Robinson: Greed is good? The GOP seems to be okay with that.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/economic-fairness-eludes-the-gop-but-not-obama/2012/01/26/gIQADOb3TQ_story.html
If you heard a loud gulp Tuesday night after President Obamas State of the Union address, it probably came from Republican political strategists as they realized their partys odds of capturing the White House this fall are getting longer. Obama may be no Ronald Reagan, but hes no Jimmy Carter, either.
The obligatory list of accomplishments and initiatives was embellished with bits and pieces of what will likely be Obamas standard campaign speech. At the heart of his argument for a second term is his assertion that the American dream of upward mobility has been hijacked that the rich and the powerful have rigged our economic and political systems to favor their interests over those of the average citizen.
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There are some Republicans who cant wait to take the issue of Buffetts tax rate vs. Bosaneks head-on. They are eager to argue that one of the worlds richest men deserves to pay a lower rate because his income derives from job-creating investments. These Republicans presumably consider his secretary a mere salaried employee who spends her money on such fripperies as, you know, food, shelter, clothing and transportation.
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Perhaps more of a political problem, from the GOPs point of view, is Obamas riff on shared responsibility. Republicans seem eager to double down on a greed is good ethos that has more resonance when the economy is booming, real estate values are soaring and everybody feels rich. Obama, by contrast, envisions a return to an America where the successful and fortunate lend a helping hand to those down on their luck, rather than coldly leave them behind. This seems much more in tune with the times.
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