The Polls Show That Reaganism Is Not Dead (Scott Rasmussen)

Wall Street Journal ^ | November 10, 2008 | Scott Rasmussen

[Zakeet]

Barack Obama won the White House by campaigning against an unpopular incumbent in a time of economic anxiety and lingering foreign policy concerns. He offered voters an upbeat message, praised the nation as a land of opportunity, promised tax cuts to just about everyone, and overcame doubts about his experience with a strong performance in the presidential debates.

Does this sound familiar? It should. Mr. Obama followed the approach that worked for Ronald Reagan. His victory confirmed that voters still embrace the guiding beliefs of the Reagan era.

During Reagan's campaign, the nation suffered from high unemployment and high inflation. This time around, data from the Rasmussen Reports Daily Presidential Tracking Poll showed that Mr. Obama took command of the race during the 10 days following the collapse of Lehman Brothers -- when the Wall Street meltdown hit Main Street. Before that event John McCain was leading nationally by three percentage points. Ten days later Mr. Obama was up by five and never relinquished his lead.

Mr. Obama's tax-cutting message played a key role in this period of economic anxiety. Tax cuts are well-received at such times: 55% of voters believe they are good for the economy. Only 19% disagree and see them as bad policy.

Down the campaign homestretch, Mr. Obama's tax-cutting promise became his clearest policy position. Eventually he stole the tax issue from the Republicans. Heading into the election, 31% of voters thought that a President Obama would cut their taxes. Only 11% expected a tax cut from a McCain administration.

The last Democratic candidate to win the tax issue was also the last Democratic president -- Bill Clinton. In fact, the candidate who most credibly promises the lowest level of taxes has won every presidential election in at least the last 40 years.

[norwaypinesavage]

The voters did not "tilt to the left". They simply believed an exceptionally good liar. Bill Clinton was good at getting away with lies, even though people knew they were lies. Obama is even worse. Many people are not aware that he is lying.

Some examples:
"95% of the households will get a tax cut."
"I did not hear Ayers, Wright, Pflager, Grandma, Farrakhan,.....(put your own names here) say those things."
"I want to expand the war in Afghanistan."
etc.

[Thane_Banquo]

The last person to break a tax pledge, Bush Sr., was thrown out after one term.

Slick Willard offered a broad middle-class tax cut, which he later reneged on.

[Blind Eye Jones]

People have no idea who Obama is. An older gentleman liked him because he spoke like Jack Kennedy. Show you what people will vote for.

[Blind Eye Jones]

“Celebrity Dancing with the American Idols who Want To Be Millionaires with a better View of Regis and Kelley on the next Oprah” is a great line. Sums up the idiocy.

[Blind Eye Jones]

“They “feel” their way to the voting booth. If they don’t “feel” it, they don’t vote. They want to be inspired, feel good. They do NOT respond to factual, logical life relevancy.”

They are trained to feeling through media. Feeling is easy whereas thinking requires effort. Furthermore, feeling seems more genuine of who we are, more individualistic and personal than general abstract thought — which can be so wrong. You can’t go wrong with feeling, it is who we are. The media make their living manipulating feelings; they are good at it — they have to be to sell product, to have hit movies and shows which further sells product.

[rudman]

I hope that exactly 0 people voted obama to teach the RNC a lesson. That would just about be the stupidest thing that a person could do - and something no conservative would, or could, even conceive of.

It would be like cutting the head off your new puppy to teach it not to crap in the house.

[nomoremods]

“He offered voters an upbeat message, praised the nation as a land of opportunity, promised tax cuts to just about everyone, and overcame doubts about his experience with a strong performance in the presidential debates.”

Upbeat message? Praised America? I must have been watching an entirely different election, as I remember both he and his wife constantly denigrating America - hardly Reaganesque.

[seekthetruth]

“I hope that exactly 0 people voted obama to teach the RNC a lesson. That would just about be the stupidest thing that a person could do - and something no conservative would, or could, even conceive of.

It would be like cutting the head off your new puppy to teach it not to crap in the house.”

I agree and would also hope that NO conservatives voted for Obama. But this morning I heard a caller on Bill Bennett's show say that she believes this happened due to comments made to her by her co-workers. She said that their believe was that if Obama won that by 2012 the country would be ready for a real conservative! Also that McCain was not a conservative. She also wondered how widespread this thinking might have been.

I know too many folks who just have no clue about Obama and are just blinded and so believe in his “hope and change”! I hope our country will be able to recover after his reign!

[DBCJR]

“They “feel” their way to the voting booth. If they don’t “feel” it, they don’t vote. They want to be inspired, feel good. They do NOT respond to factual, logical life relevancy.”

They are trained to feeling through media. Feeling is easy whereas thinking requires effort. Furthermore, feeling seems more genuine of who we are, more individualistic and personal than general abstract thought — which can be so wrong. You can’t go wrong with feeling, it is who we are. The media make their living manipulating feelings; they are good at it — they have to be to sell product, to have hit movies and shows which further sells product.

** This requires that we field candidates and organize campaigns that can speak to this type person. We haven’t.