In a quick follow-up to my previous post, here are two quick examples of how Barack Obama is indeed Out of Touch. Both Hillary Clinton and John McCain jumped on Barack's statement about bitter Pennsylvanians and middle-Americans, calling him out of touch. In each instance, he fired back, saying that he wasn't out of touch. Unfortunately for him, he gave horrid examples of how he "wasn't out of touch".
The one refuting John McCain's out of touch claims showed him to be eager to give money to Americans who very clearly bought more house than they could afford. He mocked John McCain's answers to the foreclosure crisis.
I'll be honest, I have no clue what McCain's plan on the "foreclosure crisis" is...but odds are, I'm against it. Folks, I'm living in a dinky little home, because that's all I can afford at the moment. Do I like it? Do I want to raise my three kids in this small little home in a hole-in-the-wall town? No! But that's what I've got to do for the moment. So you can be absolutely sure that I don't think someone that bought a $300,000 home on a salary of 60K per year deserves to keep that home that they clearly can't afford. That's Barack's plan...keep people in the houses they have...reward them for stupid judgements. If you actually thought you could afford a $300,000 home on 60K per year, I'm sorry, but you deserve to lose your home. You don't even have to ask me if I feel sorry for you as I live in my $50,000 home making 70K a year, struggling to make ends meet...you should know the answer.
And this one is, to me, far worse...the "slam" he gave Hillary Clinton for her saying he was out of touch. He said, "Sen. Clinton voted for a credit card-sponsored bankruptcy bill that made it harder for people to get out of debt after taking money from the financial services companies, and she says I'm out of touch?"
Do you understand what he's saying here? He's saying that bankruptcy is a get out of debt plan!!!! Can we say, "personal responsibility"? And do you think that all those bankruptcies won't cost us in taxes somehow?
Hey, I don't like Credit Card companies as much as the next guy, but of course they want to make it harder for people to walk away from their responsibilities. If you loaned your best friend every penny you have in savings with they promise that they'd repay you ASAP, only to have them not pay you at all, you'd be upset too, right???
These are the things that Obama needs to be explaining. Does he really think that bankruptcy is a get out of debt plan??? If so, is that someone you'd want as your president? Would you let him talk you into saying that it's the big bad Credit Card companies' fault for their lending practices? Or would you hold his feet to the fire and demand that people that run up thousands of dollars in credit card bills on a part-time job need to take responsibility for their actions?
Monday, April 28, 2008
Barack, this is where we part ways...
...and by we, I mean the country and yourself. Forgive me for being late to the party regarding the "clinging" statement, but times have been busy around the Mad Hoosier's household.
But indeed, the "clinging" statement is what completely turned me off from Barack Obama. I wasn't going to vote for him, but I didn't have any reason not to trust him, I just didn't agree with his vision for the country.
First, his non-explanation for staying in Trinity United for 20 years wasn't enough. And the mere statement about middle Americans being bitter and clinging to a variety of things to explain their frustrations away was bad enough...but the man never rephrased his quote, or even tried to give it full context from his point of view. Instead, he repeatedly defended his statement, either by saying it himself or quoting someone else who came up to him and saying he "was right".
In my estimation, this statement didn't get enough publicity, and what publicity it did get, solely focused on religion and guns. So I won't even cover those two, as they've been covered to death. But I'm a middle-American...that he claims to understand...and whether or not I'm bitter isn't even the issue. I mean, I'm Mad...but not necessarily bitter...but I digress.
What angers me...errr Maddens me...is saying that middle-Americans have antipathy for people who aren't like them...that they are anti-immigrant, or anti-trade. Folks, he's basically calling middle-Americans bigots!
A typical middle-American like myself are not only accepting but welcome diversity. Heck, we want immigration...we just want it legal. And let's be serious...anti-trade? Anti-Trade???? 70% of our economy is based on consumer spending...spending on foreign made products...thus our enormous trade deficit. We aren't anti-trade...we just want a balanced trade...which means someone in Washington needs to do something to get America producing products...not only services (which is also what the majority of our economy consists of).
America...I believe that this single statement, and his insistence that it was an accurate approximation of middle-Americans, proves that Barack Obama doesn't understand the majority of America and thusly has no idea how to put America on the right track.
He may understand hope, and be intelligent and a brilliant lawyer, but he has zero business sense. You CAN'T tax the rich and big businesses and expect them to want to keep employing more and more people. They will cut their businesses and continue to move those jobs out of America where they can make some money.
Folks, if you support Obama, you have to hold his feet to the fire. Don't get so caught up in the message of hope, that you fail to demand substance. You've got a responsibility to find out what kind of leader he wants to be, and you can't find that out if he avoids answering tough questions.
But indeed, the "clinging" statement is what completely turned me off from Barack Obama. I wasn't going to vote for him, but I didn't have any reason not to trust him, I just didn't agree with his vision for the country.
First, his non-explanation for staying in Trinity United for 20 years wasn't enough. And the mere statement about middle Americans being bitter and clinging to a variety of things to explain their frustrations away was bad enough...but the man never rephrased his quote, or even tried to give it full context from his point of view. Instead, he repeatedly defended his statement, either by saying it himself or quoting someone else who came up to him and saying he "was right".
In my estimation, this statement didn't get enough publicity, and what publicity it did get, solely focused on religion and guns. So I won't even cover those two, as they've been covered to death. But I'm a middle-American...that he claims to understand...and whether or not I'm bitter isn't even the issue. I mean, I'm Mad...but not necessarily bitter...but I digress.
What angers me...errr Maddens me...is saying that middle-Americans have antipathy for people who aren't like them...that they are anti-immigrant, or anti-trade. Folks, he's basically calling middle-Americans bigots!
A typical middle-American like myself are not only accepting but welcome diversity. Heck, we want immigration...we just want it legal. And let's be serious...anti-trade? Anti-Trade???? 70% of our economy is based on consumer spending...spending on foreign made products...thus our enormous trade deficit. We aren't anti-trade...we just want a balanced trade...which means someone in Washington needs to do something to get America producing products...not only services (which is also what the majority of our economy consists of).
America...I believe that this single statement, and his insistence that it was an accurate approximation of middle-Americans, proves that Barack Obama doesn't understand the majority of America and thusly has no idea how to put America on the right track.
He may understand hope, and be intelligent and a brilliant lawyer, but he has zero business sense. You CAN'T tax the rich and big businesses and expect them to want to keep employing more and more people. They will cut their businesses and continue to move those jobs out of America where they can make some money.
Folks, if you support Obama, you have to hold his feet to the fire. Don't get so caught up in the message of hope, that you fail to demand substance. You've got a responsibility to find out what kind of leader he wants to be, and you can't find that out if he avoids answering tough questions.
Sunday, April 20, 2008
A Culture Warrior In-Training
Yes, I'm a conservative...yes, watch The O'Reilly Factor nightly, and yes, the Glenn Beck show too. I've read Culture Warrior, and am almost done with Power To The People. I have An Inconvenient book ready in waiting, but will likely pick up Real Change, by Newt Gingrich or Thou Shall Prosper to read before it. I listen to O'Reilly, Glenn Beck, and Laura Ingrahm on the radio when I get the chance, but for some reason I can't go Shawn Hannity....and I can't stand Limbaugh.
What I've come to realize during this political and social awakening in me, is that the saying "knowledge is power" is true. I'm not as much of a cultural debator as I am political, though I now am quick to recognize issues that belong in the "culture war".
And really, I don't debate...I just discuss. But it was a recent discussion with a liberal colleague at work, in which I knew exactly how to rebut the points....errrr...suggest a different point of view based on their viewpoints.
The topics ranged from taxes to healthcare to the economy, and each time I had an answer that seemed to stump the other person. Granted, this person wasn't James Carville or anything, but had they been better equiped to answer back, I think I could have still held my own. And what's better, I think it is starting to get this person thinking about their beliefs. I could be wrong, and the person could have just been tired of hearing me talk, but that's a glass half-empty approach. :)
But whether you're a conservative or not, there's great satisifaction in understanding processes and nuiances of politics/culture and believing that you're beliefs are right. Sure, your satisifaction is deflated rather quickly when you realize that "the government" still thinks their way is best...but hey, at least you felt like you had all the answers to the country's problems for a few seconds. :)
What I've come to realize during this political and social awakening in me, is that the saying "knowledge is power" is true. I'm not as much of a cultural debator as I am political, though I now am quick to recognize issues that belong in the "culture war".
And really, I don't debate...I just discuss. But it was a recent discussion with a liberal colleague at work, in which I knew exactly how to rebut the points....errrr...suggest a different point of view based on their viewpoints.
The topics ranged from taxes to healthcare to the economy, and each time I had an answer that seemed to stump the other person. Granted, this person wasn't James Carville or anything, but had they been better equiped to answer back, I think I could have still held my own. And what's better, I think it is starting to get this person thinking about their beliefs. I could be wrong, and the person could have just been tired of hearing me talk, but that's a glass half-empty approach. :)
But whether you're a conservative or not, there's great satisifaction in understanding processes and nuiances of politics/culture and believing that you're beliefs are right. Sure, your satisifaction is deflated rather quickly when you realize that "the government" still thinks their way is best...but hey, at least you felt like you had all the answers to the country's problems for a few seconds. :)
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