Does Voting Your Pocketbook Mean You’re Voting For Democrats?

by John Hawkins | November 19, 2004 10:58 pm

For a long while now, Democrats have been claiming, in some form or fashion, that poor and middle class voters are voting against their own economic self interests when they vote Republican. They may say voters are “not voting their pocketbooks” when they vote Republican, say that a vote for Bush by someone who’s poor is a vote “against their economic interests,” etc, etc.

That is, of course, pure claptrap.

That’s not to say that voting Democratic isn’t in anyone’s interests. Are you a trial lawyer, someone making minimum wage, a person getting welfare? Well, truth be told, it probably is in your economic interest to vote Democratic.

But, for most people, Republicans truly offer something that Democrats only promise at election time and rarely deliver on: the opportunity to keep more of your own money.

Interestingly enough, this point was made quite clearly and effectively by one Jason Bradfield in a column (not a forum post) on the Democratic Underground called “Inside the Mind of a Bush Voter[1]“. You see Bradfield is apparently one of those racist, sexist, bigoted, sister marryin’, freaks from Jesusland who voted for Bush in 2000, but who grew as a person and voted for Kerry in 2004. Now he’s explaining why those primitive red staters vote the way they do to the rest of liberals who just can’t figure them out. Here’s the #1 reason the “old Bradfield” voted for Bush in 2000…

“First, Bush promised something for ME! Namely, a tax cut. I spent the rebate on the oversized sofa I have in my living room now. Talk about tangible benefits. I sit down on my tax rebate every night.”

Shazim, Shazam, there it is…… although I’m surprised that anyone on the left would admit that Bush’s tax cuts didn’t just go to the rich. There was also the child tax-credit and the fight to end the marriage penalty that Bush supported and most Democrats opposed. I could also add that Republicans are friendly to American businesses that power our economy & provide jobs while Democrats are generally hostile to those same businesses and favor raising their taxes & strangling them with regulations.

So if it was only about “people voting their pocketbooks,” Republicans would be the best choice for most Americans.

But of course, people don’t cast their votes based only on dollars and cents. If they did, wouldn’t George Soros, Barbra Streisand, and Warren Buffet, and dare I say, John Kerry, all be voting Republican in hopes that their taxes would be cut?

Money is certainly important, but it’s not the end all and be all of politics, nor should it be. If you care about your country and its future, your vote is not simply for sale to the highest bidder.

Endnotes:
  1. Inside the Mind of a Bush Voter: http://www.democraticunderground.com/articles/04/11/19_bush.html

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