As I was driving to Wisconsin last Friday night, I tuned into WPR and listened to the debate. Aside from the disagreements with policy and his outright false statements, I thought John McCain did a good job. I thought Obama did a good job too and my wife and I looked at each other after it was over and ruled it a tie.
Then I checked out the debate re-run on TV later that night when we got to my mom's and there was no doubt in my mind that Obama won. Why? Because John McCain, throughout the entire debate, would not even look at Senator Obama. He would not even acknowledge his presence. And the look on his face basically told me that he believed that Barack Obama did not deserve to be on the same stage as him.
McCain looked pissed off that he even had to be there. In what had to be one of the most bizarre weeks in politics, John McCain gave Barack Obama the same attitude that conservatives have been giving liberals for the better part of a decade: you're weak and you're not good enough.
It's not acceptable to simply disagree with a liberal...you have to show that they are weak, irrational, and given to emotional hyperbole. In other words, how a male from the 1950s views a female.
Put into this context, the ideas that John McCain put forth on Friday night are relics of an age and of policies that have proven to be colossal failures. He offered nothing new on Friday night, even though he tried desperately to distance himself from President Bush, and I saw his candidacy for the farce that it is. As I drive around Minneapolis and see the "McCain-Palin" signs in people's yards, I wonder why people would continue to support failure.
Are they happy with what has gone on in the last eight years?
4 comments:
Yes, they are. Unbelievably, they fault liberals and Democrats for all of our problems.
The Birk Economic Recovery Plan
Hi Pals,
I'm against the $85,000,000,000.00 bailout of AIG.
Instead, I'm in favor of giving $85,000,000,000 to America in a 'We Deserve It Dividend'.
To make the math simple, let's assume there are 200,000,000 bon-a-fide U.S. Citizens 18+.
Our population is about 301,000,000 +/- counting every man, woman and child. So 200,000,000 might be a fair stab at adults 18 and up..So divide 200 million adults 18+ into $85 billon that equals $425,000.00. My plan is to give $425,000 to every person 18+ as a 'We Deserve It Dividend'.
Of course, it would NOT be tax free. So let's assume a tax rate of 30%. Every individual 18+ has to pay $127,500.00 in taxes. That sends $25,500,000,000 right back to Uncle Sam. But it means that every adult 18+ has $297,500.00 in their pocket. A husband and wife has $595,000.00.
What would you do with $297,500.00 to $595,000.00 in your family?
- Pay off your mortgage - housing crisis solved.
- Repay college loans - what a great boost to new grads
- Put away money for college - it'll be there
- Save in a bank - create money to loan to entrepreneurs.
- Buy a new car - create jobs
- Invest in the market - capital drives growth
- Pay for your parent's medical insurance - health care improves
- Enable Deadbeat Dads to come clean - or else
Remember this is for every adult U S Citizen 18+ including the folks who lost their jobs at Lehman Brothers and every other company that is cutting back. And of course, for those serving in our Armed Forces.
If we're going to re-distribute wealth let's really do it...instead of trickling out a puny $1000.00 ( "vote buy" ) economic incentive that is being proposed by one of our candidates for President.
If we're going to do an $85 billion bailout, let's bail out every adult US Citizen 18+!
As for AIG:
- liquidate it.
- Sell off its parts.
- Let American General go back to being American General.
- Sell off the real estate.
- Let the private sector bargain hunters cut it up and clean it up.
Here's my rationale. We deserve it and AIG doesn't.
Sure it's a crazy idea that can "never work." But can you imagine the Coast-To-Coast Block Party!
How do you spell Economic Boom? I trust my fellow adult Americans to know how to use the $85 Billion 'We Deserve It Dividend' more than I do the geniuses at AIG or in Washington DC.
And remember, The Birk plan only really costs $59.5 Billion because $25.5 Billion is returned instantly in taxes to Uncle Sam.
Birk,
Although I agree with the sentiment, the math is wrong. 85 billion / 200 million is ~$425 not 425 thousand. Off by a factor of 1000 dude. But now let's talk about a bailout package at ~1 trillion ($5,000 per person) plus a war which may cost taxpayers 1-3 trillion (another 5,000-15,000 per person). I don't know about you but if I had 10-20 thousand dollars available, that'd be a hell of a stimulus to the economy. Imagine all the solar panels, wind turbines, and natural gas/bio fuel plants we could install. Energy independece here we come.
Chrissy
Hi 'delphia. I have to preface this by stating I'm leaning Obama, OK? Now, commenting on the debate, I tend to agree with the perception of McCain's condescending attitude that night. He overplayed the "I have more experience and wisdom" card, for sure. Of course, tomorrow night is the VP debate so I will predict that Biden will suffer the same mistake - and be treated as a sexist because of it.
However, looking past the posturing and focusing on verbage, I was struck that there indeed appeared to be quite a difference between the candidates, with regard to the meat of the matter. That is, McCain had examples, details, opinions and strategies, while Obama struggled to keep up. It was if Obama was afraid to speak at times as McCain was able to find weekness and holes in any argument, whether it existed or not. At times, I felt Obama was left reaching for the broad stroke solution, in sharp contrast to McCain's more directed answers.
Can one fault McCain for feeling very strongly that between the two of them, he is the man for the job? That the tired old "new direction" sloganeering without facts or substance is like a burr in the saddle for the old maverick cowboy. "Step aside whipper-snapper, and just let me call the shots here."
With all this said, McCain managed to stop the slide in the polls and even gained a point, post debate #1. Obama supporters should take note that the negative Palin factor has been shored up by the McCain wisdom. And with the economic cloud looming ever so darker, McCain's trust me, I know, approach, may feel to many like reaching for the lifeboat on a sinking ship. In this back and forth election, what appears to be a tie, or even an Obama win through boby language and appearance, to me, shows a bigger picture result more ominous to Obama. Stay tuned.
Post a Comment