In just a few short weeks America is going to elect itself a brand new president. And his name is probably going to be Barack Hussein Obama. Get used to it.
From the first time I heard Obama speak, I knew there was something special about this guy. The fact that I was there at all happened more or less by accident. But the more I think about it, the more I've come to realize that a fair amount of destiny was also involved.
At the time I was an Edwards supporter, and happened to get caught up in the Beatlemania type traffic tie-up in the neighborhood he was scheduled to speak at, while making my rounds for the sales job I held at the time. Realizing what was going on, and rather than fight it, I decided to park my rig and go check out what all the fuss was about.
What I saw that day at Key Arena in Seattle absolutely transfixed me—and I'm not just talking about what the candidate himself had to say. Make no mistake, Barack Obama is a charismatic speaker, and everything he had to say that day made the sort of perfect sense that qualifies as almost a sort of after thought.
The concept of affordable health care made available to everyone as a right rather than a burdensome entitlement? Check. Bringing our troops home with honor from the messy and misguided quagmire that has become our involvement in Iraq? Check.
Even the sort of "spreading the wealth" idea that John McCain criticized Obama for in the most recent debate, in the form of tax breaks that actually impact the middle class rather than just fatten the wallets of the corporate CEOs, made complete, no-brainer sense to me.
The one thing I've never quite understood about Republican economics is the simple fact that it takes two to tango in an economic system that is going to remain sound. You've got the people who provide or manufacture the goods and services, and you've got the people who buy them. When the regular Joes out there can't afford to buy the goods, then how are you going to sell them? Which means it's in the best interests of the fat cats not to run rough-shod over the "rabble" that constitutes the middle class.
Simple, right?
Well, at least you'd think. Which is why Obama's concept of redistribution of the wealth which has disproportionately favored the rich going as far back as Reagan is not the radical sort of idea some would lead you to believe. It actually makes the most common sort of sense, particularly as we've seen the economic rape of the middle class under eight years of the economic policies of George Bush, and in recent weeks seen the way they have come home to bite the country as a whole squarely on the ass.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Matthew T. Sussman
So is this the new "Bush won, get over it?"
2 - moon
It doesn't matter which of the Two Stooges is elected. They are owned and fielded by the same folks: Big Oil and Big Guns (otherwise known as The Usual Suspects).
I don't have to get over it, as I got OUT of Gringolandia more than 15 years ago.
3 - Doug
I find the writers comments scarey and indicative of the type of almost creepy idol worship you see every day when it comes to "the ONE"... I personally am scared to death that we are perhaps 2+ weeks away from electing someone named B. Hussein Obama. You see it is not actually that he himself is so scarey, and even though his associates of the past 20 years are loathsome, and they are, it is that there is no "there/There".. no record of accomplishment, no business experience, no executive experience, no even real legislative experience. You have to then rely on those associates to give you some sense of what his core values are.
Where are the college classmates, the high school buddies talking about his goodness.. I know there are no former Army or Navy buddies but he seems to know anything about this guy prior to appearing to be created out of whole cloth upon arriving in Chicago.
As an afterthought.. who is their right mind moves from Hawaii to Chicago any way??? That should disqualify you for bad judgement all by itself.
4 - moon
Doug,
If that's the best you can do to tear down the opposition candidate, he is clearly a shoe-in.
5 - Tyre from GA
Other world politicians have been charismatic. One caused a world war. BO is already paraphrasing statements directly from the Communist Manifesto.
So yes, I am scared as hell!
6 - moon
Ytre.
Please indicate precisely WHICH statements are directly taken from the Communist Manifesto.
With your edition's publication info and page numbers, please.
If you cannot do that, I suggest that you are blowing smoke here.
7 - Dr Dreadful
Where are the college classmates, the high school buddies talking about his goodness.. I know there are no former Army or Navy buddies but he seems to know anything about this guy prior to appearing to be created out of whole cloth upon arriving in Chicago.
You could start here, Doug.
It's really not that hard to find stories from people who knew him when he was younger. Yep, the World Wide Web sure is a wonderful thing.
8 - Al Barger
Brother Boyd - You might want to hold off on that little inaugaral celebration until and unless he actually gets elected.
I actually suspect it by my out-of-my-hat number picking about 60% likely that McCain will actually be elected, for a variety of reasons. That may be reasoned judgment on my part, as I intend - or wishful thinking because I'd be awfully damned scared what this crooked Chicago hack/communist/race baiter would unleash on the nation.
In either case, we'll know the real answer in just a couple of weeks.
9 - Baronius
Gore Leading in Swing States
Kerry Leading in Swing States
I'm not as confident as you, Al, but it's not over.
10 - Pablo
Don't worry Al and Baronius, more than likely the ruling elite will choose McCain, and steal the election for the third time for the Republocrats.
After all the third time is the charm. :)
11 - silki
You can read many blogs that would be a perfict example of some Americans willing to cut off their nose to spite their face. We can only hope, for the sake of our beloved nation that they are in the extreme minority.
12 - Clavos
From your lips to
god'sthe CFR's ear, Pablo.13 - Dave Nalle
This whole wealth gap and income redistribution business needs to be put on hold while we do a little reality check.
The rich in the US did not get richer off the backs of the middle and working class. They got rich off of the growth in the economy which favored those who had assets over those who had no assets, as economic growth always and of necessity does.
If you have farmer A has 5 apples and farmer B has 1 apple and the value of apples in the market doubles, then suddenly Farmer A has gained enormously more wealth than Farmer B, without taking anything away from him along the way. That's the way economic growth works.
But again, before you scream in outrage, remember that it also works dramatically the other way. All of those rich beneficiaries of the boom, now that we have a bust, have lost enormous amounts of wealth. While those whose main investments are the tires on their car and their Wii console have lost almost nothing.
Bust over, let's recheck that wealth gap. I'm willing to bet real money (well, if I had any left - anyone want to bet $50 against my 600 shares of a busted biofuels research company?) that it's shrunken back to where it was 10 years ago.
Dave
14 - Cindy D
Don't worry Dave, wealth redistribution will help you out. You don't need the smelling salts or anything do you?
I can't imagine having had a portfolio when the market dropped. Been there done that. I was a day trader for awhile. I did well for awhile until the Nasdaq took a dive over the edge of a cliff 2000.
I traded in an IRC day traders chat room. This one guy kept shorting all the dot.coms from the top. He just kept adding and adding to his positions. He probably bought a country whenever he finally got done.
15 - Dave Nalle
Cindy, I find wealth redistribution morally reprehensible whether I benefit from it or not. It's theft at the point of a gun held by the government.
I held my stocks through the market drop after the tech boom and I eventually recovered. I'm sure most of them will recover from this eventually as well. Even that stupid biofuels research company has growth potential and hasn't declared bankruptcy.
Dave
16 - Krutic A
#7:
Funny how none of his admirers or close associates from his 'younger' days showed up at the convention or any campaign events.
His real associates are..well..not exactly conducive to painting an appealing picture of the man.
I really think Rev. Wright should have been at the convention..he is Obama's real, closest and oldest known associate.
Even John Kerry had his army buddies behind him when he was nominated. Obama had no one except family to vouch for his character, tell stories of friendship, show his lighter side, etc..nothing..nada.
Its quite fascinating actually.
17 - Cindy D
Well Dave,
I'll just say, of course I disagree with you on #13. but, I'm sure you know what I'd say. So I'm going to bed.
g,nite
18 - pleasexcusetheinterruption
Al and Baronius:
I actually suspect it by my out-of-my-hat number picking about 60% likely that McCain will actually be elected, for a variety of reasons.
Gore Leading in Swing States
Kerry Leading in Swing States
I'm not as confident as you, Al, but it's not over.
See my recent article on the subject. He leads by 8% in Virginia, and if he wins VA he wins the election. The polls have only widened since I wrote that thing. I'm sorry, anyone remotely even thinking a McCain win is delusional. It's not just the poll numbers but the fact that all of underlying principles of this election favor the democrat. McCain cannot pull something out of his hat to change the campaign narrative. He's tried everything and it has done nothing. In 2000 the Ayers/Wright connections would have been a bigger deal but right now people don't care about that stuff, for better or worse.
19 - pleasexcusetheinterruption
If you have farmer A has 5 apples and farmer B has 1 apple and the value of apples in the market doubles, then suddenly Farmer A has gained enormously more wealth than Farmer B, without taking anything away from him along the way. That's the way economic growth works.
It also helps when the government lowers your tax rate from 39.6% to 35% saving you literally millions and in some people's cases 10s of millions of dollars.
20 - Cindy D
Dave doesn't want to talk about how farmer A got his 5 apples. Which is the crux of the matter.
21 - Cindy D
McCain campaign has conceded Iowa, New Mexico, and Colorado
The new strategy includes Florida, Nevada and trying to reclaim Pennsylvania (where some Polls show Obama with a 14 point lead).
22 - Dave Nalle
It also helps when the government lowers your tax rate from 39.6% to 35% saving you literally millions and in some people's cases 10s of millions of dollars.
True, PETI, but such a minor thing in comparison to the multiplicative growth of all the rich person's money because of a strong economy that factoring it in is almost pointless.
As for where Farmer A got his apples, they came from the 5 trees he planted 20 years before when Farmer B made the mistake of planting only 1 apple tree and spending the rest of his money playing the lottery.
Dave
23 - Bertha L.
We don't need a muslim President! Doesn't anyone remember the 3000 murdered victims of 9/11/01? The murderers were muslims! Barack Hussein Obama counts among his closest associates, Tony Rezko, a muslim from Syria plus many other muslims. What about taking over the USA don't you get? If we elect Barack Hussein Obama president, get ready for sharia law!
24 - Dr Dreadful
Wow, Bertha.
Your comment shows such a sweeping grasp of current events, politics, history, theology, critical thinking and logic that I don't even know what to say.
You're not the lady at the McCain rally who thought Obama was an Arab, are you?
25 - El Bicho
Bertha, it's people like you that may well push me to vote for Obama out of spite.