OK, no doubt there are some voters who are just plain greedy and not amenable to reason when it comes to taxes and the economy, but I believe there are also persuadable voters who may have started to listen to the McShame/Failin' slander about "wealth redistribution" and concluded either:
- if they're well-to-do, that Obama wants to take all their money
OR
- if they're not well-to-do, that Obama's plans will create a socialist nation and/or will somehow prevent the creation of jobs.
Can these voters be brought back to the fold (i.e., reality-based universe)? Possibly. I learned of a website designed to help persuade them through the use of personal testimonials, and thought I'd share.
The site, Obama for a Sound Economy, was created by three Berkeley techie types. It contains a useful page of links to articles and websites devoted to the topic, but the more unique aspect of the site is the collected personal testimonials from wealthy Obama supporters whose taxes may increase under an Obama administration explaining why they support his economic policies:
Barack Obama has repeatedly said that he will lower taxes for 95% of Americans. Those making $250,000 or above will see their tax rates rolled back to the pre-Bush levels, and the 15% on capital gains will go back to the 20% that it was before Bush. These changes are what John McCain keeps referring to, threatening that Obama wants to raise taxes, take away jobs, and hurt the already suffering economy. So, we asked the individuals who would be affected by these increases, "Why are you supporting Barack Obama? Why do you think he will help the economy?"
Here is a sampling of the many pages of testimonials available:
I will pay more taxes under the Obama administration, and like Warren Buffet and Adam Smith, I think that is not unreasonable. In return I get a country that: invests more in basic science research (which will grow the economy faster), understands the need for a transformative switch to a new energy economy (which gains jobs, decreases oil usage and alleviates climate problems), and regains respect on the world stage (bettering all of us in the USA, and all of us on earth). I call that a bargain.
-- Peter Norvig, Ph.D., Director of Research, Google, Palo Alto, CA
A comment about Obama's proposal to raise the maximum tax on dividends to 20%: Except for the 15% Bush/McCain aberration that went into effect in 2003, maximum rates of tax on dividends for the last 40 or 50 years have ranged from 28% to 70%. Thus even Obama's modest raise would leave the maximum rate of tax on dividends well below historical precedents.
-- Robin Westbrook, J.D., Practitioner in Residence, Tax Clinic, American Univ. Washington College of Law, Washington, DC
I am a business owner, asset manager and financial advisor based in New York City, and a strong supporter of Senator Barack Obama for President. Senator Obama promises to raise my taxes and I will be happy to pay the proposed higher rates. Let me tell you why: I believe that paying taxes for worthy programs that help to strengthen America such as early childhood education, improvement in school programs, providing loans to students for college and supporting better pay for teachers, police, fire services and providing social services to the needy are part of my civic duty as a responsible and patriotic citizen. I do not mind paying taxes, but I do care that my taxes are not wasted on an unnecessary war and subsidies for big oil companies and multi millionaire Wall Street bankers that do not need them.
-- Ian D. Quan-Soon, MBA, CFP, President, IQ Financial Services, Inc., New York, NY
So if you run into a voter who doesn't seem to get the whole idea of "public good," but they seem persuadable, you might want to direct them to this site, where they can read these testimonials or themselves. It may be more persuasive than just your word alone!
The link again is: Obama for a Sound Economy.
UPDATE:
One of the creators of the site sent me a link to an amusing exchange he had with a McCain-supporting economist, Edward Prescott: http://delong.typepad.com/...