John Kerry can tell if you make more than $200k a year, just by LOOKING at you!

[JohnRand]

Kerry: "...And looking around here, at this group here, I suspect there are only three people here who are going to be affected: the president, me, and, Charlie, I'm sorry, you too."

Kerry speaking in last evening's debate about his plan to raise taxes on people making 200k+ annually. So now John Kerry is prejudging people by just looking at them to determine their income?!? He decided that the only people in the room that qualified as his new tax-hike victims were himself, Bush and Charlie Gibson! Wow, a big criticism many liberals have of Bush is his supposed "arrogance", there was simply nothing more arrogant and ignorant than that statement that Kerry made and it will probably haunt his campaign...

[mystery-ak]

40,000 new troops...he'll also have to replace the thousands who resign/retire if he is elected..

[LZ_Bayonet]

Did by chance Gallup tell Kerry and the Pres. the financial profiles of the people in the audience ? If not( I doubt they did)couldn't we get someone in the media to find out if there were any wealthy people in the audience ?

Yes, Teresa was in the audience.

[concerned about politics]

He should really be ripped for this remark. His wife makes it. He does not.

LOL. Good point. He's a kept man.

[Jenya]

I noticed the comment right away and posted it last night. I'd love to see it get some traction.

I just e:mailed everyone and their mother about it, including Drudge.

You never know.

[builder]

You are correct. EVERYBODY wanted a picture with W and Laura!.Kerry had mostly Secret Service surrounding him. The people voted with their cameras!

[Osage Orange]

No it would not make a difference because the Kerry proposal to roll back the tax cut is not for individuals that make over $200,000 but FAMILIES that make over $200,000. Kerry has an odd sense of what makes a person "rich".

I guess I wasn't very clear.....

I beg to differ with you though...as it would make a BIG difference....But really it's all a moot point..because about zero of anything he say's is probably going to happen.

FWIW-

[chronic_loser]

In Kerry's favor, these were UNCOMMITTED voters. In my opinion, the only people left who are UNCOMMITTED at this point in time have to be too stupid to be doing much besides working the most menial jobs out there or stuck on welfare.

Anyone with more than four synapses firing has LONG ago made up his mind, and it takes a bit of brainpower to get past $200K.

ergo: Kerry was right, none of them made over $200K.

[Nita Nupress]

I just made a comment about this on another thread that I'll paste here.

This statement by Kerry was the most revealing thing he said all night. It speaks volumes about his world view and his elitist thoughts of how John Forbes Kerry fits into that world.

And think about this: Not only did he think it, but he also said it. He said it out loud in front of millions of people without batting an eye. After all, doesn't everyone think that way? Doesn't everyone recognize his aristocracy and his entitlement to the United States Presidency?

He and Martha Stewart are two peas in a pod.

[Bob]

Too bad debate footage can't be used in ads.

Are you sure about that? The democRATs used GWB's reaction shots from the last debate in one. Good for the goose, good for the gander.

[EagleUSA]

All of Kerry's BS about the who and why of taxation is a ruse. He is nothing more than a tax-crazy, spend-crazy Marxist who, like all leftists, want to control thier power with THE TAX CODE. Ever hear of a socialist fighting to reduce taxation and government spending??? Never -- and you won't.

These leftists are so steeped in their fanatic, socialist ways, that they THINK RAISING TAXES IS A GOOD THING!!! It is, FOR THEM. NOT FOR YOU.

[Nathan Zachary]

Does micheal Moore look like he makes over 200,000?

when Kerry says he's only going to raise taxes on those making over 200,000, and then promisses 2.2 trillion in goodies, surely the more intelegent will look at those numbers, and see that it's not possible to raise that kind of money on the top wage earners.

Another point is that the roll back of Bush's tax cuts, which John Kerry says he WILL do, impact everyone, not just those making over 200,000.

We are heading into an economic cycle, a downturn. These things happen every 4-5 years, it's just the way things work, things slow down and stablize, intrest goes up, and debts get paid down.

Does anyone really want Kerry, with 2.2 trillion in spending promises in power, where he's PROMISING you that he's going to drasticly increase your taxes, at a time you can LEAST afford it? Democrats have to be nuts to want to do that to themselves. Mind you, most of the loony left have no money. This kind of economic planning is probably why.

The rich Democrats, like kerry and Edwards, hide in tax loopholes they create for themselves, As Cheney pointed out what Edwards does to avoid medicare taxes. You can be sure that kerry and his liberals will make sure that the middle class, upper middle class pay the brunt of the taxes. You are fooling yourself if you think otherwise.

[garbanzo]

With a two income household especially for a older professional couple it is certainly more then possible.

Consider in the high cost of living in some areas and that is quite ordinary middle class professional income.

[NotJustAnotherPrettyFace]

Kerry is such an arrogant s.o.b.

[tobyhill]

It's interesting that Kerry states his tax increase will be only for people making over $200k but he only paid 12% in taxes last year making millions. He's also stating that anyone who make slightly less than the $200k should not accept a raise or they could end up actually taking home less than if they just refused the raise. He fails to mention high-end property real estate agents that work off commission. Should they just stop selling when they meet their commission thresh hold?

[texasbluebell]

I guess sKerry's never read the book The Millionaire Next Door

He insulted a whole lot of people.

[reg45]

The late John D. McArthur (McArthur Foundation) was a billionaire who used to drive around in an old pickup truck wearing flannel shirts and blue jeans.

[Bob]

I wonder if he's ever accidentally proposed to a rich widower.

Now, that would take pandering to the gay marriage crowd to a brand new level. :=)

[NotJustAnotherPrettyFace]

There are lots of millionaires wearing cheap clothes. David Boies is another example. All his suits come from Target.

And then there are those of us who are able to put more in the bank, invest in our businesses, etc. BECAUSE we shop at places like Target :-).

[concerned about politics]

All of Kerry's BS about the who and why of taxation is a ruse. He is nothing more than a tax-crazy, spend-crazy Marxist who, like all leftists, want to control thier power with THE TAX CODE.

My husband mentioned that last night while Kerry was spewing his tax "plan".
You get a tax break "if" you behave the way the socialists want you to behave. If not, you pay.

[KarlInOhio]

but it's certainly not crazy to think that out of a room of more or less random Americans, a few of them might at least come close.

2001 IRS stats: http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-soi/01in03ts.xls

$199,620 adjusted gross income is the bottom of the top 2% (98th percentile), so on average 1 out of every 50 people would have a $200,000 income. It looks like this is a count of total returns, so it doesn't include those few people who don't fill out returns and counts couples filing jointly only once.