probably contributed to his election loss.

Romney also fails to recognize that the "gifts" he offered to the richest Americans resulted in billions of dollars in donations to his election coffers. Unfortunately for him, that money failed to convince the American public that tax cuts for the rich would be good for America.

On the other hand, Obama's "gifts" to America include:

1. Social equality and economic fairness for women, gays and ethnic minorities.

2. Saving the Supreme Court from decades of regressive rulings.

3. Basic health care for all Americans.

With the holidays quickly approaching, I am deeply grateful for these gifts. Thank you, Barack Obama.

Brad Walker

Evanston, Wyo.