Between the hand wringers who whine and complain that neither McCain or Obama are to their liking and the wingnuts who, well, do the same thing, it's become evident to me that there are a lot of people out there who may still be straddling the fence. To these folks, I give them the following advice.
- If you think the Iraq War should be a war without end, vote for McCain.
- If you agree that torture is okay, vote for McCain.
- If you want offshore drilling and are comfortable with the risks it poses to SoFla beaches, vote for McCain.
- If you believe that our government should restrict our travel outside the United States, vote for McCain.
- If you're okay with the price of gas, vote for McCain.
- If you like President Bush, vote for McCain.
As most of you know, I'm not straddling any fence. Not only do we need Republicans out of the White House, but we also need to throw as many as we can out of Congress. It's time to clean house. It's time to get this country back on track from the detour George W. Bush and his enablers took us on 8 years ago.
This effort has to be aggressive, assertive and bold and can leave no doubt as to who has the upper hand and who is calling the shots. I'm up for the challenge. Are you?
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25 comments:
Im on the fence about voting vs. abstaining but I wouldnt consider myself a "hand wringer who whines and complains" nor a "wingnut", thank you very much. I like the death penalty. I like strict immigration policies. I strongly oppose "wet foot, dry foot". Its called population control. I dont think the oil drilling off the FL coast even has a 2% chance of happening no matter who gets elected. I dont like gas prices nor the war in Iraq. I also dont think pulling out of Iraq all at once is a good idea as we need some presence over there. I dont like religion or people who use it as an influence in politics. I despise the media and the effect it has on today's population, especially the youth. I definitely dont like George W. Bush. I also will be the first to admit that I dont know all of the facts, so let's not start a mass debate. I also couldnt stop laughing after typing that last sentance.
I also dont think that things are as black and white as you see them, Rick, and I think you are taking a one-sided extremist view much like Michael Moore. Normally I would start this sentance with "no offense", but seeing that something that somebody finds offensive usually follows those words I didnt bother. So sorry if you took it that way. Unfortunately, there are really no conservatives who post here who can lay out concrete reasons why Obama is a bad selection for President. Only thing I know is, if you want to pay out the ass in taxes, vote for Obama. If anyone can elaborate on that or any other reason why an Obama vote is bad, Im all ears. Please educate me.
If you still watch Fox News...vote for McCain
If you still believe gay marriage will somehow destroy regular marriage...vote for McCain
If you like Toby Keith..Vote McCain
Hey Dente,
I don't know if you got the Memo, but even Toby Keith like Obama these days.
"Obama looks like a great speaker and a great leader. And I think you can learn on your feet in there, so I don't hold people responsible for not having a whole bunch of political background in the House and Senate."
- Toby Keith
http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20191564,00.html
Oh and while I'm at it. To all who believe the spook story about dems raising taxes, here's Obama's actual economic plan from the Wall Street Journal:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121366164848479237.html
Obama does more to cut taxes for the average person than any dem in memory and any republican in recent years. Especially if you consider his plan to eliminate income tax altogether for the elderly.
BM stole my lin(e).
Rick, your moral certainty reminds me of a christian fundamentalist. You should have that looked at by a professional.
1) O'Bama wants to turn America into a socialistic state. -- He does speak very well though and he certainly has Charisma: --- For Blind Mind....Here are the views of Hillary, O'Bama and McCain:
CAPITAL GAINS TAX
MCCAIN
15% (no change)
OBAMA
28%
CLINTON
24%
How does this affect you? If you sell your home and make a profit, you will pay 28% of your gain on taxes. If you are heading toward retirement and would like to down-size your home or move into a retirement community, 28% of the money you make from your home will go to taxes. This proposal will adversely affect the elderly who are counting on the income from their homes as part of their retirement income.
DIVIDEND TAX
MCCAIN
15% (no change)
OBAMA
39.6%
CLINTON
39.6%
How will this affect you? If you have any money invested in stock market, IRA, mutual funds, college funds, life insurance, retirement accounts, or anything that pays or reinvests dividends, you will now be paying nearly 40% of the money earned on taxes if Obama or Clinton become president. The experts predict that "Higher tax rates on dividends and capital gains would crash the stock market yet do absolutely nothing to cut the deficit."
INCOME TAX
MCCAIN
(no changes)
Single making 30K - tax $4,500
Single making 50K - tax $12,500
Single making 75K - tax $18,750
Married making 60K- tax $9,000
Married making 75K - tax $18,750
Married making 125K - tax $31,250
OBAMA
(reversion to pre-Bush tax cuts)
Single making 30K - tax $8,400
Single making 50K - tax $14,000
Single making 75K - tax $23,250
Married making 60K - tax $16,800
Married making 75K - tax $21,000
Married making 125K - tax $38,750
CLINTON
(reversion to pre-Bush tax cuts)
Single making 30K - tax $8,400
Single making 50K - tax $14,000
Single making 75K - tax $23,250
Married making 60K - tax $16,800
Married making 75K - tax $21,000
Married making 125K - tax $38,750
How does this affect you? No explanation needed. This is pretty straight forward.
INHERITANCE TAX
MCCAIN
0%
(No change, Bush repealed this tax)
OBAMA
keep the inheritance tax
CLINTON
keep the inheritance tax
How does this affect you? Many families have lost businesses, farms and ranches, and homes that have been in their families for generations because they could not afford the inheritance tax. Those willing their assets to loved ones will not only lose them to these taxes.
NEW TAXES BEING PROPOSED BY BOTH CLINTON AND OBAMA
* New government taxes proposed on homes that are more than 2400 square feet
* New gasoline taxes (as if gas weren't high enough already)
* New taxes on natural resources consumption (heating gas, water, electricity)
* New taxes on retirement accounts
and last but not least....
* New taxes to pay for socialized medicine so we can receive the same level of medical care as other third-world countries!!!
Can you afford Clinton or Obama? I can't!
In case you want more information on Obama's tax and spend agenda:
If Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) Could Enact All Of His Campaign Proposals, Taxpayers Would Be Faced With Financing $874.35 Billion In New Spending Over One White House Term:
Updated February 14, 2008: Obama’s National Infrastructure Reinvestment Bank Will Cost $60 Billion Over Ten Years; Equal To $6 Billion A Year And $24 Billion Over Four Years. Obama: “I’m proposing a National Infrastructure Reinvestment Bank that will invest $60 billion over ten years.” (Sen. Barack Obama, Remarks On Economic Policy, Janesville , WI, 2/13/08)
Obama’s Health Care Plan Will Cost Up To $65 Billion A Year; Equal To $260 Billion Over Four Years. “[Obama] campaign officials estimated that the net cost of the plan to the federal government would be $50 billion to $65 billion a year, when fully phased in, and said the revenues from rolling back the tax cuts were enough to cover it.” (Robin Toner and Patrick Healy, “Obama Calls For Wider And Less Costly Health Care Coverage,” The New York Times, 5/30/07)< /B>
Obama’s Energy Plan Will Cost $150 Billion Over 10 Years, Equal To $15 Billion Annually And $60 Billion Over Four Years. “Obama will invest $150 billion over 10 years to advance the next generation of biofuels and fuel infrastructure, accelerate the commercialization of plug-in hybrids, promote development of commercial-scale renewable energy, invest in low-emissions coal plants, and begin the transition to a new digital electricity grid.” (Obama For America, “The Blueprint For Change,” www.barackobama.com, Accessed 1/14/08, p. 25)
Obama’s Tax Plan Will Cost Approximately $85 Billion A Year; Equal To $340 Billion Over Four Years. “[Obama’s] proposed tax cuts and credits, aimed at workers earning $50,000 or less per year, would cost the Treasury an estimated $85 billion annually.” (Margaret Talev, “Obama Proposes Tax Code Overhaul To Help The Poor,” McClatchy Newspapers, 9/19/07)
Obama’s Plan Would Raise Taxes On Capital Gains And Dividends, And On Carried Interest. Obama’s tax plan includes: “[i]ncreasing the highest bracket for capital gains and dividends and closing the carried interest loophole.” (Obama For America, “Barack Obama: Tax Fairness For The Middle Class,” Fact Sheet, www.barackobama.com, Accessed 1/8/08)
Obama’s Economic Stimulus Package Will Cost $75 Billion. “Barack Obama’s economic plan will inject $75 billion of stimulus into the economy by getting money in the form of tax cuts and direct spending directly to the people who need it most.” (Obama For America, “Barack Obama’s Plan To Stimulate The Economy,” Fact Sheet, www.barackobama.com, 1/13/08)
Obama’s Early Education And K-12 Package Will Cost $18 Billion A Year; Equal To $72 Billion Over Four Years. “Barack Obama’s early education and K-12 plan package costs about $18 billion per year.” (Obama For America, “Barack Obama’s Plan For Lifetime Success Through Education,” Fact Sheet, www.barackobama.com, 11/20/07, p . 15)
Obama’s National Service Plan Will Cost $3.5 Billion A Year; Equal To $14 Billion Over Four Years. “Barack Obama’s national service plan will cost about $3.5 billion per year when it is fully implemented.” (Obama For America, “Helping All Americans Serve Their Country: Barack Obama’s Plan For Universal Voluntary Citizen Service,” Fact Sheet, www.barackobama.com, 12/5/07)
Obama Will Increase Our Foreign Assistance Funding By $25 Billion. “Obama will embrace the Millennium Development Goal of cutting extreme poverty around the world in half by 2015, and he will double our foreign assistance to $50 billion to achieve that goal.” (Obama For America, “The Blueprint For Change,” www.barackobama.com, Accessed 1/14/08, p. 53)
Obama Will Provide $2 Billion To Aid Iraqi Refugees. “He will provide at least $2 billion to expand services to Iraqi refugees in neighboring countries, and ensure that Iraqis inside their own country can find a safe-haven.” (Obama For America, “The Blueprint For Change,” www.barackobama.com, Accessed 1/14/08, p. 5 1)
Obama Will Provide $1.5 Billion To Help States Adopt Paid-Leave Systems. “As president, Obama will initiate a strategy to encourage all 50 states to adopt paid-leave systems. Obama will provide a $1.5 billion fund to assist states with start-up costs and to help states offset the costs for employees and employers.” (Obama For America, “The Blueprint For Change,” www.barackobama.com, Accessed 1/14/08, p. 15)
Obama Will Provide $1 Billion Over 5 Years For Transitional Jobs And Career Pathway Programs, Equal To $200 Million A Year And $800 Million Over Four Years. “Obama will invest $1 billion over five years in transitional jobs and career pathway programs that implement proven methods of helping low-income Americans succeed in the workforce.” (Obama For America, “The Blueprint For Change,” www.barackobama.com, Accessed 1/14/08, p. 42)
Obama Will Provide $50 Million To Jump-Start The Creation Of An IAEA-Controlled Nuclear Fuel Bank. Obama: “We must also stop the spread of nuclear weapons technology and ensure that countries cannot build -- or come to the brink of building -- a weapons program under the auspices of developing peaceful nuclear power. That is why my administration will immediately provide $50 million to jump-start the creation of an International Atomic Energy Agency-controlled nuclear fuel bank and work to update the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty.” (Sen. Barack Obama, “Renewing American Leadership,” Foreign Affairs, 7-8/07)
@BM and NM - You two have it right. Rick seems to have a hard time fairly describing the opinions of those he disagrees with. McCain, to hear him tell it, is some kind of a loony-tune member of the American Nazi Party.
The reality is that McCain is a modestly center-right politician. That lines him up pretty squarely with most Americans. On the other hand, Obama is unabashedly liberal... his policies (ending the Bush tax cuts, expanding government spending) will lead us towards European-style socialism, with all the economic stagnation and 10% unemployment that entails.
If you want my favorite argument for McCain, it's for divided government. For most middle-of-the-road voters, I'd say the best government seems to be divided government. It tends to keep the politicians focused on reaching consensus and prevents the party extremists from exerting too much influence. Since the Democrats are very likely to expand their majorities in Congress this year, a McCain victory would offset any tendency among Congressional Dems to overreach and instead keep them focused on enacting programs that most Americans support. Divided government served us pretty well in the 1980s and 1990s... why not again today?
Please explain why Florida is exempt from drilling when it is one of the most gas consuming states in the nation? Why do Texas and Louisiana (just to name 2) drill for oil and not Florida? Why is it a good idea to pay for oil from foreign countries and muck up their environment with icky oil wells? Why no in our backyard when we use the oil and have not made any alternative fuel arrangements? Anyone?
@ Bill: Because you would rather continue to pay for that $4 gas that benefits Big Oil than pay higher taxes.
I'm not sure what Republicans are more scared of, Muslims or taxes.
nice cut &paste by the way.
the economy is taking a dump, youre spending at least $50 every time you pull into a gas station, all your tax money is being spent in the middle east....and you're worried about taxes going up?....
hhahhhaahhahhahahhhhahhahha
longest comments EVER. I didn't even bother reading all the ranting and raving......hint to commenters, get to the point without writing a thesis.
Cheers.
"Rick seems to have a hard time fairly describing the opinions of those he disagrees with."
Winner of the "Understatement of the Century" competition.
Terrified, SO I see you are not arguing that I am wrong. you are just calling me names...
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MeMeMeMe.... Yes there is crap going on in the middle east so how does RAISING my taxes fix that?
b.a.c. - you said it dude. I just got to Vegas and am waiting for my room to be ready. I started reading these comments (and nailed the over/under of +10 replies before I landed! Yes, Im already gambling on SFDB responses!) and I liked Bill's post but about 25% of the way thru here is what was going on in my brain..."Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...I need to set aside way more time to read this."
Keep it short and sweet dudes and dudettes.
Carlos d
Memo received and filed......
I have a comment policy anonymous, no matter how much I agree with your sentiments.
.
So Bill from G-Ville -
Maybe you forgot to realize that we're spending 30 Billion Dollars a month in Iraq.
You also conveniently cherry picked all the parts of the article that didn't talk about that the $1,000 less in taxes that a person making under 75K will pay.
Cap gains and inheritance taxes each belong to the least fluid sources of money that Americans have. Money gained in an inheritance is more likely to be saved than circulated around the economy.
And it's not like health care, veterans care, college educations and energy plans don't help the economy.
Detroit can't compete in Auto sales because every other car-producing nation in the world has a health care plan.
People like you are no better than people who vote for someone just because they're pro-life. You operate in ghost stories and distorted realities that never come to fruition.
President Bush is against everything you mentioned and he's certainly done wonders for our economy right? Who cares about paying more in taxes if our wages are stagnant and our money means less than it ever has.
Carlos- Please help me out here about less taxes for people making less then 75k a year because to me 14k is more then 12500 and 23250 is more then 18750, The lower numbers are what people making 50 and 75k respectively would be paying if McCain is elected, the higher are the numbers if O'Bama is chosen--- And I am aware of whats going on in Iraq, Its stupid, we should have never gone over there, but who better to lead us in that issue? McCain? or O'Bama? from what I understand O'Bama would just pull out. That may be a poor method of birth control but its not the way to stabilize a region of the world that is as messed up as that place is, We would be back within a year if he just pulls out. -- and Bush sucks, I am not defending him, I am just telling you why I think McCain is a better choice then O'Bama --- is he perfect? no but better then the alternative. And Socialized Healthcare? Really, you think thats good, Lets see Marx said something to the effect those that can will work so that those that cant have stuff also? its just stealing is what it is.
Bill:
- Obama would not just "pull out". Obama's plan is a gradual pull out of troops during 16 months that includes giving control of the country to Iraquis, which is the way it should be. Also includes reinforcing operations in Afganistan and Pakistan, which have been criminally neglected by the neocon policy in Iraq (did you forget how this whole thing started?).
- The Iraq expenditure is financed almost completely by going into debt under the guise of "emergency" expenditures. (That's also why it doesn't factor on that nice cut-and-paste job you did above).
We are going to be paying that debt for decades. I don't know of any way to pay off a debt that doesn't include either raising your income or cutting your expenses.
Here's a nice WaPo article with the hair raising details.
Basically Bush went on a shopping spree with our credit card and now he's going to divorce us and leave us hanging with the debt. He also told us "don't worry, we can afford all this plus I'm even going to lower your minimum payments!")
We are talking about $3 trillion and if you think we can afford that and at the same time continue paying less than what we should pay more power to you, but it's just not reality. Yes, some people will pay taxes out their butt. I'm in that group and I'm in that group in a big way. At the same time I don't want to end up in a situation where I can't gt a car loan, have to avoid big areas of the city, need to surround my house with a wall and arm myself to the teeth plus giving my daughter a nice inheritance of trillions of dollars in debt.
So it's a matter of being responsible and an adult and understanding nothing is free including wars and the nice country we all want. It's easy for a politician to promise lower taxes and it's something we all want to hear. It's hard
- Finally Marx never said anything like that (Lenin said something close). Regardless, social policies are not stealing. Social policies carry a benefit for everybody. If the social fabric deteriorates we all pay. The guy who can't go to the doctor today because he can't afford it is going to break into your house tomorrow. That's just the way it is. You can't create a subclass of desperate people without feeling the pain.
Left out: ...it's hard and it takes a real honest politician to acknowledge financial realities because it's going to turn off voters that primarily vote with their wallet. But the bills come due no matter what.
I agree Alex. Let's start talking real honest. About everybody. First, let's dispense with all the Obama-muslim talk. Then we can stop all the McBush BS, too.
Let's all recognize that, whatever the reasons were for the Iraq fiasco, focusing on the blame rather than the solution will not keep one more soldier from dying. Let's all recognize that the solution is a sound exit strategy, and argue over that.
Let's all recognize that no one, no one, has an interest in keeping anyone in this country down. And let's argue over what the best way to float all boats is. Let's argue over where to strike balance between having government lend the helping hand, and having government enable a culture of entitlement.
But mostly, let's put away the self-righteousness, as if everybody here is absolutely right, and everyone else is totally wrong.
Crap. My soapbox broke under the weight of my personal greatness. Does anybody have an Ace bandage?
@Alex:
Heaven forbid we have a politician who is honest enough and has the balls to tell the american people that it's not taxation or economic collapse we have to worry about, but rather out of control spending. Both Obama and McCain have talked extremely little about reducing spending. It doesn't matter how much you jack up prices or how low you drop them, the levels of spending that the baby boomers have choked out of the government are smothering all of us.
So in case anyone was wondering, this is what it felt like to be in the UUSR during the early 80s.
Alex 2.0: Heaven forbid? Voter forbid, because I'm still to see the politician who gets elected that way. It's easy to put it on them when really IS US. Run as an honest politician on that platform and see where that gets you.
Nonee: that bandage for you or for the bench? I'm all for arguing about the sound exit strategy. But right now we are stuck arguing between blame and "cut and run", when "cut and run" is not even Obama's proposition. I do think some people have an interest in keeping others down. I think those people are in the minority. I don't think it's a helping hand as much as a fundamental duty of government and beneficial to everybody to boot, and I'm completely on board with using sticks and carrots to prevent a culture of entitlement.
It's just not our political culture right now. We have been steadily going in the opposite direction. We love the gtchas and finger-pointing too much. It makes for better drama and better drama makes for better blogs. Whenever I try to be reasonable, I hear crickets.
If you like bridges that collapse and levees that fail...Vote for McCain.
If you like to wait 8 hours in an emergency room...Vote for McCain.
If you like more cheap plastic crap from China...Vote for McCain.
If you feel that the food we eat and the products we import are inspected thoroughly...Vote for McCain.
If you feel that "clean water" means buying it from a bottle...Vote for McCain.
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