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2016 Postmortem
Related: About this forumEzra Klein: Romney’s problem isn’t his gaffes. It’s his policies.
Romneys problem isnt his gaffes. Its his policies.
By Ezra Klein, Thursday
February 2, 2012
Mitt Romney's problem isn't his gaffes. It's probably better to refrain from saying you're "not concerned by the very poor" and that you "like being able to fire people," but campaigns are long, and all candidates make comments that can be taken out of context to make them look bad. Nor is Romney's problem his tax rate, or his wealth, or his time at Bain Capital. Romney's problem is the interaction all of this has with his policies. In particular, the interaction it has with his tax and fiscal policies.
Romney's tax policy, described simply, is to extend the Bush tax cuts and, then on top of that, sharply cut taxes on corporations, the wealthy, and upper-middle class investors, while letting a set of tax breaks that help the poor expire. The result, according to the Tax Policy Center, would be a $69 tax cut for the average individual in the bottom 20 percent and a $164,000 tax cut for the average individual in the top one percent. And Romney would pay for this through unspecified cuts to domestic programs. Since domestic programs mostly go to the poor and seniors, the regressive tax cuts would be regressively financed.
That's a tough political sell for any candidate. But Romney is a very rich guy who already pays surprisingly little in taxes and has made some oddly callous comments about the poor. And now he wants to lower the tax burden on people like himself, and pay for it by cutting programs for the poor and seniors? That's a much tougher sell.
more...
By Ezra Klein, Thursday
February 2, 2012
Mitt Romney's problem isn't his gaffes. It's probably better to refrain from saying you're "not concerned by the very poor" and that you "like being able to fire people," but campaigns are long, and all candidates make comments that can be taken out of context to make them look bad. Nor is Romney's problem his tax rate, or his wealth, or his time at Bain Capital. Romney's problem is the interaction all of this has with his policies. In particular, the interaction it has with his tax and fiscal policies.
Romney's tax policy, described simply, is to extend the Bush tax cuts and, then on top of that, sharply cut taxes on corporations, the wealthy, and upper-middle class investors, while letting a set of tax breaks that help the poor expire. The result, according to the Tax Policy Center, would be a $69 tax cut for the average individual in the bottom 20 percent and a $164,000 tax cut for the average individual in the top one percent. And Romney would pay for this through unspecified cuts to domestic programs. Since domestic programs mostly go to the poor and seniors, the regressive tax cuts would be regressively financed.
That's a tough political sell for any candidate. But Romney is a very rich guy who already pays surprisingly little in taxes and has made some oddly callous comments about the poor. And now he wants to lower the tax burden on people like himself, and pay for it by cutting programs for the poor and seniors? That's a much tougher sell.
more...
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Ezra Klein: Romney’s problem isn’t his gaffes. It’s his policies. (Original Post)
flpoljunkie
Feb 2012
OP
Ezra is assuming people have an attention span longer than a bumper sticker. nt
Ruby the Liberal
Feb 2012
#3
rurallib
(62,410 posts)1. Was it a 'gaffe' or was Romney accidently speaking the what he believes?
I think he said what he meant and meant what he said.
He has the Republican comic book concept of what 'poor' is.
I doubt he has ever, ever encountered a true poor person.
tularetom
(23,664 posts)2. So the question is how many Americans hate the black guy enough
to vote for policies that will impoverish them?
Ruby the Liberal
(26,219 posts)3. Ezra is assuming people have an attention span longer than a bumper sticker. nt
BillyV123
(26 posts)4. Romney isn't a gaffer...he's just honest.
Romney Ads Slam 1 Adulterer While He Kisses The Ass Of Another! Thoughts at 3 A.M. And Now, A Word From An Asshole! http://thoughtsatthreeam.blogspot.com/?spref=tw