This is my first diary and I'm not even sure it qualifies as a diary because I am going to ask for your help rather than give you any breaking information. I've got an old right wing friend I shared the text of one of Edwards' speeches with. He said it was a firey speech and there certainly needed to be change but he had a few problems with what the democrats want to do. Further emails confirmed that his main issue is that increasing the tax rate on people who make over 200K per year is aimed right at him.
Let me give you some background on my friend (let's call him PC) and myself and how we became friends. We worked together 20+ years ago at a well known tourist attraction in the entertainment division. Back then those of us who worked in that department became better friends than the people we went to school with and a group of about 10 of us have stayed close over the years. We go camping together 3 or 4 times a year. We range economically from a guy who drifts from job to job to one working as guard in the Penal System to Vice President of a major corporation.
PC is the VP. He comes from an affluent family and I don't believe any of the rest of us came from anything more than a solid middle class background. He served in the Army and has solid low tax, personal responsibility right wing ideals. He's the type of Republican that I used to be before the religious right took over the agenda and politics became more about rooting for your team than about public policy.
Here is a paraphrase of his problem with Edwards' plan to reform healthcare:
Making those that earn more than 200K pay higher taxes means that we're paying more than our fair share. I also couldn't afford 3k at points in my life, but because I can now does that mean I have to give away my hard earned money? (and he does work long hard hours) My work allows America to grow and prosper. (and he's right, his work does) I pay my share. I wrote a check to the IRS last year that would pay for an M-1 Tank. I agree that our tax code is too complex and allows some people to work the system and pay almost nothing, but I know that I am not one of those. Mr. Edwards' plan doesn't address that, all it does is target me.
I wrote the Edwards campaign directly asking how I should respond to my buddy and have received nothing but silence. Does anyone have a good response to PC's argument?
UPDATE: Obviously the M-1 tanks was an overstatment on his part. Don't pick on that, help me come up with a persuasive argument for him! :)