Judging by the headlines of the nation’s major news papers, President Obama succeeded in articulating his platform for reelection last night: class warfare through higher taxes on the rich. “Obama says nation must address inequality,” The Washington Post reads. “Obama Speech Makes Pitch for Economic Fairness,” The New York Times says. And “Obama says all must pay ‘fair share’ of taxes,” The Los Angeles Times reports.
Is this a winning message? Not according to Gallup. A December poll found that while only 46 percent of Americans believe it is important that the federal government reduce the income equality, 82 percent said it is important for the government to grow and expand the economy. And a June poll found that a plurality of Americans rejected the idea that the government should redistribute wealth through heavy taxes on the rich by a 49 percent to 47 percent margin.
