Perhaps it is Occupy Wall Street if not the Tea Party, or maybe it is just generally disgruntled Americans.
Either way, in the last few months there has been a surge of protests against the current state of things. These include opposition to a stagnant government, huge corporations and shady Wall Street business dealings.
However, an exception lies in a White House proposal.
A Gallup poll taken in September, shortly after the president released his jobs plan, showed a huge majority of Americans from both parties supporting President Barack Obama's proposed jobs bill.
Seventy percent of respondents support raising taxes on corporations by eliminating deductions and loopholes, and 66 percent are in favor of increasing the income tax on individuals making more than $200,000 a year or families making over $250,000 a year.
When the results are broken down by party leaning, it gets more interesting.
Unsurprisingly, an overwhelming majority of Democrats — around 85 percent — are in favor of these measures.
The real surprise is the support these policies got from Republicans. A majority, 53 percent, favor increasing corporate taxes and 41 percent back an increasing individual income tax.
Does anyone remember the kerfuffle over the debt ceiling and removing loopholes for corporate jet owners?
If anyone listened to the Republicans around the time of the debate, they wanted the people to believe the American public would not stand for any tax increases, and raising tax rates on the “job creators” would be tantamount to the Nazi regime spreading like a virus across the country.
Sorry. The power of their rhetoric overtook me for a second.
But, newsflash to the Republican Party, the doctrine of those in elected office is completely out of touch with the party base. When more than 50 percent of self-identified GOP voters endorse something Congressional Republicans so vehemently oppose, they may want to reevaluate their stance.
If nothing else, this poll affirms the growing sentiment that those in public office are ignorant to the wishes of their constituents.
If Republican voters are so at odds with their representatives, where is the outcry? Where was the outrage last December when the Republican Party blocked a bill addressing health care needs of 9/11 first responders? All of this because Democrats insisted to let the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy expire?
This Gallup poll is a clear indication that politicians need to pull their heads out of their rear-ends and pay attention to what Americans want.
Americans want the wealthiest 1 percent to pay more taxes and to eliminate loopholes for corporations.
The country is tired of the current disconnect between the government and the people. Perhaps this failing institution should consider the interests of the public, and do so right now.
Reach the columnist at oonagh.mcquarrie@asu.edu
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