Sunday, February 14, 2010

Tea Partiers: They don't know what they are mad about

To give just one example, 95% of all Americans received (small) tax cuts as part of Obama's stimulus program. But among people who identify with the tea party movement, 46% believe that their taxes are unchanged, and 44% believe that their taxes have gone up. Only 2% know the truth.

Other examples: they don't like the way that terrorists are given civilian trials under Obama, although that was the norm under Bush as well. They are outraged at the mounting federal debt, although historically it soared most under Ronald Reagan and GW Bush. They don't like bank bailouts, although that was initiated under GW Bush. They are outraged at possible cuts to Medicare, although Republicans have ALWAYS been in favor of cutting or eliminating Medicare.

4 Comments:

Blogger RichM said...

If every stimulus dollar is more than offset by increases in fees and state tax, one might have a case. But this is a rather difficult calculation to perform.

The more important point is that we were falling into a depression which we have mostly averted. Do they really believe that John McCain and Sarah Palin would not have had to put in place a similar set of measures if they had won the election? It is prudent, not foolhardy, to endure short-term pain in order to safeguard long-term prosperity.

But none of this matters, since those zealots are interested in railing against strawman topics only.

10:17 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

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12:08 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

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4:19 AM  
Blogger RichM said...

The preceding two comments were left by apparent zealots, though perhaps not of the political sort.

2:49 PM  

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