Step 1: Frame the Debate (Failed.)

With what seems like one of the most important congressional elections in a lifetime (wait…don’t we say that every year?) quickly approaching, the issues that will take charge of the hearts and minds of voters on November 2nd are taking their final form. One issue that has been particularly hot button since the 2008 Presidential election is that of the “Bush Tax Cuts” that bolstered the economy after the September 11th attacks and gave Americans 7 years of economic growth before Fannie Mae, Freddy Mac, and the Congressional Democrats sent our economy into the wreckage that we now find ourselves in.

Today, you cannot turn on the news without hearing at least one segment on the debate about the “Bush Tax Cuts,” and that is precisely the potential problem for Republicans in this cycle.

The “Bush Tax Cuts” already happened. There will be no further income tax cuts for anyone in this country this year, or most likely in any of the coming years as we simply cannot afford them without deep spending cuts and reform (paging Governor Christie…). The GOP has allowed the President and his allies to frame this crucial debate in such a way that middle class Americans could actually believe that Republicans wish to block further tax cuts for them in order to protect individuals filing in the highest tax brackets. This is not a winning formula for the GOP.

Last week, Congressional Democrats decided that the vote on whether to extend the tax law would be postponed until after the election takes place. So now, it is possible that during the lame duck session of Congress there could be a vote to keep tax rates down and restore some certainty to our economy, or in the alternative, a bitter Democrat caucus could allow the cuts to expire on January 1st, requiring the GOP to take action on their first day in charge later that month.

It is time to take back this issue and let Americans everywhere know that Republicans are standing for the low tax rates they have enjoyed almost 10 years running. Republicans are not blocking further cuts to protect the “rich,” but instead are fighting to let ALL Americans keep what is rightfully theirs. It is time to stop talking about the “Bush Tax Cuts” and start talking about putting a stop to the “Obama Tax Hike.”

Brian McGovern
About Brian McGovern 748 Articles
Brian McGovern wears many hats these days including Voorhees Township GOP Municipal Chairman, South Jersey attorney, and co-owner of the Republican campaign consulting firm Exit 3 Strategies, Inc.