Posted on 01/28/2009 4:34:05 PM PST by Smogger
With the congressional debate on the Obama/Pelosi/Reid debt bill has come an intense, and long overdue, debate on the proper role of government, its appropriate size and scope, and whether and when the private sector is a superior alternative to direct government action.
With that in mind, lawmakers and pundits everywhere would do well to commit these January 17-18th Rasmussen Poll numbers to memory. They explain why liberal Democrats seem so happy to sign on to nearly a trilion dollars (it's actually $953.3 billion in new spending plus interest) in new spending without missing a beat. Their constituents want it!
Overall, given the choice between more government services and higher taxes, or fewer services and lower taxes, likely voters opt for the limited government/low tax option by the comfortable margin of 61% to 25%. That’s pretty much where Americans have been for some time now.
But the story is dramatically different when you break down the electorate by ideology and partisan affiliation. We all know these divides exist, but I, for one, was surprised at the extent of the chasm.
Ideologically, the breakdown looks like this:
Conservatives Moderates Liberals
More gov’t/higher taxes 7% 28% 53%
Less gov’t/lower taxes 83% 54% 34%
And the partisan breakdown is similarly revealing:
Republicans Democrats
More Gov’t/higher taxes 7% 42%
Less Gov’t/lower taxes 83% 39%
These are dramatic differences that go a long way toward explaining why so many policy debates get so heated so quickly—partisanship and ideology are aligned so that your political enemies and your ideological opposites tend to be one and the same. It also explains why so many GOP members report near unanimous opposition among their constituents to the debt bill—and why 177 House Republicans exuded such supreme self-confidence in opposing the bill on final passage.
Interestingly, the 3-point edge among Democrats for bigger government and higher taxes is considerably smaller than the 19-point margin among liberals. Why? African-Americans, almost all of whom are Democrats and who presumably comprise a significant portion of the Democratic sample, favor smaller government and lower taxes by a wide margin, 53% to only 22%. White Democrats, in other words, resemble liberals in their fealty to big government while African-Americans take on a more conservative hue.
They do it so merrily because it isn’t their frickin money!
Conservatives = Producers of taxes
Liberals = Consumers of taxes
Raise taxes, fund socialism and gun control. It’s all Democrats know.
Today, the bastards started spending the tax dollars of our children and grandchildren. “For the first time in my adult life,” I’M ASHAMED OF MY COUNTRY!
Why?
Because it gets them re-elected!
It is NOT! They like for unborn babies to die, too.
Why?
Because it gets them re-elected!
:::::::::::::::::::
It is amazing how many miss this primary FACT. This is exactly why the Obama mob will be sandbagging much of the money in this pork bill until election time -— they will try to work miracles on the economy with it, FOR VOTES.
It is all about POWER. Fanatic power.
Didn’t you Nanny say that abortion was a budget saver? More funds for there socialism.
By chance, have you seen the movie Soylent Green. If not, you should get yourself a copy and watch.
Because it’s not their money.
Because that’s how they get votes (by bribing voters with “helpful programs”) and votes are all they care about.
Interestingly, the 3-point edge among Democrats for bigger government and higher taxes is considerably smaller than the 19-point margin among liberals. Why? African-Americans, almost all of whom are Democrats and who presumably comprise a significant portion of the Democratic sample, favor smaller government and lower taxes by a wide margin, 53% to only 22%. White Democrats, in other words, resemble liberals in their fealty to big government while African-Americans take on a more conservative hue.
“It is amazing how many miss this primary FACT. This is exactly why the Obama mob will be sandbagging much of the money in this pork bill until election time -— they will try to work miracles on the economy with it, FOR VOTES.
It is all about POWER. Fanatic power.”
Thanks (and also for bringing ‘power’ into this).
I thought of that after I posted. Through their election, I think, they (some) get self affirmation. (look at me, I’m ImpOtant!).
Some may remember the Gentleman Farmers who gave their (part)time to construct this nation. They didn’t waste their time on silly legislation.
It is easy to spend what is not yours and keep yours to yourself. Therefore the Democrats will gladly spend their children’s and grand children’s money as they will not be around to be blamed for the extra burden placed upon the next generation.
Yep, saw it many years ago.
SOYLENT GREEN IS PEOPLE!
It's really worse than that, Democrats are way beyond spending the current "tax dollars", they don't have to anymore... they just authorize spending, and the deficits are being charged on Joe Taxpayer's Credit Card, with interest.
So they will bring the state to the brink of bankruptcy and then will claim that the taxes (or fees or other "revenue enhancements") have to be imposed or raised and "sacrifices to be shared", and will blame Republicans for deficits and "lack of fiscal responsibility".
Conservatives = Producers of taxes
Liberals = Consumers of taxes”
You beat me to it!!!
Yeah but the real message was the state control of both ends of the life cycle. Abort the young or ration birth rights, and deny medical care for the old. They had collapsed the top end to 40 years old, and then the cracker factory.
Abortion is just one step in that cog. The population bomb crackpots in the Obama administration tells the tale.
Atlas Shrugged... live and in front of all of us.
The producers VS the looters.....
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.