The only major legislative accomplishment for Republicans in the Trump era appears to be a major flop in the eyes of a majority of the country, according to an internal poll commissioned by – wait for it – the Republican National Committee.
According to the poll, which Bloomberg News obtained, Americans believe by a 2-to-1 margin that the GOP tax overhaul benefitted the wealthiest corporations and individuals, not the middle class.
The internal survey found that 61 percent of the country believes the Republican law favors the “large corporations and rich Americans†over the average working family. Just 30 percent believe otherwise.
Driving the opposition to the GOP scam, according to Bloomberg, are independent voters. Republicans are the only group that believed the tax plan actually gave a significant boost to the middle class – surprise, surprise.
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More from the report:
The result was fueled by self-identified independent voters who said by a 36-point margin that large corporations and rich Americans benefit more from the tax law — a result that was even more lopsided among Democrats. Republican voters said by a 38-point margin that the middle class benefits more.
…
The tax law slashed the corporate tax rate permanently to 21 percent from 35 percent. It also reduced individual tax rates, doubled the standard deduction, eliminated or capped some itemized deductions, most notably for state and local taxes, and created a special break for pass-through businesses like partnerships until the end of 2025. That year, 25 percent of the gains will go to the top 1 percent while 66 percent of the benefits will go to the top one-fifth of earners, according to an analysis from the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center.
The internal document obtained by Bloomberg shows that even Republicans admit that they have “lost the messaging battle on the issue.”
Screengrab via Bloomberg:
Republicans have nothing to run on
With the blue wave already making even the reddest of red states competitive for Democratic candidates, the fact that Republicans can’t even talk about their one legislative “achievement” should worry them.
With their tax proposal off the table, Republicans have nothing to run on with less than two months until the midterm elections.
Meanwhile, Democrats continue to push policy proposals that are both popular and would help the middle class, like a higher minimum wage, a Medicare-for-All health care system, and debt-free college.
With the White House in free-fall and the GOP Congress running from their only legislative achievement over the past two years, the odds of a Democratic takeover on Nov. 6 only keep growing.
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Sean Colarossi currently resides in Cleveland, Ohio. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and was an organizing fellow for both of President Obama’s presidential campaigns. He also worked with Planned Parenthood as an Affordable Care Act Outreach Organizer in 2014, helping northeast Ohio residents obtain health insurance coverage.
