More than any other candidate in Presidential election history, there are rumors, half-truths and flat out lies surrounding Senator Barack Obama. There are a few that are especially egregious that any rational American should know are bald faced lies on appearance.
"Obama is a Muslim"
"Obama went to a radical madrasah in Indonesia"
"He refuses to say to pledge of allegiance"
"He's not actually a born-citizen of the U.S."
"He's the Manchurian Candidate of a crazy Muslim fighting force in Kenya."
If you believe any on the above mentioned "facts" then do yourself a favor and start sending those emails your crazy uncle forwards to you right to your recycle bin. Please, please, please look into both candidates and vote based on all the issues that are important to you.
So here's the list of 5 key points we should start out with:
1. If you make less than $250,000 a year, the Obama tax plan will not raise your taxes. In fact, you will probably see a tax break.
I'll let that settle in..... You may have heard different from people who weren't quoting that tax plan directly. This is one of those things that even if you've heard that Obama will raise every one's taxes 2 million times over the week following Labor Day, it still doesn't make it true. I'm studying the Constitution right now for my Ed. degree so I won't go too far down the rabbit hole on this one, but only the House of Representatives can levy a tax. So, even if George Washington himself rose up from the dead and wanted to raise taxes, it will be impossible without the House's approval.
Now, I already hear the arguments. The Democrats are going to let the Bush tax cuts sunset thereby indirectly raising taxes. Two things, those tax cuts don't really effect middle-class Americans. In fact, we've been paying more to cover for tax cuts for the richest 7-10%. Also, that sunset clause was written by the Bush Administration and passed by a Republican Congress. So, if anyone is responsible for that sunset it's both parties.
2. Obama just finished paying off his student loans.
This really says two important things. First, Obama had to work his way through his schooling like many of us. Raise your hand if you are currently paying a student loan, have a child who is or have already paid off your student loan. I expect that's a lot of you. Does it say something about our system of higher education funding that a 47-year-old man has to serve in the U.S. Senate and write two best sellers in order to pay off his school loans?
Obama has a plan to help people get the opportunity that he and Michelle got. It's why they are here now. His goal is to make it so students aren't saddled with a huge debt before they even start their career.
3. You have eaten arugula in your salad and had orange juice for breakfast.
This is more about all of us. Elite is as elite does. If I have to hear one millionaire accuse another millionaire of being elitist I might scream. I'll just leave it at that.
4. If you really listen to either candidate, you may actually agree with some of the things they have to say.
Give it a whirl. Even if you are an ardent supporter of the other candidate. The worst that can happen is that you have a little more knowledge about why you're not voting for him. So, turn off Rush, Hannity, and O'Reilly and go to barackobama.com. Read the plans. Read the messages from his supporters. These are Americans. They may not agree with you on everything, but if you believe what some of the previously named entertainers say, you'll think "these are all latte sipping, Volvo driving, terrorist appeasing, defeat loving hippies." They are not. These are hard working Americans who are having troubles with the way the last eight years have gone. Obama supporters are not all African-Americans, idealistic college students, and Hollywood fat cats. Americans can disagree. That doesn't make them traitors; it makes them patriots.
5. Obama has a plan for progressive change.
It's there. It's ready for you to access on his website. Now, everything a president wants to accomplish during his term may not happen, but having an ambitious plan for the next American century is necessary. He has proven it time and time again. Barack Obama will listen to every American, not just the ones who voted for him.
There you go. We started with 5 "facts" (read ridiculous lies) that you won't see on this blog again. We ended with 5 key points that allow us to have this conversation from a rational standpoint.
Let's get it on.
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2 comments:
OMG Blue where do I begin - 250K is not "rich" in my eyes. With the price of everything, be it food, gas and property, 250K barely gets someone by in many many areas of the country. Quite frankly Obama told O'Reilly that if a waitress is not making enough money, it is the "rich" that should share their money with them. I am sorry I work very very hard and my children and their families are barely making it and now I have to share with a waitress, because according to Obama that is neighborly - good grief!! Leave contributions and assistance to the communities and faith based organizations or even Hollywood for that matter. There ya go lets take Hollywood liberals and have them create the waitress education foundation! They can do it on their dime not mine. That waitress has way more opportunities to move forward and get aid, then any one in my family! Besides with the Bush tax cut more revenue was produced than in the Clinton years, so enough with the taxing the rich! School loans,,,,don't get me started on that one. My daughter has major school loans, reason being the government thought that we made to much money, so there is no help for my "middle class" status here. They thought that we should be able to contribute 30K a year towards her education. Haha if we would of had that kinda dough I would own the freakin college! Blue worked hard no doubt as did the wife of Blue, so good for them. Everyone has opportunity even the waitress, you just have to work for it. I believe Mrs. Blue said at the convention that her parents worked hard and raised their children for them to have an education and succeed and live the American Dream. Why tax the rich to "give" that opportunity, when that opportunity exists still today through work hard and determination to succeed - That is the American success and dream, why do they want to take that away?
I could unfortunately go on and on about Blue, and think this blog is a great idea. I even considered the Blue side for change, but each day I see Blue is just another politician, with the same ole game and right now we need someone stronger and experienced, yes thats right I vote Red, for the most experienced candidate to be President and a Non Washington hockey mom to come clean up government, that is where the real change will come!!
Blue and Blue VP are more of the same!
Real median household income for 2007 in the U.S. was $50,233. So $250,000 is roughly five times the median household income for the entire country. Or in other terms, roughly 1.9% of American households earned $250,000 or more in 2007.
Yes costs of living are very much on the rise and pretty much always have been, and whether or not you agree with the concept of wealth redistribution or not is a subjective matter that has been debated for centuries and probably always will be. However, honestly if earning five times the median household income or having your earnings place you in the 98th percentile of all American households doesn't qualify you as "rich", than I ask....really, what does?
Sources (because I prefer cited facts to support my arguments):
Income, Poverty and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2007. An official publication of the U.S. Census Bureau. Issued August 2008.
Table HINC-06, Annual Social and Economic (ASEC) Supplement, Current Population Survey (CPS). A joint effort between the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Census Bureau. Available through www.census.gov.
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