US News

Obama’s rich-tax misfire

President Obama’s bid to boost taxes on the rich — one of his key campaign themes — is not a top priority of the American people, a poll released yesterday found.

The Gallup survey asked respondents to rate the importance of a dozen issues for the next president to address.

Increasing taxes on wealthy Americans tied for dead last in preference with environmental concerns and global warming.

Only 21 percent of those queried said raising taxes on the well-to-do was “extremely important.” Another 28 percent said it was “very important” for a combined 49 percent.

“These issues are the lowest priorities for both Romney and Obama supporters,” Gallup said.

Ten percent of Mitt Romney supporters said raising taxes on the elite was a priority, while 32 percent of Obama backers did.

By comparison, 48 percent of voters said creating good jobs was extremely important, making it the top issue among voters. A combined 92 percent said adding jobs was either extremely or very important.

A strong anti-government sentiment runs a close second. Forty-five percent said reducing corruption in the federal government was extremely important. And a combined 87 percent said tackling corruption was extremely or very important.

Veteran GOP consultant Ed Rollins said the findings show Obama’s tax-the-rich strategy has backfired.

“The dogs are not eating the dog food,” Rollins said. “This is great news for Mitt Romney and the Republicans.”

Rollins said voters are wary of raising taxes on others for fear that “my taxes could go up next.”

Obama has pushed to restore higher taxes for the wealthy — which were cut under President George W. Bush — to protect tax relief for the middle class and put a dent in the deficit.

The GOP-controlled House is now debating competing tax proposals — one that extends the Bush-era tax cuts for everybody and another that raises taxes for families with taxable income of more than $250,000.

The Bush-era tax cuts for all taxpayers will expire at the end of the year unless Congress can’t reach a compromise during the current session.

Virginia University political-science professor Larry Sabato said that in the modern political era, voters have consistently rejected tax hikes as a priority.

“We don’t volunteer to pay more taxes. Our society has not been inclined toward class warfare,” Sabato said.

He said campaigning for higher taxes on the rich is useful for Obama to help galvanize his liberal political base but is insufficient to win over more conservative swing voters.

Among the other priorities among voters, Gallup found 44 percent said reducing the federal deficit was extremely important.