Losers: Hillary, McCain And Republicans

Well, the Indiana and NC results are in and the buzz is Hillary didn't accomplish enough to stop Obama with her slim Indiana win and huge NC loss. It'll be interesting to see what she does. The media is pouring on the heat for her to drop out.

As for Republicans, including McCain, they continue to be their worst enemy, not Obama. Gingrich issued a warning, but the bad news is everywhere for them. And McCain isn't doing very well for the nominee.

Add that to his poor performance as a fund raiser and the GOP has major troubles, indeed. Gee, does McCain think speaking at a La Raza event is going to get him the support he needs to win?

He can pander to that and other groups all he wants. Guess what? Come election day, the Democrat machine will turn them out for the Dems. And McCain's BS will just cost him support from the base.

Might we actually have a President Obama with the middle name of Hussein?

Don't kid yourself if you think he can't win. As if America needed a Carter II, and potentially worse.

Good grief. Hopefully something will change between now and November.

Comments

[rf]

Is there more to the Republican critique of Obama than repeating his middle name? This is why he's going to win.

[jharp]

Hopefully we can now get focused on the issues.

Ending the occupation of Iraq. Big edge to Obama.
Health care reform. Big edge to Obama.
Letting tax cuts expire for the richest. Big edge to Obama.

I think you are right that Obama will win. Mostly because of the disastrous policies of George Bush.

And it blows my mind that McCain is running on continuing the same failed policies.

Go figure.

[seekeronos]

Unfortunately, three shakes of the "Magic 8-Ball" we have in our office for solving difficult code issues came up with the same answer for this question:

Will Obama win in a landslide in the November election?

"It is certain."

And when asked about McCain's chances:

"Don't count on it."

Folks, that 8-ball has never been wrong ... so now you may plan for the next four years of socialism, racial reparations, and general societal and international mayhem as Obama hastens the fall of America from her place in the sun started by Bush and friends.

[jharp]

rf,

Yes, there is. Other critiques. He's also an elitist. And a secret Muslim. And his preacher has said some controversial things.

And I'm not sure but haven't they also accused him of being a socialist.

Oh, and he's too sensitive about remarks about his ears being too big.

[seekeronos]

My main critique of Barry H. Obama is his lack of substance beyond swooning hippies and college girls with his baritone voice and his calls for hope and change.

Or "hang" and "chop", dropping the "e's" because the other letters are elitist snobs, and the "c" and the "h" are morally loose and like to swing with other words.

[michael]

I'm a republican who thought he'd vote for McCain, but holy mackrel, this guys insane! I'm not sure if its age or what but the bullcrap coming out of his mouth is unbelievable. He's a BUSH clone and that's why i can't vote for him. I will vote for Obama (everybody else I know is!) He'll probably kick mccains tired geriatric butt !

[WAHOO WILLIE]

I'd vote for Jerry Wright AND Saddam before I would vote for the evil hildabeast. I know Obie would take NC in a walk but I was surprised to see him slap Hilda's fat moon on the way out.

[physics geek]

Hopefully something will change between now and November.

It will. McCain will piss off the conservative base even more, incorrectly assuming that he doesn't need their vote.

[Worst President Ever]

The reason the McSame and the Republicans are going to lose is they offer no new ideas.

Iraq: Stay the course if it takes 100 years
Health Care: Nothing new
Taxes: Cut 'em even more. Course the numbers don't actually add up, but they're fiscal conservatives, so it's OK.
Economy: Don't ask me, I don't really understand it.
Energy: Trust Big Oil, cause they've done such a good job.

[Worst President Ever]

The reason the McSame and the Republicans are going to lose is they offer no new ideas.

Iraq: Stay the course if it takes 100 years
Health Care: Nothing new
Taxes: Cut 'em even more. Course the numbers don't actually add up, but they're fiscal conservatives, so it's OK.
Economy: Don't ask me, I don't really understand it.
Energy: Trust Big Oil, cause they've done such a good job.

[Worst President Ever]

The reason the McSame and the Republicans are going to lose is they offer no new ideas.

Iraq: Stay the course if it takes 100 years
Health Care: Nothing new
Taxes: Cut 'em even more. Course the numbers don't actually add up, but they're fiscal conservatives, so it's OK.
Economy: Don't ask me, I don't really understand it.
Energy: Trust Big Oil, cause they've done such a good job.

[jharp]

So seeker.

Please tell me what you like about McCain.

Specifically, what do think he is going to do that benefits you?

[Worst President Ever]

The reason the McSame and the Republicans are going to lose is they offer no new ideas.

Iraq: Stay the course if it takes 100 years
Health Care: Nothing new
Taxes: Cut 'em even more. Course the numbers don't actually add up, but they're fiscal conservatives, so it's OK.
Economy: Don't ask me, I don't really understand it.
Energy: Trust Big Oil, cause they've done such a good job.

[Worst President Ever]

The reason the McSame and the Republicans are going to lose is they offer no new ideas.

Iraq: Stay the course if it takes 100 years
Health Care: Nothing new
Taxes: Cut 'em even more. Course the numbers don't actually add up, but they're fiscal conservatives, so it's OK.
Economy: Don't ask me, I don't really understand it.
Energy: Trust Big Oil, cause they've done such a good job.

[chris]

Oh no's - more bad news for the Family Values party. Introducing, Vito "Vino" Fossella!!

http://www.silive.com/news/index.ssf/2008/05/staten_island_rep_remaining_si.html

Ole Vino loves Teh Troops, his country, teh booze and women other than his wife - but not necessarily in that order.

[WAHOO WILLIE]

"Specifically, what do think he is going to do that benefits you?"

There it is, in writing. What is the government going to give YOU, me us. The government was just here adding my new garage to my property taxes. I wish they were that prompt when I need a deputy or an ambulance.

[templar knight]

I figure Obama will win myself, as the Republicans are in complete disarray, but have absolutely no faith that Obama can do anything to solve our problems. I'll take a wait and see attitute, while Obama and the liberals solve ALL of America's problems. They promised, so if it doesn't happen, then kick their asses out in 2 and 4 years. Just like Jimmah Carter.

[Fred Beloit]

When I was out walking yesterday, I came upon a street, with no street sign, that I had never noticed before. On an impulse I turned left into this street. I found it to be rather old with most of the houses and buildings in need of repair; odd for this nicer section of our town. As I approached another pedestrian, I said, "Excuse me, sir, could you tell me the name of this street?" He replied, "Why certainly, I live here. This is Left Turvy Street in Topsy Town. Please feel free to enjoy yourself here. Our residents are harmless so don't be put off by their unfriendly expressions. They are all formerly famous and influential people who have had a change in fortunes not for the better."

Topsy Town, I thought, how silly. As I walked further, I suddenly received a shock. I saw John Kerry through the window of a barbershop cutting someone's hair. The person in the chair was Bill Clinton in a security guard's uniform having his hair cut. Across from the barber chair someone was having his shoes shined. That someone was Barack Obama wearing a very neat Army PFC uniform. The shoe-shine boy was Frank Rich of the NYT.

[IslamoLlama]

"-- Folks, that 8-ball has never been wrong ... so now you may plan for the next four years of socialism, racial reparations, and general societal and international mayhem as Obama hastens the fall of America from her place in the sun started by Bush and friends. --"

And the America Haters rejoiced... or something.

After 8 years of cut-throat capitalism and "privatize gain / socialize loss" government policy, tossing some good old fashioned gerrymandering, black voter suppression, and lawless, costly, failed wars, I think Obama's complete reversal of direction is going to take the US to a much different place than it is today.

Whether socialized medicine, an end to deficit spending, an end to class-warfare tax policy (15% capital gains compared to 25% income tax is bullshit and you all know it), and 4 years of peace will destroy America or save it is, I guess, left up to the American People to decide.

[templar knight]

I give up, I can't post. See you sometime.

[seekeronos]

jharp asks:

"---
So seeker.

Please tell me what you like about McCain.

Specifically, what do think he is going to do that benefits you?
---"

From where I sit, absolutely nothing. Which is a big reason why I'm supporting the Constitution Party candidate, Chuck Baldwin this November.

http://www.chuckbaldwinlive.com/

(this is not his campaign website, which is still under construction).

The GOP is where the Democrats were some 20-24 years ago, in complete disarray and completely corrupt.

In fact, I think they are even worse off, and face the very real possibility of being supplanted or simply disappearing as the Whigs did in 1860.

Hopefully, the Libertarians or more hopefully, the Christians will unite behind the Constitutionalists to get a few godly men in Washington this year, and by God's grace, may the Democrats not become the single-party, unitarian government that the socialist wing of that same party has lusted after since the days of Eugene V. Debs.

[seekeronos]

Posting is a still bit wonky with the new Typepad mod, it seems. What I have found to work 9when my first post doesn't appear to take) is to simply refresh (F5) the screen after posting, instead of banging on the "post" button.

[WAHOO WILLIE]

"I guess, left up to the American People to decide."

Pookie sometimes I want to hug you.

[jharp]

Specifically, what do think he is going to do that benefits you?

"There it is, in writing. What is the government going to give YOU, me us."

No, no, no, my friend Willie. Read my sentence more carefully. I have never taken a dime from our government. Started my own business at age 23 and have been at it for 25 years.

You are aware of the policies that I think our government can benefit all Americans with. Health care reform, ending the occupation of Iraq, a fairer tax system.

All of thing Obama is for and McCain is against.

[Totally Heterosexual Conservative]

Yes, rf. Obama is also a stealth Manchurian candidate Muslim athesist (read: homosexual) who wants to institute Sharia law in the United States. This is proven by the fact that he eats ham instead of shitty cheese steaks from a Philly tourist trap. Of course he is also an elitist because he knows what arugula is. Obama is also unfit to be president because he doesn't wear a lapel pin; doesn't put his hand over his chest when the national anthem isn't being played; doesn't bowl well; and has a wife who doesn't sufficiently swoon over America's perfection.

Oh, and he's black.

[seekeronos]

"--- ...15% capital gains compared to 25% income tax is (baloney) and you all know it... ---"

Depends on who you talk to I guess. Despite Warren Buffet's supposed protests about how his secretary pays more of a percentage of her income in taxes than he from his meagre $100,000 salary as head of Berkshire-Hathaway, he with his 15% capital gains is still paying WAY more in actual cash to the government than the secretary.

Bear in mind that his _salary_ still gets taxed - all $100k of it - at the appropriate brackets, the top of which is the 25% bracket.

Separate from that (in the 15% bracket) is his investment income, of which he needs a bucket loader to load into his Scrooge McDuck style money bin he needs for his daily cash baths.

The complaint then, is that the tax rate is regressive and "unfair", because a far greater percentage of her "sustenance" is taxed (she'd actually be pulling down quite a handsome salary, if she is in a higher income tax bracket than Mr. Buffet).

Buffet would be taxed across the 25% bracket at $100k AGI, with an actual tax burden of ... lessee:

$8,772.50 (his tax up to $63,700) + (0.25 * $36,300) = $8,772.50 + $9,075 = $17,847.50

Unfortunately, something simply doesn't add up here, as Ms. Secretary, should actually have taxes less than $8,772.50 ... the FICA/Medicare/SSA and state and local taxes should not be counted, since we are talking about just federal income tax. She is still in the 15% bracket.

And this is before we even start talking about her deductions.

Either that, or Ms. Secretary should have a professional tax preparer or an accountant do her taxes next year.

But a lower capital gains tax actually encourages people to make long term value investments, for the long term. Like index funds (not necessarily ETFs).

By investing in America's business (or if you like your risk factor, then against international indices), we can more directly affect economic growth.

A $1200 tax credit for use in investments in my opinion, would be more effective than cutting a $1200 treasury check to blow on a new grill or wardrobe or what have you.

On the other hand, I do think that some moderation should be enforced on the excessive speculation against hedge fund/commodities trading, especially food and oil.

[Dan Riehl]

"You are aware of the policies that I think our government can benefit all Americans with. Health care reform, ending the occupation of Iraq, a fairer tax system."

Come on, Jharp. You can't be serious? So, health care on par with the DMV, an increasingly radicalized Middle East with no moderate, democratic influence and because the middle class combined holds the vast majority of American collective wealth, that's precisely where all the pols go when they want revenue ... and all this equals a "better America?"

Where were you when I was selling bridges. I could have used a few more marks like you.

[jharp]

Dan R,

"Where were you when I was selling bridges. I could have used a few more marks like you."

Yeah, right.

The Republican and George Bush policies of the last 7 years have worked out so well.

Why do you think the republicans lost both the Senate and the House and are about to lose the Presidency?

And our health care system is 2 to 3 times as costly as the rest of the world. Why do you suppose no one is copying our system?

An increased radicalization of the middle east?

Surely you jest. George Bush has radicalized the middle in an unprecedented fashion.

And who is proposing tax increases for the middle class? I've got news for you. They are already here. Property taxes and sales taxes.

[SacTownMan]

Just because Barry's beating Hilda-Beast in the primary has nothing to do with the general election.

Wait until the average blue collar worker sees the extreme leftest agenda he has in store for them. He is a great speaker in front of large stadium crowds with the teleprompter guiding him. Hillary was consistantly better in the Democratic debates when he would struggle to respond without a script to follow.

When the general election comes around he will finally have to explain to the average American what the expiring tax cuts will mean to them. The impact of his socialist agenda (following in his Kenyan daddy's footsteps)would paralyze the American economy. His lack of experience in "crossing the isle", national defense, the ongoing questions about his associations with negative America haters/bashers (including his wife) will all come out. This man is simply not qualified to be POTUS.

I'll bet Hillary could whoop him in a 12 round fight but Michelle could take out Hillary with a first round knock-out!

[WAHOO WILLIE]

"So, health care on par with the DMV,"
Dan, I see it as more like the VA or military hospitals.....Pray they let us keep our own!!

"an increasingly radicalized Middle East with no moderate, democratic influence."
Sorry, I personally think we should let them kill each other off. They've done it for thousands of years and that's what they want.

"and because the middle class combined holds the vast majority of American collective wealth, that's precisely where all the pols go when they want revenue."

Shhhhh, Let them all wake up one morning to find out their 100k a year makes them "rich" too.

[jharp]

"So, health care on par with the DMV,"
Dan, I see it as more like the VA or military hospitals.....Pray they let us keep our own!!

So, Willie, I assume you'll pass on Medicare.

Oh, and I almost forgot, the government is already taking care of you on health care. Fuck the rest of em. You've got yours.

[WAHOO WILLIE]

Sorry SacTownDude; None of what you said is going to matter in the general. GWB and his cronies have ruined the GOP for who knows how long. There's only one way that Obie isn't going to be your next Prez.....Da Supers. See, Obie is selling just the right snake oil man and blue collars (whose unions are throwing bucketfuls o' cash at him)are all over his "windall profit taxes" and punishing employers who send jobs overseas, a chicken in every pot and a Ford in every garage. It's going to be a landslide with a majority of dems in congress and boy is it going to be amusing.

[WAHOO WILLIE]

"So, Willie, I assume you'll pass on Medicare."

JHArp: I pay premiums every month so that I wont 'need' medicare. See, that's for poor people and people who believed Social Security was an actual retirement income. So as long as I can click a few computer keys and send a check to BCBS each month then yeah, I'll pass on government charity. Oh and as far as the governments share of my group plan goes, I earned it just as your employees are earning your share of their group plan. You *DO* have group insurance on your employees, yes?

[jharp]

"You *DO* have group insurance on your employees, yes?"

No. I have no employess.

"I pay premiums every month so that I wont 'need' medicare. See, that's for poor people and people who believed Social Security was an actual retirement income. So as long as I can click a few computer keys and send a check to BCBS each month then yeah, I'll pass on government charity. Oh and as far as the governments share of my group plan goes, I earned it just as your employees are earning your share of their group plan."

I think this is the big misconception of our health care system.

What I lack is access. I'd be happy to send my premium in every month as you do. The problem is I am denied access due to my deaf daughter.

And you do rely on the government for access to your insurance. I'm asking for the same.

Sign me up for the same plan Senator McCain's been sucking off on his entire life and I'll gladly send them a check.

And if McCain wasn't sucking the government teat he'd be in the same boat as I. Denied coverage.

[WAHOO WILLIE]

Jharp Of course I believe everyone should have access and if it takes intervention to force it, that's cool. I've said more than once that as long as I'm not forced to stand in the free clinic line I dont care what the government does. I also dont want my taxes going up 1% to pay for it since I'm paying enough for it now. Yes, I "rely" on the government to pay what they promised to pay when I retired from working for them.Just as I may have *relied* on Carolina Power and Light to pay what they promised had I stayed there or JHarps musical bongs if I worked there. It's 1/2 by the way. I could also used the VA because of this itty bitty piece o' metal in me arse.........but I dont because there are veterans in much, much worse shape that NEED it. Truthfully though, you can stone ME all you want for "relying" on the government but it reallly, really is unfair to slam McCain for it. Pick another repugnican sport, McCain earned his life time care.

[jharp]

Question for Willie and Dan,

Why do you think it is OK for Americans to spend 2 to 3 times on healthcare as the rest of the industrialized world?

Do you think we might have a flaw in our system?

Think about it. We are the only country without some sort of single payer system and our bill is 2 to 3 times what the rest pay.

Please explain.

[templar knight]

You're denied access to health care because of your deaf daughter, is that what you're saying, jharp? Why is that? That doesn't sound quite right to me, there must be something more to your story. I have epilepsy, and it is excluded from my policy as a previous condition, but everything else is covered by my health insurance.

[jharp]

templar,

It varies from state to state. In Indiana they are not allowed to exclude pre existing conditions.

So they simply deny you coverage.

[jharp]

Willie,

I'd gladly lay off Senator McCain except he's the one sonavabitch who's promised to continue to deny me access.

I'm like you, I think every single American should have equal access. It has nothing to do with where you work.

[WAHOO WILLIE]

"Why do you think it is OK for Americans to spend 2 to 3 times on healthcare as the rest of the industrialized world?"

I never said it is OK, yes the system is flawed and Medicare is so full of fraud it makes me sick. Let's not EVEN start on the worker's comp ripoff. Harpie, I rode, then supervised an Fire/EMS service for most of my life. Yes, the majority of people pay their bills but you'd be amazed at the abuse in the system. The flood gates will be open when everyone can call a free ambulance to take them to their doctor appointments. Take what we already spend on medicare, medicaid and SS disability and let people pay a portion (premium) out of pocket and all is well with me.

[WAHOO WILLIE]

"I'd gladly lay off Senator McCain except he's the one sonavabitch who's promised to continue to deny me access."

PROVE IT

[IslamoLlama]

"-- Bear in mind that his _salary_ still gets taxed - all $100k of it - at the appropriate brackets, the top of which is the 25% bracket. --"

Wow. Failseek fails at tax law. Buffet's $100k salary actually lands him in the 28% bracket range. I'm not even going to delve into your other mistakes. Needless to say, you're wrong. Categorically, empirically, mathematically wrong.

I could go into all sorts of tax tricks about balancing your loses against your gains to make even the capital gains look smaller than they really are. I could talk about how mega-millionaires can use foreign accounts and LLCs to shield their wealth or take advantage of additional deductions. But the fact that you can't even get Buffet's salary bracket range correct seems to indicate that this would all float well over your head.

This is why education is important. People - like Seek - are graduating from high school and college without the faintest grasp of our our tax system works. These same people - like Seek - bitch and moan about how magical Jesus doesn't get enough air time in public schools. Then, these same people, like Seek, make rather erroneous and preposterous claims about how incredibly fair or unfair the current tax code is and how Republicans will really fix or maintain the system.

If more people had a quality education, a real liberal elitist education, we'd see less people like Seek and more people like Jharp and Chris. Sadly, the GOP has been in the business of knee-capping teacher's unions and PTOs and state and federal budgets for generations now. NCLB is just the latest in a long line of Pell Grant cuts and deregulated tuition programs and charter school initiatives and voucher plans that have been sucking money out of an education system that we regularly hold up as competition to evil socialist countries like France and Germany.

The truth is that conservatives would happily sacrifice the next generation on the alter of tax cuts. But the joke is that they won't even get the tax cuts they're being promises, because McCain plans to grow the military budget by leaps and bounds. In the end, Reagen and Bush I presided over some of the biggest tax increases in US history to met their corporate welfare and military expansion programs. They also presided over some of the worst economic crises and most depressing educational slumps. Now, Bush Jr is repeating the mistakes of his father's generation, and Bush Jr's constituency is back to doing what they do best - blaming everyone but themselves.

But, like the country did back in 1932 when it became clear that the Coolidge/Hoover way of governing was a terrible mistake, we're going to see an new wave of liberal reform in 2009 that will - god willing - wash away the waste and excess of the old guard wingnuts.

So, in short, enjoy the election in November.

[WAHOO WILLIE]

Harpie I'm curious what kind of self run business you have that you can't move to Ohio (where you really want to be) that makes enough money to beworth not having health insurance on your kids?

[jharp]

Willie,

From John McCain's website on health care.

"John McCain Will Work With States To Establish A Guaranteed Access Plan. As President, John McCain will work with governors to develop a best practice model that states can follow - a Guaranteed Access Plan or GAP - that would reflect the best experience of the states to ensure these patients have access to health coverage."

Judge it how you best see fit.

I don't consider him pushing the problem on the states as doing anything about it.

I'm as much against big government as the next guy but every country in the world uses some form of a single payer. And it costs them half or less than half of what Americans pay.

[templar knight]

Mo, tell us what makes you a tax expert. You've waxed on about how educated, or brainwashed, depends on your point of view, jharp and chris are, and yet how ignorant seek us. Put up or shut up. I think you're nothing more than a loud-mouthed college puke, myself. Prove me wrong. Tell us what your qualifications are, what college you graduated from, what degree you have, what company you work for, etc. The Riehl World wants to know.

[jharp]

Willie,

We are insured now. My wife bailed out of her consulting business where she made a nice living to take a nothing, no pay job with benefits. And they had to insure us. Sure makes a lot of sense, huh.

Just plain fucking sucks that we had to give up considerable income in order to get health insurance. And tell me our health care system isn't crippling our economy.

I'm in the international trading business, dealing mostly with the far east. I have no desire to move back to Ohio. Been here 10 years and like it. Though like I said before I have a strong yen to get near the water (no impoundments and no salt water) and get my fishing boat into serious use.

[WAHOO WILLIE]

"Hillary's healthcare disaster was the prime reason the Republicans swept the '94 mid-term elections. The first time the Democrats didn't control the House of Representatives in over 40 years. Bill Clinton's approval ratings were never lower than when Hillary completely botched healthcare reform. All of sudden, healthcare reform just vanished from the political agenda. Unfortunately, the healthcare crisis didn't; it just got worse year after year after year. After the healthcare reform debacle, Hillary became persona non grata in the White House, and as her recently released records show, she faded away from the West Wing and public policy, choosing instead to reinvent herself in the mold of a more traditional First Lady. If you think Hillary Clinton is the person to fix healthcare, you're either too young, have an extremely poor memory or you know virtually nothing about Hillary."

Hmm, first time dems didnt control the house in 40 years.....Guess it was a GOP senate that f'd up education. Anyway, this is about health care.
http://www.padems.com/node/1121

[WAHOO WILLIE]

"Mo, tell us what makes you a tax expert."

TK, Pookie the LLama isn't going to give up any such info. See, if we know that kind of thing, we may be able to challenge her. I suspect a coed with assistance but guess we'll never know.

[IslamoLlama]

"-- Mo, tell us what makes you a tax expert. You've waxed on about how educated, or brainwashed, depends on your point of view, jharp and chris are, and yet how ignorant seek us. Put up or shut up. I think you're nothing more than a loud-mouthed college puke, myself. Prove me wrong. Tell us what your qualifications are, what college you graduated from, what degree you have, what company you work for, etc. The Riehl World wants to know. --"

Yikes dude. You show me yours and I'll show you mine. But I'm not stupid enough to give out that much info. That said, I went to the University of Texas and worked as an accountant at a tax office in Austin for two years. That, and simple things like tax brackets are found through a quick Google search. You don't have to be a professional to figure them out.

http://www.moneychimp.com/features/tax_brackets.htm

See.

If that doesn't satisfy you, then you're shit out of luck cause that's all I'm giving to a bunch of wingnut psychos on the intertubes.

[syblle]

ANYBODY is better than John "fedding tube" McCain!!