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Politics Foreign Affairs Culture Fellows Program

Sometimes stereotypes are true

David Frum: The identification of the GOP as mouthpiece for the selfish interests of the wealthy is a stubborn image, difficult to overcome at the best of times. For three years, however, Republican leaders have been doing their utmost to confirm the stereotype – and to quash and quell any attempt to counter that stereotype. […]

David Frum:

The identification of the GOP as mouthpiece for the selfish interests of the wealthy is a stubborn image, difficult to overcome at the best of times. For three years, however, Republican leaders have been doing their utmost to confirm the stereotype – and to quash and quell any attempt to counter that stereotype. Did we really spend months and months arguing that one of the things most wrong with the US tax code is that the poor and unemployed pay too little tax? Yes we did. Head shake. Face slap.

He’s talking with reference to the CBS News/NYT poll finding that 69 percent of Americans believe that Congressional Republicans favor the rich. If they had called me, this registered Republican would have agreed. The party has lost me, not in spite of my being a social and religious conservative, but because I am a social and religious conservative, and believe that the way the Republicans treat the economic order works to undermine family and social stability, and besides which, it’s unjust. Depending on how the economy is next fall, I might end up voting for a Democratic congressional candidate because he or she will be less bad than the incumbent of my own party. Though truth to tell, I will probably register as an Independent when I move south. Inasmuch as I have no confidence in either party, and will be living in an open primary state, it’s more honest.

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