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Tax Messaging

Submitted by Jon Henke on Thu, 09/18/2008 - 09:32
in

The Right could be doing more to win the framing and messaging fight on tax policy.  Below, some messaging thoughts.

Joe Biden...

Democratic vice presidential candidate Joe Biden says that paying higher taxes is the patriotic thing to do for wealthier Americans.

...VS those unpatriotic Americans...

[T]he Tax Foundation released new polling data on Americans’ attitudes toward taxation. The most interesting question to me was this one: “What is the maximum percentage of a person’s income that should go to taxes — that is, all taxes, state, federal and local?” [...] According to the poll...

  • "24 percent of people think all taxes should take less than 10 percent" ...

  • "43 percent think they should take less than 20 percent"

  • "22 percent of people think the tax burden should be no more than 30 percent"

MESSAGE: Democrats only have one idea: spend more money.  No matter what the question, "spend more money" is their only answer...despite the fact that 89% of Americans think that tax rates are already too high. 

Joe Biden..

Noting that wealthier Americans would indeed pay more, Biden said: "It's time to be patriotic ... time to jump in, time to be part of the deal, time to help get America out of the rut."

 

...VS Joe Biden  (NOTE: Barack Obama doesn't think Joe Biden is very neighborly)

[T]he Bidens have been amazingly tight-fisted when it comes to their charitable giving.  Despite income ranging from $210,432 - $321,379 over the ten-year period, the Bidens have given only $120 - $995 per year to charity, which amounts to 0.06% - 0.31% of their income

MESSAGE:  Federal revenues are approaching $3,000,000,000,000, but Democrats think it's the government that needs more money.  Not their money, of course.  Yours. 

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Comments

revenues

Submitted by vfraenckel on Thu, 09/18/2008 - 12:02.

You need to add some more zeroes to that revenue citation. They are approaching $3,000,000,000,000

Thanks

Submitted by Jon Henke on Thu, 09/18/2008 - 13:10.

Fixed it.

Thanks, Biden

Submitted by Jeff Roberts on Thu, 09/18/2008 - 12:24.

Biden is the gift that keeps on giving.

McCain should cut a commercial telling voters about Obama's plan to radically raise their taxes, and then show a clip of Biden saying it's patriotic to pay higher taxes.

When people are pinched as it is, the last thing they want from the leaders is to have their taxes raised.

Biden was even better - called for tax hikes on middle class

Submitted by Freedoms Truth on Thu, 09/18/2008 - 14:01.

A few years back (or maybe even on Prez campaign trail) he OPENLY ADVOCATED A TAX HIKE ON THE MIDDLE CLASS. I dont have quote handy but I hope/expect its out there....

oh, I just remembered. I blogged about it here:

http://travismonitor.blogspot.com/2008/08/bad-choice-barack-picks-sub-av...

The source is here, from April 2007 debate in Iowa:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2066660/posts?page=2

Biden: YOU PAY FOR MY IDEA BY DOING THREE OR FOUR THINGS, DAVID, AND ALSO YOU GO AFTER THE DEBT THIS WAY. I WOULD FUNDAMENTALLY -- YOU HAVE TO HAVE A FUNDAMENTAL CHANGE IN AMERICAN FOREIGN POLICY AND A FUNDAMENTAL CHANGE IN TERMS OF THE TAX POLICY. I WOULD LET THE TAX CUTS FOR ALL OF THE MIDDLE CLASS LAPSE. I WOULD NOT MOVE FORWARD WITH THE NEW TAX CUT CALLED FOR BY ELIMINATING THE INHERITANCE TAX. I WOULD -- I WOULD LET LAPSE WHAT WOULD COST $195 BILLION OVER TEN YEARS THE TAX CUT FOR DIVIDENDS.

Yes, the gift that keeps coming indeed!

 

that Biden quote sounds like...

Submitted by Wulf on Thu, 09/18/2008 - 13:15.

...the colonel in Full Metal Jacket.  “How about getting with the program? Why don't you jump on the team and come on in for the big win?"

About as inspriring, too.

Maverick strikes back

Submitted by Keith_Indy on Thu, 09/18/2008 - 13:45.

Maverick strikes back in stump speech...

http://hotair.com/archives/2008/09/18/mccain-goes-on-offense-links-obama-to-credit-crisis/

Today Senator Obama’s running mate said that raising taxes is patriotic. Raising taxes in a tough economy isn’t patriotic. It’s not a badge of honor. It’s just dumb policy.

More please...

The Republicans lack crediblity of fiscal issues

Submitted by superdestroyer on Thu, 09/18/2008 - 14:34.

Of course, the Republicans would have a much stronger argument if the Republicans in Congress from 2001 to 2006 had not increased spending everyyeras and if $5 trillion had not been added to the national debt during the Bush Administration.

Unless Republicans are willing to talk about spending cuts, then Repubicans need to shut up about tax cuts.  Tax cuts with spending increases is a stupid policy that needs to end today.

On no, they Republicans cannot claim that they can grow the economy to make up the incrased spending.  They have claimed that since the time of Reagan and the plans has been a failure.  If you want less government, you have to cut spending.  Once the budget is balanced, then lets talk about tax cuts.  However, if republicans want to spend like fools, then taxes must go up to pay for the foolish spending.

McCain Does Talk about Spending Cuts

Submitted by Keith_Indy on Thu, 09/18/2008 - 15:41.

McCain has been talking about spending cuts.  And he will have to drag the rest of the party along with him.  Or at least the non-conservatives in the Republican party.

What part of the $5 Trill...

Submitted by Darvin Dowdy on Thu, 09/18/2008 - 16:34.

...was spent on the GWOT and Homeland security?  I'm curious, educate me.  I don't know.  And would that GWOT have been necessary had not the dem's during the '90's gutted defense spending, to the extreme, which left us wide open to our enemies.  And our enemies exploited that "openness". 

I'm not letting the Repub's off the hook by any  means, but my gosh, they've had a lot on their plates over the last 7 years.   Wouldn't you agree?  I suspect that our President is experiencing some mild burnout.    DD

I can't believe Biden would say this...

Submitted by Big Ben 4 liberty on Thu, 09/18/2008 - 17:35.

If the Dems learned anything in their shelacking back in the 1984 presidential election its that you don't openly admit your for raising taxes.  And when you get elected and want to raise taxes you don't call it a tax increase as Clinton showed you call it, "investing in America".

Or as Mark Warner showed when he was Virginia governor, you simply ignore your campaign pledge not to raise taxes (just pretend you never actually said it) and claim a non-existant revenue crisis that can only be solved by tax increases because cutting actual spending would somehow lead to the apocalypse

So, let me get this straight....

Submitted by CF on Thu, 09/18/2008 - 17:41.

The Democratic vice presidential nominee has no problem calling opponents of his tax plan "unpatriotic", but would complain if a Republican candidate referred to a Democrat as such?

HYPOCRISY: Not the change we need.