The Other Side of Life 24/7: The Cynical Girl: Partisan Politics and Salaries #GOP2012

Thursday, August 30, 2012

The Cynical Girl: Partisan Politics and Salaries #GOP2012

Partisan Politics and Salaries #GOP2012

Posted: 29 Aug 2012 03:45 AM PDT

The key to making friends and garnering influence is likability. It’s a scientific fact that impacts how well you do in life and at work. So I have a theory that goes a little something like this.

The more partisan you are, the less money you earn.

I have no facts to back this up — but neither does Sarah Palin when she talks. And up until she got her reality TV show, I made more money than her.

But I digress.

I think the numbers break down like this.

Partisan Democrats and Republicans will always earn less than $200,000/year. What makes someone partisan? I think it’s vociferous and vitriolic language, for one. And you can top out as a Director of a pretty good Fortune 500 company or a VP at a small to mid-size company with that kind of behavior. That’s about it. Partisans are wedded to a POV that will constrict them from cementing new relationships, seeing the forest for the trees and building/growing a small business.
Moderates can probably earn about a half-million bucks/year. That’s not chump change but it’s not uber-wealthy. If you earn $250-$500K, you probably have some strong beliefs but you’re not a single-issue voter. You can look the other way and make a deal.

Earning more than $500,000/year? Good luck with that. It is tough. Money attracts more money. At this point in our economy, rich people earn money on capital gains and not on a salary. That’s why CEOs will often defer a salary and bet on the wins/losses of stocks and real estate.

And this is why Mitt Romney said he only earned about $300,000 in speaking fees. That’s nothing. In fact, he probably doesn’t want it because that income is taxed at a rate higher than the sale of stock.

Anyway, everybody thinks they have the chance to be a millionaire. The truth is that very few people have the opportunity to earn over $90,000/year. And in order to earn and sustain a decent annual income, you have to be selectively partisan. You are a single-issue voter and your issue is your bank account.

Does someone have good data on partisan beliefs and salaries? I’d love to see it.

I did find this: