The middle class and poor got a tax raise too with a bump in the payroll tax (which pays for Social Security). That averages out to about $83 a month for some people who can't afford it.
The deal affects only the tax side of the equation. The spending side was postponed until March. In the process, Obama lost his bargaining advantage. If the GOP stalled on raising taxes, they would raise anyway, which is what Obama wanted. But now if nothing happens the spending cuts will occur anyway, which is what the GOP wants. The GOP is able to hold the economy hostage again (and again, with the debt ceiling coming due).
African-Americans, Asians, and Latinos now play a significant role in the national votes of several states. They see the positive role of gov't and don't want social programs cut. If Democrats vote for cutting important programs (all because the GOP has them over a barrel) the Dems would alienate all these non-white voters. Even so, I doubt they would vote for the GOP, though it is possible the GOP would be happy if all these non-white voters didn't vote.
Rebuild the Dream held an Artstrike, asking people to create posters that capture the idea that the fiscal bluff is a fraud, created so the rich can extort more money from the poor. Here is my favorite.
And I'll close with a summary I used just a few days ago:
The only entitlement that needs reforming is the inbred belief of the 0.1% that they are entitled to 99.9% of the wealth and 100% of the power.
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