i fear Dean may be unelectable

[ButterflyBlood]

not because of some bullshit non-issues like gay marriage or patriotism, but because of taxes. The majority of Americans probably don't like Bush's "if we have economic problems we'll just cut taxes and see what happens" plan, but if he wants to cut child tax credits, reinstate the marriage penalty, and actually completely reverse the bush tax cut (Kerry said he'd just reverse it for the richest classes, which is practically the whole thing anyway), Bush will probably make the election pretty simple: Dean is the "high taxes" candidate, he is the "low taxes" candidate, and vote what you want your tax level to be. It's obvious what people would pick. How can he handle this?

[DemocratSinceBirth]

1. A Middle Class Tax Cut Is A Winner

[mjb4]

He will BRING IT!

if he doesn't win, he will bring the fight to BUSH and not have him hide behind Rush Limbaugh and his Nazi robot copy-cats.

[ThorsteinVeblen]

2. Tax the Rich

Don't repeal the taxe cuts for anyone who makes under $300,000 a year.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

6. I Think $75,000 Is A Better Benchmark

I wish I made $300,000.00

If you're making $300,000.00 plus I envy you.

[w4rma]

9. I'm with ThorsteinVeblen on this. Actually, I'm in favor of adding another

upper tax bracket for $.5 million or even $1 million and up.

Less folks to get angry at Dems and we're more precicely targeting robber barons.

[prolesunited]

10. Perhaps singles

but for married professionals, this mark is reached fairly easily.

[blm]

14. Clinton raised taxes on $180,000 and up....

150,000 on up works for me.

[friendofbenn]

8. and where do you find money for social programs?

americans dont need tax cuts. whatever class they are. the u.s has the lowest taxes in the industrialized world

[T Roosevelt]

3. Nope - depends on how you sell it

His stand is not a bad thing - the challenge is to counter the soon-to-be GOP spin on how not having tax cuts is bad. Of course the last three years are a perfect example of that complete BS. Just point out the fact that yes, fed tax went down, but how much did your property, sales, state income, etc tax increase?

Like it or not the next pres is going to have to likely raise taxes (on the rich), or at least eliminate completely scheduled tax cuts (for the rich). Of course the rich won't like it...oh well...

[dragonquest8]

4. All Dems have to do is to stick to 'class-warfare rhetoric'

[indigo32]

5. The deficit the deficit the deficit

AND JOBS JOBS JOBS JOBS

[w4rma]

7. Ranking electability

Howard Dean
Cash on Hand Q1: $2.1 million
Raised Q2: $7.6 million
Cash spent Q2: $3.3 million
Cash on hand: $6.4 million

John Kerry
Cash on Hand Q1: $8.1 million
Raised Q2: $5.9 million
Cash spent Q2: $3.1 million
Cash on hand: $10.9 million

(Vice President Gore)

Joe Lieberman
Cash on Hand Q1: $1.8 million
Raised Q2: $5.1 million
Cash spent Q2: $2.9 million
Cash on hand: $4 million

John Edwards
Cash on Hand Q1: $5.7 million
Raised Q2: $4.5 million
Cash spent Q2: $2.1 million
Cash on hand: $8.1 million

Dick Gephardt
Cash on Hand Q1: $5 million
Raised Q2: $3.8 million
Cash spent Q2: $2.5 million
Cash on hand: $6.3 million

Bob Graham
Cash on Hand Q1: $1.1 million
Raised Q2: $2 million
Cash spent Q2: $1.3 million
Cash on hand: $1.8 million

(Sen. Clinton)

Dennis Kucinich
Cash on Hand Q1: $51,000
Raised Q2: $1.5 million
Cash spent Q2: $0.5 million
Cash on hand: $1.1 million

Rev. Sharpton

(General Clark)

Rep. Mosely Braun

Source for numbers: http://www.dailykos.com/archives/003411.html#003411

[tsipple]

13. Those Figures Inaccurate

Your campaign financial figures exclude federal matching funds.

[Eloriel]

16. Oh, yeah. And Howard wins BIG on that one

Because in Q2 alone, there were thousands of individual donors -- up to $250 each is matchable during the primary season.

:wow:

Eloriel

[farmbo]

11. Cut the payroll tax, but roll back the upper class and dividend taxes.

...that's the ticket. Otherwise its too much like: "Eat your brocoli, people."

[killbotfactory]

12. He wants to start over.

He'll be releasing a plan in September, and if he can afford tax cuts for the poor-middle class he'll include them, but he doesn't believe he should be promoting expanded healthcare coverage and fully funding special ed unless there is a way to pay for it.

[JNelson6563]

15. I think you are wrong

I think Dean will balance the budget and give us a foreign policy we won't be ashamed off like what Team Simian has given us.

Dean's team seems a bit too smart to let what you predict happen as well. Very pro-active campaign.

Julie

[SEAburb]

17. I'm glad you have seen the light ButterflyBlood

Dean's tax policy will aleinate the working poor, the middle class, minority, and independent voters. It would be '84 and Mondale all over again. You can't tell the voters the truth on raising taxes during an election campaign.

[whoYaCallinAlib]

18. So true . . . tax increases and anti-war positions don't sit well with

the ESSENTIAL suburban, educated middle-class swing voters. Without them voting for our candidate, Bush will win in a cakewalk. Of course, that's just an opinion.

[DinahMoeHum]

19. The issue will be about JOBS, not taxes. . .

Tax cuts don't mean jackshit if you are out of work or if you get zonked on the state and local tax level to compensate.

Another thing: if * and the GOP are good for taxpayers, home come so many of us are paying MORE taxes??

And another: if * and the GOP are good for business, how come so many are out of business, and so many aren't working??


:kick:

[sfecap]

20. That is only one part of the equation....

Everybody (the media) focuses on Dean repealing the * tax cut. The fact is, Dean will repeal the tax cut, BUT in it's place will provide health care to those who need it.

He is right on this issue, and it plays very well with voters. Surveys and polls show time and again that most Americans would exchange their "tax cut" for a life time portable health plan for themselves and their children.

The question Dean asks is simple, "would you rather have the "tax cut" (that you didn't really get if you are middle class because your state and local taxes will/are going up....), or would you rather have heath care for your children?"

My bet is that most will choose health care.