The Strange Arithmetic of George Will ...
What in the holy hell is he smoking?
Forty years ago, when President Lyndon Johnson trounced Barry Goldwater, the elderly were the most conservative age cohort. Today the elderly are the most liberal.About 2.4 million Americans die each year. Most are elderly, and a majority of that majority are Democrats, for two reasons: Most of them formed their political sensibilities in the Roosevelt-Truman-Kennedy-Johnson era of Democratic presidential ascendancy. And the elderly are devoted to big government: Social Security and Medicare by themselves are 33 percent of federal outlays.
About 7 million members of the elderly cohort from that Democratic presidential era have died since the 2000 election. And a Republican-leaning cohort that the Bush agenda aims to enlarge -- owners of stock -- continues to expand. In 1980, 20 percent of adults owned stock. Today 60 percent do, as do more than 70 percent of those who will vote on Nov. 2.
Two problems here ...
1 - The elderly are among the most liberal? REALLY???? From the latest crosstabbed poll out (Pew), I see that those over 65 break for Bush to the tune of 43-41. Close, to be sure. But Dems have lost the elderly vote ever since Bill Clinton last ran for President. Simply put - there's nothing to substantiate the claim that those frail, dying elderly folk are among the nations biggest ultralibs.
Next ....
2 - "In 1980, 20 percent of adults owned stock. Today 60 percent do, as do more than 70 percent of those who will vote on Nov. 2."
One point lost in Will's analysis here is that the majority of that 60 or 70% that now invest in stock do so via 401(k)s. Anyone who has money in a 401(k) will know that those funds are not taxed until you retire and start collecting. While the trend no doubt warrants hopeful anticipation on both sides of the aisle, it does not indicate that there is just a swarm of voters ready to lead a pitchfork rebellion over cutting the capital gains tax rate or any other tax rate for that matter ... the money in most of those investments is already growing tax-free.
In short, this is Will at his worst ... advocating policy not because of the merit it does for society ... but for meeting the end of advancing power for the sake of more power. Witness:
He has a multifaceted agenda for weakening crucial components of the Democratic Party, factions that depend on cosseting by the federal government....
In addition to their economic rationale, the Bush tax cuts have the political purpose of crimping Democrats' abilities to satisfy their factions' desires for spending. And Bush's private retirement, health and education savings accounts would implement the theory that, as Rauch says, Republicans will empower the people, who in turn will empower Republicans.
Brilliant ... everything that is abhorrently wrong in American political thought summed up in one concise column.