The Middle Class

[oldsarge54]

Both sides are claiming to be for the middle class. However, nobody seems to know what that is. In my youth, middle class was a house, married couple, one wage earner, one or two kids. If you doubt that, check out the sitcoms of the era, My Three Sons, Flintstones, Bewitched, even the Addams Family (ok, Gomez was more of a Mitt than blue collar). These days, what is a "middle class" household demographically, and more important, can we collectively decide what sort of income range is necessary to achieve middle class status?

[seabeyond]

1. ummm, more tax breaks for rich, increases for everyone else is not going for middle class

so the very basis to your post is false.

sending jobs out of us
no corruption laws for corps and wallstreet
more war
less funding to education
no healthcare

i can go on and on

[oldsarge54]

4. Not a False Assumption

Each side is declaring in speeches that they are for the middle class, and their opponent is bad for the middle class. My question remains, what is the middle class. Come on, there are lots of bright people here. Cannot we come to a consensus, or at least an attempt?

[seabeyond]

7. The social group between the upper and working classes.

[oldsarge54]

8. Needs a little refining

Funny thing, those that self identify as middle class also consider themselves as working class. Are you referring to what used to be called "blue collar" as working class? How do we differentiate between the two? Would working class mean two paychecks from ruin?

[orpupilofnature57]

2. Excuse me !!!!! What did Gomez ever do to you???

Gomez was more like Willy Wonka, Mitt wit is more like Lex Luther.

[oldsarge54]

5. Mitt hasn't done anything yet.

However, would you argue that Gomez had too much money and a shortfall on interfacing with reality? There is the similarity I meant to address.

[orpupilofnature57]

13. Oh !!! I get you.

[YoungDemCA]

3. The "middle class" is not a clear thing....

The ambiguity of it means it's hard to define.

[oldsarge54]

6. Nothing Wrong in Trying

It has been a question since the Tea Party outbreak some 2 1/2 years ago. I'm soliciting the collecting wisdom of the DU to do something the politicians are unable to articulate.

[Mtndreamer]

9. I remember them, they are now "collateral damage" by the Neo Cons..

they do not fit into the Republican National Playbook, and no longer exist except in our memories..

[oldsarge54]

12. Seriously

I really am looking for ideas on how to define middle class. I wouldn't blame the neocons for this, because what I think is the middle class. I'm proposing a income range of about $50K - $100K, house owning, a couple not necessarily married, and one child. Anyone want to refine this further?

[davidn3600]

14. Keep in mind location too

$50k job in most of the south is pretty darn good. But it wont get you very far in NYC.

Middle class would likely be the median household income (all persons living within the family unit) for the area in question. For the country as a whole, the median household income is around $50,000.

[davidn3600]

10. People have some strange ideas about this

I've even heard some claim they are "middle class" even though they make $150k a year because they "live paycheck to paycheck."

[oldsarge54]

15. Worse yet

I saw a post on yahoo about someone complaining about writing a check for $250K for taxes and calling himself middle class. Heck, that more than my best five years combined.

[nanabugg]

11. But we all seem to know who is "poor" or "working poor" but neither side mentions them. nt