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Democrats wake up to being the party of the rich
Financial Times ^ | November 5 2007 | By Michael Franc

Posted on 11/05/2007 10:09:51 AM PST by rightinthemiddle

Alegislative proposal that was once on the fast track is suddenly dead. The Senate will not consider a plan to extract billions in extra taxes from megamillionaire hedge fund managers.

The decision by Senate majority leader Harry Reid, the Nevada Democrat, surprised many Washington insiders, who saw the plan as appealing to the spirit of class warfare that infuses the Democratic party. Liberal disappointment in Mr Reid was palpable at media outlets such as USA Today, where an editorial chastised: "The Democrats, who control Congress and claim to represent the middle and lower classes, ought to be embarrassed."

Far from embarrassing, this episode may reflect a dawning Democratic awareness of whom they really represent. For the demographic reality is that, in America, the Democratic party is the new "party of the rich". More and more Democrats represent areas with a high concentration of wealthy households. Using Internal Revenue Service data, the Heritage Foundation identified two categories of taxpayers - single filers with incomes of more than $100,000 and married filers with incomes of more than $200,000 - and combined them to discern where the wealthiest Americans live and who represents them.

Democrats now control the majority of the nation's wealthiest congressional jurisdictions. More than half of the wealthiest households are concentrated in the 18 states where Democrats control both Senate seats.

This new political demography holds true in the House of Representatives, where the leadership of each party hails from different worlds. Nancy Pelosi, Democratic leader of the House of Representatives, represents one of America's wealthiest regions. Her San Francisco district has more than 43,700 high-end households. Fewer than 7,000 households in the western Ohio district of House Republican leader John Boehner enjoy this level of affluence.

(Excerpt) Read more at ft.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: governmentemployees; liberalguilt; trustfundbabies
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The Republican Party is much closer to being the party of the working stiff.

At least it should be.

1 posted on 11/05/2007 10:09:52 AM PST by rightinthemiddle
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To: rightinthemiddle

I knew this was true because I could not understand why the Crats would state that the “tax cuts” were for the wealthiest 1% and didn’t help anyone else. If that was the case - why wouldn’t the 1% want to keep the Republicans in office to get the “tax cuts”?


2 posted on 11/05/2007 10:13:23 AM PST by GYPSY286 (Politicians must USE their heads or Americans will LOSE their heads.)
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To: rightinthemiddle
Related link....

Citigroup problems grow

3 posted on 11/05/2007 10:14:42 AM PST by mewzilla (Property must be secured or liberty cannot exist. John Adams)
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To: GYPSY286

Liberal Guilt.


4 posted on 11/05/2007 10:15:51 AM PST by rightinthemiddle (Without the Media, the Left and Islamofacists are Nothing.)
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To: rightinthemiddle

Did I hear you say that there must be a catch;
will you walk away from a fool and his money?
Sonny;
If you want it;
here it is, come and get it;
make your mind up fast;
if you want it anytime;
I can give it but you better hurry cuz it may not last;

Badfinger ca. 1970

MV


5 posted on 11/05/2007 10:16:52 AM PST by madvlad ((Born in the south, raised around the globe and STILL republican))
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To: rightinthemiddle
I wish the republicans would have hammered this home years ago. Another reason I’m a third party guy. But it would be fun to see Senate and House race campaign commercials featuring Robin Leach (he of Lifestyle’s of the Rich and Famous fame). Leach would show a dem’s mansion and rub in how much everything costs.

Class warfare you say? Yeah, but the republicans need to fight back. This, ‘my friend on the left’ bilge has to go. No one who is for freedom should have ‘friends on the left’, the party and people representing the new NAZI party.

6 posted on 11/05/2007 10:17:11 AM PST by samm1148 (Pennsylvania-They haven't taxed air--yet)
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To: rightinthemiddle

It takes a limousine...to be a “Limousine Liberal”.


7 posted on 11/05/2007 10:19:36 AM PST by PBRSTREETGANG
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To: GYPSY286

they don’t remember what it was like when we had a liberal president, congress AND Federal reserve. imagine if a president hillary replaced bernanke with Krugman.


8 posted on 11/05/2007 10:19:59 AM PST by ari-freedom (I am for traditional moral values, a strong national defense, and free markets.)
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To: rightinthemiddle

In 1993, I read, in The Limbaugh Letter, that the U.S. Senate had 28 millionaires and that 21 of them were Democrats.

In June 1994, I met a black man who said that he was a Democrat because all poor Americans should be Democrats. I said, “Which specific bills have any Democrats proposed that helped the poor?” He said, “I don’t know.” I said, “Which bills have Republicans proposed that hurt the poor?” He said, “I don’t know.” I told him that many Republicans propose bills that decrease tax rates, which stimulate investment, helping poor people find jobs. He said that he listened to other Blacks who said that all poor Americans should be Democrats, but he didn’t question the lies until I asked him about it. In Nov. 1994, he said that he was a Republican.


9 posted on 11/05/2007 10:23:17 AM PST by PhilCollins
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To: rightinthemiddle

The Democrats are the party of the super-rich like Soros, the college-educated elites in media, academia, the arts, etc., would-be urban sophisticates and bohemians, the chronically unmarried and/or militantly gay, government employees and dependents, and the underclass. Republicans are the party of the middle class, the small business person, the self-employed, the married, the military and the religious believers. By and large.


10 posted on 11/05/2007 10:27:44 AM PST by Argus
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To: GYPSY286
Most suburban counties in the Northeast, the West Coast, and the Chicago area have been trending Democrat for at least 20 years now. What makes this new group of Democrat voters interesting is that they have created an economic policy gap between them and the traditional labor and minority Democrats. The resurrection of the “death tax”, the elimination of tax deductions, and the plans to increase the maximum cap for Social Security taxes will play no better in these suburban areas than anti-abortion, anti-flag burning, and similar social issues have. (In fact, the national GOP’s stand on social issues has been a major reason why these areas have moved to the Democrat column.)
11 posted on 11/05/2007 10:29:03 AM PST by Wallace T.
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To: rightinthemiddle

Actually, the Democrats are the party of the status quo, the Republicans the party of the aspiring class.

Those who cling to privilege, especially government granted privilege or “rents” (money payments without requiring work or other compensation) favor the Democrats. This includes those who have it made and want to keep the hoi polloi out of the lifeboat, as well as Social Securiy pensioners, Teachers’ unions, other government unions and people who are granted privileges by government fiat like lawyers.

People who want more and are willing and able to work for it (sales staff, small businessmen, non union workers) favor the Republicans.

Warren Buffet (imho) isn’t altruistic, he just wants to keep his position on top of the heap as the expense of the rest of the heap.


12 posted on 11/05/2007 10:31:16 AM PST by Lonesome in Massachussets (NYT Headline: Protocols of the Learned Elders of CBS: Fake but Accurate, Experts Say)
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To: rightinthemiddle

The rats are the party of all who seek to use the power of government to force economic costs and constraints on others. Here is my list of these groups promoting economic costs on others:

- Unions, both public and private
- Public employee groups not unionized
- Renewable energy industry mandate supporters
- Direct lending student loan industry
- Environmental groups
- Racial preference supporters
- Welfare rights industry
- Illegal alien supporters
- Trial lawyer industry and supporters
- Higher education industry
- Gay rights supporters
- Senior entitlement supporters especially AARP


13 posted on 11/05/2007 10:41:12 AM PST by businessprofessor
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To: rightinthemiddle
I used to think that the Republicans were the party of the rich and the Democrats were the party of the poor.
I was neither, but I knew which one I'd rather be.

Later on came the realization: the Republicans are the party that want to keep the rich rich, and the Democrats are the party that want to keep the poor poor.

That's keeping their base.

14 posted on 11/05/2007 10:46:07 AM PST by Tanniker Smith ("I got a rock." -- Charlie Brown. "I got Iraq." -- George W. Bush)
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To: rightinthemiddle

I’ve believed for years that there were more rich liberals than rich conservatives. With the exception of fox news, the other major networks have newcasts that are far to the left.
If conservatives had the resources the left has, we’d have controlling interests in GE or Viacom by now and replace the news divsions with comptent, Brit Hume type jouranlists. But, we don’t. The multi,multi billion dallr networks and corporations seem to be controlled by leftwingers.


15 posted on 11/05/2007 10:46:51 AM PST by mainerforglobalwarming
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To: Tanniker Smith

Agree with you

Except the Republicans would like to make more of the poor rich by getting government the hell out of the way and encouraging personal and financial responsibility.

I guess you said that with wanting the Democrats wanting to keep the poor, poor.


16 posted on 11/05/2007 10:52:24 AM PST by listenhillary (You get more of what you focus on)
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To: Wallace T.

“In fact, the national GOP’s stand on social issues has been a major reason why these areas have moved to the Democrat column.”

Absolute BS. The collar communities have been trending Democrat because the Democrats, after having the urban areas where they prevbiously lived, are leaving for “greener pastures” where they can work their evil again. I live in Dupage County, IL. We are just west of Chicago. Dupage County has historically been conservative, in contrast to the leftist funk of Chicago and Cook County. Cook County especially has been so destroyed by corruption, graft, and leftist mismanagement that its citizens are abandoning Cook County and flocking to the collar counties in droves. The problem is, they bring with them the mindset that their leftism isn’t what destroyed Cook County, but that the “movement” was hijacked.” So, they bring with them the same baggage that they used to destroy where they came from, and when they end up destroying their new communities, they’ll pack up their duds and move somewhere else. Leftist Californians, for example, have been doing that for decades.


17 posted on 11/05/2007 10:55:44 AM PST by ought-six ("Give me liberty, or give me death!")
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To: rightinthemiddle
As much as I agree with Republicans, I can't help but think they're completely stupid when it comes to political tactics.

If Republicans were smart, tactically, they would have gotten rid of all those exemptions that protect "the rich" in high tax states like Massachusetts, or New York, or California. The deductibility of state and local taxes, for example. Or the tax exemption given on income derived from municipal bonds.

Instead, they defend these breaks that encourage government bloat, believing that any tax increase at all is a bad thing. While "the rich" in blue states continue to support Democrats.

18 posted on 11/05/2007 11:00:28 AM PST by mc6809e
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To: mc6809e

Why do think they call it “The Stupid Party”?


19 posted on 11/05/2007 11:02:33 AM PST by stevio ((NRA))
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To: stevio

In any case, the myth over the GOP being the party of the rich will persist probably for generations.


20 posted on 11/05/2007 11:05:10 AM PST by TNCMAXQ
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