George Hw Bush Read My Lips No New Taxes Poster

Political catchphrase

Bush delivering the famous line at the 1988 convention

"Read my lips: no new taxes" is a phrase spoken by American presidential candidate George H. W. Bush at the 1988 Republican National Convention every bit he accepted the nomination on August eighteen. Written past speechwriter Peggy Noonan, the line was the nigh prominent sound bite from the speech. The pledge non to tax the American people further had been a consequent role of Bush-league'due south 1988 ballot platform, and its prominent inclusion in his speech cemented it in the public consciousness.

The line later injure Bush politically. Although he did oppose the creation of new taxes equally president, the Democratic-controlled Congress proposed increases of existing taxes equally a manner to reduce the national budget deficit. Bush-league negotiated with Congress for a budget that met his pledge, but was unable to make a deal with a Senate and House that was controlled by the opposing Democrats. Bush agreed to a compromise, which increased several existing taxes as function of a 1990 budget agreement.

In the 1992 presidential election entrada, Pat Buchanan repeatedly cited the pledge as an case of a broken hope in his unsuccessful challenge to Bush in the Republican primaries. In the general election, Democratic nominee Pecker Clinton, running every bit a moderate, also cited the quotation and questioned Bush'southward trustworthiness^{[ commendation needed ]}. Bush lost his bid for re-election to Clinton, prompting many to suggest his failure to keep the pledge every bit a reason for his defeat.

Vice President Bush and taxes [edit]

Responding to Walter Mondale's access in the 1984 The states presidential ballot debate that if he were elected taxes would probable exist raised, Bush as well implied that taxation increases might exist necessary in the next four years. Reagan asserted that he had no plans to heighten taxes in his 2d term, and Bush-league rapidly argued that he had been misunderstood. Bush'due south statements led some conservatives to brainstorm doubting Bush-league's dedication to revenue enhancement cuts.^[1]

As the contest to succeed Reagan began in 1986, it was clear that taxes would be a central result. Grover Norquist, caput of Americans for Tax Reform, had created a no-new-taxes pledge and was encouraging Republican candidates to sign information technology. A big number of congressional candidates signed, as did Bush's main rivals Jack Kemp and Pete du Pont. Bush at showtime refused to sign the pledge, just in 1987 somewhen acquiesced. (Norquist notwithstanding urges politicians to sign his tax pledge and claims that almost 50% of congressmen have taken the pledge^{[ when? ]}). The Bush campaign would later bring together other candidates in using the tax issue to assail Bob Dole, who had not been clear on the subject.^[2]

Pledge [edit]

Bush had firmly secured the nomination past the fourth dimension of the convention, but his advisers still worried about the lack of enthusiasm for Bush in the conservative wing of the Republican Party. Taxes were one issue that, in the words of Bush adviser James Pinkerton, "unified the correct and didn't antagonize anybody else."^[3] Thus a firm no-new-tax pledge was included in Bush-league's acceptance speech at the New Orleans convention. The full section of the speech on tax policy was (accent added):

And I'm the ane who will non raise taxes. My opponent now says he'll raise them as a terminal resort, or a third resort. Merely when a politician talks similar that, you know that's 1 resort he'll be checking into. My opponent won't rule out raising taxes. But I will. And the Congress will push button me to raise taxes and I'll say no. And they'll button, and I'll say no, and they'll push again, and I'll say, to them, "Read my lips: no new taxes."

The passage was written by leading speechwriter Peggy Noonan, with Jack Kemp having suggested the bones idea.^[4] Including the line caused some controversy, every bit some Bush directorate felt the language was likewise strong. The most prominent critic was economic adviser Richard Darman, who crossed the phrase out on an initial draft calling information technology "stupid and dangerous."^[v] Darman was 1 of the architects of Reagan'due south 1982 tax increase, and expected to have a major policy role in the Bush-league White House. He felt that such an accented pledge would handcuff the assistants.^[6]

Upon the advice of others however, especially Roger Ailes, the line remained in the speech. It was felt the pledge was needed to proceed conservative back up in a entrada that was trying to position itself as centrist. It was likewise hoped information technology would add an element of toughness to a candidate who was suffering from a perception of being weak and vacillating. At the time Bush was significantly behind Michael Dukakis in the polls, and Darman subsequently argued that the campaign was far more than concerned with winning than governing.^[7] The strategy appeared successful; subsequently the convention, Bush began to take the lead over Dukakis. A Gallup poll taken the following week showed Bush leading past a 48 to 44 pct margin, with his favorability ratings increasing by nine points from pre-convention polls. California-based pollster Mervin Field alleged that "I have never seen annihilation like this, this kind of swing in favorability ratings, ever since I have seen polls, going dorsum to 1936."^[8] Another Gallup poll taken for Newsweek showed Bush with a 51% to 42% lead coming out of the convention.^[eight]

Taxes raised [edit]

Once in office, Bush found it challenging to proceed his promise. The Bush campaign's figures had been based on the assumption that the high growth of the late 1980s would continue throughout his time in office.^[9] Instead, a recession began. By 1990, ascent budget deficits, fueled by a growth in mandatory spending and a failing economic system, began to greatly increase the federal arrears. The Gramm–Rudman–Hollings Balanced Budget Act mandated that the arrears be reduced, or else mandatory cuts unpalatable to both Republicans and Democrats would be made. Reducing this deficit was a difficult task. New cuts of whatever substance would have to come either from entitlement programs, such as Medicare or Social Security, or from defense.^[10]

The budget for the adjacent fiscal year proved far more difficult. Bush initially presented Congress a proposed budget containing steep spending cuts and no new taxes, only congressional Democrats dismissed this out of hand.^{[ citation needed ]} Negotiations began, but information technology was clear fiddling progress could exist made without a compromise on taxes. Richard Darman, who had been appointed head of the Office of Management and Budget, and White Business firm Chief of Staff John H. Sununu both felt such a compromise was necessary.^[11] Other prominent Republicans had likewise come out in favor of a taxation increase, including Gerald Ford, Paul O'Neill, and Lamar Alexander.^[12]

At the end of June, Bush-league released a statement stating that "it is clear to me that both the size of the deficit trouble and the demand for a package that tin can be enacted require all of the following: entitlement and mandatory programme reform, tax revenue increases, growth incentives, discretionary spending reductions, orderly reductions in defense expenditures, and upkeep process reform."^[thirteen] The cardinal element was the reference to "revenue enhancement revenue increases" now being upward for negotiation. An immediate furor followed the release. The headline of the New York Post the next twenty-four hours read "Read my Lips: I Lied."^[14] Initially some argued that "tax revenue increases" did not necessarily mean tax increases. For example, he could mean that the regime could work to increase taxable income. Withal, Bush-league shortly confirmed that tax increases were on the table.^[xv]

Some of the most enraged over the change in policy were other Republicans, including Firm Whip Newt Gingrich, the Senate leadership, and Vice President Dan Quayle. They felt Bush had destroyed the Republicans' most potent election plank for years to come. That the Republican leadership was non consulted before Bush fabricated the deal also angered them. This perceived betrayal quickly led to a bitter feud within the Republican Party. When Sununu called Gingrich with the news, Gingrich hung up on him in anger. When Senator Trent Lott questioned the reversal, Sununu told the press that "Trent Lott has get an insignificant figure in this process."^[xvi] Republican National Committee co-chair Ed Rollins, who issued a memo instructing Republican congress members to altitude themselves from the president if they wished to exist re-elected, was fired from his position.^[17]

These events delivered a severe blow to Bush's popularity. From the celebrated loftier of 79% early in his term, Bush's approval rating had fallen to 56% past mid-October 1990.^[18]

On November five, 1990, Bush-league signed the Motorcoach Upkeep Reconciliation Act of 1990.^[19] Among other provisions, this raised multiple taxes.

The police increased the maximum individual income taxation charge per unit from 28 per centum to 31 percent, and raised the individual alternative minimum tax charge per unit from 21 percentage to 24 percent. It also increased other taxes, including payroll and excise taxes, and limited itemized deductions for loftier-income individuals. However, it increased admission to the earned income tax credit for low-income families, and limited the majuscule gains charge per unit to 28 percent.^[20]

This may have been a blow to Republicans generally, who lost footing in both the House and Senate in the 1990 midterm elections. These elections were held on Nov 6, 1990.^[21] However, the events of the Gulf War pushed the consequence out of the news, and Bush'south popularity up.^[22] By February 1991, his approving rating rose to its highest level—89%.^[23]

1992 election [edit]

The reversal was used past the Democrats seeking their party's nomination, just information technology was outset regularly used past Pat Buchanan during his chief election boxing against Bush. Buchanan stated that Bush's reversal was 1 of his chief reasons for opposing Bush. On the twenty-four hours he entered the race, he said it was "because we Republicans, tin no longer say information technology is all the liberals' fault. It was non some liberal Democrat who said 'Read my lips: no new taxes,' then bankrupt his word to cutting a seedy backroom budget bargain with the large spenders on Capitol Colina."^[24] Buchanan afterward made all-encompassing use of the 1988 quotation in his New Hampshire campaign, repeating it constantly in both television and radio commercials. Buchanan won a surprising 40% of the vote in New Hampshire, a major brushoff to the President.

The early response by Bush was that raising taxes had been essential due to the status of the economy. Polling showed that most Americans agreed some taxation increases were necessary, but that the greater obstacle was the loss of trust and respect for Bush. When the primary entrada moved to Georgia, and Buchanan remained a threat, Bush changed strategies and began apologizing for raising taxes. He stated that "I did it, and I regret it and I regret it"^[25] and told the American people that if he could go back he would non raise taxes once more.^{[ commendation needed ]} In the October 19 debate, he repeatedly stated that raising taxes was a mistake and he "should have held out for a better deal."^[26] These apologies also proved ineffective, and the broken pledge dogged Bush for the entirety of the 1992 entrada.

Bush's eventual opponent Beak Clinton used the broken pledge to smashing result late in the entrada. In Oct 1992 a goggle box commercial, designed by campaign strategist James Carville, had Bush repeating the phrase to illustrate Bush's broken campaign promise. Information technology was regarded^{[ by whom? ]} as one of the most constructive of all of Clinton's campaign ads. The revenue enhancement reversal played a central function in reducing the public's opinion of Bush's graphic symbol. Despite the multifariousness of scandals that affected Clinton during the ballot, polls showed the public viewed Clinton and Bush as like in integrity.^[27] Fifty-fifty after the election, Clinton feared similar retribution from voters for raising taxes. Early in his first term, Bill Clinton was confronted by a larger than expected deficit. He responded with a tax increase, against the communication of aides, who insisted that he was breaking his campaign promise of a middle course revenue enhancement cut.^[28] Ross Perot capitalized upon disenchantment with Bush and the status quo inbound the 1992 race equally an Contained candidate, leaving and after re-inbound. While the effects of his candidacy take been speculated, exit polls showed Perot essentially drew votes from Bush and Clinton evenly.^[29]

Afterwards views [edit]

Bush's broken promise was 1 of several of import factors leading to Bush-league's defeat. Conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh in his book Come across I Told You So, believes Bush would have easily won re-ballot had he non increased taxes. Republican pollster Richard Wirthlin chosen his hope "the half dozen most destructive words in the history of presidential politics."^[thirty] Ed Rollins has called it "probably the most serious violation of any political pledge anybody has ever made."^[31] White House Press Secretary Marlin Fitzwater called the reversal the "unmarried biggest error of the administration."^[32] Others disagree with this view. Richard Darman does non believe that the reversal played a central role in Bush-league'southward defeat; rather he argues that it but became a focal point for discontent with an economic situation that Bush had trivial control over.^[33] Others feel that the reversal was politically disastrous, simply also good for the country. Daniel 50. Ostrander has argued that Bush-league'south actions should be seen equally a noble sacrifice of his own political future for the skillful of the nation's well-being.^[34]

Bourgeois Republicans generally experience that Bush should have stood by his pledge no thing the pressure exerted by Congress.^{[ attribution needed ]} While the reversal played an important office in Bill Clinton'south 1992 victory, it too played a part in the 1994 Republican congressional victory. Newt Gingrich, while a member of the congressional negotiating committee, refused to endorse Bush's compromise on the tax consequence. He then led over one hundred Republican Firm members in voting confronting the president'south commencement upkeep proposal. This made Gingrich a hero to conservative Republicans, and propelled him into the leadership function he would play in the "Republican Revolution" of 1994.^[35]

Other uses [edit]

At a Republican primary debate in New Hampshire on January half-dozen, 2000, George Westward. Bush, son of the erstwhile President, and Governor of Texas at the time of his campaign, was answering a question virtually his economic plans, when he referenced taxes. Manchester Union Leader reporter John Mephisto then asked "Is this 'no new taxes, and then help me God?'," to which the candidate replied, "This is not only 'no new taxes,' this is 'a tax cut, and then assist me God'."^[36] Bush-league would go on to exist elected and serve two terms. In Bush'due south 2004 reelection, taxes were typically seen as taking a dorsum burner to foreign policy issues, though they had been lowered during his commencement term and many Democrats wanted to reverse the Bush-league tax cuts.^[37]

The phrase was subsequently used by Brian Lenihan, Jr., Irish gaelic Minister for Finance in 2009, promising not to heighten taxes in the Dec 2009 upkeep.^[38] Alee of the 2019 U.k. full general election, Prime Government minister Boris Johnson also evoked Bush'south promise by saying "read my lips: we will not exist raising taxes"—specifically naming income taxation, value-added tax, and National Insurance (NI) contributions as taxes that would non be raised—and, like Bush, reversed on his pledge in 2021 past proposing a i.25% increase in NI to subsidise wellness and social care.^[39]

Meet as well [edit]

• List of United States political catchphrases
• United States federal government shutdown of 1990
• Read My Lips (disambiguation)
• Peace for our time

References [edit]

1. ^ Jack Germond. Mad as Hell. p. 23
2. ^ Germond p. 24
3. ^ Germond p. 22
4. ^ Peggy Noonan. What I Saw at the Revolution. p. 307
5. ^ John Robert Greene The Presidency of George Bush. p. 37
6. ^ Richard Darman. Who'south in Control? p. 192
7. ^ Darman p. 193
8. ^ ^{a b} "Bush Leads Dukakis, 48% to 44%, in Gallup Poll". Los Angeles Times. August 24, 1988. Retrieved June 28, 2018.
9. ^ Peter B. Levy "No New Taxes." Encyclopedia of the Reagan–Bush Years. p. 260
10. ^ Darman p. 198
11. ^ York, Byron (December x, 2011). "Read-my-lips feud returns in Romney–Gingrich fight". The Washington Examiner . Retrieved August half-dozen, 2012.
12. ^ Darman p. 200
13. ^ New York Times, Bush-league Now Concedes A Need For Tax Increases to Reduce Deficit in Upkeep, June 27, 1990 Rosenthal, Andrew (June 27, 1990). "Bush Now Concedes a Need for 'Revenue enhancement Revenue Increases' to Reduce Deficit in Budget". The New York Times.
14. ^ Smith, John W. (July five, 1990). "How Headline Writers Read Bush's Lips". Reading Hawkeye. p. 9.
15. ^ Germond p. 34
16. ^ John Robert Greene (2000). The Presidency of George Bush . University Press of Kansas. p. 86. ISBN978-0-7006-0993-2.
17. ^ Greene p. 84–88
18. ^ Germond p. 45
19. ^ "Actions - H.R.5835 - Double-decker Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990".
20. ^ "Major Enacted Tax Legislation, 1990-1999 - Charabanc Budget Reconciliation Human activity of 1990". Tax Policy Heart.
21. ^ Taylor, Paul (November 6, 1990). "Volatile Entrada Ends Today". Washington Post . Retrieved May 17, 2021.
22. ^ The Illusory Power of Grover Norquist| Timothy Noah| November 27, 2012
23. ^ Presidential Approval Ratings -- Gallup Historical Statistics and Trends Gallup.com
24. ^ Quoted in The New York Times December 11, 1991 p. B12
25. ^ The amends first ran in the Atlanta-Journal Constitution
26. ^ "Presidential Debate in East Lansing, Michigan". Bush Library. 1992-10-19. Retrieved 2012-06-28 .
27. ^ Honour and Loyalty: Inside the Politics of the George H. W. Bush White Business firm p. 374
28. ^ "PBS Frontline: Chronology, The Clinton Years". PBS.
29. ^ Holmes, Steven A. (1992-eleven-05). "THE 1992 ELECTIONS: DISAPPOINTMENT — NEWS Analysis An Eccentric merely No Joke; Perot's Stiff Showing Raises Questions On What Might Have Been, and Might Exist". The New York Times . Retrieved 2010-03-17 .
30. ^ MacKenzie, Colin. "How Bush-league Blew Information technology." The Earth and Post November 4, 1992 p. A1
31. ^ Germond p. 35
32. ^ Ryan J. Barilleaux and & Mark J. Rozell. Power and Prudence. p. 34
33. ^ Darman p. 286
34. ^ Richard Himelfarb and Rosanna Perotti. Principle over Politics? p. 56
35. ^ Himelfarb and Perotti. p. 53.
36. ^ Paulson, Amy "Bush-league, McCain lock horns in GOP contend", CNN, Jan half-dozen, 2000. Retrieved November 11, 2007.
37. ^ Toner, Robin (January eight, 2004). "THE 2004 CAMPAIGN: POLITICAL MEMO; A Taxation Debate Full of Hazards For Democrats". The New York Times . Retrieved February 10, 2021.
38. ^ Brennan, Joe, Molony, Senan, and Sheahan, Fionnán, "Lenihan: Read my lips, no tax hikes", Irish gaelic Independent, 18 September 2009
39. ^ "'Read my lips': Labour mocks Boris Johnson with LBC video of him promising no tax rising". LBC . Retrieved 2021-09-xiv .

Bibliography [edit]

This audio file was created from a revision of this commodity dated 4 August 2006 (2006-08-04), and does not reflect subsequent edits.

• Barilleaux, Ryan J. and Marker J. Rozell. Power and Prudence: The Presidency of George H.Due west. Bush-league. Higher Station: Texas A&Yard University Printing, 2004.
• Darman, Richard. Who'due south in Control?: Polar Politics and the Sensible Center. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1996.
• Germond, Jack. Mad as Hell: Revolt at the Election Box, 1992. New York: Warner Books, 1993.
• Greene, John Robert. The Presidency of George Bush. Lawrence: University Press of Kansas, 2000.
• Himelfarb, Richard and Rosanna Perotti, eds. Principle over Politics?: The Domestic Policy of the George H. W. Bush Presidency. Westport: Praeger, 2004.
• Levy, Peter B. "No New Taxes." Encyclopedia of the Reagan-Bush Years. Westport: Greenwood Press, 1996.

External links [edit]

• Full text and MP3 audio of the 1988 oral communication
• YouTube clip of Bush proverb the phrase

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Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Read_my_lips:_no_new_taxes

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