It might be safe to assume that 47 is not Mitt Romney’s favorite number.

Forty-seven was the percentage that got the Republican presidential challenger into trouble during the campaign, when he said “47% of the people” were guaranteed to vote for President Barack Obama “no matter what” because they were “dependent upon government, who believe that they are victims” and did not pay income taxes.

“I’ll never convince them that they should take personal responsibility and care for their lives,” Romney said of the 47%.

The remark earned Romney heaps of scorn in the press and reinforced the Democrats’ contention that he was out of step with most Americans.

No analyst blamed Romney’s defeat solely on his 47% remark. But the number did indeed come back to haunt him….

Once all the votes were counted after Election Day, the results showed that the Republican candidate lost to Obama by four points: 51% to (you guessed it) 47%.

-Noel Brinkerhoff

To Learn More:

Romney's '47%' Chosen As Year's Best Quote (by John Christoffersen, Associated Press)

2012 National Popular Vote Tracker (by David Wasserman @Redistrict)

Romney On '47%': I Was 'Completely Wrong' (by Tory Hargro, USA Today)