Posted on 10/14/2004 8:55:29 AM PDT by q_an_a
We have heard from singers like Bruce Springsteen and Toby Keith. We have obsessed over groups such as MoveOn.org and SwiftBoat Veterans for Truth. And we listen to the talking heads in the media every night as if the election hangs on their every syllable of analysis.
In such a maelstrom of celebrity, business owners are hopelessly anonymous. And yet it appears that they are about to speak with the most unified voice of any voting bloc in America.
The National Federation of Independent Business, the country's largest small-business lobbying group, with 600,000 members, just released the most lopsided poll of the political season: 95% of NFIB's members say they will vote for George W. Bush for president vs. 4% for Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry.
The group may be unusual in its strong leanings for president, but it has many likeminded friends when it comes to the issues. In a recent open letter, the NFIB asked both presidential candidates to pledge against raising taxes "on any small business taxpayer." The letter was co-signed by the National Association for the Self-Employed, the National Small Business Association, the Small Business Survival Committee, the National Black Chamber of Commerce and Women Impacting Public Policy.
Democrats in trouble The conventional wisdom among pundits has been that voters like Bush on national security but are open to Kerry and the Democrats on the economy. But the pundits may never have been more wrong.
There are four major reasons why Democrats are in trouble with the small business community: taxes, health care, torts and regulations.
Taxes are a keystone issue for small businesses, and Sen. Kerry's call for a tax hike on individuals who make $200,000 a year or more doesn't sit well with the many business owners who file as S corporations and are taxed on individual rates.
Kerry's also in favor of a bigger government role in the health care system. Fairly or not, most small business owners presume that such a plan would be implemented on their backs, as the Clinton health care plan a decade ago would have been.
The media consistently underestimates the political tension of this issue. During the boom of the 1990s, about 60% of small businesses offered health insurance to their employees. But according to a national survey conducted by our parent, American City Business Journals Inc., barely half of small businesses offer coverage now. The reason: fewer businesses can afford to do so after years of a soft economy.
Health care resentments
Small businesses want to offer health coverage -- do you know how hard it is to recruit talented people when you can't even offer them a health plan? -- but many simply can't survive that kind of expenditure, especially when health care inflation is rampant. So small business owners resent any suggestion that they should be forced to provide coverage.
Litigation is a third major issue for small businesses -- too many of them live in fear of being sued into oblivion or suffocated by the cost of liability insurance. Business owners consistently and earnestly lobby for tort reform, but if the NFIB survey is any indication, they don't like their chances of prevailing on that issue if tort lawyer John Edwards is elected vice president.
Small business owners also face a huge burden from government regulations of all sorts. Understanding the rules is time consuming, complying with them is expensive. Both parties are to blame for the bloated Federal Register, but Democrats are especially vulnerable on the issue this year, because business owners hear Kerry's campaign rants against outsourcing and figure, "more rules and restrictions are on the way."
Democrat adviser James Carville is famous for his campaign mantra, "It's the economy, stupid." Kerry should hope not.
Here's one poll you'll want to see!
how did this vote compare with the 2000, 1996, etc. Is there a pattern that we can see?
In the lastest issue of Golf Digest they polled 35 PGA Tour pros. Result: Bush 100% Kerry 0%.
I think all Small Business owners should explain to their employees that a Kerry win may very well cost them their jobs ... If of course they were hired based on expansion money obtained from the Bush Tax cut... This is not intimidation it is a fact.... I also think that all Government Contractors should explain to their employees that a Kerry win may cause their jobs to go away also... If people haven't realized that the only way our very economy was saved after 911 is by the Presidents sound economic polices they are fools and if fools that have jobs want to vote themselves out of a job to support those that refuse to work anyway well then they are just plain Ignorant.
Get the facts about Kerry... Vote for George W. Bush.
Good post. Hanoi John wants to take money from hard-working small business owners and give it to the lazy and stupid inner-city scum who like sitting at home watching Orca, oops, Oprah, and smoking crack.
Any idea of numbers of actual votes and which states?
Small Business - check
Health Care Professionals - check
Vietnam Vets - check
Conservative Catholics - check
Christians - check
Military - check
I think the intensity of support within these groups will push Bush way over the top.
Yep. Golf is the most Republican of sports. Not many Dems on the PGA tour -- from Hogan through Arnie and Jack and Watson and Tiger -- solid Conservatives. Support your local duffer.
Kerry = Mondale II
I agree 100% I am attempting to start my own business, and have decided to wait till after the election to finalize any plans. A Kerry victory will highly limit the chances of my store opening. I hope that all small business owners realize the high stakes of this election.
correction: not "conservative Catholics" but simply "practicing Catholics" will do.
I stand corrected. Thanks!
I think we can add gun owners to the list too. Plus, something that is not getting much attention is the marriage amendment on the ballot in many states. Where are the polls on this issue? Anyone?
Good point and worth repeating. Bosses, let your employees know how you feel.
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