“The people have spoken and they have spoken clearly.” Senator McCain said as he delivered his best speech of the campaign in conceding the election. Senator Obama gave yet another great speech in announcing and accepting his victory. I suppose I could be angry that my guy didn’t win, but I don’t think that will do me, or us, any good.
Besides the obvious historical implications, Obama will inherit a Presidency unlike any other in any of our life times. It seems that every other generation or so our nation undergoes a major crisis and a subsequent political shift. We are watching that happen again now. Our economy is at an epic low not seen since the Great Depression. We will now find out whether President Obama will be the great uniter that he has claimed he will be or the far left leaning ideologue that his voting record indicates.
I believe the war in Iraq will be all but over by the time Obama is sworn in and he will be, basically, locked into following General Petraeus in completing the agenda there. I have big concerns about how the new president will handle Iran and further attempts by terrorists to destroy out nation. It is clear that President Bush made some errors in our relations with other nations and it may well be possible for Obama to create a better environment for dialogue with them.
Domestically, I am fearful of the increase in taxes I think it will take to pay for the programs that Obama would like to put in place and I don’t trust anything Joe Biden says at all. Biden has already suggested that Obama’s $250,000 lower limit for tax increases may have to come down to $150,000. I think that it may come lower than that and it will cause problems for an already struggling economy. On the other hand, Asian markets are already opening up and I believe the rest of the world will follow suit, even if only temporarily. We will have to wait and see if President Obama’s policies will save the economy or sink it further into oblivion, but I believe that we will see improved consumer confidence, at least through inauguration and probably into Spring.
One thing that is certain is that Barack Obama is extremely intelligent and an excellent communicator. If anyone is able to unite people together for the good of the nation, I think he can. I am not yet convinced that he will. I am afraid that with the democrat controlled Congress and the number of extreme left leaders we now have in office combined with Obama as president, that we may move sharply towards socialism.
Truth be told, nothing would make me happier than to have such prosperous times for the next 4 years that I would want to re-elect President Obama. I can’t see that far just yet.
Frankly, I am very tired of the Republican rhetoric preoagatpd by the McCain/Palin duo about how Obama’s economic plan is a socialist plan that supposedly will negatively impact the Joe the Plumbers of our country, the $250K and more group (the wealthy). First, let’s check out the real facts (see factcheck.org). According to the U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Advocacy as of 2006, there were an estimated 26.8 million small business owners, and that accounted for about 20 million “nonemployer” businesses (have no employees). So, only about 6 million actually had a payroll, a far cry from the 23 million the McCain/Palin duo keeps talking about. Also, on factcheck.org, that small group may not be impacted and actually not pay any taxes because under Obama’s economic plan according to his economic policy director Jason Furman, Obama’s plan would return the top two federal income-tax rates to what they were eight years ago, before Bush lowered them and would adjust the income-tax brackets to ensure that no married couple making under $250,000 or single filer making under $200,000 would pay the top rates. Further, the average income for small business owners is $233,600, so sounds like the Obama/Biden team is really looking out for Joe the Plumber and definitely for you and me.Secondly, this leads me to ask the question, then who are the McCain/Palin duo really considering, those whose earnings are over $250k and more (the wealthy) and why is that duo not considering Joe/Josephine the Consumer too? In case they don’t know who they are or care about them, they’re the average Joe Blows the Obama/Biden team are fighting for, those who make less than $250K. The McCain/Palin duo wants to paint the picture that wealthy people or the Joe the Plumbers are going to be taxed higher and Obama/Biden want to spread the wealth. Well, let’s look at that. How do the wealthy become wealthy? Let’s see, they start a business and I guess they just become wealthy by doing just that saying they have a business and register the business name and VOILA!, their wealthy. But, we all know that’s not quite how it goes. Business owners or small businesses come up with an idea to market or sell their goods and services to you and me, Joe/Josephine the Consumer. We buy Joe the Plumbers computers, food, furniture, clothes, toys, oil and gas, autos, alarm systems, banking and financial services, homes, apartments, refrigerators, other household goods, cable, cell phones, exercise equipment, medical, etc., shop at their retail stores, buy their brand name (their name) eat at their restaurants and fast food chains, and are fans of their movies, TV shows, sports, and other entertainment media and buy televisions, stereo systems, home theater systems, big screen televisions and now HDTVs to watch them on making those business owners wealthy, wealthier, and wealthier-r-r. Now, I’m not knocking any of these entrepreneurs because we all need each other, but I think we need to realize that Joe/Josephine the Consumer (you and me) are the driving force for our economy and the team who is looking out for you and me, Joe/Josephine the Consumer is the Obama/Biden team. The other thing too, won’t those wealthy entrepreneurs get some of those taxes back if not all of it. When Joe/Josephine the Consumer gets that tax refund that Obama/Biden are pushing for, what do you think they are going to do with it. If I can borrow a phrase that Gov. Palin might say, betcha by golly, they will most likely turnaround and put that refund back into the economy (a stimulating boost) buying more goods and services keeping Joe the Plumber wealthy, wealthier, and wealthier-r-r. I think that’s a win-win situation for everybody. As long as Joe/Josephine the Consumer buys, we keep Joe the Plumber’s business doors open to keep us gainfully employed to buy more goods and services and Joe the Plumber makes more profits to invest bad or good (and hopefully Joe/Josephine the Consumer won’t have to bail them out a second time). One final note, I dare to say that after Joe the Plumber’s CPAs and accountants reduce his net profit before taxes down to $250K, surely, they will come up with a $1 loophole to make Joe the Plumbers taxable income no higher than $249,999 so he won’t have to pay all those taxes after all, if any. So, thank you Obama/Biden for thinking about us, Joe/Josephine the Consumer, working class America, the middle and lower incomers, also known as the 95%.Sorry for the long rant.Have a beautiful day. Take advantage of this one.. It won’t be long before winter is here.