Barack Obama

[CreativeMind]

Originally Posted by randolph

From Greg Laden
According to a Washington Post/ABC poll, only 21% of Americans identify themselves as Republicans. That is getting dangerously close to the percentage of Americans who believe they have seen UFOs or alien craft or have been abducted by aliens. I think they may be the same individuals.

Gee, could Fox news and Rush losing their devotees?
Or, is just plain reality setting in.

My grand parents were republicans, my parents were republicans and I voted for Eisenhower. Since then the grand old party has lost its true conservatism. Then conservatism meant fiscal and social responsibility. Now it means cut taxes and spend more money (irresponsible Reaganomics), pander to right wing extremists and sell out to corporate interests...

Originally Posted by TracyCoxx

You don't think that those 79% that don't identify themselves as republican think like you do, or like BO does do you?
I would be one of the 79% who does not consider myself a republican.

Well, it's sort of interesting that you would call it "irresponsible Reaganomics" given that the Reagan years DID account for some of the most robust economic growth in all of American history, not to mention Reaganomics DID pull us out of the utter financial catastrophe that was named Jimmy Carter.

And I wouldn't be so worried about that 21% identification number. In politics, it all changes on the stop of a dime. In fact, here's a historical footnote to consider: that's the SAME percentage that existed back when Nixon left office due to Watergate, which ironically set the stage for Carter's election. And yet it only took 4 simple years of Carter being the total fuck-up that he was for him to turn the country against him, at which point Reagan rode into office on a vote that now saw the country completely flip-flopping once again and becoming anti-Democrat. And of course, four years after that Reagan won reelection in a 49 state landslide that saw a return of sky Republican "voter identification" percentages.

Oh, and one more thing for the record. While the news media (in particular the New York Times) is so "enchanted" with Obama's first 100 days in office, right now he actually has LESS of an approval rating than Jimmy Carter did at his 100 day mark. And again, we all know how well things worked out there!

[transjen]

Oh here we go agian let slam Carter and maybe they'll let up on slaming Bush, I got news for you the lousy 70 ecomy started in the early 70s under Nixon and Ford so Carter inherted the problems and trurt be told Jimmy Carter on his worst day was a 1000 times better then George W Bush, And you want to know why the NY Times is overjoyed with Obama's first 100 days? It easy to see after 8 years of disater named George W Bush the most hated and worst US president of all time who should have been impeached. Jennifer

[TracyCoxx]

Well at least you're hot.

[TracyCoxx]

Impressive. 50 years ago they made a cartoon about Obama's term.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WB6p5QPVhPI

[randolph]

Originally Posted by TracyCoxx

Impressive. 50 years ago they made a cartoon about Obama's term.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WB6p5QPVhPI

Apparently you are equating Obama's program to communism. Pouring billions of dollars into weak and failing capitalist companies in order to bail out our capitalist system hardly seems communistic.

[transjen]

Was just watching Lou Dobbs on CNN and it sounds like things are slowly picking up but sadly the job market is still lagging but then with all the out sourcing that's not surpising, So looks like Obama's plan is working :D Jennifer

[TracyCoxx]

Originally Posted by transjen

Was just watching Lou Dobbs on CNN and it sounds like things are slowly picking up but sadly the job market is still lagging but then with all the out sourcing that's not surpising, So looks like Obama's plan is working :D Jennifer

Wait till the tax payers get the bill.

[CreativeMind]

Originally Posted by randolph

Apparently you are equating Obama's program to communism. Pouring billions of dollars into weak and failing capitalist companies in order to bail out our capitalist system hardly seems communistic.

Well, actually that's EXACTLY the definition of why his programs ARE communistic (or socialistic since others like to slap that label on things as well).

Pure and simple: if capitalism was allowed to work -- and given a chance to properly re-balance itself exactly as a capitalistic system SHOULD -- then Obama should NOT be pouring billions of dollars into these "weak and failing companies" you're talking about. Instead, by the pure definition of capitalism, these companies SHOULD be allowed to fail or go under completely -- or at the very least as we're now seeing with Chrysler, be forced into filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in order to TRY and survive, but do it through actual across the board reorganization efforts.

For example, and again using Chrysler, instead of wasting billions and billions of taxpayer dollars on them which simply got flushed away for nothing (which is what we've done to date), they should have received NO bailout...they should have been forced into Chapter 11 much sooner...at which point a Bankruptcy Judge would have had the court appointed power to say to all concerned: "Okay, Management, this is what YOU now have to do to save this company, the sacrifices I'm ordering you to make...okay, dealerships, this is what YOU have to do and the sacrifices you have to make...oh, ye! And you Union people, I'm also ordering YOU to renegotiate and restructure your contracts for the same reason. You want to save your jobs, these are the concessions you'll have to make TOO."

Would it have been painful for Chrysler to do a Chapter 11 sooner?
Yes, but look where we are -- we've wasted billions and now we ARE at that same place.

Would it have put people out of work?
Yes, but that is now going to happen ANYWAY.
So again, we've now wasted BILLIONS of dollars simply delaying the inevitable.

Is this the proper way to do things?
Yes, because you're now letting the actual market decide. That's capitalism at work. Well, unless you're like Obama and you believe in propping up companies that continue to manufacture products that nobody wants to buy, so now the government sticks its nose in and says "Ah, fuck it. We'll keep it afloat just for the hell of it. Here, take some free money on us."

And if that's what Obama supporters believe in, please PM me and tell me where I can get or download the filing forms to apply for some of these bailout funds. Because if I knew that I could get free money from the government that would just be given to me to continually produce a product that no one has any interesting in actually buying or owning, I would have gotten in on this gravy train a long time ago!

[transjen]

So bailing out the US automakers is socialism but W bailing out wallstreet wasn't? All that was need was more GOP leadership and Regannogmics after all look what 8 years of deregalation and trickle down did for us Regan's trickle down only lead to a sea of red ink in the 80s and W was even worse but it appears that the GOP is fine with a sea of red ink as long as there is tax cuts for billonairs but the moment a dem gets in power all of a sudden they are worried about the debit