Experts Expound

What do you think of Phil Angelides’ tax cut for the middle class? Will his
proposal have an impact on the November election?

It put Arnold on the defensive about taxes–gotta like that.
The short answer is no. He has been proposing taxes and has been the
anti-Schwarzenegger for more than two years. This one proposal will not
suddenly sway the voters.

Even while announcing the tax cuts, he announces tax increases on the
wealthy and on business. More ammunition for Schwarzenegger.

As someone firmly entrenched in the middle class, I thank Angelides for his
sensitivity, generosity and foresight. Alas, the Schwarzenegger campaign
will make better use of this idea by turning it on its head. They’ll remind
Republicans that the cut is paid for with a tax increase on the wealthy. And
that will help keep a dispirited GOP base in the game. In that regard, it
will impact the November election by improving GOP turnout–perhaps not the
result Angelides had in mind.

It’s the single greatest flip-flop in the history of California politics.
Phil gave up his only advantage–that he is a man of principle willing to
make tough decisions like raising taxes. Now he just looks confused and
desperate.

It helps blur the differences between the two candidates on taxes, so it
helps to some extent. But as long as the debate is about Angelides and
taxes, it’s about how much Angelides wants to raise taxes. So the race
doesn’t change that much.

It is a solid offensive move, but it won’t have the desired effect unless
Phil’s campaign can launch a sustained media buy behind it.

Only Phil Angelides would come up with a “tax cut” that increases taxes by
four times greater than it reduced them. Just the latest indication that
Phil is a Flop.

The Angelides tax cut is as believable as Hezbollah promising not to re-arm.
Phil Angelides has given up the political center faster than Bill Simon ever
did, and there’s almost nothing he can do to re-capture it, short of
Schwarzenegger sending National Guard troops to Iraq.

Team Schwarzenegger has defined this issue so well that even talking about
it hurts Angelides–no, it’s not believable. Game over.

The people from whom we sought opinions: Andrew Acosta, A.G. Block, Roy
Behr, Don Wilcox, Jon Fleischman, Evan Goldberg, Deborah Gonzalez, Dan
Schnur, Jason Kinney, Tom Kise, Karen Hanretty, Kevin Spillane, Michael
Houston, Adam Mendelsohn, Matt Ross, Sam Delson, Mike Madrid, Morgan
Crinklaw, Dave Lesher, Richard Zeiger, Mike Madrid, Margita Thompson, Ralph
Simoni, Bob Hertzberg, Scott Baugh, Steve Maviglio, Tony Quinn, Peter
DeMarco, Adam Probolsky, Barbara O’Connor, Jack Pitney.