It appears that the mainstream media's tactic of consistently painting the Democrats as the party favoring the poor and Republicans the party favoring business will once again successfully mislead the public as we head into the homestretch of this year's presidential election. The tactic is especially poignant this year in light of the current meltdown on Wall Street. But how much of these images are pure hype and how much is based on fact?
Attached is a 2004 Election result map along with a listing of the top 10 states and bottom 10 states in per capita giving to charitable organizations at the bottom. Coupling this with recent revelations that among the candidates for president and vice president the highest rank in charitable giving as a percentage of income is John McCain first and Joe Biden so far behind that listing the miniscule amount he did claim ranks him among the bottom of all Americans nationwide. You figure out for yourself from the data who is really interested in the plight of the poor and who is merely using the poor as an stepping stone to walked upon on their way to political power.
In all fairness though, the stingiest states listed have been under Democratic state rule for such a long time that the citizens there may feel they already give far more than "their fair share" in the exorbitant taxes they have had to labor under over many years. Which brings us to our second question: Which states have the highest tax burdens for their citizens over the years? My guess is that the top 10 and bottom 10 ranking states will have just the opposite results of the charitable giving rankings, with the Democrats displaying consistently that they are indeed the party of big government, high taxation, and socialistic leanings with a tendency to pawn the real costs of helping the poor over onto the shoulders of everyone else. After all, it's much easier to be generous with other peoples' money than your own.
2004 Election Map
Per Capita Giving
TOP 5 STATES:
1) MISSISSIPPI: (REPUBLICAN) 2) ARKANSAS: (REPUBLICAN) 3) SOUTH DAKOTA: (REPUBLICAN) 4) OKLAHOMA (REPUBLICAN) 5) TENNESSEE (REPUBLICAN) 6) ALABAMA (REPUBLICAN) 7) LOUISIANA (REPUBLICAN) 8) UTAH (REPUBLICAN) 9) S. CAROLINA (REPUBLICAN) 10) W VA. (REPULICAN) (DEMOCRAT IN 2000)
BOTTOM 5 STATES:
50) NEW HAMPSHIRE (DEMOCRAT) 49) MASSACHUSETTS (DEMOCRAT) 48) NEW JERSEY (DEMOCRAT) 47) RHODE ISLAND (DEMOCRAT) 46) WISCONSIN (DEMOCRAT) 45) CONNETICUT (DEMOCRAT) 44) MINNESOTA (DEMOCRAT) 43) WYOMING (REPUBLICAN) 42) HAWAII (DEMOCRAT) 41) OREGON (DEMOCRAT)
Mark 9:23 Jesus said to him, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.''
What an incredible statement. If it wasn't said by the Lord Jesus Himself then it might be a little hard to swallow, but here it is in black and white for all who will receive.
