Lois & Clark Forums Forums General Discussion Off Topic Are America's richest paving the way for Obama?

Not my theory, but I'll come back to mine in a bit.

What, George H. W. Bush is rich old money and George W. Bush is not? You mean Papa Bush disinherited his boy?

Sorry, Roger. Couldn't resist.

I'm going to be serious again. Here's my theory about why the rich often favor the Democrats. Let's return to the opinon-piece by David Frum that I quoted in my first post in this thread. In his column, Frum said that Americans really don't like inequality, at least not the glaring kind of inequality, and when they see that sort very uneven distribution of wealth in their own home town or home district, they get decidedly uncomfortable. Frum didn't say so, but I think he was implying that when Americans see inequality displayed so very blatantly before their very eyes, they actually feel that the American dream isn't working. And in recent years, again according to Frum, Americans living in 'unequal neighbourhoods' conclude that the economic theory of the Republican party, supply side economics, isn't working. Supply side economics is supposed to bring wealth to everyone by selectively cutting taxes for the rich, but those who can see inequality grow all around them after supply side economics has been implemented often conclude that Republican economics really favors only those who are already very well off and selectively disadvantages the disadvantaged.

It is no wonder that those who are poor and find themselves getting poorer would distance themselves from a party whose economic politics seems designed to make life even harder for them. But what about the really rich? Why would they disapprove of a party which selectively pampers them?

Here's is what I think. It's just a theory, of course. However, I believe that many of those who are rich are smart and talented people who are interested and curious about the world around them. I think many of them are contemplating their own place in America and, possibly, the world. And I think that many of them are intellectually honest enough to actually reject supply side economics. I think they understand that cutting taxes for people like themselves will not make low- and middle-income people better off. I think they admit to themselves that they don't always use their 'tax bonus money' so wisely, and they probably know other rich people who also don't put their tax return to the best possible use. I think these rich people may even conclude that selective tax cuts for people like themselves may actually make life harder for people less fortunate than themselves.

Okay, but is it a problem for the rich if poor people get poorer?

I think that many rich people believe that it is a problem. I said earlier that I believe that many rich people are smart and curious individuals who contemplate their own place in the world. I think that many of them conclude that if a lot of poor people get even poorer, that may lead to tension and unrest in the society whose well-being they themselves depend on for the generation of their own wealth.

In other words, I think a lot of rich people favor a society that works well for everybody over one that gives themselves the best possible tax breaks, because they believe that the well-being of others will give themselves the best chances to prosper. I don't think that these people worry very much about the taxes they have to pay. They probably know that they are doing all right anyway. A fraying society is a bigger problem to them than the obligation to pay slightly higher taxes.

David Frum said that Washington DC is one of the most unequal places in the United States, and it is also the most overwhelmingly Democratic part of the United States. Well, he was right about that. In the 2008 election, no fewer than 92.9% of the voters in the District of Columbia voted for Obama! Now that is what I call a landslide.

Ann