Polls show the most people think that rich pay too little in taxes.

[GOPBasher]

These polls indicate that, overwhelmingly, the people think that the rich pay too little in taxes, as do corporations.

68% think that the rich pay too little in taxes, while only 29% think they pay their fair share or too much.

69% -- about the same -- think that corporations pay too little, while only 25% think they pay their fair share or too much.

Only 4% think that middle income people pay too little, while 52% say they pay their fair share and 41% say they pay too much.

10% (retards, apparently) think that the poor pay too little, while 36% say they pay their fair share and 51% believe they pay too much.

These are good numbers. Why can't Democrats take advantage of this?
:shrug:

link: http://pollingreport.com/budget.htm

[phantom power]

1. And yet at least some of those must have voted for Bush.

[GOPBasher]

4. That's what always blows me away, too.

I don't get it. :shrug:

[Amy6627]

2. About damn time! n/t

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

3. Because people don't read all of the words.

What is said by Democrats:

We want to make things fair and raise taxes on the rich.

What is heard by the public and reported in the media (boldfaced words only):

We want to make things fair and raise taxes on the rich.

[GOPBasher]

5. That's a good way to put it. n/t

[shoelace414]

6. but those poor are so lucky

they don't have to pay uncle sugar anything!

[GOPBasher]

7. Yeah, I wish I were that lucky!

I want to be so lucky that I live in a box on the street!!!!
:sarcasm:

[girl gone mad]

19. Lucky Duckies, as the Wall Street Journal infamously referred to them..

[KittyWampus]

8. Great Find!

[GOPBasher]

9. Thanks! :-) n/t

[KittyWampus]

31. Gotta Kick This One

[Warpy]

10. Democrats will, after they dump the DLC

Honestly, the main reason nobody wants to vote for Dem candidates is because a cadre of rich conservatives has hijacked the party for decades and taken this stuff off the table.

[GOPBasher]

12. I agree with you now, although I don't think Bill Clinton was like that.

I think the DLC originally had good ideas, and there were things we needed to compromise on, such as welfare. And then we did. But the DLC now wants to continue compromising, even when we don't have to. These numbers prove that we don't need to compromise our stance that the rich should pay more. But they still want to. :shrug:

[rbking]

15. The DLC

It's ironic isn't it, that a cadre of rich conservatives that are "social liberals" hijacked the the democratic party and moved it to the right on economic issues and the GOP was hijacked by a bunch of "liberal, anti-communist, hawks" that are now called the neocons?

The reason the neocons are more successful is that they didn't try to change the basic structure of the party, they simply made peace with, and a pact with, the hardcore party members.

Just for fun, take a look at some of the websites about the accomplishments of Richard Nixon, and some of the things he wanted and failed to get through (national healthcare 1972) and compare it to the Clinton agenda. Surprise, surprise, on a good number of issues they are a dead on match, and on others we liberals might just wish for the good 'ol days when Dick Nixon was president.

[Itsthetruth]

11. Here's One Possible Reason

"These are good numbers. Why can't Democrats take advantage of this?"

Because most Democratic party leaders and members of Congress are very rich and represent the rich? That's one possible answer.

You don't really think they hang with and represent working people, do you?

[GOPBasher]

13. Well FDR was rich, but his policies greatly helped the

working class and the poor. I still think many in the Democratic party are on the correct side, but the party as a whole just sucks at politics. They can't win even when public opinion is overwhelmingly on their side.

[Itsthetruth]

14. But What About Today?

That was over half a century ago and FDR really didn't have much choice in the matter. Faced with an economic depression, a massive political radicalization of workers and mass movements and protests by working class people via new organizations what choice did FDR have? FDR was under tremendous pressure from mass organizations that were not organized nor under the control of the Democratic Party to make some significant reforms.

Had he failed to do that what do you think would have happened in the United States? Chances are a new political party representing working people would have been formed to challenge both the Democratic and Republican parties for political power. Most astute political leaders have said that FDR "saved capitalism" by making such concessions and economic reforms. I believe that is true.

Does the Democratic Party speak and act for working people and fight the political domination and rule of corporations today? Hardly.
The Democratic Party would not even take a position against the bankruptcy law much less fight it as an opposition party!!!

Might the Democratic Party at least sound turn on the anti-corporate rhetoric a bit if an economic depression unfolds? Probably.

[EVDebs]

21. FDR was a Freemason, too, and understood he'd have to answer

to the great architect of the universe when his time was up.

TR and Truman were also Freemasons. I doubt you'll see ANY mention of this in the TV biographies, but the lodge and the craft have a deeper impact on people than those outside can know. FDR had to fight other Freemasons within the government (see http://members.tripod.com/~american_almanac/morgan1.htm
such as Carter Glass) but he succeeded in reforming the banking system and "saved capitalism" from itself.

No mention is ever made of the assassination attempt by Giussepe Zingara Feb 15, 1933, or the coup attempt by some of Bush's relatives the same year (The Plot to Overthrow FDR) which was squelched by USMC Gen Smedley D. Butler.

On the other hand, it would be a blast if they were Clampers...but that is too funny to contemplate !

[iconoclastNYC]

16. I think it comes down to framing

When we get control of the agenda i think we'll be pushing tax relief.....but it will be "targeted tax relief"

[GOPBasher]

23. But right now we should be using this to get popular opinion

on our side, and winning elections.

[iconoclastNYC]

33. I agree. We need a progressive "Contract with america"

and "Tax Reform Done Right" should be item #1

I think it's coming....

[Eliot Spitzer 2006]

34. The New Contract with America

If the American People give the Democrats a majority, we pledge to vote on the following within the first 100 days:

1. A plan to cover every working American with basic health insurance.
2. To vote on a "balanced budget bill" which will eliminate ballooning deficits for future generations.
3. To require that every party lead under indictment needs to step aside until the process proves them innocent.
4. To strengthen Social Security without taking a lot of money out of the system. To use private accounts as an add-on.
5. To send all of the President's judicial appointments to the floor for a vote.
6. To streamline and modernize the military without eviscorating our national defenses.
7. To eliminate all income taxes for the bottom 50% of income earners.
8. To thoroughly review all corporate income tax breaks and eliminate corporate welfare once and for all.

These are just a few but I like this idea.

[rniel]

17. I live in america

Absorb all the media has to put out into my brain and honestly thought that most people want to tax the rich less and less. Based on how people are voting.

The first thing that popped into my mind was then why do we have republicans in control of all 3 branches of government if this is what people really think.

[GOPBasher]

24. Exactly! Given popular opinion here we should be winning elections.

We can't because no one knows that the Dems are the party that want the rich to pay their fair share. This is partyly because of the media and party because we Democrats simply lack the rhetorical talent the Republicans have. They know how to win even when the vast majority of people are opposed to their policies. We need to fix that.

[Vogon_Glory]

18. Probably Because Not Enough of the Poor Vote

If more of the hard-pressed lower middle class and working poor bothered to vote, and to vote for their economic interests, the Boosh regime would never have come to power and the Banana Republicans would still be a noisy, obnoxious political minority in the US House of Representatives and the US Senate today.

The trouble is that too many of the lower middle class have either chosen to be politically apathetic or have chosen to let religious charlatans or propagandists like Rush and Faux News do their thinking for them.

I strongly believe that one of the responsibilities of a citizen living in a representative republic is to think and act rationally. Sad to say, many of our fellow US citizens have chosen to let their passions trump their intellect.

[GOPBasher]

25. You're right.

The poor and middle class don't vote as much as they should. And then there are so many evangelical Christians in the US today who vote Republican "just because they're supposed to," even though they're voting directly against their own economic self-interests.

[EVDebs]

20. David Cay Johnston's book "Perfectly Legal" tells the whole story

Pefectly Legal verifies what we are all seeing with Bush's supplyside, trickledown, voodoo economics for the rich.

It is also the reason why globalizationists thrive on it because they can outsource more jobs and capital and at the same time force Joe Sixpack to make up for the difference. Then, while the economy is tanking, they can demand more concessions and taxbreaks from the state and local governments.

The rich get richer...until they get TOO rich.

"You can have great wealth or a democracy, but you cannot have both"--Louis Brandeis

"Behind every great fortune lies ... a crime"--Balzac

[GOPBasher]

26. I've been meaning to read that book for a while.

I really should one of these days.

[malmapus]

22. So now what?

I mean we all know the rich should pay their fair share in taxes like the rest of us. What can we do to get things to change in this country?

[GOPBasher]

27. Use the popular opinion on that issue to win elections.

We should be able to win elections, given that the majority of Americans want to tax the rich more. But the because of the media and the Democrats' own lack of aggression in public rhetoric, the people simply don't know that this is exactly what Democrats want to do. They just think Democrats are those people who "hate traditional values, and against Christians, and are morally bankrupt, etc.. "

[Name removed]

28. Deleted message

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[Clarkie1]

29. Clark: Tax the rich.

""If Karl Rove is watching today, Karl, I want you to hear me loud and clear: I am going to provide tax cuts to ease the burdens for 31 million American families -- and lift hundreds of thousands of children out of poverty -- by raising the taxes on 0.1 percent of families -- those who make more than $1,000,000 a year. You don't have to read my lips, I'm saying it."

"Somebody once told me in business that when you're going to negotiate a business deal, you stake out your position and stand on it! Don't go in there and ask what they want. Say, `Here's what I want!'. You've got a Republican Party under Gingrich and Tom DeLay that says, `Here's what I want' . "Then you've got the Democrats over here saying, `Yeah, ah, yeah, we could, some of what you say makes pretty good sense.' The result is the American people don't see the full spectrum. Before the 2002 election there were a lot of Democratic politicians apparently who said, `I don't have the information. I can't battle with the president on the information. He's got the intelligence. What if there is a smoking gun in there? I can't fight the president in my congressional district.' What we've got to do is stake out our position. For instance on tax reform, stop saying you agree with simplification of the tax code. . . . We stand for progressive taxation. We're proud of it. If you make more, you should pay more, period!"

-Wes Clark

[Name removed]

30. Deleted message

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[The Blue Knight]

32. This is the key to compete in the South/West.

We need to start pushing these numbers. We need to push our own wedge issues. We need to start SHOWING UP in the West and the South. They'll listen. We can't let things like "Gay Marriage" and "Gun Control" define the election in the South and the West. We'll get creamed every fucking time.