Perception Versus Reality
The GOP tax reform plan has been passed. Not a single Democrat has voted for it. They came out swinging long before it came to vote. Their battleground? The media, of course. Their weapons: dishonest analysis. The result: perception departs from reality.
Perception: A Wall Street Journal CBS poll revealed that only 41% of respondents felt the GOP tax reform plan was a “good idea”. A CNN poll found that only 14% of respondents expected to see a reduction in their own taxes.
Reality: A Brookings Institute report found that, in reality, 80% of American households will receive a tax cut. (Brookings, as you may know, is a VERY liberal think tank, so there’s zero chance that this estimate results from biased analysis).
So, why this dramatic discrepancy between perception and reality? The answer is multi factorial:
1) Poll selection methodology. Most national polling pools include only approximately 30% Republicans! OF COURSE their conclusions will be skewed.
2) Media deceit. Approximately 91% of major media newscasters and analysts are Democrats. Of COURSE their conclusions will be skewed.
3) Political deceit. The Democratic politicians are in the unenviable position of trying to defend their failing record of the past eight years. In essence they HAVE to lie to try to keep their jobs. They look the American public right in the eye and say that the tax reform “benefits ONLY the rich” when they KNOW that it will benefit the American middle class.
So, when we see the poll numbers cited above, we know that significant numbers of Americans actually BELIEVE what the media and Democrats tell them. Although this is disappointing, it is, of course, understandable. Who has time to read the hundreds of pages that comprise modern tax legislation? Very few, of course. And, without formal accounting and finance training, who can make, literally, heads or tails out of it. So we need to turn others to know WHAT to think.
Fortunately, there will be one tax cycle prior to the next “mid term” elections and two prior to the next Presidential campaigns. When Americans see their larger paychecks, they will take note. Money talks. A strong economy shouts. Reality will, ultimately, Trump perception.