No one can predict anything about this election. The Iran nukes are hanging over our head. The world economy is sliding into oblivion although ours is still strong, but it won’t be if everyone else is going down the tubes. The US election will impact. McCain will mean we have a friend, Obama will mean we have a problem. But it looks like it’s going to be Kadimah vs the Likud with Labor, after 60 years of being a major party, sliding into oblivion.
Likud’s main base is the poor people. In 2002 when our economy teetered on collapse, Bibi became finance minister and through a series of draconian measures righted the ship. Unfortunately he hit the poor people hard and in the last election, these scattered to the four winds and Likud limped in a distant third. But he built a powerhouse economy and the way things are, he’s starting to look very good in the financial area which will be the main issue along with Iran. On the other hand Livni has charisma so it’ll be a good joust.
In the Contract with America, we cut the capital gains tax. But we also increased the child credit for the middle class and we also reformed welfare so that the poor would move into the workforce. We didn’t just wipe out AFDC and let them fend for themselves.
It was a balanced plan that worked on the top, bottom and middle class.