The political parties' tough sales job

(CBS News) For the next two weeks we're going to hear some super sales jobs.

Here in Tampa, Republicans make their case. Next week it will be the Democrats' turn.

Here's the thing: Both sides may face a bigger challenge than they know.

After a year of relentless negative advertising and mudslinging by both sides, guess what? Voters have decided they don't find much to admire on EITHER side.

A USA Today/Gallup poll says that for the first time at this point in at least six elections, voters see BOTH parties in an unfavorable light.

Forty-one percent of voters now call themselves Independents. Only 31 percent call themselves Democrats, and even fewer - 28 percent - call themselves Republicans.

That may surprise both sides, but maybe not the rest of us. 'Cause how could it be otherwise?

With Congress headed toward the least productive session since 1947 (and mind you it did nothing last year), when we were entertained by tales of drunk Congressmen taking midnight swims in the Sea of Galilee (one forgot his suit, another claimed he was just getting a little water to baptize his daughter), the wonder is that ANYONE views either party in a favorable light anymore.

So the party salesmen will have their work cut out for them these next two weeks.

In the meantime, I was wondering what would happen if either candidate just said, "This may sound crazy, but I'd like to get together with the leaders on the other side and see if there is a way we could work something out to get the country moving again."

Naw, that would never work - it's too radical.

Still, I wonder . . .

[RIrider]

True American's do not want to wear the 'Democrat' or 'Republican' labels anymore! These parties, thanks to their cut throat leadership, are now based on total 'prejudice'. There is no bond between prejudiced people! How can it work in government? We choose the 'Independant' label and will keep voting the lesser of the two political evils until a truely Independant voice emerges.

[RIrider]

Bob, Why must you include a 'Republican' incident in your piece and totally leave out a comparable 'Democrat' incident???? You are slanted sir!!!!

[MaxK341]

Since the Democratic party and the Republican party have become so polaorized that they don't represent the majority of Americans; it's time to form new polital parties that are more moderate and able to solve our problems and put us back on track.

[TimeToEvolve]

Our political system has been completely corrupted and bought by the Top 1%. This is EXACTLY what Reagan and the fraudulent free market freaks had in mind. Destroy the government that was set up by the founding fathers. Dumb down the populace and make it so corrupt that people become apathetic. We have a complete and utter disaster on our hands now.

[kraven morehead]

I find it humorous how The democrats have owned 75% of the federal government over the last 4 years and more like 90% of it for the first two of Obama's term and yet they have not been able to get a budget passed or increase taxes on the wealthy and instead want to blame it on the republicans and try to say that this is why the economy is in the dumper.. The Fact is that our Tax system will never be fair or work well as long as we continue to have unequal taxes and unfair taxes. No one in this country should be required by law to pay more taxes than their neighbor. To do so means that some people in t his country are worth more or are better than others simply because of the amount of money they have. The only way to fix this is to get rid of ALL current taxes and implement a nationwide one tax only sales Tax system and all branches of government must use this source to get their money for all projects. Of course this will be a shock to the system but it will accomplish an equalization of taxation in our nation. first of all The wealthy will likely pay a lot more in taxes because every time the spend money it will be taxed. The poor will pay their fair share as well and the middle class which contains most of our small businesses will do much better than they currently do. Any Tax exempt Items must be tax exempt for everyone to be fair. There would be no Tax write offs. Most Importantly whenever the government needs more money and has to raise taxes EVERYONE will feel it. This will cause a lot of career politicians to loose their jobs which is probably a good thing anyhow. Corporations should be taxed on a percentage of how much they do in sales period with No Tax Write offs and no exceptions this will make our companies competitive tax wise with foreign companies and products like those made in china and force those companies to pay their fair share for the costs of roads and other infrastructure just like everyone else. Taxing everything you buy makes it so that the government always gets paid right now and not be differed until later.
The down side is that purchasing would go down for a significant period of time possibly 3-5 years but these 3-5 years would be the time America would need to adjust to our new way of life and the new and greater freedom it would represent. Just think if food was tax exempt then you would no longer have to pay any taxes as long as you did not buy something so a small self sufficient farm could get by without paying any taxes for as much as a year or two and if they had a gas well on site they might get by for longer than that

[john92021]

tax reform is imposable, besides the advantage to the wealthy that make the rules, there are so many people that make their living from this system, IRS, tax consultants, book keepers, lawyers, government that writes the millions of codes, etc, etc and all these people vote. So to try to change it would be political suicide.

[TimeToEvolve]

Your first sentence about the Democrats owning 75% is wrong so that everything else you say is suspect.

[john92021]

Yes, I want to give them more money so they can pump out even more stupid ads that I don't want to watch or hear or read.

[johnlockesghost]

Neither party is worthy of voter support. The republican party is so en-mired in religious dogmas (yes the plural), mixing every kind of belief even if that belief is in the ersatz religion of money and tax avoidance, that the needs of the state are not even considered. Given that they can't distinguish the difference between church and state and mix that with an overwhelming adoration of money and/or tax avoidance, they are not to be trusted. As a political party masquerading as conservatives, they just have too darn many whackos.

The democrats, on the other hand, have had four years to straighten out the economy. Instead of addressing economic issues that would be helpful to the middle class, they initiated broad, unaffordable programs that sap what little wealth the middle class still has. They ignore prosecution of the banking bandits that screwed up out economy (with the help of congress)and even reward them while also encouraging illegal entry into out country at the further expense of the middle class.

Bottom line, if they brought the voting machine to my front door and begged me to vote, they'd leave empty handed.

[marychgo]

The American people joined Republicans in a leap of faith in "voodoo economics" in 1980 and 1984 and 1988 and 2000 and 2004. "Trickle down" tax cuts and deregulation produced exactly what Democrats predicted they'd produce: the devastation of the middle class and the poor, and a huge shift of both income and wealth to the richest Americans. "Voodoo economics" will have PRECISELY the same result if we're dumb enough to vote for the GOP again in 2012!

[CaptainSmollett]

Clearly, you know nothing about economics, Mary. Without a thriving system of free-enterprise we would all be eating dirt. Reagans "voodoo economics" brought us back from the economic calamity caused by Carter. Poverty has incresed and the working-class has been decimated as a consequence of Obama's failed economic policies. He is your Pied Piper. How can you possibly support a man that has increased our national debt 50% to $16 trillion (over 100% of GDP) with trillion-dollar deficits? Our debt per capita of higher than either Greece or Spain, and it is getting worse. Jobs are non-existant and the Fed's economic outlook is "darkening", yet you want more of the same? That is simply irresponsible!

[marychgo]

Sorry, Captain, but your "facts" aren't facts. Fiscal 2009 is George Bush's budget (started 10/01/08), so the national debt was well over $10 trillion before Obama was even inaugurated. And the deficits of the past three years were largely caused by the Bush tax cuts (reducing revenue) and the Bush recession (increasing spending on unemployment compensation, food stamps, etc.) No, Obama didn't stop spending: his stimulus plan in 2009 saved or created millions of jobs; the Affordable Care Act is the first serious effort to "bend the cost curve" on medical expenses; and Dodd-Frank is a first step toward restraining the outrageous, highly-leveraged gambling on Wall Street. But the one thing that's CRYSTAL CLEAR is that another four years of the GOP's "voodoo economics" of "trickle down" tax cuts and deregulation will have the same results it had in the '80s and '90s and '00s: further destruction of the middle class, and more shifting of income and wealth to the richest Americans!

[zebra8835]

They're all so out of touch with working people. They should all apply for jobs under alias's and show an associate degree for education. Not work for any cronies by calling in favors but just try to see what we're going through. Then when they land a new starting position... let them try to live on the money!

[jmgray16]

Thanks to all the big wigs buying politicians, I am so sick of the lot of them. Republicans don't seem to really care about the little guy and the Democrats care so much about the little guy they don't seem to care they are bankrupting the country. But really, these Congress critters are only there to make themselves rich.

[CaptainSmollett]

The perception that Republicans don't care about the little guy is a fabrication by the Left.