| President Obama is ramping up into full campaign | | | | Americans with any tax preferences they |
| mode and betting he can increase the turnout of | | | | receive. There is also a practical political |
| Democratic voters in November. He needs to | | | | consideration. The most recent Gallup Poll (August |
| energize some of the base of support he | | | | 30 to September 5) indicates that the recently |
| enjoyed in his 2008 election if Democrats are to | | | | reported historic +10% Republican lead in the |
| avoid losing one or both houses of Congress in | | | | Congressional preference polls may have either |
| the up-coming mid-term elections. The surest | | | | vanished, or at a minimum, been overstated. |
| indication of the president's strategy is the way | | | | Republicans and Democrats are tied at 46% in |
| he has refused to cave on extending the Bush | | | | the most recent Gallup poll reported. At the same |
| tax cuts, and is taking an increasingly populist, | | | | time, there remains a dramatic enthusiasm gap |
| pro-middle class posture. His argument: why should | | | | between Democrats, Independents, and |
| the rich not go back to paying the same low tax | | | | Republicans. The percentage who describe |
| rates they enjoyed during the prosperous Clinton | | | | themselves as "Very Enthusiastic" was 50% for |
| years? And why not target any additional tax | | | | Republicans, 28% for Independents, and only 25% |
| incentives, not to millionaires, but instead to small | | | | for Democrats. This suggests that the most |
| business in the form of tax credits, deductions, | | | | practical thing the President can do right now to |
| and access to capital for the purpose of creating | | | | help Democratic candidates in November is to rally |
| new jobs here in the United States? | | | | the base, and campaign in his best populist voice |
| It's hard to argue with the logic that small | | | | for the American middle class. It worked in |
| business needs the help more than millionaires and | | | | November 2008. |
| billionaires who may do nothing to help employ | | | | |