The Main Reason Hillary Would Beat Ted Cruz

There is an elephant in the room of the Ted Cruz campaign. And I don't mean the Republican mascot elephant.

The elephant is Ted's tax plan, and hardly anybody even mentions it.

They should mention it, and right away, before he has a serious chance of getting the Republican nomination, after which Hillary would kill him.

It's not because Ted's tax plan has no merit. It does. Economist Art Laffer ("The Laffer Curve") says it would stimulate the economy. It would, at least until it collapsed under the weight of its inability to raise enough revenue to meet the budget (while at the same time he wants a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution).

But even apart from Cruz's other "general election" weaknesses (for example, his "cruel" deportation plan and his irritating persona), his tax plan would virtually guarantee a victory for Hillary.

The basics of his tax plan are as follows:

1. A 10% flat tax on income (above basic living expenses).

2. A 16% flat tax (specifically a "subtraction-method" Value-added tax - VAT - on corporate profits.

3. No payroll tax (Social Security & Medicare).

There are the following specific problems with the plan, THAT HILLARY WOULD DEMOGOGUE INTO THE GROUND (successfully, in my opinion):

1. Roughly 70% of the American public is in favor of "progressive" income tax (where the more you make, the higher percentage of your income you pay in taxes).

In fact, some polls show that a majority of Americans actually think "the rich" should actually pay MORE than they do now.

One poll shows that among the top 1% of earners ($450,000 per year and above), even 60% of THEM think their taxes should be increased! Crazy, but true.

2. Hillary will shriek out two things about that (can you hear her voice?), and these will become the narrative mantras:

(a) "More trickle-down Economics! Don't the Republicans know this has failed?!!", and

(b) "More tax cuts for the RICH! The Republicans HATE you! Ted Cruz's plan will CRUSH you who are in the poor and middle class! While the rich get RICHER!

3. Even aside from the massive unpopularity of Ted's flat tax, some respected economists say his plan simply couldn't raise enough revenue, and we would be plunged into even worse deficits than we already have.

Hillary would play that for all it's worth, and make HER look like the pro-balanced-budget candidate! (A hilarious thought if it wasn't so tragic.)

Finally, the only defense Cruz would have against these serious charges would be some constant over and over technical mathematical philosophical explanation that 90% of voters would hardly comprehend, their eyes glazed over.

Marco Rubio has a decent tax plan (also praised by Art Laffer, by the way), and one that can win.