Will Obama's "DEMONIZE THE WEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL" strategy really work?

by Drue-AFCL Posted 2012/07/12 22:28:59

Loading Demographics... Click an icon to see demographic results Display unknown and private
	yes	41 votes	36%
	no	72 votes	64%

More polls by Drue-AFCL

socokid 2012/07/14 01:49:14

no

+2
Nobody demonizes the successful. We all want to be successful.

The problem is the disparity. Greed has produced a false, and destructive fear that has actually convinced 50% of us that giving them more will fix things. We have always done much better as a nation when our disparity is less. Suggesting making it worse is a fix, is insanity. Giving more to the top has never fixed anything. Ever.

The poor and middle class have been DEMONIZED enough.

http://www.csmonitor.com/Busi...

http://www.motherjones.com/po...

reply
Lee 2012/07/14 01:21:05

no

Mitt Romney wears Magic Underwear.

He thinks it protects him from evil. And that brings up the question:

Do we really want a President who wears magic underwear?

Do we want the country to go in that direction?

reply
Q 2012/07/14 00:44:28

yes

+1
Please...all he wants is for the wealthiest Americans to pay a slightly higher tax rate by returning to the old rate from the Clinton era and to close the loopholes, that's hardly the same as demonizing the wealthy.

Any serious attempt to lower the deficit will require spending cuts along with a slightly higher tax rates so why not on the Americans who can afford it the most? After all the polls show that the vast majority of Americans believe its the responsible way to lower the deficit.

The so called "job creators" benefited from what eight years of the Bush tax cuts yet failed to produce any significant job growth since we lost almost 350K jobs per month in 2008. The jobs didn't exactly trickle down now did they?

reply
fudge35 2012/07/13 23:53:05

yes

+1
Of course he isn't demonizing the wealthy. That is all right wing talking points, for their minions to run around and spread to the masses. It's evil strategy, but effective. the right wing got this mighty propaganda machine idea from the old Soviet Union's propaganda through Pravda. So here we go with a duplicate machine from the Soviets now in the hands of the right wing. Oh well they are all for a Autocracy government.

reply
sick'n'tired 2012/07/13 22:44:29

yes

+1
It is working. The envious and jealous are screaming loudly.

reply
FindingHeartInThisCrazy World 2012/07/13 20:02:32

yes

+1
i hope so

reply
Bastion 2012/07/13 19:53:59

no

+7
Will the Wealthy and Powerful really be able to save their own ass with this "demonize the wealthy" crap?
Does anybody but the Wealthy's Toadies in congress really buy that?

My heart bleeds for the "demonized" wealthy and powerful.

reply
JimmyIIX 2012/07/13 19:48:38

no

+2
It all depends on how many morons he can keep occupied in left field.

reply
Cordingly 2012/07/13 18:48:18

yes

+4
They're doing a good enough job at demonizing themselves if you ask me.

I can't believe we've gotten to the point where people feel that the billionaire banks who got us into this mess are considered the victims.

reply
Live Fr... to Cordingly 2012/07/13 19:03:58

+2
They are playing their violins somewhat more loudly this time around, but there has always been a thing about raising taxes that gets people's blood boiling. No one wants to admit that it has to be done and everyone blames the President when it happens.

reply
Cordingly to Live Fr... 2012/07/13 20:28:48

+1
Right but it's like the stories of banks playing high risk games with other people's money, taking millions of dollars in bonuses for their failed companies, and basically racketeering our hard earned cash get lost and forgotten and the president is to blame.

reply
Live Fr... to Cordingly 2012/07/13 20:34:46

+1
They do blame the President too much, when the congress has more to do with it. He doesn't write the laws, only proposals for them to work on. But you can't tell people that.

reply
Jackie G - Poker Playing Pa... 2012/07/13 16:20:26 (edited)

no

+3
I have faith in the American people - yes, there are some who are filled with envy and greed and there are some who have no idea of what is fact and what is fiction but I honestly believe that they want to be successful, they want to see people succeed and that they will not buy this campaign of hate and division.

reply
Live Fr... to Jackie ... 2012/07/13 18:32:21

+1
Whatever party or President says we have to raise taxes gets demonized, like H.W. Bush did in his time after he said "Read my lips, there will be no new taxes". Obama is not even at Clinton levels of taxation and they say he is a big taxer. Well, no, he is not.

reply
Jackie ... to Live Fr... 2012/07/13 19:47:08

The question was not about taxation.

reply
Live Fr... to Jackie ... 2012/07/13 19:55:14

+1
You're right, it was about the strategy to raise taxes. Still, the final result will be about taxation.

reply
Golden Panther 2012/07/13 15:16:54

no

+2
I say no. However, it has worked well for varying periods in Nazi Germany, Communist Russia, China, and Cuba. Do these mindless liberals really think that by continuing with mega government, drunken sailor spending, and liberty taking control will not result in the same fate for the USA>

reply
susan 2012/07/13 14:51:24

yes

+3
I hope not, but it has been effective for him. It is just rhetoric, as what he does actually favors the wealthy behind the scenes. He is not after the truly wealthy, but the middle class who create small businesses and jobs.

reply
Steve 2012/07/13 14:46:11

yes

+7
He's pointed out that the wealthy shouldn't pay a lower tax rate than middle class Americans. He hasn't "demonized" the wealthy at all.

Most Americans agree with him on this.

reply
Jackie ... to Steve 2012/07/13 16:22:16

+1
They don't pay a lower rate - they pay the top rate on ordinary income and, additionally, pay 15% on investment profits. He is just lying for those who do not understand the tax schedules or how they work.

reply
Steve to Jackie ... 2012/07/13 16:35:32

+5
A dollar from investments should NOT be taxed at a rate lower than a dollar earned from working.

reply
Jackie ... to Steve 2012/07/13 16:40:46

+2
So double taxation - well, okay but it will make a disaster for middle class who works hard to invest in retirement programs tied to the markets. Stupid by any standard - really really stupid

reply
Steve to Jackie ... 2012/07/13 17:27:30

+6
Hardly. Taxes on dividends are no more "double taxation" than taxes on wages.

When middle class folks have investments, it's largely in retirement accounts--tax free until withdrawal, and then withdrawals are taxed as income--perfectly reasonable, and nobody is proposing changing that arrangement.

Generally, only quite wealthy people have income mostly from investments, and this income should simply not be taxed at a lower rate than wages.

reply
Jackie ... to Steve 2012/07/13 19:46:26

Taxes on dividends are a separate tax - one that Obama wants at 43% (roughly 150% increase that really hits everyone with even a savings account) investment income taxes are another and that he wants at 100% increase - That SOB wants to raise all of them and kill off the middle class as well as the retired folks living off their dividends and/or investments

Since, according to the IRS, 48% pay absolutely no income taxes at all; this is disproportionate taxation of all the rest of us who are paying. It is users vs. workers, I will fight double taxation, I will fight the users who contribute nothing , and I will fight those who are so filled with envy and hate that they tear down those who are a success who are in reality paying the freight for this nation.

reply
Steve to Jackie ... 2012/07/13 20:32:56

+3
That 48 percent who pay "no income taxes at all" still pay plenty of payroll taxes to support Social Security and Medicare. In many cases, they pay a higher percent of their income with these than people who are subject to income tax.

A dollar of wages should not be taxed at a rate higher than a dollar of investment income.

reply
Jackie ... to Steve 2012/07/13 20:46:05

And so does everyone else - sales taxes, property taxes - which we must agree that the more affluent pay much more simply because they spend more.

No one should ever be forced to pay double taxation - no one

reply
Live Free Or Die 2012/07/13 14:14:43

no

+4
I don't think he's demonizing the wealthy at all, but trying to get the economy back on track by raising taxes on those who can afford it, while giving tax breaks to the middle-class. This is one area where I think the Republicans are completely wrong. They want their wars, their Medicare and their social security. They just don't want to pay for it.

reply
Live Fr... to Live Fr... 2012/07/13 14:32:03

+1
I meant to click "yes" and can't change it now.

reply
ProudProgressive 2012/07/13 14:11:25

yes

+5
The President has not demonized the wealthy and successful. He has, justifiably, demonized the Republican Party for ignoring the needs and the rights of everyone who isn't wealthy enough to make large donations while handing more and more of the nation's wealth to the people who already have most of it.

reply
Grandbrother 2012/07/13 14:03:19

no

+4
No, because there is no such thing. Why would you put something in quotes when Obama has never actually expressed anything of the sort?

reply
ProudPr... to Grandbr... 2012/07/13 14:12:03

+5
Truth and reality scare them.

reply
Drue-AFCL to ProudPr... 2012/07/13 18:37:05

Untrue!

reply
ProudPr... to Drue-AFCL 2012/07/13 20:24:33

+2
Then why do you go to such lengths to avoid them? You don't seem to be stupid, so you can't possibly believe that President Obama wants to "demonize the wealthy". If it isn't fear of reality, what would motivate you to write something you know has no factual basis of any kind?

reply
Drue-AFCL to ProudPr... 2012/07/16 01:08:12

It is my opinion.

reply
Racefish 2012/07/13 13:54:36

no

+2
Right now he looks like a hypocrite. Wait, he is a hypocrite.

reply
mich52 2012/07/13 13:04:21

yes

+5
Call it what you people want but the majority of Americans support raising the taxes of the wealthy...

reply
susan to mich52 2012/07/13 17:07:17

Not when they are given the facts on the true tax rates and the numbers. They only support the raising of taxes on the "wealthy" when they are led to the trough of lies.

reply
mich52 to susan 2012/07/13 18:14:09

+2
Your ignorance is showing...

reply
sick'n'... to mich52 2012/07/13 22:50:49

Penalize those sons-o-bitches for being successful by god!!! That'll teach 'em! Jealous mich?

reply
mich52 to sick'n'... 2012/07/13 23:06:04

+1
Your ignorance is showing...

It has nothing to do with them being successful, all of us are paying less in taxes when there is no need to.. The tax cuts have added a Trilion+ to the deficit. Try a mature response I don't need to deal with people who reply like children...

reply