About Politics

Dee Gerrish asked:




Already,  Obama…President elect….has inserted his foot into his mouth!  During his first …very late to get started, very short…conference,  he made the remark that he had already spoken to a few of the Presidents….those living…and made a snide comment/reference to Nancy Reagan holding seances and then when asked about “the puppy” he made another snide remark that “shelter dogs were nothing more than mutts like me”.    I am sure that Shelters around the United States surely appreciate that snide remark that basically shelters dogs were not worthy of being adopted because they were nothing more than “mutts”.  Shame, Shame Obama!  Shame on you!

He hasn’t even spent 1 day in the White House and already he’s pissed people off with snide remarks.  It also irritated me that he made the comment that his daughter was “allergic” and so they needed to ensure that the dog they get is “hypoallergenic” and that there were plenty of “hypoallergenic” dogs they could consider.

First of all, Obama elect, there is NO such thing as a hypoallergenic dog.  He claims to be so intelligent and yet, made this ridiculous claim!  As stated before,  I see why so many people get this fact incorrect.  Too many people make the claim that there are dogs out there or breeds out there who are hypoallergenic.  SORRY TO BURST THE BUBBLE, THERE ARE NO SUCH DOGS IN EXISTANCE.



Yes, there are low allergen dogs; Yes, there are low shedding dogs………HELLO, OBAMA….some of those low shedding, low dander, low allergan dogs may be “MUTTS”.   To make the claim that “unfortunately many shelter dogs are mutts like me” and that it would be impossible for them to find a hypoallergenic shelter dog was a huge GAFF by Obama Elect!   If he actually believes he will get a hypoallergenic purebred dog or a hypoallergenic dog of any breed type,  he’d better think again.  An article that mentioned the Goldendoodle dog,  http://apnews. myway. com/article/20081108/D94AMU480. html   claimed the Goldendoodle dog is a “no shed” type when that is not correct.  The Goldendoodle is a “low shed” hybrid.  Every living thing sheds, to some degree or another. 

Let me name just a few  ”MUTTS”  for Obama elect, that are considered to be MUTTS by purebred fanatics, but who are really hybrid dogs that come from the pairing of two purebred dogs:

1. LhasaPoo  2. Schnoodle  3. Schnapso  4. Sch Zhu-Poo 5. Goldendoodle 6. Malti-Poo 7. Labradoodle  8. Bedlington Doodle  9.  Terri-Poo  10.  Wheaten-Poo  11. Shepadoodle

and the list will literally continue to be quite lengthy, but basically, any purebred dog mixed with Poodle would work out very well.   It is also very unfortunate that Obama made that snide comment about shelter dogs because there are many mixed breed and purebred dogs sitting in shelters waiting for a family home and who would work out well for the Obama’s daughters’ need regarding low shedding, low dander and low allergen.

It makes me wonder if he or Michelle have even had their daughter tested to even find out what their daughter’s allergy issues/triggers are!  I also have news for the Obamas…..unless they plan to NEVER let the dog outside,  any dog they obtain no matter what breed type, is going to track pollen into the White House.  Look, lets be realistic here!  The Obamas have nothing to worry about regarding a dog!  They will have so many staff members who can bathe, take care of the dog, clean up after, feed, walk or whatever is needed for the new coming dog that they don’t need to worry about any kind of dog they get!

I hardly doubt Michelle or the newly elected President or either daughter will be the ones taking that dog outside for walks or giving it a bath or feeding it.  I am very positive they won’t even be taking the dog to a veterinarian…the VET will come to THEM.   Perhaps like the other Presidents and their families,  the only time you’ll see the dog will be for photo ops!  There is no way I can see them doing the dog duties or taking up any of the responsibilities that come with owning a dog, especially their kids.  Sorry, I don’t see it. 

Obama has already back peddled on some of his promises!  I knew that was coming.  Regarding taxes,  he has now said he doesn’t have any plans to tax the upper class rich.  Wow! Who saw that coming??  That would mean that he and his friends would have to be taxed and make less money.  Who thought he was really for the poor and the hard working middle class?



Leo

Gian Fiero asked:


With the world now scrutinizing his every move, President Obama continues to carry himself in the self-assured manner for which he is known. He has displayed the aura and demeanor of a leader since day one of his campaign, and has exhibited powerful lessons on leadership which have been exemplary. This article touches upon those lessons and the virtues that effective leaders must uphold.

HAVE A VISION

The presidential election was not won by playing the status quo game of politics. It was won based upon the fervent articulation of a vision which was intertwined with the visions that Americans have for their lives and their children’s lives. It was a vision which showed that President Obama was able to recognize, appreciate, and understand the needs of his followers. He knew that the American people had lost trust in the country’s leadership; his vision spoke to restoring it. He knew the American people were overcome by a tidal wave of hopelessness that was causing many to drown in despair; his vision offered hope. Every leader must have a vision which offers tangible benefits for those that they lead.

EMPOWER OTHERS

According to John C. Maxwell, one of the nation’s foremost authorities on leadership and author of Leadership 101, leaders don’t delegate; they empower people. When you empower people, you work with and through people. You enable others to reach the highest levels in their personal and professional development. The main difference between management and leadership is that leadership is about influencing people to follow, while management focuses on maintaining systems and processes.

Faced with a daunting list of tasks including the ending of a war, tangled foreign policies, fragile international relations, mounting health care concerns, and a weakening economy on the verge of collapse, President Obama expressed early on the importance of not only hiring, but empowering the right people (i.e., most qualified). He knows that his brilliance must reflect on others, who in turn will reflect their brilliance upon him. This is said to be the best collection of brilliant minds ever assembled for a White House administration that’s dedicated to creating plans, finding solutions, and managing the details of bringing President Obama’s vision for America to life. Leaders must employ the same strategy and empower the right people.

HAVE CHARACTER

On this subject of character Maxwell writes: There are three qualities that a leader must exemplify to build trust: competence, connection, and character. Character is the only effective bulwark against internal and external forces that lead to a country’s disintegration or collapse. Standing up for your beliefs in the face of adversity shows tremendous character. It’s often when true character - or lack there of - is revealed. While you can assign someone to a leadership position, you can not assign trustworthiness. That has to be earned over time and through the demonstration of character that’s consistent of a true leader.

HAVE A MESSAGE

All leaders should have a message - a message they deliver consistently. In public relations the primary emphasis is on the development and consistent delivery of the message. Good PR entails and thrives upon positive communications and interactions between a person, organization, or company and the public on whom its success or failure depends.

Effective leaders establish a personal relationship between the message and their target audience. In other words, they make sure their individual followers care enough about that message so they are emotionally influenced to respond it. President Obama’s successful influence is due in large part to this basic PR tenet.

KNOW EXPECTATIONS & PRIORITIES

Leaders also thrive on expectations and know how to prioritize in terms of importance and urgency. Mark McKinnon, a consultant who worked for a time for Senator John McCain, Mr. Obama’s Republican opponent in the presidential election was quoted as saying: “People are going to give Obama more time than they would any other new president because they know he is dealing with unprecedented challenges. The economic crisis President-elect Obama faces may in some ways help him - it is taking some of the helium out of what would otherwise be stratospheric expectations.”

After being in office less than two weeks he won House approval for an $819 billion stimulus plan to aid the nation’s ailing economy “with no time to spare,” and signed his first bill into law, The Lilly Ledbetter Pay Restoration Act which is a new law that makes it easier for employees to sue their employers for discrimination in paying them and effectively nullifies the legal limitations.

“It is fitting that the very first bill that I sign — the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Restoration Act — that it is upholding one of this nation’s founding principles: that we are all created equal, and each deserve a chance to pursue our own version of happiness,” Obama said upon signing.

LANGUAGE & DEMEANOR

Words like integrity, values, ethics, responsibility, and principles belong to the lexicon of effective leaders who choose their words felicitously. They are aware of the influence that their messages, demeanor, and actions communicate. When President Obama was seen “dusting off his shoulders” while campaigning against Hillary Clinton and “exchanging pounds” with his wife, he subtly communicated his blackness to both whites and blacks.

Taken out of context or ill-timed they would not have registered as positively, but after then Senator Obama established himself as the front-runner for the presidency and a bona fide leader, these two little gestures received big reactions and cemented his status as a politician with personality. It also illustrated his emotional intelligence (awareness of how others feel) and tacit knowledge (street smarts) which have been intangible traits of the greatest leaders.

FULFILL REQUIREMENTS FOR SUCCESS

Great leaders have a profound reverence for their role. They don’t revel in power, but in their ability to affect change. They are possessed and obsessed with their greatest responsibility: fulfilling the requirements for success in their every endeavor. They know that their success is not their own, but the success of their followers. Yes, being a leader is a difficult task in which your effectiveness is measured by the results you get, and your legacy is determined in the aftermath of your reign. President Obama summed it up in his inauguration speech which I will use to sum up this article:

“What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility — a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character than giving our all to a difficult task.”



Ramon

jneg7 asked:


They both want to withdraw combat troops. According to the Washington Post article that was printed yesterday in Newsday that is only one third of our troops there. This does not figure in Security Contractors.

So out of 150,000 troops in Iraq both Bush and Obama are only planning on withdrawing 50,000. ( Obama on his website calls for withdrawing Combat troops, he makes no mention of the others) How is this change?

Lucy

rob r asked:


I thought Hillary spoke to America and her husband did so well as a two term President. He used to be called America’s first black President. How did Obama chew them up and spit them to the side with such ease?

Jonathan

Darrell B asked:


I have seen so many people that are hoping Obama fail just to say “I told you so”. If Obama fails we ALL fail, I think if those bitter McCain supporters want Obama to fail, they want all of America (and ironically themselves) to fail as well.

Isn’t that the most unpatriotic thing you’ve ever heard? Especially when most of these people claim to be as “patriotic” as they come?

Leo

bob asked:


Was Bill Ayers prominent in community or party leadership? Did he have resources to help Obama run? Why would Obama rely on any advice Ayers’ would have to offer? Why does Ayers and the Weathermen Underground believe in using violence?

Vicki

julio_slsc asked:


Both Jimmy Carter and Barack Obama favor central planning. For Carter, this resulted in stagflation, high interest rates and zero growth.

If Obama does the same, why will he get different results?
Interesting, no Obamaniacs have anything to say; could it be that I found a campaign weakness?

Terry

Mike g asked:


I have been surfing the internet, trying to find a glimps of Obama’s education plan. I have considered becoming a science teacher myself for secondary education. When Obama was running for President, he said that he would develop a plan to attract Math and Science professionals to teach at our public schools. Does anyone know anything or know where to locate any information about Obama’s plan for education?

Steven

kacybooth asked:


John McCain has voted independently, only 90 % with fellow Republicans. Barack Obama voted almost 100 % of the time with fellow Democrats. So who is the one breaking through party lines? What are your opinions?

Bessie

Roni Deutch asked:


1. Mortgage Crisis

Obama

The ongoing mortgage crisis is a problem that is affecting more and more American families every day. To help protect home ownership and fight mortgage fraud, Obama has presented a multi-tiered plan designed to help families facing foreclosure and also monitor the mortgage industry better to avoid future problems.

Obama supports the Stop Fraud Act that provides a definition of mortgage fraud and rules and regulations to help stop the problem. The act also requires the Government Accountability Office to evaluate lending practices and report their findings to congress.

The final component of Obama’s mortgage relief plan is to create a universal mortgage credit. Currently, the United States tax code only encourages families to purchase a home with a tax deduction. However, it is currently only available to taxpayers that itemize their returns. This leaves out about 2/3 of Americans who elect to take the standard deduction. Obama would like to create a universal mortgage credit that he claims will benefit an additional 10 million homeowners.

McCain

Senator McCain also has is own take on the mortgage crisis. His plan is called the new “Home Plan,” which aims to provide help to those hurt by the housing crisis. McCain claims that his plan will allow every deserving homeowner the opportunity to trade in a burdensome mortgage for a more manageable one that will reflect his or her home’s current value.

However, exactly “who” is deserving? According to McCain’s website, eligible individuals include those Americans that hold a non-conventional mortgage taken after 2005. The house will need to serve as the home owner’s primary place of residence and he or she will need to be able prove they cannot meet current payments, but would be able to comply with a new 30 year fixed rate mortgage.

The Difference

Although Obama’s plan seems more substantive than McCain’s, they both attempt to help solve the countries mortgage problem. However, as with many other issues Obama’s seems to target lower income families namely those that do not itemize which typically correlates to families that make under $50,000. I think it is also interesting to note that they both propose the creation of a government agency to monitor the mortgage industry, but they propose them for different branches of the government.

2. Lower Income Americans

Obama

Sen. Obama’s tax plan seems in line with his redistribution of wealth ideals. His economic plans surround the idea of giving every lower-income American an opportunity to better themselves. The centerpiece is his “Make Work Pay” tax credit that would encourage Americans to take control of their lives, while providing tax relief to both low and middle income taxes. The credit would offset federal taxes on the first $8,100 of a taxpayers earnings and would essentially generate a credit of up to $500 for single persons or $1,000 per family. According to Obama, this credit would eliminate income taxes for at least 10 million low-income Americans.

Another of Obama’s more popular tax views is to help make higher education more affordable. He would do this through creating a credit to reimburse taxpayers for the costs of obtaining a college education. According to his plan, the credit would reimburse taxpayers on the first $4,000 they spend on a college education. Obama’s campaign claims that it will cover two-thirds of the cost of attending a public college or university.

McCain

As with most Republicans, McCain’s tax plan is more geared to middle and upper income Americans. However, one major component of his campaign has been “Immediate Help for American Families.” In this plan, he claims to target policies that will provide relief to American taxpayers facing rising gas and food prices and record foreclosures. However, it is unclear how McCain’s actual proposals will do that. Specifically, McCain target opaque issues like corn and sugar subsidies, trade barriers, and the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR). While we all know that nothing happens over night, it is even more unclear how these changes in these policies will immediately help the American taxpayer as McCain claims.

One of the tax cuts McCain supports is raising the personal exemption for dependents from $3,500 to $7,000. This would help any working taxpayer with dependents they have to provide for, regardless of income level.

The Difference

Obama’s tax plan is much more favorable to lower income Americans than McCain’s. He supports programs like the “Make Work Pay” credit that will not only help lower income Americans, but also encourage them to work. It is also interesting to note that both candidates support tax credits designed to help families or anyone taking care of dependents.

3. Higher Income Americans

Obama

Senator Obama is a big believer in our progressive tax system – and he is not afraid to hide that. So one of the first things Obama is set to do is letting President Bush’s 2001 and 2003 tax cuts to selectively expire. By “selectively expire”, Obama endorses extending those tax cuts on the rates for all but the top two income tax brackets. In addition, Obama also advocates increasing the income cap on payroll taxes. This would essentially be a huge tax increase for taxpayers earning between $97,000 and $250,000, which goes against Obama’s prior commitment to not raise taxes on individuals making less than $250,000.

Although Obama voted “nay” on repealing the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT), he does support a revamp of the tax. The specific details of his plan are a bit hazy, but Obama has claimed he would like to index the tax according to inflation so that it does not affect middle-income Americans.

McCain

McCain is a strong supporter of lowering taxes to encourage economic growth, which is the dominant economic stance of the Republican Party. Not only does he support renewing the Bush tax cuts, but he also favors numerous tax cuts. McCain hopes to reduce taxes on Capital Gains, Interest, Dividend, Investment income, and even corporate tax rates.

McCain is a strong supporter of repealing the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT), which would be a tax cut for the upper middle income taxpayers. However, if McCain wants this tax fully repealed, then he is going to have to strike a deal with Congress, and it seems highly unlikely that he would get enough support to make this drastic and costly change.

Although McCain had originally voted against the Bush tax cuts, he now claims to support an extension of the plan. “I voted to extend them because it would have the effect of having a tax increase,” claimed McCain when asked about his flip-flop. “The tax cuts have increased revenues enormously. They’ve been very beneficial. The problem is that spending has lurched completely out of control. My proposal was to restrain spending. I do not support tax increases. And the effect of not making them permanent would have the effect of a tax increase.”

The Difference

It is no surprise that McCain’s tax views favor the upper income Americans, as he supports the full extension of President Bush’s tax cut. On the other hand, he does support the repeal of the AMT, which is being levied on more of middle income Americans each year. Although Obama does support other tax breaks for the middle class, he does not want to repeal the AMT.

4. Capital Gains

Obama

One of the more controversial aspects of Obama’s tax proposal is his hope to nearly double the taxes levied on Capital Gains. The current tax rate on Capital Gains is 15%, and Obama hopes to raise it to 28%. “At a time when Americans are working harder than ever, we are taxing income from work at nearly twice the level that we’re taxing gains for investors,” Obama claims. “We’ve lost the balance between work and wealth.”

When questioned about his plan’s to nearly double the rate, Obama claims that he wants to raise the tax for fairness, not for revenue. One of his arguments is that the top 50 hedge fund managers made $29 billion last year, but paid lower tax rates then their secretaries did. Obama wants to restore the rate back to what it was in the Clinton era. Although the rate is much lower today than it was a decade ago, it is being levied on a lot more people. Investing is not only for the rich any more – millions of middle income America invests in stocks, retirement accounts, and mutual funds.

Additionally, Obama also fails to mention that the 28% Capital Gains rate was dropped to 20% during President Clinton’s time in office and studies show that the federal government’s revenue from Capital Gains actually increased. Then, when President Bush dropped the rate down to 15% the revenue increased yet again.

McCain

McCain plans to keep the current Capital Gains tax rates. He claims that since these taxes are voluntary, they should not be taxes as ordinary income. In order to make a profit, someone must sell a stock. Further taxes could distort decision-making, increase the use of tax shelters, and even lower the federal government’s revenue. Additionally, McCain claims that this tax policy actually helps lower income Americans, as half of all capital gains end up benefiting persons earning less than $50,000 a year.

The Difference

The differences between McCain’s and Obama’s views on Capital Gains are quite simple. Obama favors doubling the tax rate and McCain wants to keep it at current levels. Although it may seem unfair for Capital Gains to be taxed at lower rates than income, there is some evidence that supports the belief that it encourages economic growth. The federal government’s revenue from Capital Gains has increased since the rate was lowered. You cannot argue against facts. Finally, raising a tax for fairness and not for revenue is not a sound economic policy.



Miguel