Although President Obama has promised not to raise taxes on personal incomes lower than $250,000 per year, a Gallup Poll shows that 68% of Americans across all income levels believe that President Obama will increase income taxes regardless of his promise.
Poll Shows that Americans Doubt President Obama
Between August 6th-9th, just over 1,000 Americans were asked, “By the year 2012, when President Obama’s first term as president ends, do you think your federal income taxes will be a lot higher, a little higher, the same, a little lower, (or) a lot lower than they were when President Obama took office?”
Results showed that 35% said taxes would be a lot higher, 33%, a little higher, 20%, the same, 7%, a little lower and 2% said they would be a lot lower. 59% of Americans with an annual household income of less than $30,000 say the President will increase their taxes.
Of Americans with incomes of $75,000 or more, 80% said they believe Obama will increase their federal income taxes; while 65% between $30,000 and $74,999 said they believe Obama will increase their income taxes.
A National Mood as Displayed at Town Hall Meeting
CNSNews.com reported that the national sentiment captured by the poll seemed to be exemplified by a citizen at the President’s town hall meeting in Belgrade, Montana, earlier this month.
“Max Baucus, our senator [Democratic Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee,] has been locked up in a dark room for months now trying to come up with some money to pay for these programs,” said a citizen. “And we keep getting this bull. That’s all we get, is bull. You can’t tell us how you’re going to pay for this. You’re saving here, you’re saving over there, you’re going to take a little money here, you’re going to take a little money there, but you have no money. The only way you’re going to get that money is to raise our taxes. You said you wouldn’t. Max Baucus says he doesn’t want to put a bill out that will, but that’s the only way you can do that.”
President Obama Repeats His Promise
President Obama repeated his promise in his response.
“When I was campaigning, I made a promise that I would not raise your taxes if you made $250,000 per year or less,” said Obama. “That’s what I said, but I said that for people like myself, who make more than that, there’s nothing wrong with me paying a little bit more in order to help people who’ve got a little bit less. That was my commitment.”
The Pre-election Poll Results on the Promise
In a previous Gallup Poll conducted October 23-26, 2008, 49% of Americans said they believed that President Obama would increase taxes if he were elected, showing a definite rise in percentages. Gallup’s current analysis was released Friday.
“The rise in expectations that taxes will go up probably is a reflection on Obama's ambitious domestic agenda, which began with a $787 billion economic stimulus plan and is now focused on a roughly $1 trillion healthcare reform bill…still, the Obama administration has made no definite plans to increase income taxes on any but the wealthiest Americans. Despite this, even a majority of Americans in the lowest income group--whose annual household incomes are less than $30,000 - believe their taxes will go up.”
Comparison to President George H.W. Bush’s Dilemma
Gallup presented results by comparing President Obama’s situation to the that of President George H.W. Bush, who famously promised “no new taxes” during his speech at the 1988 Republican National Convention, and then raised taxes.
“Bush's decision to break that pledge was politically damaging and likely contributed to his 1992 election defeat," said Gallup. "That damage occurred even though, as in the case of Obama, most Americans expected during the early part of Bush's presidency that he would not be able to avoid raising taxes. Thus, Bush appears to have been harmed not by his decision to raise taxes as much as by his not being able to live up to his campaign pledge.”
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