By Jack Bernard, contributing columnist
PEACHTREE CITY, Ga. | U.S. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has told the public that Democrats “want to pile on giant tax hikes that will hammer workers and kill many thousands of American jobs.” And incoming House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy stated: “Inflation is running rampant due in part to out-of-control spending from President Biden and Speaker Pelosi.”
Their rhetoric is untrue. They have succumbed to the Trump misstatements method.
Only the ultra-wealthy and corporations were taxed in the Inflation Reduction Act. Further, the facts about inflation are much different than what is portrayed by the GOP leadership. Inflation is a big problem, but it’s a world-wide phenomenon. Europe has more inflation problems than we do.
The factors causing inflation are varied but revolve around the war in Ukraine, lasting pandemic supply chain issues and corporate profiteering. For both moral and political reasons, we must support Ukraine against invasion by a dictator bent on returning to the days of the Soviet Republic. And we have little control over international supply chain problems, which will eventually be resolved. But the Democrats can and should address exorbitant profits by greedy corporations and their top executives.
People as diverse as democratic socialist Bernie Sanders and the moderate strategist Democratic James Carville have pointed out the mistake that the GOP and their candidates are making.
Per James Carville, Bill Clinton’s election guru: “Republicans don’t have a plan to reduce inflation that I know of.” And once again, he is right and that is what the Democrats must attack by going after those top 1 percent of the wealth and greedy corporations amassing big profits.
There is plenty of proof that corporate America only cares about one thing, and that is, improving their bottom line. These corporations have been quite successful at raising their prices while blaming others. And that corporate profits are at record 40-year highs, which they are not passing down to their workers. But the Democrats are not tying the GOP to the top wealthy individuals and the corporations that those Republican leaders love and refuse to tax.
In the 2022 elections, because of GOP extremism, Democrats did not do as badly as was predicted. However, polls have repeatedly shown that the economy and inflation were major issues driving this election.
Just because the GOP had extremist candidates in 2022, losing many winnable elections nationwide, does not mean that voters are totally happy with Democrats. They may not not. Between now and the November 2024 election, Democrats must do some soul-searching, refining their messaging, to be able to appeal more to them.
Kitchen table economic issues are still vital to winning elections and will be the key to 2024 victory. Democrats must promote popular programs that help the common person. Democrats must also clearly state that profitable corporations and the ultra-wealthy must be taxed to pay a higher share of the tax bill.
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