Send This to Your Republican In-laws!

For too long Democrats have been derided as economically clueless tax-and-spenders. No wonder Americans so often vote against their own common interests.

We should know better. And now we do.

Alan S. Blinder, in The New York Times, drew recently (9.30.08) from Unequal Democracy, a new book by Princeton political science professor Larry M. Bartels. His takeaway could be a game-changer:

Over the last six decades, whether rich or poor, everyone has done better with Democrats in the White House.

And that is just the non-divisive, universal note that Barack Obama needs to hit and keep hitting, in response to the RNC, and in debates and in the press. So let's tell our McCain-leaning friends and family about this -- and also encourage the Obama campaign to make sure this message gets heard. It's easy; just fill out this form. (See below for the note I myself sent, which you can use as you wish.)

Among the most striking points:

Story continues below

advertisement

> From 1948 to 2007 the average annual growth of real gross national product was 1.64 percent per capita under Republican presidents versus 2.78 percent under Democrats. Put another way, real per capita GNP grew 69.5 percent faster under the Democrats.

> Blinder notes that this 1.14-point difference over eight years would yield 9.33 percent more income per person -- and that's a lot more than most of us could expect from a tax cut.

> The best-off families (the 95th percentile) fared almost as well under Republican as under Democratic presidents (1.90 percent growth per year, versus 2.12 percent).

> Families at the 20th percentile (the poorest) did significantly better under Democrats than under Republicans. (2.64 percent versus 0.43 percent). Consider this: Eight years of a 0.43 percent annual rate of growth increases a family's income by 3.5 percent; but eight years at 2.64 percent raises it by 23.2 percent!

> Income inequality in the United States has been rising for about three decades, especially in recent years. Over the entire 60-year period, writes Blinder, "income inequality trended substantially upward under Republican presidents but slightly downward under Democrats, thus accounting for the widening income gaps over all."

Now is the time to bury forever the false portrayal of the Democrats' economic record and replace it with these hopeful facts.

[Here now is my own email to the Obama campaign. Please feel free to cut and paste it into the Obama website's feedback form.]

To Senator Obama and his campaign staff:

As you head into these crucial final weeks of your presidential campaign, you will face many challenges from those who would like to perpetuate the notion that the Democratic Party's economic policies serve "Big Government" and not We The People.

A new book, Unequal Democracy by Larry M. Bartels, puts this false characterization to rest. I hope you will not only take a look at this summary in The Huffington Post [ http://www.huffingtonpost.com/frances-moore-lappe/send-this-to-your-republi_b_123270.html ] but take these points up as your own -- doing so may be one of the simplest and most effective ways to make people see the stark, historically documented differences between the economic stagnation and division that the GOP consistently offers and the revitalization and greater fairness that the Democrats almost invariably deliver.

Frances Moore Lappe of the Small Planet Institute in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is the author of sixteen books, most recently Getting a Grip: Clarity, Creativity, and Courage in a World Gone Mad.

Comments

[Robertx5]

For all Republican voters out there
I know the math is difficult
but 23.2 % more income after 8 years is actually better than 3.5%

[rwe]

What? we did better with Johnson? With Carter? and Clinton had the Reagonomic benefit

[tdwhite]

Yes, and the Republicans are the REAL Tax and Spend Party. Here's the proof:
http://www.eriposte.com/economy/tax/tax_n_spend_truths.htm
We're each spending a few hundred dollars a month on this war. If Bush doesn't get us into Iran before he leaves, McCain will. It is too scary to contemplate. PLEASE don't take that chance.
Republicans have deregulated to the point that:
pensions and healthcare benefits aren't safe,
unions are weakened/broken,
equal pay isn't protected,
jobs are more easily eliminated or sent overseas,
workplace safety isn't protected,
unscupulous (loanshark-level) lending practices are legal,
air/water pollution standards are lowered,
THAT'S JUST FOR STARTERS!
And it's a war for capitalism and oil in Iraq. The media have bought into Bush's "war on terror" language. Try substituting "capitalism" for "freedom" or "democracy" when you hear what they're trying to spread to other countries.
Don't let them fool you anymore. They fool you with "family values" issues, but they're not on your side unless you're wealthy. There are wealthy, corporate and politician Republicans, and there are working class Republicans. The working class Republicans get manipulated into voting against their own interests and believe what the Republican politicians say.
Look up Bobby Kennedy, Jr. on YouTube. He cuts through the media hype and tells it like it is.
Democrats aren't perfect, but they are the lesser of two evils by a long shot! Vote for Obama and Democrats and keep the pressure on to repair Bush's damage!

[researcher]

dont bother me with the facts

it is about war ok ie warrors for god

if we dont kill them over there we will have to kill them over here

signed
just your average evangel neo con repub
at least we know how to win elections
unlike the demos

[Pat15]

"It just keeps getting better by the minute. For all lower-income, lower-middle-class, and middle-class Republican voters who may be worried about the future of your jobs and to the ones who are struggling to make ends meet, maybe this will make you finally wake up and come to your senses:" I doubt it though ...The past record shows it that Repugs know how to win close elections thru lies, mud slinging, below the belt politics and ofcourse their ever obidient evangicals base ... we would need a miracle ...oh hmmm Pastor Higgie pl pray for us ...Amen

[lisakaz2]

This is such an intro-to-the-obvious point that it baffles me that the GOP could be so moronic, so greedy/selfish: we live in a mass market economy. That means a broad segment of the public must have disposable income for purchases big and small. This is not a command economy where only the wealthy (nobility or whatnot) get their small luxury goods made with nothing contributed by the populace as a whole. That would represent a big step back, somewhere around 300 years in fact. If the middle 50% (or more) is not able to buy, the economy as a whole will collapse -- meaning big companies making all sorts of durable goods, or the housing market, etc., etc. And yet continually the Booo$hie undermine John Q Public while boosting the billionaires. We all know "trickle down" only brings refuse and crumbs.

Wake up America!

[princessk]

Republicans also charge up the credit card, aka the national debt.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_debt_by_U.S._presidential_terms

[Chavez08]

It doesn't matter, the self-hating rednecks and empire-building robber-barons will not hear debate, criticism, analysis or opinion. 17th Century, "neo-classic" economics is their 2nd bible, Friedman can't be debated and it's OK that "Free Markets" will assure an empire of 2% kings and 98% slaves because the cheerleaders (rednecks and "Captains of Industry") all think they will be in the 2% ruling over the rest.

The truth/data has been given to them repeatedly since Friedman released his economic non-sense manual but they will not even consider other viewpoints. There is no objectivity, reason or critical thought with these people, just ignorance/Darwinism and a "Stockholm Syndrome" mentality because they are weak and a need to belong to a (falsely) masculine "Team", and they don't care that their team captains are poisoning their Gatorade.

Our best bet is not to keep trying to make them think but to make sure they never have political power on this planet again.

[shaitan]

The book, What's the matter with Kansas by Thomas Frank showed how the people in the red states keep voting for Republicans even when its clearly against their economic interests.

[wadenthewater]

I can't get that McCain campaign song out of my head "We're all just raising McCaiyaaan.."...lol

Stevie please help him out...

Got to admit that is a catchy campaign song...lol, so I had to change the lyrics....

"We're all just hatin McCain, Com' on ya'll get off his train, we'll get out of his way, cause we're ALL just hatin McCayyyaan."

Act II
- McCain drives in to stump in the General Lee, and Palin strikes resemblance to Daisy Duke... you got it here first...

Ahh, wew... The future of the GOP.

wadenthewater...

[Classof89]

It just keeps getting better by the minute. For all lower-income, lower-middle-class, and middle-class Republican voters who may be worried about the future of your jobs and to the ones who are struggling to make ends meet, maybe this will make you finally wake up and come to your senses:

World's richest got even richer last year: report
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080904/us_nm/wealthmanagement_report_dc

[SunFresh]

I would, but I won't marry a man that came from a Republican household.

#1 - They don't tend to like black women
#2 - I tend to be attracted to men from the North
#3 - I'm not rich enough for a Republican to leave his crippled wife to marry me. I've got to attract a man based on my brains and wit.
#4 - I don't make a pretty pitbull - I do; however, make a hot soccer-mom from a hot state (GA)
#5 - I'd offer my daughter contraceptives if she were engaging in sex

[likecarew]

Well, I understand, fairwitness, but I hope you'll at least send a note to Obama HQ -- maybe they can make some hay with the facts -- and turn the dialogue about the economy and the poor (which is all but lost these days) around.

[likecarew]

Well done. I just sent my note to the Obama campaign!

This is important stuff -- if we pass this on to everyone we know -- Republican, Democract, Other, and Undecided -- maybe people will sit up and take notice of what real economic change can mean.

[fairwitness]

Sorry, but this advice is about issues. My Republican mother doesn't DO issues. And numbers from the NYT and Princeton--you must be kidding! But trot out a little flag idolatry and miltary uniforms, some planes-bombing-enemy-villages imagery, a cross made of gold bullion all shiny and imposing, an Archie Bunker speech, maybe, and you've got her.

My in-laws, on the other hand, are intelligent liberal catholics, inclined to see through all that bs.

[montemalone]

Don't forget the bible and the do as I say, not as I do attitude.

[Henry]

There is also a mega important item that "unregulated markets" (the dream of republicans) gave you round-tripping at Enron and delivered the subprime home loan securitization mess that nearly gave a terminal stroke to the entire financial system. Face it folks the rules of the game must be set and the rules must be regulated. Republicans lose big on this argument. (Its the same for food and drugs... with regulation etc)