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The latest CBS News poll asked national respondents whether they’d support higher taxes on millionaires to lower the deficit. The results weren’t exactly close.
Overall:
Yes, raise taxes on millionaires: 64%
No, don’t raise taxes on millionaires: 30%Among Democrats:
Yes: 83%
No: 13%Among Independents:
Yes: 65%
No: 28%Among Republicans :
Yes: 40%
No: 54%
Remember, among congressional Republicans, even talking about this represents some kind of dangerous “class warfare” that threatens to hurt the economy and pit Americans against one another. The fact that President Obama has actually proposed such a change in tax policy puts him, in the GOP’s eyes, slightly to the left of Karl Marx.
And yet, it appears “class warfare” is pretty popular with the American mainstream. When 40% of self-identified Republicans endorse a tax increase on the very wealthy, it suggests we’re talking about an idea with fairly broad support.
The same poll found more Americans believing that the tax increases will improve job creation, rather than hurt it.
Why are Democrats, from President Obama on down, so unafraid of this issue? Because they’ve seen polls like this one, and know most Americans agree with them.
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hornblower on October 04, 2011 11:34 AM:
Word is Christie is not running.
It appears he understands that his positions make him a moderate Republic. Their is no party for that.
c u n d gulag on October 04, 2011 11:41 AM:
hornblower,
Christie may seem like a moderate Republican now, but 30-40 years ago, with his blatant anti-labor, and other, views, he'd have been one of the far right ones.
But you're right.
Putting a Muslim on the state court, and not denying evolution and global warming, are extremely extreme positions today.
cmdicely on October 04, 2011 11:48 AM:
If you look at the poll numbers, that makes some sense -- if you replace "Americans" with "Republicans".
stormskies on October 04, 2011 11:49 AM:
Plus, Christie in not STUPID enough for these crazies who celebrate stupidity ...
r on October 04, 2011 11:51 AM:
Thank god the democrats won't run on this. They are the party of the rich, vs the party of the super-rich.
Yes. They. Won't!
Danp on October 04, 2011 11:56 AM:
Christie in not STUPID enough for these crazies who celebrate stupidity ...
Oh, I don't know. I think he fits in pretty good with them. And I'm sure he knows there is no penalty for political flip-flops, especially when it comes to suddenly realizing that science is a bunch of bunk.
ElegantFowl on October 04, 2011 12:30 PM:
Time to work on redefining "centrism". The center is not what a pundit thinks is half-way between whatever the parties are saying. The center is what the majority of Americans are saying: on tax policy, economic policy, military policy, environmental policy, etc.
FRP on October 04, 2011 1:07 PM:
How to keep crazed self , and community destroying provocation , as a personal and party policy platform , without straight jacket , by Eric Cantor .
This poll represents the submission to the devotion of identity politics . The particulars satisfy an apparent endless hunger and participation in irrational partisan spite . With no knowable facts the preferred speculations shall grow wilder , indulging one insupportable position after another . Unconcerned with demonstrations that , wild claim after wild claim , eliminate the slightest hint of face saving honor . The excitement for the latest humiliation on the heels of the latest , demeaning climb down , shall not slow the appetite for throwing stones from the glass houses of telegraphed Republican motives .
Weakness in both eagerly accepting literally unbelievable claims , with the latest looming humiliation ready again to slap credulity hard in the face . In local terms this would place an individual under the protection of the court , but , by provision in our charter it is okay if you are a republican .
Goodnight Chet
Goodnight David
Goodnight , and good luck , Middle Class
Thank you
kentropic on October 04, 2011 1:38 PM:
30% against? That's a groundswell! I would've bet good money that this would come in at 27% on the nose....
Gov't Mule on October 04, 2011 1:56 PM:
@ Steve, the President and the Democrats ignored a treasure trove of polling data in October, 2010 that the public overwhelmingly supported taxing the rich. The advice POTUS received was IMO one of the principle reasons why the Democrats lost the majority in the House. Advisers were afraid that Republicans would label Democrats as "tax raisers." Duhh! Even after the President came into office and cut people's taxes, the public mistakenly assumed that he had raised and not cut taxes on 95% of working Americans. You can't base your policy on what your opponents are going to label you. If you do that, you let your opponents define you. Instead, Obama and the Democrats succumbed to fear of losing rather than were motivated by the desire to win. Now that his job, as well as that of Senate Democrats, seems in jeopardy, this is suddenly a winning issue. The point is that this has been popular for years. If it were so unpopular, Obama would probably never have been elected President.
desraye on October 04, 2011 2:07 PM:
"the President and the Democrats ignored a treasure trove of polling data in October, 2010 that the public overwhelmingly supported taxing the rich."
Was you paying attention? The president mention that he wanted to taxed the rich before the 2010 elections. It was the spineless DEMS in Congress, not he president.
We are Bigger than you Think on October 04, 2011 3:03 PM:
We don't want to abolish capitalism. We simply want to reduce it to the size where we can drag it into the bathroom and drown it in the bathtub.
DisgustedWithItAll on October 04, 2011 4:11 PM:
Again, if you're beyond sickened by the unwillingness of the White House and the Democratic Party to engage this obvious "war" then your time would be better off spent leveling at the people you're irritated with:
- White House: http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact
And here:
- DCCC: http://www.dccc.org/page/s/contact
Every episode of clear obstruction of the economic interests of the country (especially the "class warfare," AJA, or any other issue such as climate change, etc.) such as the constant Republican refusal to bring up the AJA should be met with an onslaught by various and sundry Democrats with a public megaphone. When it's not, ***WE*** should meet those Democrats with an onslaught of our disgust at their spinelessness. If ***WE*** don't, then we're just as guilty as the Democrats we're disgusted with.
A Conservative Teacher on October 04, 2011 4:22 PM:
And this is why democracy is no good and our founding fathers rejected it- if a majority of people vote that they want the fruits of your labor and your hard work, then in a democracy, they get it. Good thing we have a republic, where minority rights are respected and government is restricted by law and can't just 'vote' itself your life, liberty, and property.
desraye on October 04, 2011 7:06 PM:
"Again, if you're beyond sickened by the unwillingness of the White House and the Democratic Party to engage this obvious "war" then your time would be better off spent leveling at the people you're irritated with:"
SMH The Whitehouse is doing their job. You should be calling the DEMS that won't vote for the AJA.
DisgustedWithItAll on October 04, 2011 8:06 PM:
@desraye: Agreed. Whomever is not fighting should be the ones we target, whether it be the White House, Democratic House members, or Democratic Senate members.
Anonymous on October 04, 2011 8:09 PM:
@desraye: Also, I tried to put House and Senate e-addresses on the first post but the software here at Wash. Monthly apparently doesn't like it when there's more than (2) http addresses. And I also let Dems know when I approve of what they're doing. It would help if more did so, believe me.
Campesino on October 04, 2011 8:53 PM:
You bet. Just did the trick in the 2010 elections
Pamela Mayer on October 05, 2011 2:40 PM:
The evidence shows that Republicans are in the back pocket of the wealthy and are not interested in "OUR" well being.
Too many are quiet and patient and like to believe the best in our elected (?) leaders. I am not one of them.