"Government is taking 40 percent of the GDP. And that's at the state, local and federal level. President Obama has taken government spending at the federal level from 20 percent to 25 percent. Look, at some point, you cease being a free economy, and you become a government economy. And we've got to stop that"

In this quote, Mitt Romney is expressing issue about the percentage of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) that is represented by government spending. He starts by asserting that federal government costs makes up 40% of the GDP when you integrate state, regional, and federal levels. Romney is signaling that this level of spending is worrying due to the fact that it implies a big presence of federal government in the financial activities of the nation.

Romney even more highlights a particular increase in federal government costs under President Obama, keeping in mind a rise from 20% to 25%. This increase is depicted as significant and worrisome. By measuring this change, Romney looks for to accentuate the growing monetary reach of the federal government, recommending that this trend may cause unfavorable effects for economic flexibility.

The important message behind Romney's declaration is a caution versus what he views to be federal government overreach. The phrase "at some time, you stop being a totally free economy, and you become a government economy" encapsulates his central argument: that extreme government involvement in the economy can shift the balance from a market-driven system to one controlled by federal government control. Such a shift, as Romney suggests, threatens the principles of a free-market economy, defined by very little government intervention, personal enterprise, and individual liberties.

Romney's call to "stop that" works as a rallying cry for financial conservatives who argue for reduced government costs and intervention. It reflects a belief in lessening federal government's role to maintain financial flexibility, which they contend is essential for innovation, efficiency, and specific success. Essentially, the quote catches his wider political approach that prioritizes restricting federal government size and influence to foster a thriving, competitive economy driven by market forces.