KRUGMAN: Makers, Takers, Fakers - GOP=a party that holds a large proportion of Americans in contempt

[kpete]

OP-ED COLUMNIST
Makers, Takers, Fakers
By PAUL KRUGMAN

Republicans have a problem. For years they could shout down any attempt to point out the extent to which their policies favored the elite over the poor and the middle class; all they had to do was yell “Class warfare!” and Democrats scurried away. In the 2012 election, however, that didn’t work: the picture of the G.O.P. as the party of sneering plutocrats stuck, even as Democrats became more openly populist than they have been in decades.

As a result, prominent Republicans have begun acknowledging that their party needs to improve its image. But here’s the thing: Their proposals for a makeover all involve changing the sales pitch rather than the product. When it comes to substance, the G.O.P. is more committed than ever to policies that take from most Americans and give to a wealthy handful.


...............

Meanwhile, back in Louisiana Mr. Jindal is pushing a plan to eliminate the state’s income tax, which falls most heavily on the affluent, and make up for the lost revenue by raising sales taxes, which fall much more heavily on the poor and the middle class. The result would be big gains for the top 1 percent, substantial losses for the bottom 60 percent. Similar plans are being pushed by a number of other Republican governors as well.

.............................

Which brings me back to Mr. Jindal, who declared in his speech that “we are a populist party.” No, you aren’t. You’re a party that holds a large proportion of Americans in contempt. And the public may have figured that out.

the rest:
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/28/opinion/krugman-makers-takers-fakers-.html?smid=tw-NytimesKrugman&seid=auto&_r=1&

[DallasNE]

1. Sales Pitch Indeed

Paul Ryan on Meet The Press was a poster boy for that. He offered no new ideas. Indeed, even the sales pitch was little changed. And how can they really change the sales pitch in any serious way. They still have the Tea Party to contend with and that severely limits their options. And don't forget that the only age group Republicans lead with is the over 55 age group and Republicans are going hard after Medicare and seniors pay close attention to that as that was the story of the 2010 election where Republicans hammered Democrats on Medicare with the false claim that the Affordable Care Act was robbing $600 billion from Medicare when the truth was that it was extending the solvency of the program. The Republicans right now are the Edsel of politics. Sales pitch couldn't turn the Edsel around and it won't turn things around for the Republicans now either.