4 ms·

>Too many different logical fallacies and false premises here to even start Keep in mind that I am merely stating that an argument exists, an not making it per

>Too many different logical fallacies and false premises here to even start Keep in mind that I am merely stating that an argument exists, an not making it per se. I am questioning Krugman's rhetorical strategy of assuming that no reasonable disagreement exists. The only data I can find puts people making over $125,000 as 46% Democrat and 51% Republican in 2004[1]. Of course, this was before the banner Democratic years of 2006 and 2008 when Barack Obama beat McCain in campaign contributions 3 to 1 among employees of large Wall Street banks. So you're right, it more even than I thought. Rich people probably went Democrat in 2008 and may swing Republican again in what is shaping up to be a huge year for team GOP. [1]Ugly google link:http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=2&sqi=2&ved=0CBsQFjAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nd.edu%2F~cwolbrec%2FPartyID.pdf&ei=IeyXTJnHKdDuOaiUvOwM&usg=AFQjCNEzmQ3F8E5-KLgn8hfPpM66lfqJIw&sig2=ssFkh3gYdEKGdKvxzZjUoA http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=2&s... [2]-http://www.opensecrets.org/pres08/contrib.php?cycle=2008&cid=n00009638 http://www.opensecrets.org/pres08/contrib.php?cycle=2008&#38... -http://www.opensecrets.org/pres08/contrib.php?cycle=2008&cid=n00006424 http://www.opensecrets.org/pres08/contrib.php?cycle=2008&#38...

evgen 16y ago
$125K/year may be "rich" in Kansas, but is lower middle class in California. Try breaking the data out on a state-by-state level and the pattern becomes blindingly obvious: those at the top of the per-state income scale vote Republican, regardless of which state they are in. (And the reason Dems picked up all those Wall St. contributions was because Wall St. is not stupid and knew which way the wind was blowing; bankers knew it was better to try to buy a bit of leniency than annoy the people who would be writing the new financial regulations) The authors of the book Red State, Blue State have all the data you need to answer this question, and they helpfully blog various tidbits and state breakdowns on various issues like this.
- com 16y ago
  It is so not lower middle class in California. While the couple earning that in the Bay Area may be doing it hard, the difference between that and the lifestyle of the poor is immense. There is a fairly thick layer (my bet is at least 35% of the population) of middle class people between your Californians on $125k and hopelessly hardscrabble folk on the breadline. Edit: it looks like it might be a little higher percentage, actually, if we extrapolate from old data from the 2000 census http://ccsre.stanford.edu/reports/report_13.pdf http://ccsre.stanford.edu/reports/report_13.pdf

evgen 16y ago

$125K/year may be "rich" in Kansas, but is lower middle class in California. Try breaking the data out on a state-by-state level and the pattern becomes blindingly obvious: those at the top of the per-state income scale vote Republican, regardless of which state they are in. (And the reason Dems picked up all those Wall St. contributions was because Wall St. is not stupid and knew which way the wind was blowing; bankers knew it was better to try to buy a bit of leniency than annoy the people who would be writing the new financial regulations) The authors of the book Red State, Blue State have all the data you need to answer this question, and they helpfully blog various tidbits and state breakdowns on various issues like this.

com 16y ago
It is so not lower middle class in California. While the couple earning that in the Bay Area may be doing it hard, the difference between that and the lifestyle of the poor is immense. There is a fairly thick layer (my bet is at least 35% of the population) of middle class people between your Californians on $125k and hopelessly hardscrabble folk on the breadline. Edit: it looks like it might be a little higher percentage, actually, if we extrapolate from old data from the 2000 census http://ccsre.stanford.edu/reports/report_13.pdf http://ccsre.stanford.edu/reports/report_13.pdf