17 responses to “On the economy, both sides are spot on”

1. 

   THEMIKEYMCD

   24 September 2012

   Spot on!

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2. 

   Ryan Mount

   24 September 2012

   It’s quite possible that your/our “middle of the roaders” want both: to be “good” tax payers AND get ‘dem government benefits. They don’t seem to care about if that is an efficient use of their money.
   “Well I paid for this, damn it! I should be able to tap into it.”

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3. 

   Russ Steele

   24 September 2012

   Here is some insight as to what the middle class thinks about coming election:
   POLITICO: Romney Has 14-Point Lead Among Middle Class. “Many of these opinion pieces even suggested that Romney’s only hope for winning is to make substantial changes to his campaign. Much of this analysis is based on the premise that Romney is out of touch and has not been making an affirmative case to middle-class voters. His comments at a private fundraiser in May were pointed to as an illustration that he could never identify with and win the support of many middle-class voters. We took a special look at middle-class voters, and middle-class families in particular, in this latest POLITICO-George Washington University Battleground Poll and found that not to be the case. In fact, on every measure it is Romney who is winning the battle for the support of middle-class families. . . . In our latest POLITICO-George Washington University Battleground Poll with middle-class families, which comprise about 54 percent of the total American electorate and usually split in their vote behavior between Republicans and Democrats, Romney holds a 14-point advantage (55 percent to 41 percent). Middle-class families are more inclined to believe the country is on the wrong track (34 percent right direction, 62 percent wrong track), are more likely to hold an unfavorable view of Obama (48 percent favorable, 51 percent unfavorable), and hold a more favorable view of Romney (51 percent favorable, 44 percent unfavorable) and Paul Ryan (46 percent favorable, 35 percent unfavorable) than the overall electorate. These middle-class families also hold a majority disapproval rating on the job Obama is doing as president (45 percent approve, 54 percent disapprove), and turn even more negative toward Obama on specific areas; the economy 56 percent disapprove; spending 61 percent disapprove; taxes, 53 percent disapprove; Medicare 48 percent disapprove; and even foreign policy 50 percent disapprove.”

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4. 

   Paul Emery

   24 September 2012

   Romney is also the most unpopular candidate in modern history according to polls and conservative David Brooks. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/23/david-brooks-mitt-romney_n_1907400.html

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5. 

   Ryan Mount

   24 September 2012

   David Brooks is not a Conservative. He’s what the Left wants a Conservative to look like, because as George has discussed numerous times here, the American Left tends not to read or even consider their enemies. Brooks is a “Conservative” that they can read (handle) in the NY Times.
   But I do believe Republicans are holding their noses when they’ll vote for Romney.

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6. 

   Walt

   24 September 2012

   Sorry,, slightly off topic.
   The Progressive lier Izzy Warren has been caught again. Practicing law without a licence. And her backers and “friends” don’t seem to give a crap. To Hell with playing by the rules. Get into office by any means possible. Her stated heritage has been shown to a lie, she used that to gain a position under affirmative action, ( just like the current Prez,) She still claims that heritage no matter how many times it been shown to be false. Now we have her practicing law without a licence. And most likely won’t be held accountable for that either. Funny how that A’OK when your a Progressive LIB.
   NOW,,, if she happened to be a Repub. or Conservative, ( or GOD forbid a tea Party member) The earth would open up and all Hell break lose with demands of her stepping down and getting tossed in jail by the Left. ( not to mention from the Right. Ya… we do that)
   But as always, since she is a LIB,, she gets a pass.

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7. 

   Ryan Mount

   24 September 2012

   For example, never let the facts get in the way of ideology.
   There are numerous people complaining about Romney’s tax returns, how he’s only paying 13 or whatever percent on largely investment returns. So what? He payed high rates when he made the income to purchase the investments in the first place. And then has to pay an additional cap gains tax when the investments gets cashed in.
   It’s a double income tax folks. But that’s more emblematic of how screwed up our Progressive taxation policy is, rather than a reflection on Romney’s hair-gel, country club character. This is how we set up the tax system by electing a Congress to implement it. In a nutshell, we want this and then bitch about it when it becomes politically convenient. Put your money where your mouths are folks. How about returning that home mortgage deduction and those numerous credits which are essentially free money?
   The problem, at its core is our government and not Romney or banks. They’re the symptom. Everyone else is greedy, not my team.

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8. 

   Paul Emery

   24 September 2012

   Ryan
   There’s a big difference between voting while holding your nose and supporting your champion. Romney is nobody’s Lancelot. Ironically Obama also has lots of nose holders as well and his armor is a bit rusty from lack of use in the last four years.
   Romney’s biggest problem is that he has no natural constituency. He’s genetically not a conservative nor a evangelical Christian so that leaves those groups out. What he is is a moderate Republican who has supported universal healthcare and a woman’s right to choose. He’d win easily if he was allowed to take those positions but he’s not and will likely loose. That’s when the fun will begin and the Pubbers will square off in uncivil war.

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9. 

   Ryan Mount

   24 September 2012

   lol. Don’t look at me. I’m probably voting for Gary. 🙂
   Romney has more nose holders, that’s for sure. If Romney wins, which frankly I thought he’d lost but appears to have some staying power, it will be the anti-incumbent vote from independents. The Obama campaign seems to understand that and has taken two tacts(sp?):
   1) Highlight what you (Paul) note above
   2) Aggressively downplay the utter disaster of both the domestic economy (by saying they inherited it, which is partially true) and the complete lack of leadership on the global stage as demonstrated by recent unrest.
   With regards to foreign policy, I’m not one of those people who faulted Obama for going on his Muslim tour early on in his administration. I found it brave and potentially high-impact. But there was no little or follow-up which pretty much sums up his first term. I mean, he has time for The View (god I hate that show) but no time for meeting with world leaders? Really?

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10. 

    Gregory

    24 September 2012

    Ryan, capital gains is more than double taxation. Yes, it’s the result of capital that has already been taxed, but it isn’t indexed for inflation, and if the asset was a stock, the value of the company is what is left after they paid the high corporation income tax.
    Get rid of the corporation income tax, make all capital gains taxable as ordinary income after an indexing for inflation. THAT would be fair. Neither the state or the feds should be skimming off the top before the earnings reach Keachie’s CALSTRS or my meager 401K holdings.

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11. 

    Paul Emery

    24 September 2012

    Ryan
    I’m looking at Gary J also. Libertarian views are a work in progress but need to be looked at as a viable alternative to the Republicrats. We must strengthen third partys to end the monopoly and the mindset that there are no alternatives.

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12. 

    Ryan Mount

    24 September 2012

    Greg’s right and puts a finer point on the Cap Gains tax. It’s really absurd and apparently good political food for the nation’s dis-embrained.
    Me? I like the Fair Tax (Consumption Tax). And it’s pretty much the only thing I agreed with Hamilton on. 🙂

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13. 

    THEMIKEYMCD

    24 September 2012

    some tax facts: my favorite is that Taxing the rich won’t solve the debt problem:
    http://www.aei-ideas.org/2012/09/10-stunning-and-myth-busting-charts-on-the-u-s-tax-system/

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14. 

    Ryan Mount

    24 September 2012

    Eeegads Mikey. Never mind the facts.
    Charlie Mackenzie: Hey Mom, I find it interesting that you refer to the Weekly World News as, “The paper.”
    May Mackenzie: This paper contains facts. And this paper has the eighth highest circulation in the whole wide world. Right? Plenty of facts. “Pregnant man gives birth.” That’s a fact.

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15. 

    TomKenworth

    24 September 2012

    Having to pay sales tax on a used car is double taxaTION, is it not?

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16. 

    Ryan Mount

    24 September 2012

    Having to pay sales tax on a used car is double taxaTION, is it not?
    Under the Fair Tax, you don’t tax any used items. Nor do you tax investments. Anyhow, buying a used car and taxing investment income are two, thankfully, distinct activities. So it’s a little like comparing apples to mustaches.
    But you’re helping me make the point for a consumption tax by focusing on what people buy as opposed to what people produce. People that consume more, pay more taxes. But more to the point, if you don’t want people to invest, be sure to tax them for that activity.
    BTW, Joe Biden paid 23% of his income last year in income tax, which interestingly is the exact taxation amount proposed by the Fair Tax people. Seems like a good place to start. Obama, 20%. Ryan around 18%. Mittens, 13%.

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17. 

    TomKenworth

    24 September 2012

    Well, I suppose that by “using it,” I am creating a “used” car. Fancy that, the Keachie’s of the world are car manufacturers!

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