Now that the dust has settled from the great election tsunami of 2010, it's worth looking at some of the under-the-radar issues. One of these is public support for a value-added tax (VAT).
According to exit polling conducted by Kellyanne Conway's the polling company, inc./WomanTrend, a super-majority of voters oppose an add-on VAT:
- 63 percent of voters were opposed to a VAT, including 48 percent strongly opposed
- A majority of every demographic (age, race, ethnicity, education level, gender, region, parental status, and marital status) opposed a VAT
- All income levels opposed a VAT, with the strongest opposition (68 percent) coming from families making less than $25,000 per year
- A majority of every political affiliation (GOP, Democrat, Independent) opposed a VAT
- A majority of conservatives and moderates opposed a VAT, and even 40 percent of liberals did
- Even voters who pulled the lever for a Democrat opposed a VAT while doing so
- In an election all about spending, a majority of those voting on government spending or taxes opposed a VAT
The results could not be clearer. Americans instinctively know that a VAT would turn into a giant source of new tax revenue, turning us into a 21st century Western Europe.