Irene Perry

Q: How can a rabble-rousing, unibrow populist take a hurricane-force surge in the polls and almost instantly sap its power?

A: By talking like Rick Perry. 

First a few brief, and, if one is a right-wing populist, annoying facts, as cited in 2009 testimony before Congress by the Economic Policy Institute's John Irons:

Due to growing income inequality, the share of earnings above the [Social Security tax] cap has risen from 10 percent in 1982 to over 16 percent in 2006. This is because incomes have grown strongly at the top while middle incomes have stagnated.

This trend is expected to continue, meaning that a growing share of earnings will remain outside the tax base....

[F]ully eliminating the cap on taxable earnings would be sufficient to fully close the projected shortfall.

Now for the decidedly unfolksy, tornadic stupidity of Gov. Perry, as repeated last week in Iowa:

It is a Ponzi scheme for these young people. The idea that they're working and paying into Social Security today, that the current program is going to be there for them, is a lie. It is a monstrous lie on this generation, and we can't do that to them.

All that Perry omitted was, "And your little dog, too."

Sorry for mixing my meteorological metaphors. But, especially this weekend, when pondering the politically self-destructive likes of a Rick Perry, all manner of quickly exhaustible storms leap helplessly to mind.

This guy is dumber than we thought.

Comments

[tamiasmin]

"...dumber than we thought."

But sadly, no less electable for that.

[Dave]

It's amazing how intelligent politicians can appear before they declare that they are running for office. I guess either the pressure gets to them and they slip up or they just talk to much. I think they should all just put out a position paper, sign it and let us read it and vote based on their positions. Why waste a billion dollars to make promises you know you can't keep (applies to all politicians running for office).

[Bulworth]

I've worked for Soc. Sec. for 13 years. Just about every first date I go on, when I mention where I work, the inevitable question I'm asked is "Will Soc Sec still be there..."

It's incredible how this meme has sunken into the public consciousness, despite Soc Sec's having paid benefits for 70+ years. But it keeps getting repeated by Very Serious People.

[AnneJ.]

Who's really the dumb one? Perry or the people who believe every word he says?