Democrats and Trade
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-demstext3feb03,1,4475206.story?coll=la-headlines-nation
We Democrats have a different vision: spurring research and development in new technologies to help create the jobs of the future, rolling up our sleeves and fighting for today's jobs by ending the special tax breaks that encourage big corporations to ship jobs overseas, a trade policy that enforces the rules of the road so that we play to win in the global marketplace instead of sitting by and getting played for fools.After World War II, through the Marshall Plan, we rebuilt Europe and they went from poverty to an economic powerhouse. Today we need to invest in our own nation's future with a Marshall Plan for America to build the infrastructure our economy needs to go and to grow.President Eisenhower did that in the 1950s with interstate highways. National investment created the Internet in the 1970s. We need to build the next economy, and we need to start now. The 21st century economy holds great promise for our people, but unless we give all Americans the skills they need to succeed, countries like India and China will be taking good- paying jobs that should be ours.
Scott: If the Congressional Democrats can convert the part above from platitudes to a simple legislative package in the manner Newt did with the Contract with America in 1994 they have a major chance at driving a wedge in the red states. The problem of course is that they will be goring the ox of many of their biggest supporters and strongest urban strongholds. When we think urban the Democrats always stress lumpen prole welfare folk and alternative lifestyles. Neither is a false picture. Neither is the whole picture. The deep blue urban centers are also where the very high income service economy lives – finance, banking, software, media, cutting edge medical care, multinational corporate senior management…these are the sort of well off people who vote Democratic for social reasons. The realignment started with Goldwater in 1964 and went into overdrive with Clinton in the 90’s when they linked issues of race/crime/welfare/’urban issues’ essentially went out of the practical Democratic political lexicon. The high income urban and northern/Pacific/Chicago suburbs that gave large margins to Nixon were solid blue by 2000. The old silk stocking district on Manhattan’s East Side is typical of the change. With economics [beyond top tax brackets] off the table these people were free to vote their social and residential views instead of their wallets.
However there is a GOP counter strategy available, Tax reform is on the table. The Dems have whined since 2001 about upper bracket tax cuts. An interesting reform would be capping the deductions for mortgage interest, property taxes and state income taxes. All three synergistically benefit mostly these dark blue areas. A family making $150K/year with a $250K house is rich in most of the US but NOT in these counties. Populism can cut for the GOP here.
posted by scott 6:34 AM