The Basics
At a time when her opponent’s campaign is struggling to hold onto even the staunchest of Republicans, Hillary Clinton is continuing her attempt at expanding her middle class base by announcing new details of her tax policy plan yesterday. This new expansion will double the existing Child Tax Credit to a maximum of $2,000 per child up to age 4. Clinton will also make this credit more accessible to low-income families by changing the income threshold. Her campaign estimates that these expansions will lower federal tax revenue by up to $200 billion over the next 10 years, a move which she hopes to pay for by raising taxes for high earners and Wall Street traders. In contrast to Trump’s plan, which has drawn criticism for being a deduction and not a credit, Clinton’s advisors say that this tax plan is targeted at working-class families and is much more progressive. Clinton even said in her release that “this new tax credit will make their lives a little bit easier” in reference to working class families.
Family Ties
Again, we see Hillary reaching out to the middle class by presenting new plans in the context of family. Just like her rally in Pennsylvania last week, she is honing in on her image as a mother to attempt to expand her working class base and appear more approachable to the everyday American. In the release on her website, they quote her as saying, “hard-working, middle-class families are struggling with rising costs for child care, health care, caregiving and college. This new tax credit will…help restore fairness to our economy.” At a time when Trump is facing isolation because of derogatory comments toward women, Clinton is focusing on the image of a wholesome family. Her campaign is utilizing some of the core principles for persuasive communication by pitching her message, even something as mundane as taxes, at a level of generality that has emotional resonance for people. Working class Americans want to know that their president will advocate for their children. By rolling out plans and speeches that continue to paint her as that kind of president, Clinton can slowly expand her base while Trump struggles to maintain his.
I really like how you pointed out how she is trying to portray an image of a wholesome family. I have thought this too and I think that it is being used effectively by her. Clinton definitely can’t get complacent though in terms of seeking to gain the middle class vote, she must continue to persuade and sway those voters who are undecided.