--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: That's an important Obama accomplishment…" description: "\"That's an important Obama accomplishment: he raised taxes back to Bill Clinton levels, and made a major dent in inequality doing so. That's certain to ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ac/jonathan-chait-14941_accomplishment_that-s-an-important-obama-accomplishment_430369.png" --- # That's an important Obama accomplishment: he raised taxes… ![“That's an important Obama accomplishment: he raised taxes back to Bill Clinton levels, and made a major dent in inequality doing so. That's certain to be reversed, that's going to disappear. The Republicans are going to slash the rich's taxes.” quote by Jonathan Chait](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ac/jonathan-chait-14941_accomplishment_that-s-an-important-obama-accomplishment_430369.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ac/jonathan-chait-14941_accomplishment_that-s-an-important-obama-accomplishment_430369.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ac/jonathan-chait-14941_accomplishment_that-s-an-important-obama-accomplishment_430369.png) > “That's an important Obama accomplishment: he raised taxes back to Bill Clinton levels, and made a major dent in inequality doing so. That's certain to be reversed, that's going to disappear. The Republicans are going to slash the rich's taxes.” [Jonathan Chait](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-chait/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Raising taxes on the wealthy can reduce inequality, but political shifts may reverse such measures. **In simple terms:** Tax hikes on rich can cut inequality, but may be undone. Key Takeaway Advocate for sustainable, bipartisan tax reforms. Themes economics politics inequality Mood critical analytical Type political policy When to use this quote - legislative strategy - public advocacy - economic analysis Key Concepts progressive taxation policy stability wealth distribution Questions to Reflect On - What safeguards can protect progressive tax policies? - How to build broad support for tax equity? A Different Perspective Political opposition can stall reforms. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Accomplishment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accomplishment/) [Inequality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inequality/) [Republican](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/republican/) [Taxes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taxes/) ## Related quotes > [“Clinton got out there and created a new narrative on the economy, which took some of the needles out of Obama,” says Republican strategist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-halper/clinton-got-out-there-and-created-a-new-narrative-on-the-economy/) Daniel Halper > [France, they're the world champion at soaking the rich on taxes. And at one point, they had what they called a hyper tax, 75…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-r-reid/france-they-re-the-world-champion-at-soaking-the-rich-on-taxes-and-at/) [T.R. Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-r-reid/) > [“Those cuts had lowered the top income tax rate from 39.6 percent to 35 percent. With bipartisan support, Bush had also slashed taxes on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-mayer/those-cuts-had-lowered-the-top-income-tax-rate-from-39-6-percent-to/) [Jane Mayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-mayer/) > [There once was a man name Barack, Whose re-election came as a shock. He raised the taxes I pay, And then turned marriage gay.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colbert/there-once-was-a-man-name-barack-whose-re-election-came-as-a-shock-he/) [Stephen Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colbert/) > [In Michigan, a liberal democrat raised taxes and kept their government programs at the same level. And guess what? Their economy continued into the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-perry/in-michigan-a-liberal-democrat-raised-taxes-and-kept-their-government/) [Rick Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-perry/) > [Congress has changed the Social Security system over time, and over 20 times in the past Congress has raised taxes on Social Security in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-chocola/congress-has-changed-the-social-security-system-over-time-and-over-20/) [Chris Chocola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-chocola/) > [Reagan is held up to us as an example of never raising taxes. Correction: Reagan raised taxes six of his eight years as president.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-jarecki/reagan-is-held-up-to-us-as-an-example-of-never-raising-taxes/) [Eugene Jarecki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-jarecki/) > [We're in a very Orwellian situation where when we - we've slashed defense. And we've raised taxes. And we consider $600 billion annual deficit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-davis-hanson/we-re-in-a-very-orwellian-situation-where-when-we-we-ve-slashed/) [Victor Davis Hanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-davis-hanson/) > [Raised some taxes based on court orders and voter approval.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-huckabee/raised-some-taxes-based-on-court-orders-and-voter-approval/) [Mike Huckabee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-huckabee/) > [Please give reason. Raised taxes; marching us off to war again; approved more NSA snooping. WHO ARE THEY?!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-drudge/please-give-reason-raised-taxes-marching-us-off-to-war-again-approved/) [Matt Drudge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-drudge/) > [ \[George Bush\] has raised taxes on the people driving pickup trucks and lowered taxes on the people riding in limousines. We can do better. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-clinton/george-bush-has-raised-taxes-on-the-people-driving-pickup-trucks-and/) [William J. Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/) > [“The Boston Tea Party was a protest against an unelected leader who raised taxes, while Obama was an elected leader who had just cut…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-mayer/the-boston-tea-party-was-a-protest-against-an-unelected-leader-who/) [Jane Mayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-mayer/) > [Can you imagine any better example of divine creative accomplishment that the consummate flying machine that is a bird? The skeleton, very flexible and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-murchie/can-you-imagine-any-better-example-of-divine-creative-accomplishment/) [Guy Murchie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-murchie/) > [“In American terms, the accomplishment of Genghis Khan might be understood if the United States, instead of being created by a group of educated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-weatherford/in-american-terms-the-accomplishment-of-genghis-khan-might-be/) [Jack Weatherford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-weatherford/) > [Writing is something I took up rather than anything I had an inclination toward. I like acting -delivering someone else's message - but writing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-martin/writing-is-something-i-took-up-rather-than-anything-i-had-an/) [Steve Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-martin/) ## More by Jonathan Chait > [In public, Barack Obama's giving the simple version of his beliefs for the mass public. In private, he can discuss it at a really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-chait/in-public-barack-obama-s-giving-the-simple-version-of-his-beliefs-for/) [Jonathan Chait](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-chait/) > [We're not going to be living in a world of abundant coal power in a hundred years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-chait/we-re-not-going-to-be-living-in-a-world-of-abundant-coal-power-in-a/) [Jonathan Chait](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-chait/) > [Because many people remembered a time when the Republican Party was not so extreme, and hadn't full grasped how much it had changed, people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-chait/because-many-people-remembered-a-time-when-the-republican-party-was/) [Jonathan Chait](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-chait/) > [On Obamacare, every day that goes by I have more evidence that I wish I could put in my book, on how difficult it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-chait/on-obamacare-every-day-that-goes-by-i-have-more-evidence-that-i-wish/) [Jonathan Chait](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-chait/) > [In some ways, Trump is just going to continue the trend: by continuing the norm-smashing behaviour that Republicans used in opposition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-chait/in-some-ways-trump-is-just-going-to-continue-the-trend-by-continuing/) [Jonathan Chait](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-chait/) > [It's possible that the clowning and the buffoonery and the entertainment are a bigger part of what's happening than we've allowed. And that Trump…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-chait/it-s-possible-that-the-clowning-and-the-buffoonery-and-the/) [Jonathan Chait](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-chait/) > [President Obama is so much smarter and a better communicator than members of Congress in either party. The contrast, side by side, is almost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-chait/president-obama-is-so-much-smarter-and-a-better-communicator-than/) [Jonathan Chait](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-chait/) > [Trump was the logical outcome of the Republican's irrational, racialized backlash to Obama that had utterly come to dominate the party's thinking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-chait/trump-was-the-logical-outcome-of-the-republican-s-irrational/) [Jonathan Chait](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-chait/) > [Republicans fighting back against changes Obama made means those changes are important, as with most of the major progress in American history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-chait/republicans-fighting-back-against-changes-obama-made-means-those/) [Jonathan Chait](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-chait/) > [It's pretty clear that Hillary Clinton was a deeply, deeply flawed alternative. She had the wrong combination of the internal political chops to muscle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-chait/it-s-pretty-clear-that-hillary-clinton-was-a-deeply-deeply-flawed/) [Jonathan Chait](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-chait/) > [We're not going to be living in a world where white identity politics is the basis for a major political party.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-chait/we-re-not-going-to-be-living-in-a-world-where-white-identity-politics/) [Jonathan Chait](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-chait/) > [Barack Obama is an intellectual.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-chait/barack-obama-is-an-intellectual/) [Jonathan Chait](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-chait/) > [Obama took 20 million people from the category of ignorables and put them into the category of unignorables. No one had to do anything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-chait/obama-took-20-million-people-from-the-category-of-ignorables-and-put/) [Jonathan Chait](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-chait/) > [I never thought Hillary Clinton was a very good politician.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-chait/i-never-thought-hillary-clinton-was-a-very-good-politician/) [Jonathan Chait](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-chait/) > [Liberals tend to romanticize the past, past leaders' failures.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-chait/liberals-tend-to-romanticize-the-past-past-leaders-failures/) [Jonathan Chait](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-chait/) [Explore all 44 Jonathan Chait quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-chait/) ## More Accomplishment quotes > [Writing is something I took up rather than anything I had an inclination toward. I like acting -delivering someone else's message - but writing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-martin/writing-is-something-i-took-up-rather-than-anything-i-had-an/) [Steve Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-martin/) > [“In American terms, the accomplishment of Genghis Khan might be understood if the United States, instead of being created by a group of educated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-weatherford/in-american-terms-the-accomplishment-of-genghis-khan-might-be/) [Jack Weatherford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-weatherford/) > [Can you imagine any better example of divine creative accomplishment that the consummate flying machine that is a bird? The skeleton, very flexible and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-murchie/can-you-imagine-any-better-example-of-divine-creative-accomplishment/) [Guy Murchie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-murchie/) > [To accomplish much you must first lose everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/che-guevara/to-accomplish-much-you-must-first-lose-everything/) [Che Guevara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/che-guevara/) > [One of the most important rules for success is this: Every great success is the result of hundreds and thousands of small efforts and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-tracy/one-of-the-most-important-rules-for-success-is-this-every-great/) [Brian Tracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-tracy/) > [For many of us, work is the one place where we feel appreciated. The things that we long to experience at home - pride…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arlie-russell-hochschild/for-many-of-us-work-is-the-one-place-where-we-feel-appreciated-the/) [Arlie Russell Hochschild](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arlie-russell-hochschild/) > [Humility is an elusive virtue. The more we pursue it - and the more we seem to acquire it - the more we take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-aquilina/humility-is-an-elusive-virtue-the-more-we-pursue-it-and-the-more-we/) [Mike Aquilina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-aquilina/) > [I'm not always right, but I learn from my mistakes and make it a productive experience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carson-kolhoff/i-m-not-always-right-but-i-learn-from-my-mistakes-and-make-it-a/) [Carson Kolhoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carson-kolhoff/) > [Suffering in life can uncover untold depths of character and unknown strength for service. People who go through life unscathed by sorrow and untouched…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-graham/suffering-in-life-can-uncover-untold-depths-of-character-and-unknown/) [Billy Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-graham/) > [There is no limit to the amount of good you can do if you don't care who gets the credit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/there-is-no-limit-to-the-amount-of-good-you-can-do-if-you-don-t-care/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [Research is the live heart of the scientific life ... Greatness of position, respect for past accomplishments, the Nobel Prize itself -- none of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivian-gornick/research-is-the-live-heart-of-the-scientific-life-greatness-of/) [Vivian Gornick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivian-gornick/) > [“One man accomplishment Is another mans failure.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-sargent/one-man-accomplishment-is-another-mans-failure/) Anthony Sargent > [I expected college to feel like a major accomplishment. I walked across the stage, eight months pregnant with my almost seven-year-old daughter watching in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephanie-land/i-expected-college-to-feel-like-a-major-accomplishment-i-walked/) [Stephanie Land](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephanie-land/) > [Our purpose on this earth is not one single event, an accomplishment we can check off a list. There is no test. No passing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-hand/our-purpose-on-this-earth-is-not-one-single-event-an-accomplishment/) [Cynthia Hand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cynthia-hand/) > [An untrained or uneducated Marine ... deployed to the combat zone is a bigger threat to mission accomplishment ... than the enemy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mattis/an-untrained-or-uneducated-marine-deployed-to-the-combat-zone-is-a/) [James Mattis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mattis/) [Browse all 1,598 Accomplishment quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accomplishment/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "That's an important Obama accomplishment: he raised taxes back to Bill Clinton levels, and made a major dent in inequality doing so. That's certain to be reversed, that's going to disappear. 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