LWW
07-20-2011, 03:32 AM
THE LIE (http://wizbangblog.com/2011/07/15/where-obamas-80-who-want-tax-increases-came-from/) ... which all good little Obamatrons accepted with neither qualm nor trepidation, as since it spewed from dear leader's lips it was as if it had been brought down from the mountain top inscribed on stone tablets:
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Obama’s bombshell that 80% of Americans favor increasing taxes is blowing up the blogosphere now. Reactions range from “it’s a lie” to “they can’t do math” to Traffic Santa calling the president’s bluff: “I challenge you to introduce legislation raising taxes on 80% of Americans.”
The answer, however, I culled from my years of creating chartjunk. I suspect he’s getting his fungible numbers from this Gallup poll:
http://wizbangblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/srxuqqm8qkax643rbt9k-w.gif
The only important number here is the first one, the 20%. The president said, in effect, if you’re not one of the 20% who actually responded you favor tax increases. Thus, 80% (which included people who didn’t answer the question) are for tax increases. While that’s sorta true, it’s about as disingenuous a statistic as I’ve ever heard.
Using the same logic, 96% of American are for spending cuts. </div></div>
MEANWHILE (http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/business/taxes/july_2011/55_oppose_tax_hike_in_debt_ceiling_deal) ... back where the air is thick and intellectual integrity is still valued:
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">As the Beltway politicians try to figure out how they will raise the debt ceiling and for how long, most voters oppose including tax hikes in the deal.
Just 34% think a tax hike should be included in any legislation to raise the debt ceiling. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 55% disagree and say it should not. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
There is a huge partisan divide on the question. Fifty-eight percent (58%) of Democrats want a tax hike in the deal while 82% of Republicans do not. Among those not affiliated with either major political party, 35% favor a tax hike and 51% are opposed. </div></div>
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Obama’s bombshell that 80% of Americans favor increasing taxes is blowing up the blogosphere now. Reactions range from “it’s a lie” to “they can’t do math” to Traffic Santa calling the president’s bluff: “I challenge you to introduce legislation raising taxes on 80% of Americans.”
The answer, however, I culled from my years of creating chartjunk. I suspect he’s getting his fungible numbers from this Gallup poll:
http://wizbangblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/srxuqqm8qkax643rbt9k-w.gif
The only important number here is the first one, the 20%. The president said, in effect, if you’re not one of the 20% who actually responded you favor tax increases. Thus, 80% (which included people who didn’t answer the question) are for tax increases. While that’s sorta true, it’s about as disingenuous a statistic as I’ve ever heard.
Using the same logic, 96% of American are for spending cuts. </div></div>
MEANWHILE (http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/business/taxes/july_2011/55_oppose_tax_hike_in_debt_ceiling_deal) ... back where the air is thick and intellectual integrity is still valued:
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">As the Beltway politicians try to figure out how they will raise the debt ceiling and for how long, most voters oppose including tax hikes in the deal.
Just 34% think a tax hike should be included in any legislation to raise the debt ceiling. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 55% disagree and say it should not. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
There is a huge partisan divide on the question. Fifty-eight percent (58%) of Democrats want a tax hike in the deal while 82% of Republicans do not. Among those not affiliated with either major political party, 35% favor a tax hike and 51% are opposed. </div></div>