Herman Cain has suggested a memorable 999 tax plan. Because it has struck a chord with voters (both for and against), his Republican opponents had great fun commenting on Cain’s plan at the debates last night.
Huntsman said when he first heard it, he thought it was the price of a pizza. Michele Bachmann said if you turned it upside down, you’d find the devil was in the details (it becomes 666 for those not familiar with the mark of the beast reference).
Clever comments, but distracting.
Here’s the thing: Cain’s plan needs to be considered before it can be intelligently supported or opposed. Clever comments are a political slight of hand that–if successful—gets people to dismiss a proposal without taking it seriously.
I like the simplicity of Cain’s plan. At the same time I don’t know if that makes it too simplistic to be workable. But I’m not going to let humor keep me from looking into what he suggests.
Whether or not you agree with Cain’s plan (or any other serious suggestion by a candidate), don’t be fooled by the clever comments coming from the opposition. Think about it for yourself.
What do you think: are most Americans willing to look seriously at the issues, or does funny and clever win the day?
Mark, Thanks for the post. I, too, am intrigued by the simplicity of Herman Cain’s plan. I, too, don’t know if it is too simple and if the numbers really work. Your question is an interesting one. Will Americans look seriously at the issues, or does funny and clever win? I think the answer, unfortuntaly in society, is the answer is no to both. I want to believe that Americans will look seriously at the issues, but I don’t think it will happen. TOo often, charisma wins out over character. I don’t know if I would characterize charisma as funny and clever, but our government is full of charisma and lacking in character across the board right now, and we could use a good dose of Character. John