Why People Believe Obama Won the Debate

[bolverk]

I find it interesting that people believe Obama won the debate over a single issue. A new right. The right to health care.

Are we really that naive? Look what has happened with Social Security, grossly mismanaged to the point of bankruptcy and we want the government to have control over one sixth of our economy? Do you really want to trust a government, who gives your benefits away to people who never put dime one into the system, to manage your health care system?

What is wrong with people anymore?

[jgaffney]

An article in this morning's PeeDee, plagiarized from the Boston Hearld gives us a hint what a government-run health care system would be like:

The aging of baby boomers and layoffs of people who had been struggling to work while hurt and sick have sparked a jump in disability cases, federal officials and patient advocates say. As a result, the backlog of claims and the wait for case hearings have doubled since 2000, despite efforts by Social Security to address the problem.

The agency acknowledges the backlog and attributes it to years of budget cuts that reduced staff while claims jumped. The government is whittling the backlog by hiring 189 more administrative judges, switching to electronic records, holding hearings by videoconference and testing programs that quickly approve clear-cut cases.

Over two years, Social Security has resolved all 200,000 cases that are more than 900 days old. Officials hope to bring the backlog to a manageable 430,000 by 2013, said Frank Cristaudo, chief administrative law judge for the agency.

"It will take a while," Cristaudo said. "Things are getting a little better."

Typically, disability applicants get denied twice in reviews that take about six months. Those who appeal then wait for a hearing before a judge - the national average is 530 days.

The wait is usually worth it, because judges reverse two-thirds of the denials, leading some to conclude the initial reviews are too harsh. But the wait can be devastating for the injured and sick.

It continues to amaze me that people who suffer through inefficiencies like this are willing to turn the entire system over to the government. Logic cannot explain it.

If you think health care is expensive now, just wait until it's free!

[saunterelle]

In what areas do you think John McCain won last night? Seems to me that Obama whipped him good on the economy, foreign policy, health care, and overall likability.

And if what we saw was McCain "taking the gloves off" it shows that he is harmless. His disrespectful comment (calling Obama "That One") was downright pathetic. Obama handled it like a champ by having a Presidential demeanor and maturity level throughout the debate.

[saunterelle]

All I see here are you guys spewing the Right Wing garbage that we hear on Fox News and AM talk radio. They always speak in vague terms saying "the market will fix itself" and whining because someone in Obama's campaign had something to do with Fannie Mae. Well guess what, so did someone in McCain's campaign, do you care about that?

In all seriousness, the last 8 years have taught us that the Republican policy of deregulation and cutting social programs does not benefit most Americans. The very rich get richer and the middle class and poor get poorer. Why anyone but the rich would support the Republican argument that it spurs job creation when the wealthy get their taxes cut is beyond me. Seems to me America is a better place when everyone is doing well like when Clinton was in office. Before he was elected, the Republicans shouted that he will bring socialism to our country but once again they were wrong. Now they're trying the same tired tactic with Obama. It's pathetic, they've run out of ideas.

[mrroqout]

Oct 8, 2008 12:53:10 GMT -5 saunterelle said:

Obama handled it like a champ by having a Presidential demeanor and maturity level throughout the debate.

If the mentality of a 5 year old child is maturity and Presidential demeanor..well then okay.

How many times did he say "It's not fair" (mommy).....


All I heard was typical SOCIALIST "fairness" talk....

[saunterelle]

Oct 8, 2008 13:29:34 GMT -5 mrroqout said:

Oct 8, 2008 12:53:10 GMT -5 saunterelle said:

Obama handled it like a champ by having a Presidential demeanor and maturity level throughout the debate.

If the mentality of a 5 year old child is maturity and Presidential demeanor..well then okay.

How many times did he say "It's not fair" (mommy).....


All I heard was typical SOCIALIST "fairness" talk....

You've got it backwards. McCain is the childish one, just look, he even refuses to shake Obama's extended hand giving him "the silent treatment":



And yes Obama says "it's not fair." You be the judge, can you honestly say that additional tax cuts for wealthy CEOs while the average American is struggling to make ends meet is fair?

[mrroqout]

Saunterelle, can you HONESTLY say it's NOT SOCIALIST to "redsitribute" another mans EARNED MONEY?

They are NOT "ADDITIONAL" tax cuts.


It's called CAPITALISM, CEO's aren't the same as janitors and never will be therefore they get paid more.

It's simple really...if you can get passed the "It's not fair bullsh*t" .

I'm excited though I cannot wait to see what

Hugo...I mean Fidel.....Errr Uh Che...Nope wait B. Hussein Obama does to further flush our country down the third world commie socialist toilet.

[saunterelle]

Unless America had a flat tax policy, the definition of what is fair or not is up for debate. Obama's plan is certainly not socialist because the CEO still takes home much more than the janitor, he simply pays a higher percentage in taxes on his earnings. Your gripe is with the amount the CEO pays but the fact remains that the CEO will still be rich at the end of the day. Doesn't it make sense that the CEO pays higher taxes because he is so comfortable in life while the less fortunate are practically out on the street? To me it does.

[mrroqout]

Okay so as it currently stands:

The wealthiest 1 percent of the population earn 19 per­cent of the income but pay 37 percent of the income tax. - OUCH WHERE IS YOUR FAIRNESS HERE?



The top 10 percent pay 68 percent of the tab. - OUCH Seems MORE THAN Fair to me


Meanwhile, the bottom 50 percent—those below the median income level—now earn 13 percent of the income but pay just 3 percent of the taxes. THEY ALREADY PAY NOTHING!!!!!YET YOU WANT THEM TO PAY LESS??---ABSURD

These are proportions of the income tax alone and don’t include payroll taxes for Social Security and Medicare.

[saunterelle]

You can twist the percentages all you want but the fact remains that when higher taxes are paid by the rich they remain rich while the poor are helped. If we are a superpower society that leads by example why isn't this a good thing?

Also, I'd like to see those percentages translated into dollars. I think it would paint a very different picture than the one you're trying to show.

[mrroqout]

You mean the picture where 50% of Americans PAY NOTHING!!

This is fact there is no "twisted" percentages.... "attempt" to paint the numbers as "skewed" they are WIDELY AVAILABLE..do your own homework.

Hey 50 Billion to the U.N. Sounds good too right? - USELESS ENTITY THE USA SHOULDNT EVEN BELONG TO.

Hey BILLIONS more into "peace corps" sounds "neato" huh bud? - WORLD NEEDS MORE PEACE CORP REJECT COMMIES RIGHT?

[bolverk]

Oct 8, 2008 12:53:10 GMT -5 saunterelle said:

In what areas do you think John McCain won last night? Seems to me that Obama whipped him good on the economy, foreign policy, health care, and overall likability.

And if what we saw was McCain "taking the gloves off" it shows that he is harmless. His disrespectful comment (calling Obama "That One") was downright pathetic. Obama handled it like a champ by having a Presidential demeanor and maturity level throughout the debate.

The only disrespect going on in that debate, and I watched in its entirety, was Obama always going over the time limit.

And no, the only thing that Obama whipped anyone on was health care, and he refused to answer the question on the "Fine" pointed out by McCain. Anyone attempts to get me to pay a fine over my families health care will be found looking up at the sky.