"You Didn't Build That is a Net Positive for Obama
by David Atkins
Poll result of the year courtesy NBC/WSJ:
Q31
Barack Obama recently said that if you have been successful, you did not get there on your own. There was a great teacher somewhere in your life. Somebody helped to create the American system that allowed you to thrive. He said if you have a business, you didn’t build that, somebody else made that happen. When we succeed, we succeed because of our individual initiative, but also because we do things together. Does this make you feel more positive or more negative about Barack Obama, does it not make much difference in your opinion or do you not know enough about this to have an opinion at this time?
More positive ......................................................... 36
More negative ....................................................... 32
Not much difference .............................................. 26
Don’t know enough ............................................... 6
Not sure .............................................................. -
Q32
Mitt Romney recently said forty seven percent (47%) of people will vote for President Obama no matter what because they are dependent upon government, believe they are victims, and believe the government has a responsibility to care for them. He said his message of low taxes does not connect with the forty-seven percent (47%) of Americans who pay no income taxes so his job is not to worry about those people as he will never convince them they should take personal responsibility for their lives. Does this make you feel more positive or more negative about Mitt Romney, does it not make much difference in your opinion or do
you not know enough about this to have an opinion at this time?
More positive ......................................................... 23
More negative ....................................................... 45
Not much difference .............................................. 24
Don’t know enough ............................................... 8
Not sure .............................................................. -
I've said it before and I'll say it again: progressives haven't lost the economic argument in this country. We've won the economic argument.
As much as Democrats and progressives have challenges in framing our economic arguments, it's not really a question of doing a better job of convincing the public. A majority of the public is, by and large, already convinced of our position.
What we lack is the political will to do what the public wants, largely because of the corrupting influence of money in politics and the fact that legislators tend to socialize almost entirely with the well-heeled.
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