Surprise, surprise, surprise. A recent poll [2] shows that "taxes" are now the second largest concern among Americans...even higher than national security.
And the fact that we just got a brand spanking new Democrat in the White House has nothing to do with that. Right?
Just four years ago, voters said national security was the most important political issue facing the nation. During Election 2008, the economy became their top priority, and national security was a distant second.
Now Rasmussen Reports tracking polls for the week ending March 1 show that fiscal policy concerns about tax and spending issues have edged out national security as the number two issue.
Forty-eight percent (48%) of U.S. voters now say economic issues are most important. That’s been the top issue for more than a year.
Fourteen percent (14%) see fiscal issues such as taxes and government spending as most important. Just 13% say national security issues are the highest priority. That’s down from 41% on Election Day 2004 and 19% on Election Day 2008.
It would seem to me that the danger for Obama and the Dems is not just the return of the "tax issue" itself, but more the degree to which the average person relates the economy to fiscal and tax policies. And I would think that by the end of the summer, with a few stimulus bills, bailouts and an almost 4 trillion dollar budget under his belt, Obama will own fiscal and tax policy in the minds of most Americans.
