Can progressives learn anything from Republicans?

[The Industrial Atheist]

Let me put it this way, my mom's boyfriend has voted both Democrat and Republican. He thinks Trump's tax plan is great. He was surprised when I told him almost all the cuts go to the wealthy (a verifiable fact) and that all the middle class tax cuts expire, while the ones for the rich don't. Obama's tax plan had more tax cuts for the middle class than Romney's. He made the Bush middle class tax cut's permanent.

Democrats are usually better than Republicans at giving tax cuts where there's the most need and the most benefit. They fail to capitalize on this. When the Republicans say "We'll let everyone keep their money." The Dems should say "We'll let YOU the average Joe's keep YOUR money and we'll do it better!"

Regarding taxes, the Dems - if they ever have power again - should tax the hell out of the 1%, or tell their base to STFU about it. When Obama came in, they should have set marginal rates going up as high as 70% on the obscenely wealthy. High tax rates demotivate people at lower income levels, but at some point (when they can't spend all they make anyway) it's just a game, and those people will continue working regardless of marginal rates.

Same with estate taxes. You need a sizable exclusion so that family businesses don't get wiped out, but at obscene wealth levels, they should have made some hefty rates.

But they didn't, and it's becoming all too apparent that they didn't because they and their friends are the ones who would be affected.

Dem's need to be better at showing average people that they are better at having their best interests at heart. In a tangential sense you're almost right.

Yep. Instead, they have the interests of illegal immigrants at heart.

I'm definitely with you on the first one.

As for the second:
My stance is that I don't want open borders. But I think those that have been here a certain time and have behaved themselves(while working) should have a path towards citizenship. They are Americans in most of the ways that count. I think those from South America and Central America that have come here legitimately to obtain refugee status should be looked at and treated humanely.

I think this is pretty close to what most average Democrat politicians would say.

Obama was pretty much as far left as you can be while still being establishment. He deported more people than anyone before him. His stance was to focus on those that commit criminal acts. Some of them committed very minor criminal acts, some none at all. My point is, most Dems aren't for an open border.

P-l-e-a-s-e don't tell me you want to spend billions on a border wall when there is zero net migration.