Amongst the most serious examples of our (i.e. progressives') capitulation to the language of the right is the use of the word "taxpayer" to refer to the American people. Paying taxes is only one of the ways that we support our country - and NOT the most important.
If one were to stipulate to Romney's analysis, then almost 1/2 of those REPRESENTED could not accurately even be labeled "taxpayers". Though his math is inaccurate, the idea does hold true for some in our country.
Even for those of us who pay the highest tax rates (before rates start dropping for the obscenely wealthy), paying taxes is not the exclusive, nor even primary, element of our identity as Americans. I hope that we are each more to our country, and to each other, than a source of funds.
Contributing monetarily to support the communal elements of society is but one facet of what makes us CITIZENS of the United States.
CITIZENS (as opposed to taxpayers) vote, serve, work, build, support, and when necessary, criticize.
The words we choose and allow others to choose frame debates on important issues. By accepting and using "the American taxpayer" as the most common identifier of American citizens, we accede to their view of government as primarily a collector of taxes. We play "on their turf" in a raft of important issues, and we demean our own social role and the role of government as our collective identity.
Fellow citizens, please . . .