... President Obama has made this [payroll] tax cut one of his top priorities, stressing its importance to the middle class, while Republicans are increasingly vocal about their desire to, by their own reasoning, raise middle-class taxes.
This policy, by the way, has traditionally been a Republican idea. What’s more, GOP leaders have not emphasized tax breaks over deficit concerns in general, but they’ve specifically prioritized this tax break over deficit concerns for years.
That is, until President Obama agreed with them, at which point they decided to once again oppose their own proposal.
As Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) recently argued, “If they oppose even something so suited to their tastes ideologically, it shows that they’re just opposing anything that helps create jobs. It almost makes you wonder if they aren’t trying to slow down the economic recovery for political gain.” ...Steve Benen
That any registered voter of either major party-- or independents -- would be left with any doubt that this and a long sequence of Republican moves are aimed at "slow[ing] down the economic recovery for political gain" seems pretty much impossible. But by changing back and forth and by the klutzy nature of their policy changes, Republicans also seem to be backing themselves into a corner with pretty much all voters. Not even the richest and most idle are at ease with a failing economy and if Republicans are making it fail deliberately, they'll answer for it.
Given the approval ratings of Republicans these days, I'd guess most voters -- even the hardest right -- are very clear on what that party is up to. Those who approve of Republicans remain in low percentages, at best lagging behind Obama by 20 points or more on issues of governance. Why would adding a tax raise and a record of wobbling back and forth about the type and amount of taxes do anything for them now, quite apart from burdening middle class voters, the ones who have been taking the hardest hits?
