Is Mocking Tax Cuts Really A Good Strategy For Obama?
Lately, on the campaign trail, President Barack Obama has taken to making fun of tax cuts. ”All they’ve got to offer is the same prescriptions that they’ve had for 30 years: Tax cuts, tax cuts, gut a few regulations, some more tax cuts,” said President Obama during remarks this weekend in Florida. ” Tax cuts when times are good. Tax cuts when times are bad. Tax cuts to help you lose a few extra pounds. Tax cuts to help your love life.”
At a time when Americans are struggling, is belittling policy that would ease some of the burden government represents to them really a sound strategy? It might play well with a liberal base which believes we all belong to the government, a liberal base that believes in big and energetic government, but how about independents?
I can’t imagine that attacking the ideas of smaller, less burdensome government is going to play well with them.
This is an especially strange line of campaigning to see from Obama after President Clinton’s speech at the Democrat National Convention overshadowed his own. Clinton’s speech was tailored to moderates and independents. It was intended to sell them on the idea that they still have a place in Barack Obama’s party by reminding them of the success of the Clinton years. That the success of Clinton’s term in office was built on the back of scaled-back entitlements (Clinton compromised with a Republican Congress on landmark welfare reforms), smaller government (spending fell to 18% of GDP under Clinton from 21%) and, well, tax cuts.
Obama mocks tax cuts now, and yet a reduction in taxes on capital under Clinton early in his administration had a lot to do with the expanding economy his term in office enjoyed.
Democrats were very enamored with Clinton’s speech at their convention, yet it’s worth noting that the Clinton approach to policy is markedly to the right of Obama’s.
Tags: Barack Obama, bill clinton, Economy, jobs, Taxes
