How Stupid Are Republicans?

Stupid enough to vote for George W. Bush twice. Yes, that’s the obvious answer. However, let me ask you this: Did Ronald Reagan ever raise taxes during his presidency? If you answered “no”, you are wrong. If you answered “a little bit”, you are wrong. If you answered “yes, in fact, he is responsible for the biggest peacetime tax increase in American history, you are absolutely correct! Did Reagan raise taxes more than once? Again if you answered “yes”, you get a gold star. Take a look at this excerpt from The Wages of War by Steve H. Hanke published in Forbes on December 8, 2003:

Just look at what happened to President Reagan's supply-side tax cut of 1981. Less than a year later the Gipper put his pen to another tax law that raised taxes by almost 1% of GDP, making it the biggest peacetime tax increase in American history. And that was not all. In every subsequent year of Reagan's presidency, with the exception of 1988, Congress passed and Reagan signed tax increases.

I know what you’re saying: “Hey Paul, I can’t believe something published in that leftist Forbes magazine!” Well, let’s take it even further to the left with the New York Times and Paul Krugman:

But Ronald Reagan does hold a special place in the annals of tax policy, and not just as the patron saint of tax cuts. To his credit, he was more pragmatic and responsible than that; he followed his huge 1981 tax cut with two large tax increases. In fact, no peacetime president has raised taxes so much on so many people.

I know, I know, we can’t believe everything we read. Especially in lefty, communist magazines and newspapers. How about what we read in studies done by lefty, communist governments, like ours. Here is FactCheck.org referring to a study done by the U.S. Department of the Treasury:

In the period since 1968, the study said, "the Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 1982 was the biggest increase." That was the tax increase signed by Ronald Reagan, rescinding some of the effects of his huge tax cut passed the year before.

What about George H. W. Bush? “Read my lips, no new taxes”. Nope, he raised taxes too. George W. Bush? As far as I know he has not raised taxes, he’s just dug us into a huge financial hole that no one seems to be happy with, and left it for some other president to raise taxes to dig us out of.

Why does the myth persist that Republicans will lower taxes? They are very good at lying about it and telling us they won’t raise taxes. They aren’t so good at putting it into practice. Could it possibly be that we need taxes? To, you know, PAY FOR STUFF!

How stupid are Republicans? Very stupid, if they keep falling for the tired campaign slogan of “no new taxes”, or “tax cuts”, over and over again. Let’s put an end to this nonsense and cast our votes based on something other than the issue of lowering taxes.