I’ve seen conservatives arguing that the fiscal cliff deal was a “victory” of sorts because it got the Democrats to support permanent extensions of the Bush tax cuts for almost all income levels.
When the cuts were originally enacted, Democrats opposed them as “tax cuts for the rich.” But when it was time for them to expire, Democrats had to admit that the cuts affected all income levels. (Obama often claimed Republicans were holding the middle-class “hostage” to extend tax rates for the wealthy.) So the Democrats supported extending them, first temporarily for all income levels, and then permanently for all income levels under $400,000.
When Republicans lowered taxes for all Americans, Democrats pretended they didn’t help average Americans – it didn’t fit the Democratic narrative that Republicans don’t care about them. But when Republicans are about to let those taxes go back to the rate they used to be, Democrats get all upset that they’re going to hurt average Americans, even though the only way this “hurts” is that it takes away the “help” they pretended was never there in the first place!
But Democrats aren’t the only ones suffering from Selective Tax Cut Syndrome.
I’ve seen many conservatives moaning that Obama just raised taxes on 77% of Americans. As far as I can tell this is a reference to the temporary 2% payroll tax cut which was finally allowed to expire this year.
When the payroll tax was originally cut in 2010 under Obama, Republicans mostly ignored that it helped average Americans – it didn’t fit their narrative about Obama. But when Obama lets the payroll tax cut expire, Republicans are all upset that Obama is hurting average Americans, even though the only way this “hurts” is that it takes away the “help” they pretended was never there in the first place!
So we see how to be a dutiful partisan: When the other side temporarily lowers taxes, ignore it. When the other side lets those taxes return to normal, attack them for raising taxes! (If Obama signed legislation that only cut the payroll tax on odd months, would Republicans attack him for “raising taxes on working families six times a year”?)
These are the kinds of petty, reciprocating attacks that fire up people who already agree with you but do nothing to advance the argument to those who don’t. If you want to open up the other side’s eyes to the truth, you might want to start by making sure you don’t suffer from Selective Tax Cut Syndrome. And while you’re at it, look out for the dozens of other similar selective varieties…
Well said. I agree completely.
It’s occurred to me that, since we technically went over the fiscal cliff for a day or so while Congress was working on the deal, Obama has technically overseen one of the largest tax cuts in recent history. I wonder if that will ever become a Democratic talking point. While I doubt it, I also would have doubted that Republicans would ever attack a tax cut on the basis that it threatened entitlement spending.
Well said. I agree completely.
It’s occurred to me that, since we technically went over the fiscal cliff for a day or so while Congress was working on the deal, Obama has technically overseen one of the largest tax cuts in recent history. I wonder if that will ever become a Democratic talking point. While I doubt it, I also would have doubted that Republicans would ever attack a tax cut on the basis that it threatened entitlement spending.