Here's the problem with current "mainstream Republican" thinking: We know they hate taxes, and that they want a flat tax or much lower tax rates. However, they fail to mention that the people of other large, advanced/modern, and democratic nations pay more than we do, especially the wealthy. So, the question Democrats should be asking is, why do Republicans hate higher taxes on the wealthy if doing so actually works, and solves the nation's problems?
The answer, for them, seems to be embedded in their notion of "fairness." It's unfair to have a tax structure that requires those who could do so (without really noticing) to pay a higher percentage of their income in taxes, regardless if this is the only way to solve the nation's problems or not. When it comes to other issues, such as the government trying to ensure that all children have adequate health care, or the government not interfering with the decision of a woman who was raped to get an abortion, Republicans don't seem to care about "fairness" any longer. I'd like to see Democrats point out that Republicans have this incredibly warped notion of fairness, and that they don't even care if it ruins the nation, because it seems that this notion is all they really care about, rather than reality. Or is this just where greed leads people, when it becomes a sort of addiction?