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Oct 30 / Franklin T. Wonderful

The Fear Vote

 

Where has the time gone?  I really did hope to post more thoughts about the upcoming election.  Now it’s less than a week away and I still have a list of good intentions.  I had no delusions that I would sway anyone one way or the other, but I do enjoy the discussions.  Let’s see what I can bang out on the keyboard between now and Tuesday.

 

New readers – be sure to read Disclaimer 2008 if you haven’t already done so.

 

Oh – and thanks for all the great comments on the previous posts.  Returning visitors should go back and check them out.  Now on to today’s musings…

 

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Like many, I have been watching this year’s presidential election unfold a lot closer than I’ve watched some in the past.  Historically, I’ve always tried to stay informed and I take my right to vote very seriously.  But this year it seems more important.  Maybe because I’m turning into a curmudgeon with nothing better to do than worry about national politics.  Or maybe it’s because this election actually is more important than the last six presidential elections.

 

It seems like it should be a slam dunk.  In my mind, one candidate is clearly better than the other.  Neither is perfect, but it has been boggling my mind that the polls are as close as they are.  Equally confusing are the views of some of my friends.  I’ve always had friends at both ends of the political spectrum while I’ve drifted somewhere in the middle, but this year it seemed obvious that we’d all drift to the same page.  Nope.

 

So where is the disconnect?  Why are people clinging to their Republican red or Democrat blue?  Why are these smart, educated individuals parroting half truths and flat out lies about the “other candidate” while ignoring certain facts about their own?  There are a few who cling to their hot button issues and ignore the rest.  Abortion, gay rights, drill vs. don’t drill, and others.  I’m not here to deny them their views even when I disagree with them.  But what about the rest of them?  Why are so many people focused on irrelevant minutia to justify their decision when some of it isn’t even true?

 

The answer is fear.  More specifically, fear of change.  Which is ironic since both candidates are touting “change” as the reason to elect them. 

 

Everyone recognizes the need for change but they fear the types of changes that will or won’t be made.  Republicans fear that the Democrats will raise taxes, take away their guns and allow homosexuals to get married.  Democrats fear that a Republican administration will result in more cowboy diplomacy (shoot first and ask questions later), slashed budgets for already strained social services, further invasions of privacy by the government and continued withholding of basic human rights for certain individuals who may or may not be guilty of an actual crime.  Oh, and that Rowe v. Wade thing.

 

Add on top of these fears the general fears about one candidate or the other that may or may not be justified and you can clearly see why fear is a large factor in this election. 

 

Here is where I would normally go into too much detail in a long and winding effort to justify my thesis that one candidate should be feared more than the other.  If you’ve been reading the political posts on the site then you know the end result.  So instead of my long boring shtick, today I will just bullet point out some of the fears and share my rationalization for choosing my candidate of choice – Barak Obama.

 

  • Taxes
    • Fear:  Obama will raise taxes.  Good to start out with a fear based in some truth.  The tax plans he has outlined do increase some taxes on high incomes, but not any higher than they were before Bush went crazy with tax cuts.  Raising taxes on the rich is bad for business?  Yea that’s why all the businesses closed during those pre-Bush years when taxes where even higher.  Besides, who’s making money THESE days?  A higher tax on $0 income is still $0.
    • Fear:  More businesses will go overseas because taxes are lower over there.  Any good tax guy knows you can’t just look at the tax rates.  After factoring in credits for investing in research & development, green technologies and American jobs there should be plenty of incentives to stay here. 
    • Fear:  Obama is lying when he says he won’t raise taxes for households with income under $200,000.  First of all – shut up Joe the plumber and pay your OLD tax bills.  Secondly, if anyone is lying about what tax laws will look like if they are elected its McCain.  More on that later.
    • Fear:  Obama just wants to redistribute wealth.  This actually does concern me.  Playing Robin Hood by taxing the rich and giving to the poor rubs me wrong.  Reducing taxes on lower incomes and taxing incrementally higher incomes seems fair to me (there’s a whole other post), but refundable credits – essentially “negative taxes” trouble me.   Yes – these refundable credits are a part of Obama’s plans.  But I rationalize that (a) hopefully they are temporary and (b) they will help this country get back on financially solid ground by getting money flowing.  Remember those stimulus checks that lower income families got this year?  Same kind of thing.  Yea – I know it didn’t work.
    • Fear:  McCain will only lower taxes for the rich.  McCain actually has a few tax benefits for lower income families, although not as much as Obama.  My bigger fear is that his tax cuts are too aggressive considering the current deficit spending and the enormous national debt.  Cutting spending alone will not cure those problems.  But here’s a reality check – McCain will not be able to get all his tax plans passed.  He’s lying or delusional if he thinks his tax proposals will become law with a Democratic congress.  He can “reach around” the political aisle all he wants but I suspect that all he’ll get is a smile from Larry Craig.
    • Taxes?  They suck.  But Obama’s plans are more fiscally responsible and, in my opinion, better for the overall economy.
  • Terrorists and International Diplomacy
    • Fear:  Obama is inexperienced and will not know how to deal with terrorism because he has no military background.  Yea, and George W’s Air National Guard service is why he’s done such a bang up job.  I’m not going to argue about whether we should have invaded Iraq or question why we don’t have Bin Laden yet.  Moving forward there will be more issues with terrorism – that’s a fact.  I am confident that Obama is aware of the responsibility that comes with this job and I believe he is plenty capable of dealing with emergency situations.  All presidents rely on good advisors and information from the military and intelligence communities.  We have the best in the world.  Let’s just hope that’s good enough – no matter who gets elected.
    • Fear:  Obama wants to sit down and negotiate with terrorists.  I’m a lover, not a fighter.  I believe that attempting international diplomacy is a good thing.  It’s not about negotiating away a position of strength.  It’s about discussing a way to co-exist in peace.  My fear is that McCain will skip right to the shooting like Bush.  Cowboy politics has bruised many of our international relationships.  Let’s talk to our friends and enemies and leverage international pressure on evil doers.  And if that doesn’t work then we bomb the hell out of them. 
    • Fear:  Obama is a terrorist and a secret Muslim.  Hogwash.  Drivel started and perpetuated by ignorance.
    • But what about Bill Ayres – he’s a terrorist and Obama is friends with him?!  OMG – maybe someone should alert Dick Cheney.  Let’s get to waterboarding Mr. Ayres down in Guatanamo Bay if he’s such a menace to humanity.  Except for the fact that he is a respected educator and member of his community.  Look – William Ayres is an idiot.  They were on a charitable committee together.  Not business partners, not vacation travel companions, not gay lovers.  He is not an advisor to Obama and their “friendship” has been overblown. 
    • But but but… his dad was a Muslim!  Really?  So what?  Colin Powell put it best a week and a half ago.  Obama is NOT a Muslim and it shouldn’t matter if he was.  Muslim is not equal to bad.  We have many Muslim citizens, members of the military and one U.S. Congressman.  Hitler was a Christian – should I be afraid of all Christians?   
  • Economics
    • Fear:  Obama lacks executive experience.  Here’s a thought – maybe we should elect a Harvard MBA with experience running a business plus six years of experience as governor of the second largest state (by population AND square miles).  Except (a) that’s not one of our choices and (b) that hasn’t worked out so well for us these last few years.  As noted in my last post (The Financial Pain), Republicans and Democrats are all to blame for our current economic mess.  If Obama can balance his own checkbook (I’m hoping he can) then he’s as qualified as any other politician to get us out of this mess.  The key will be increased financial transparency and some good regulation (not bad regulation and definitely not deregulation). 
    • Fear:  McCain would continue to believe in an unregulated free market economy with blank checks to the Treasury Department and Federal Reserve to fix problems as they arise.  You should be afraid.  McCain has admitted that his knowledge of economics is weak and he was a proponent of deregulation even after being involved in the S&L Scandal of the late 1980s.  I know he changed his mind a few weeks ago when Lehman Brothers failed, but he still doesn’t seem to have a clue what to do.
    • Interesting that the stock market and general economy have historically done better during Democratic administrations.  I can’t explain it, but check it out.
  • Death or Incapacitation
    • Fear:  Obama will be assassinated.   With terrorists, bigots and general stupidity at seemingly all time highs it’s scary to admit that this is a possibility.  This is a concern for any president – not just highly intelligent and charismatic African-American ones – which is why we have the Secret Service.   If I were a prayin’ man they would all be in my prayers.
    • Fear:  McCain will succumb to some medical ailment.  I know he’s only 72, but he’s put that body through hell.  Plane crashes, enemy torture, cancer, TWO WIVES… The human body can only survive so much.  He has more lives than a cat but eventually he’ll run out.  I’m sure there are 72 year old individuals capable of being the leader of the free world (Colin Powell), but lately McCain just seems to be feeble.  Eight years ago when Bush beat him for the nomination he probably would have been a great choice.  I don’t agree with all his views but I don’t agree with all of Obama’s either.  I can see why this election is a tough choice for some.  I am solidly in the Obama camp this election but McCain is (was) definitely qualified.  So I guess this leads into a bigger fear…
    • Fear:  President Palin.  If I find the time and energy I may write an entire post about why I feel that Sarah Palin is not even remotely qualified to be president.  Choosing her for the VP slot is a decision that makes absolutely no sense to me on any level.  I have nightmares about her winking and saying “you betcha” in meetings with foreign dignitaries then she goes all Sybil on us and pushes the red button when Ahmadinejad calls her a brazen hussy.  (He thought it was a compliment.)

 

We are going to have change regardless of who gets elected.  I am a set-in-my-ways middle aged male and I hate change.  But we NEED change.  Obama is thoughtful and is known to collect and weigh the views from all sides of a situation.  He is intelligent, charismatic, diplomatic, articulate and a respected politician.  I believe he will help get our economy back on track and improve our international relationships.  I believe he will be a good leader.  Not necessarily a great leader, but definitely a good leader.  I believe we have nothing to fear but fear itself.  Well, that and a Palin presidency.

 

13 Comments

  1. Ms. kitty / Oct 31 2008

    TWO WIVES?!?!?!?!?! you betcha’ *wink* that man is probably invincible. Well written and my eyes didn’t glass over.

  2. Rick / Oct 31 2008

    Writing about differences between the 2 main party candidates is akin to comparing Marx and Lenin. (Insignificant differences in the big picture). You still think government actions can save/improve any economy ? With tax policy ? Fiscal or trade policies ? Get a grip. In this global economy, talk from U.S. candidates at federal or state level about “saving jobs” or “getting jobs back” is blue sky rhetoric. Our government has been taking this country down the borrowing and spending road to hell since 1913, and we have almost reached our destination. In the end, the main party candidates still just bring more socialism and facism. Bonus points for anyone who knows what happened in 1913 to allow the unlimited borrowing that got us into this mess, and created artificial boom and bust economic cycles.

  3. Christopher / Oct 31 2008

    Rick brings up some excellent points. To answer one of his questions – no, I don’t think that government action can save/improve the economy. Perhaps some of my rhetoric above, and indeed the rhetoric oozing from both candidates, is a bit pie-in-the-skyish.

    That said, I DO believe that certain government action/inaction could cause things to get worse faster. Potentially a lot worse.

    This country, and in fact the global economy, has more pain to endure. However, please excuse my attempts at optimism because I do believe we will survive this mess and things will be good again. At least for a while. Then they will be bad again – up and down until the end of humanity.

    As for Rick’s comment about the country borrowing and spending our way down the road to hell since 1913 and almost reaching our destination – Now THAT’S gloom-n-doom. I applaud you sir!

    Regarding the bonus points – I’m guessing that Rick is one of those patriots who believes that the Federal Reserve Act of 1913 should be abolished.
    (a) Good luck with that and
    (b) If it ever were to happen, I hope it’s done in a slow methodical method phasing out the powers of the Federal Reserve over time. If the Fed is here today and gone tomorrow I fear we would REALLY have financial Armageddon.

  4. Christopher / Oct 31 2008

    Rick and rick (and Ricky should he ever post a comment) – Please consider using an initial for your last name when you comment so that readers can tell you apart. Interesting that I know so many Ricks.

    And thank you for your comments!

  5. Denise / Oct 31 2008

    A fabulously written evaluation that puts it in everyday terms. Will come in handy as I campaign this weekend. Thanks!

  6. Johnny M / Oct 31 2008

    I did not write this…but I like it…
    John

    To Barack Hussein Obama,

    The New York Times carried a story on Saturday, October 4, 2008, that proved you had a significantly closer relationship with Bill Ayers than what you previously admitted. While the issue of your relationship is of concern, the greater concern is that you lied to America about it.

    The Chicago Sun reported on May 8, 2008, that FBI records showed that you had a significantly closer relationship with Tony Rezko than what you previously admitted. In the interview, you said that you only saw Mr. Rezko a couple of times a year. The FBI files showed that you saw him weekly. While the issue of your relationship is of concern, the greater concern is that you lied to America about it.

    Your speech in Philadelphia on March 18, 2008, about “race” contradicted your statement to Anderson Cooper on March 14 when you said that you never heard Reverend Wright make his negative statements about white America . While your attendance at Trinity Church for 20 years is of concern, the greater concern is that you lied to America on March 14.

    In your 1st debate with John McCain, you said that you never said that you would meet with the leaders of Cuba, Venezuela, Iran, and North Korea without “preparations” at lower levels … Joe Biden repeated your words in his debate with Sarah Palin … while the video tape from your debate last February clearly shows that you answered “I would” to the question of meeting with those leaders within 12 months without “any” preconditions. While your judgement about meeting with enemies of the USA without pre-conditions is of concern, the greater concern is that you lied to America in the debate with McCain.

    On July 14, 2008, you said that you always knew that the surge would work while the video tapes of you from more than a year ago show that you stated that the surge would not work. While your judgement about military strategy as a potential commander-in-chief is of concern, the greater concern is that you lied to America on July 14.

    You now claim that your reason for voting against funding for the troops was because the bill did not include a time line for withdrawal, while the video tapes of you from more than a year ago show that you voted against additional funding because you wanted our troops to be removed immediately … not in 16 months after the 2008 election as you now claim. While your judgement about removing our troops unilaterally in 2007 is of concern, the greater concern is that you lied to America about your previous position.

    You claim to have a record of working with Republicans while the record shows that the only bill that you sponsored with a Republican was with Chuck Lugar … and it failed. The record shows that you vote 97% in concert with the Democrat party and that you have the most liberal voting record in the Senate. You joined Republicans only 13% of the time in your votes and those 13% were only after agreement from the Democrat party. While it is of concern that you fail to include conservatives in your actions and that you are such a liberal, the greater concern is that you distorted the truth.

    In the primary debates of last February, 2008, you claimed to have talked with a “Captain” of a platoon in Afghanistan “the other day” when in fact you had a discussion in 2003 with a Lieutenant who had just been deployed to Afghanistan . You lied in that debate.

    In your debates last spring, you claimed to have been a “professor of Constitutional law” when in fact you have never been a professor of Constitutional law. In this last debate, you were careful to say that you “taught a law class” and never mentioned being a “professor of Constitutional law.” You lied last spring.

    You and Joe Biden both claimed that John McCain voted against additional funding for our troops when the actual records show the opposite. You distorted the truth.

    You and Joe Biden claim that John McCain voted against funding for alternate energy sources 20 times when the record shows that John McCain specifically voted against funding for bio fuels, especially corn … and he was right …. corn is too expensive at producing ethanol, and using corn to make ethanol increased the price of corn from $2 a bushel to $6 a bushel for food. You distorted the truth.

    You and Joe Biden claim that John McCain voted like both of you for a tax increase on those making as little as $42,000 per year while the voting record clearly shows that John McCain did not vote as you and Joe Biden. You lied to America .

    You and Joe Biden claim that John McCain voted with George W. Bush 90% of the time when you know that Democrats also vote 90% of the time with the President (including Joe Biden) because the vast majority of the votes are procedural. You are one of the few who has not voted 90% of the time with the president because you have been missing from the Senate since the day you got elected. While your absence from your job in the Senate is of concern, the greater concern is that you spin the facts.

    You did not take an active role in the rescue plan. You claimed that the Senate did not need you while the real reason that you abstained was because of your close relationships with the executives of Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Countrywide, and Acorn … who all helped cause the financial problems of today … and they all made major contributions to your campaign. While your relationship with these executives and your protection of them for your brief 3 years in the Senate (along with Barney Frank, Chuck Schumer, Maxine Waters, and Chris Dodd) is of concern, the greater concern is that you are being deceitful.

    You forgot to mention that you personally represented Acorn. Acorn has been convicted of voter fraud, real estate sub prime loan intimidation, and illegal campaign contributions. You personally used your political positions to steer money toAcorn and you used Acorn to register thousands of phony voters for Democrats and you. While your relationships with Acorn are of concern, the greater concern is that you omitted important facts about your relationships with them to America .

    During your campaign, you said: “typical white person.” “They cling to their guns and religion.” “They will say that I am black.” You played the race card. You tried to label any criticism about you as racist. You divide America .

    You claim that you will reduce taxes for 95% of America , but you forgot to tell America that those reductions are after you remove the Bush tax reductions. You have requested close to $1 billion in earmarks and several million for Acorn. Your social programs will cost America $1 trillion per year and you claim that a reduction in military spending ($100 billion for Iraq ) can pay for it. While your economic plan of adding 30% to the size of our federal government is of concern, the greater concern is that you are deceiving America .

    The drain to America ‘s economy by foreign supplied oil is $700 billion per year (5% of GDP) while the war in Iraq is $100 billion (less than 1% of GDP). You voted against any increases to oil exploration for the last 3 years and any expansion of nuclear facilities. Yet today, you say that you have always been for more oil and more nuclear. You are lying to America .

    Mr. Obama, you claimed that you “changed” your mind about public financing for your campaign because of the money spent by Republican PACs in 2004. The truth is that the Democrat PACs in 2004, 2006, and 2008 spent twice as much as the Republican PACs (especially George Soros and MoveOn.org). You are lying to America .

    Oh, Mr. Obama, Teddy Roosevelt said about a hundred years ago that we Americans should first look at the character of our leaders before anything else.

    Your character looks horrible. While you make good speeches, motivating speeches, your character does not match your rhetoric. You talk the talk, but do not walk the walk.

    1. You lied to America . You lied many times. You distorted facts. You parsed your answers like a lawyer.

    2. You distorted the record of John McCain in your words and in your advertisements.
    3. You had associations with some very bad people for your personal political gains and then lied about those associations.

    4. You divide America about race and about class.
    Now let me compare your record of lies, distortions, race baiting, and associations to John McCain: War hero. Annapolis graduate with “Country first.” Operational leadership experience like all 43 previously elected presidents of the USA as a Navy officer for 22 years. 26 years in the Senate. Straight talk. Maverick. 54% of the time participated on bills with Democrats. Never asked for an earmark. The only blemish on his record is his part in the Keating 5 debacle about 25 years ago.

    Mr. Obama, at Harvard Law School, you learned that the end does not justify the means. You learned that perjury, false witness, dishonesty, distortion of truth are never tolerated. Yet, your dishonesty is overwhelming. Your dishonesty is tremendously greater than the dishonesty that caused the impeachment and disbarment of Bill Clinton. Your dishonesty is tremendously greater than the dishonesty of Scooter Libby. You should be ashamed.

    Mr. Obama, it is time for us Americans to put aside our differences on political issues and vote against you because of your dishonest character. It is time for all of us Americans to put aside our political issues and vote for America first. It is time for America to vote for honesty.

    Mr. Obama, you are dishonest. Anyone who votes for you is enabling dishonesty.
    Mr. Obama , America cannot trust that you will put America first in your decisions about the future.
    Mr. Obama, you are not the “change” that America deserves. We cannot trust you.

    Mr. Obama, You are not ready and not fit to be commander-in-chief.

    Mr. Obama, John McCain does not have as much money as your campaign to refute all of your false statements. And for whatever reasons, the mainstream media will not give adequate coverage or research about your lies, distortions, word parsing, bad associations, race baiting, lack of operational leadership experience, and generally dishonest character. The media is diverting our attention from your relationships and ignoring the fact that you lied about those relationships. The fact that you lied is much more important than the relationships themselves …. just like with Bill Clinton and Richard Nixon … Monica Lewinski and Watergate were not nearly as bad as the fact that those men lied about the events … false witness … perjury … your relationships and bad judgements are bad on their own … but your lies are even worse.

    Therefore, by copy of this memo, all who read this memo are asked to send it to everyone else in America before it is too late. We need to do the job that the media will not do. We need to expose your dishonesty so that every person in America understands who you really are before election day.

    Mr. Obama, in a democracy, we get what we deserve. And God help America if we deserve you.

    Michael Master
    McLean, Virginia

  7. Christopher / Oct 31 2008

    This will piss off my friend Kristina because I redacted her overly lengthy plagiarized post a few weeks ago, but I will leave John’s pilfered rambling by Mr. Master of Virginia in its entirety.

    Clearly a class in blog comment etiquette is in order. Comments should be (a) original and (b) actual “comments” as opposed to manifestos. Where someone has more to add than relevant comments I would suggest they consider their own blog. If one feels they have found extensive pertinent info elsewhere on the web, feel free to post a link to said info rather than clipping and pasting it.

    That said, Mr. Master of Virginia is a whiney one-sided Republican prick. Wa wa wa… Obama lied. Seriously? A list far longer than his could be compiled about McCain’s fibs, exaggerations, misspeaks and lies. (And some of Mr. Master’s items are irrelevant crap.) Guess what people – both these guys are (gasp) POLITICIANS.

    One candidate is not as qualified as I’d prefer. The other was probably qualified 8 years ago but is now feeble and he’s proven it by choosing a frighteningly incompetent backup for when he runs out of steam.

    Both of these men are patriots in that they want what’s best for our county. They have different views on how to get there. I will vote for fresh and new. And hope – I vote for hope. Mr. Feeble and Ms. Incompetent can go back to their day jobs.

  8. Ann Marie / Nov 1 2008

    See that’s just it….when Democrats don’t get there way they start name calling??? Why would I ever support that??? 🙂

  9. Ann Marie / Nov 1 2008

    Also, Mr. Obama you keep claiming to cut taxes for the middle class that make under $250,000 per year; then in the infommercial it was under $200,000 per year; then in another rally it was under $150,000 per year….which one is it Obama? It’s not uncommon for working families with 2 professional incomes to have incomes at this level or close to this level. What kind of incentive is this? Not much according to Joe the Plumber who might want to start a busines which would create jobs.

  10. Christopher / Nov 1 2008

    My friend Ann Marie is confused. Does anyone know a tax accountant who can straighten her out? Um… wait…

    Check out my new post titled “Obama Tax Lingo” at this link: http://grasshutandcoconuts.com/?p=55

    As for Joe the plumber – someone needs to tell him to pay his back taxes, get an actual license to do the work he does and quit whining until he actually has income over $250,000 a year. My guess is that it will be a while because he doesn’t seem to be that bright, but you never know. After all, this is the land of opportunity!

  11. Mary Ann / Nov 2 2008

    Yeah only Democrats revert to name calling! Pleaszzz Good thing many of us are voting for a Marxist, Terriorist Left Wing Liberal!

  12. Ann Marie / Nov 3 2008

    Dear Christopher,

    I’m not confused. I know exactly who I am voting and for what reasons. Happy Voting!

Comments are closed.