Supermajority of Americans Agree with “Joe the Plumber”: The Government Shouldn’t Play Robin Hood
By a Four-to-One Margin, Americans Say Economic Growth Trumps Income Redistribution
WASHINGTON, DC—By a staggering four-to-one margin, Gallup reports that Americans believe that growing the economy and creating jobs is more important than redistributing income:
When given a choice about how government should address the numerous economic difficulties facing today\’s consumer, Americans overwhelmingly — by 84% to 13% — prefer that the government focus on improving overall economic conditions and the jobs situation in the United States as opposed to taking steps to distribute wealth more evenly among Americans. …
Gallup Poll, 06-27-2008
This strong preference for broad-based economic growth and against Marxist income redistribution is present across the board:
- Adults: 84-13
- Republicans: 90-9
- Independents: 85-13
- Democrats: 77-19
- <$30,000 78-17
- $30,000-$75,000 83-16
- $75,000< 88-10
“It doesn’t matter what your political stripe is or how much you earn—a supermajority of Americans don’t want to rob from the rich and give to the poor,” said ATR President Grover Norquist. “It probably didn’t make sense in Crusades-era England, and it sure as heck doesn’t make sense in the freest country in the world in the twenty-first century.”
On October 11, 2008, Senator Barack Obama (D-Ill.) told “Joe the Plumber” that he wanted taxes raised on Joe if he made more than $250,000. The reason Obama gave was, “when you spread the wealth around, it’s good for everyone.”
America disagrees, senator.