Rasmussen released a poll on Friday showing 68% opposition to a national sales tax. That isn’t the least bit surprising. Democrats, and even a good number of Republicans, have invested time over the last few years maligning the concept in the form of the Fair Tax. Now they know their strategy worked.
Except it didn’t. While only 18% supported the idea as a way to raise additional money, and 40% as a way to provide healthcare (49% opposed), 43% favored a national sales tax as a replacement for the federal income tax (with only 38% opposed). This is good news for Mike Huckabee and John Linder.
I don’t know if Huckabee has a real shot at the presidency – who can imagine a Southern Baptist preacher from Arkansas getting elected in the current social climate? But if the idea of the Fair Tax starts to find widespread support, he’ll definitely be a national player for some time. And Linder has been proposing the idea for 5 terms without a vote. This is just what he’s been waiting for.
Other good news:
Forty-eight percent (48%) say a national sales tax is fairer than an income tax while 26% hold the opposite view. The sales tax is viewed as fairer by 52% of Republicans, 44% of Democrats and 49% of unaffiliateds.
“Unless Congress comes up with some serious cash, expanding the nation’s health-care system will only add to the problem.”
Even the Washington Post knows that increasing healthcare right now is a bad idea. President Obama said a few days ago that if they don’t pass it now, they never will. And he may be right…the political winds are blowing in his direction in a way that might not happen again for quite some time.
And it’s a shame (for him, I’m quite okay with it) that there’s no money right now. I know he and many others really want this, but now isn’t the time. This is like borrowing money to pay your rent, then buying a TV instead. Sure, your friends are going to love coming over to watch the game. But eventually you’re going to get evicted and your lender will take your TV as payment. Was it worth it?
