In 2019 memo, GOP pollster Frank Luntz warned of "deep and growing anger" at the rich

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

In a 2019 memorandum obtained by Salon, longtime Republican pollster and strategist Frank Luntz reported that "public sentiment about the wealthy has been degrading over the last few years," and that many Americans across party lines believed the ultra-rich were "gaming the system." Luntz's memo, entitled "The War on the Successful," appears to add significant context to ProPublica's recent report that many of the 25 wealthiest Americans paid little or no taxes from 2014 to 2018, with that group paying an average "true tax rate of only 3.4%" per year.

Luntz's memo warns that Republicans need to alter their language and tactics in order to ensure that they keep taxes low on corporations and the rich.

Luntz wrote that he was not "pleased with what we learned" in his research. "Across partisan lines, there is a deep and growing anger that the wealthy are gaming the system."

He reported that the popularity of capitalism was waning fast, calling that "a sad indication of what's happening in our high schools and universities." Public opinion, Luntz wrote, was strongly in favor of raising taxes on the rich, limiting corporate executive pay, providing tuition-free college and universal health care, and paying all working people a "living wage," even when they're not working.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/in-2019-memo-gop-pollster-frank-luntz-warned-of-deep-and-growing-anger-at-the-rich/ar-AAKYgQa

Have them pay their fair share and fewer people will hate them.

[dalton99a]

1. "Conservatives should stop using the word "capitalism" and start saying "economic freedom""

Luntz advised a switch in semantics and branding: Conservatives should stop using the word "capitalism" and start saying "economic freedom," argue that hard work and good ideas are what create massive wealth, rather than political, legal and economic advantages, and change the education system — presumably to promote pro-capitalist ideology.

Family Enterprise USA and the lobbying group Policy and Tax Group (PATG) had commissioned Luntz's survey, in an effort to understand the "animus" toward the wealthy and "combat the often wrong perceptions and attitudes surrounding the wealthy."

"The War on the Successful" was paid for by PATG members and distributed by lobbyist Pat Soldano, who ran both organizations. Luntz has worked with PATG for decades and is widely credited for coining the term "death tax" for the right-wing anti-taxation group, which boasts: "Consider our record: We changed the 'estate tax' to the 'death tax' and that changed the course of legislative history."

Luntz has never registered as a lobbyist, but on March 14, 2018, Sodano told PATG members that Luntz was "continuing to help us with our messaging — including as relates to the 'family business exemption' — and will, along with Squire Patton Boggs and McGuire Woods Consulting, continue to support our advocacy efforts this year." Luntz then held a series of meetings in May and June of 2018 with then-Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, who shaped fiscal policy under the Trump administration. In a December 2018 blog post for PATG, Luntz warned, "The Left has been motivated and activated, and as a result, the War on the Wealthy is alive and gaining strength."

Fuck this GOP whore

[Ron Green]

5. That's nothing new. Throughout school as a kid I never heard the word

“Capitalism.” It was always “The Free Enterprise System.” I didn’t hear the actual term until I learned about Marx.

[Crunchy Frog]

12. Why don't we have someone like him working for our side?

When is our side going to figure out how important messaging is? It's almost too late.

[OrlandoDem2]

2. So basically he was worried that Americans want what other modern countries have.

[oldsoftie]

7. But we dont want to tax them the way those countries do

We need a sales tax like they use. Then the rich would be paying a LOT more into the system. As well as people like me who never have reported income

[Dan]

8. Under a sales tax, we really penalize the poor not the rich.

[wnylib]

11. Maybe a sales tax on high end luxury items.

[Ford_Prefect]

16. We tried that and they put in W. I'm not sure that's the way to do it.

I think they need to pay up front like we do and in proportion to their level of benefit.

[oldsoftie]

19. The luxury tax was already tried & failed

Unless everything is taxed there's always a work around

[oldsoftie]

20. It seems to work quite well in most other countries

We have far too many people who pay NOTHING in to our income tax system. And far too many who only claim a small portion of what they actually earn.
Maybe its possible that something like the stimulus checks of a certain amount could be sent out. Then the income level of the poor wouldnt be taxed at all.

[I_UndergroundPanther]

3. Fuck the rich snowflake

Greedy shits.

They've been fucking over the not rich since this country was founded.

It's class war and the Richies started it.

[drmeow]

4. Luntz is the architect of the Republican

double speak since at least Newt Gingrich. He should be one of the first guillotined by the masses.

[Dan]

9. +1

[JoeOtterbein]

6. Who ever paid for the poll, was an idiot.

Everyone knows we all want to raise taxes on the rich.

Do these republics talk to any real people? Ever?

[BobTheSubgenius]

10. For a brief moment, I thought Luntz had had a come to Jesus moment.

Very brief. He had no revelation worthy of the name, but a moment of unwelcome clarity that the great unwashed are becoming restive and resentful. Ungrateful peons that they/we are.

Damn, what an annoying bit of reading that was. How in Heaven's name did I ever think that something good was coming from Luntz? Even the GD title of his GD piece is infuriating.

[hatrack]

14. Nah, it's the same shit as the GQP on environmental issues . . .

"Oh, here's some language that'll let you appear open to maybe doing something undefined, someday about a collapsing climate, but without raising taxes or inconveniencing anyone in anyway, 'cuz that makes Baby Jesus cry."

[OldBaldy1701E]

13. Just think

of all the money they are going to spend on trying to game the message to save their profits when they could just be fair about it and probably end up paying less. That is some rethug thinking at its best, ain't it?

[WarGamer]

15. He's right about ONE thing...

The bipartisan anger at the filthy rich is growing.

The "Country Club Republican" portion of the Party is nearly gone. And most Democrats already question wtf the wealthy do for their money.

This is a good move. When the Government finally addresses wealth inequality and tax fairness it'll fix LOTS of problems.

[Ford_Prefect]

17. I think we present them with 2 distinct possibilities. One involves paying appropriate taxes.

The other would involve a side of fries and coleslaw.

[lagomorph777]

18. The rich have been waging war on us for decades;

they just don't like it when we fight back.

[Hugin]

21. In some dark recess of their self-absorbed minds they may realize...

They are outnumbered by over a million to one and if those people get together it could become very expensive to be 'rich'.

The former guy almost crapped the bed for them and now they're quietly trying to tiptoe through. Being narcissists and none too bright, it's very difficult for them to do.

[Ligyron]

22. The 1% have an enormous war chest to beat us with on messaging.

Funded in large part by the money they’re saving by not paying their share of taxes.