Posted on 08/24/2011 6:40:43 AM PDT by Sudetenland
Recent polling has shown huge gaps between the Political Class and Mainstream Americans on issues ranging from immigration to health care to the virtues of free markets.
The gap is just as big when it comes to the traditional right direction/wrong track polling question.
A Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that 67% of Political Class voters believe the United States is generally heading in the right direction. However, things look a lot different to Mainstream Americans. Among these voters, 84% say the country has gotten off on the wrong track.
Twenty-four percent (24%) of Mainstream voters consider fiscal policy issues such as taxes and government spending to be the most important issue facing the nation today. Just two percent (2%) of Political Class voters agree.
With a gap that wide, it’s not surprising that 68% of voters believe the Political Class doesn’t care what most Americans think. Fifty-nine percent (59%) are embarrassed by the behavior of the Political Class.
Just 23% believe the federal government today has the consent of the governed.
Most voters believe that cutting government spending and reducing deficits is good for the economy. The only group that disagrees is America’s Political Class. In addition to the policy implications, this highlights an interesting dilemma when it comes to interpreting polling data based upon questions that make sense only to the Political Class. After all, if someone believes spending cuts are good for the economy, how can they answer a question giving them a choice between spending cuts and helping the economy?
Mainstream Americans tend to trust the wisdom of the crowd more than their political leaders and are skeptical of both big government and big business.
Fifty-eight percent (58%) of voters currently hold Mainstream views. In January, 65% of voters held Mainstream views. In March 2009, just 55% held such views.
Only six percent (6%) now support the Political Class. These voters tend to trust political leaders more than the public at large and are far less skeptical about government.
When leaners are included, 76% are in the Mainstream category, and 14% support the Political Class.
“The American people don’t want to be governed from the left, the right or the center. The American people want to govern themselves," says Scott Rasmussen, president of Rasmussen Reports. “The American attachment to self-governance runs deep. It is one of our nation’s cherished core values and an important part of our cultural DNA.”
In his new book, In Search of Self-Governance, Rasmussen explains, ““In the clique that revolves around Washington, DC, and Wall Street, our treasured heritage has been diminished almost beyond recognition. In that world, some see self-governance as little more than allowing voters to choose which of two politicians will rule over them. Others in that elite environment are even more brazen and see self-governance as a problem to be overcome.”
The book can be ordered on the Rasmussen Reports site or at Amazon.com.
The Political Class Index is based on three questions. All three clearly address populist tendencies and perspectives, all three have strong public support, and, for all three questions, the populist perspective is shared by a majority of Democrats, Republicans and those not affiliated with either of the major parties. We have asked the questions before, and the results change little whether Republicans or Democrats are in charge of the government.
In many cases, the gap between the Mainstream view and the Political Class is larger than the gap between Mainstream Republicans and Mainstream Democrats.
The questions used to calculate the Index are:
-- Generally speaking, when it comes to important national issues, whose judgment do you trust more - the American people or America’s political leaders?
-- Some people believe that the federal government has become a special interest group that looks out primarily for its own interests. Has the federal government become a special interest group?
-- Do government and big business often work together in ways that hurt consumers and investors?
To create a scale, each response earns a plus 1 for the populist answer, a minus 1 for the political class answer, and a 0 for not sure.
Those who score 2 or higher are considered a populist or part of the Mainstream. Those who score -2 or lower are considered to be aligned with the Political Class. Those who score +1 or -1 are considered leaners in one direction or the other.
In practical terms, if someone is classified with the Mainstream, they agree with the Mainstream view on at least two of the three questions and don’t agree with the Political Class on any.
Initially, Rasmussen Reports labeled the groups Populist and Political Class. However, despite the many news stories referring to populist anger over bailouts and other government actions, the labels created confusion for some. In particular, some equated populist attitudes with the views of the late-19th century Populist Party. To avoid that confusion and since a majority clearly hold skeptical views about the ruling elites, we now label the groups Mainstream and Political Class.
I stumbled across this article from August 3rd at Rassmussen Reports and, at least to me, it tells us exactly what is wrong with this nation and our government.
It seems that our political class, those who reside in the bubble of government and the traditional news media, have absolutely no idea what is going on throughout the rest of the nation except in the vaguest of hints. Check this out and then pick your jaw up off the ground.
Thank you for this post.
They do not serve us.
A trip to Washington is a trip to a total disconnect from reality. DC has become a realm unto itself, drunk on power, and totally incapable of governing anything.
I’ve cut and pasted below what I think even better points out where we are today in this country. Sorry for the length and if you’ve seen it before.
If anyone is interested I’ll e-mail the original to them.
545 vs. 300,000,000 People
> > -By Charlie Reese
> >
> > Politicians are the only people in the world who create problems and then
> > campaign against them.
> >
> > Have you ever wondered, if both the Democrats and the Republicans are
> > against deficits, WHY do we have deficits?
> >
> > Have you ever wondered, if all the politicians are against inflation and
> > high taxes, WHY do we have inflation and high taxes?
> >
> > You and I don’t propose a federal budget. The President does.
> >
> > You and I don’t have the Constitutional authority to vote on
> > appropriations. The House of Representatives does.
> >
> > You and I don’t write the tax code, Congress does.
> >
> > You and I don’t set fiscal policy, Congress does.
> >
> > You and I don’t control monetary policy, the Federal Reserve Bank does.
> >
> > One hundred senators, 435 congressmen, one President, and nine Supreme
> > Court justices equates to 545 human beings out of the 300 million are
> > directly, legally, morally, and individually responsible for the domestic
> > problems that plague this country.
> >
> > I excluded the members of the Federal Reserve Board because that problem
> > was created by the Congress. In 1913, Congress delegated its
> > Constitutional duty to provide a sound currency to a federally chartered,
> > but private, central bank.
> >
> > I excluded all the special interests and lobbyists for a sound reason.
> > They have no legal authority. They have no ability to coerce a senator, a
> > congressman, or a President to do one cotton-picking thing. I don’t care
> > if they offer a politician $1 million dollars in cash. The politician has
> > the power to accept or reject it. No matter what the lobbyist promises,
> > it is the legislator’s responsibility to determine how he votes.
> >
> > Those 545 human beings spend much of their energy convincing you that
> > what they did is not their fault. They cooperate in this common con
> > regardless of party.
> >
> > What separates a politician from a normal human being is an excessive
> > amount of gall. No normal human being would have the gall of a Speaker,
> > who stood up and criticized the President for creating deficits. The
> > President can only propose a budget. He cannot force the Congress to
> > accept it.
> >
> > The Constitution, which is the supreme law of the land, gives sole
> > responsibility to the House of Representatives for originating and
> > approving appropriations and taxes. Who is the speaker of the House now?
> > He is the leader of the majority party. He and fellow House members, not
> > the President, can approve any budget they want. If the President vetoes
> > it, they can pass it over his veto if they agree to.
> >
> > It seems inconceivable to me that a nation of 300 million cannot replace
> > 545 people who stand convicted — by present facts — of incompetence and
> > irresponsibility. I can’t think of a single domestic problem that is not
> > traceable directly to those 545 people. When you fully grasp the plain
> > truth that 545 people exercise the power of the federal government, then
> > it must follow that what exists is what they want to exist.
> >
> > If the tax code is unfair, it’s because they want it unfair.
> >
> > If the budget is in the red, it’s because they want it in the red.
> >
> > If the Army & Marines are in Iraq and Afghanistan it’s because they want
> > them in Iraq and Afghanistan ...
> >
> > If they do not receive social security but are on an elite retirement
> > plan not available to the people, it’s because they want it that way.
> >
> > There are no insoluble government problems.
> >
> > Do not let these 545 people shift the blame to bureaucrats, whom they
> > hire and whose jobs they can abolish; to lobbyists, whose gifts and
> > advice they can reject; to regulators, to whom they give the power to
> > regulate and from whom they can take this power. Above all, do not let
> > them con you into the belief that there exists disembodied mystical
> > forces like “the economy,” “inflation,” or “politics” that prevent them
> > from doing what they take an oath to do.
> >
> > Those 545 people, and they alone, are responsible.
> >
> > They, and they alone, have the power.
> >
> > They, and they alone, should be held accountable by the people who are
> > their bosses.
> >
> > Provided the voters have the gumption to manage their own employees...
> >
> > We should vote all of them out of office and clean up their mess!
> >
> > Charlie Reese is a former columnist of the Orlando Sentinel Newspaper.
> >
> > What you do with this article now that you have read it... is up to you.
> > This might be funny if it weren’t so true.
> > Be sure to read all the way to the end:
> >
> > Tax his land,
> > Tax his bed,
> > Tax the table,
> > At which he’s fed.
> >
> > Tax his tractor,
> > Tax his mule,
> > Teach him taxes
> > Are the rule.
> >
> > Tax his work,
> > Tax his pay,
> > He works for
> > peanuts anyway!
> >
> > Tax his cow,
> > Tax his goat,
> > Tax his pants,
> > Tax his coat.
> >
> > Tax his ties,
> > Tax his shirt,
> > Tax his work,
> > Tax his dirt.
> >
> > Tax his tobacco,
> > Tax his drink,
> > Tax him if he
> > Tries to think.
> >
> > Tax his cigars,
> > Tax his beers,
> > If he cries
> > Tax his tears.
> >
> > Tax his car,
> > Tax his gas,
> > Find other ways
> > To tax his ass.
> >
> > Tax all he has
> > Then let him know
> > That you won’t be done
> > Till he has no dough.
> >
> > When he screams and hollers;
> > Then tax him some more,
> > Tax him till
> > He’s good and sore.
> >
> > Then tax his coffin,
> > Tax his grave,
> > Tax the sod in
> > Which he’s laid...
> >
> > Put these words
> > Upon his tomb,
> > ‘Taxes drove me
> > to my doom...’
> >
> > When he’s gone,
> > Do not relax,
> > Its time to apply
> > The inheritance tax.
> >
> > Accounts Receivable Tax
> > Building Permit Tax
> > CDL license Tax
> > Cigarette Tax
> > Corporate Income Tax
> > Dog License Tax
> > Excise Taxes
> > Federal Income Tax
> > Federal Unemployment Tax (FUTA)
> > Fishing License Tax
> > Food License Tax
> > Fuel Permit Tax
> > Gasoline Tax (currently 44.75 cents per gallon)
> > Gross Receipts Tax
> > Hunting License Tax
> > Inheritance Tax
> > Inventory Tax
> > IRS Interest Charges IRS Penalties (tax on top of tax)
> > Liquor Tax
> > Luxury Taxes
> > Marriage License Tax
> > Medicare Tax
> > Personal Property Tax
> > Property Tax
> > Real Estate Tax
> > Service Charge Tax
> > Social Security Tax
> > Road Usage Tax
> > Recreational Vehicle Tax
> > Sales Tax
> > School Tax
> > State Income Tax
> > State Unemployment Tax (SUTA)
> > Telephone Federal Excise Tax
> > Telephone Federal Universal Service Fee Tax
> > Telephone Federal, State and Local Surcharge Taxes
> > Telephone Minimum Usage Surcharge Tax
> > Telephone Recurring and Nonrecurring Charges Tax
> > Telephone State and Local Tax
> > Telephone Usage Charge Tax
> > Utility Taxes
> > Vehicle License Registration Tax
> > Vehicle Sales Tax
> > Watercraft Registration Tax
> > Well Permit Tax
> > Workers Compensation Tax
> >
> >
> > STILL THINK THIS IS FUNNY?
> > Not one of these taxes existed 100 years ago, & our nation was the most
> > prosperous in the world.
> > We had absolutely no national debt, had the largest middle class in the
> > world, and Mom, if agreed, stayed home to raise the kids.
seems like 67% of them need to be gone and stay gone.
Yep. 67% OR MORE need to be gone. And it starts with YOU voting out YOUR congressrat and ME voting out MY congressrat.
The degree of disconnection between the “Country Class” (a/k/a: the people) and the Ruling Class is absolutely stunning. It is also growing, and that does not bode well for the future.
That direction being serfdom. That's the end game. A return to the Dark Age with a few ruling elite (lucky them!) and the rest of us eking out a living at the whim of our lord and masters. These people aren't in it for the money. They're in in for the power; power over other people's lives.
Key excerpt from the item linked below:
"...While there are Tea Party meet-ups, marches on Washington, and even groups claiming to speak for the Tea Party as a whole (including a congressional caucus), it is nevertheless hard to think of the Tea Party as a literal party.
"After all, the actual number of people affiliated with any of these activities is a pittance compared to the 25 percent or so of American adults who consider themselves "Tea Partiers." We're talking about roughly 58 million people nationwide, ----- more than the number who voted for Ronald Reagan in 1984 -----.
"Being a Tea Partier for 95 percent or more of these people suggests not a political or even social group affiliation, but a state of mind, one that evokes the sentiments of the original Boston Tea Party: that the government does not reflect the will of the people...."
HERE:
If 84% of mainstream America thinks the U.S. economy is on the wrong track then Obama is toast. He can blame Bush or earthquakes or tsunamis or ATMs all he wants but all it takes is one debater to artfully say “what you’re really admitting is you aren’t capable of improving this economy or you wouldn’t be offering all these excuses” and I think even the dimmest of bulbs would have to see the truth in that.
It’s amazing - for all their eloquent talk, the political class is perhaps the most incredibly stupid group of people to inhabit this planet. How can anybody be so ignorant about economics, science, and the constitution and yet still find a way to feed their self each day?
The reason they are desperate to raise taxes is so they can say any uptick in the economy was due to the tax increase. You could raise the tax on cigarettes and they would say , "See, taxing the rich works every time." If it weren't so dire and serious, it would be humorous.
It's time now to start asking point blank as the first debate question, "Are you a Keynesian? Of course some of them would reply, "No I was born in America". That should tell you what they know about economics.
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