Why BHO cant close the deal

bubba74 · #1 (**permalink**) 09-03-2008, 01:11 PM

Why Obama Can't Close the Sale - WSJ.com

Quote:

Even before John McCain shook up the presidential race by tapping Gov. Sarah Palin to be his running mate, polls weren't showing the late-August lead that Barack Obama (and many Republicans) expected. Why so?

It's not because of the brilliance of the McCain campaign. Rather we believe that -- despite the media's best efforts to exempt Mr. Obama's policies from critical examination -- American voters aren't sheep. They pay attention to the candidates and positions and make wise decisions about who should lead the country.

True, Mr. Obama enjoys several advantages. Republicans are struggling nationwide in head-to-head contests. Democrats lead in voter registration, and have a well-funded presidential candidate.

Yet Americans have not committed to Mr. Obama. Why?

Clearly, Mr. Obama's weakness on foreign policy is a factor. He has a knee-jerk preference for diplomacy with China, Europe and Russia over the security of the American people and our closest allies. He hasn't explained his shifting positions on Iraq and Iran, among other hot spots.
But here's the thing: It's not that Mr. Obama hasn't been specific enough in his governing plans. To the contrary, he has been very specific about his tax policy, health-care and energy proposals. It's that voters are paying attention and appear not to like what Candidate Obama is saying.

Mr. Obama has proposed a massive tax increase on investors, business owners, and the "wealthy." At a time when the American people rate the economy as the central issue of the campaign, a tax hike doesn't make a lot of political sense. Voters know that a tax hike won't help the economy
Moreover, Mr. Obama's tax plans would directly or indirectly harm U.S. investors by raising the capital gains and dividend taxes. More than half of U.S. households are equity owners, so Mr. Obama's proposal risks alienating half the population.

Mr. Obama claims to offer a tax cut to moderate-income families, but a significant portion of Mr. Obama's tax plan is a welfare giveaway costing more than $648 billion over 10 years, according to the Tax Policy Center.

Mr. Obama's health-care proposal is not quite HillaryCare, but it comes close. A national health insurance, heavily subsidized by taxpayers, would be offered to the currently uninsured. Mr. Obama's instincts on health care are always to move more people onto rolls of government-paid and government-mandated insurance, while depriving the marketplace the oxygen it needs for greater innovation, life-saving cures, and efficiency.

Americans have heard the refrain for government-provided health care before and know an expensive government giveaway when they see it.

Mr. Obama's energy policy is to drill less, consume less, tax more, and spend more. With barely a nod to nuclear energy -- the only meaningfully large, carbon-free source of domestic energy -- he is promising a massive increase in domestic, noncarbon-based energy from sources that produce only a fraction of our energy now.

He has also proposed massive tax increases on U.S. oil and gas companies while continuing to cut off vast swaths of U.S. territory to drilling.

Again, Americans are wiser than they are given credit. They know that if you restrict supply and tax production, prices go up.

And they know that if a candidate has spent his entire career taxing more and spending more, that's what you'll get -- and more of it.

Mr. Obama is wondering why he can't shake Mr. McCain. His problem isn't his plans for the campaign. It's his plans for governing the country. Americans just aren't buying into them

That pretty much sums it up. For all the pomp and circumstance, this guy is a big govt tax and spend liberal and most of Americans believe in smaller govt and less taxes.

Butt Plug · #2 (**permalink**) 09-03-2008, 04:42 PM

Quote"They pay attention to the candidates and positions and make wise decisions about who should lead the country."

Yes you may be right. Look who they elected the last two elections and the mess that caused. I think that brings us back to that Post about what Bill Maher said.

bubba74 · #3 (**permalink**) 09-03-2008, 11:38 PM

So you agree the American people are stupid.

I think the Dems have run crappy canidates for the last 30 years, Clinton got lucky. The American people are smart enough to look below the surface, then they realize, there is nothing there.

Butt Plug · #4 (**permalink**) 09-04-2008, 12:17 AM

If any Executive can run a war and say just put it all on the charge card so he can cut taxes for the wealthy then we have to be stupid to let him do it.Don't you agree?
I know true conservatives will agree with me on that.

bubba74 · #5 (**permalink**) 09-04-2008, 11:07 AM

Do you pay taxes?

I do, mine went down a whole bunch and my accountant told me to expect them to go up a whole bunch if the commie wins. I am about as middle class as they come. Where mistakes made in the war, yes, hindsight is always 20/20 however, a lot of those mistakes were brought on by the defeatist left embolding our enemies.
Say an interview with Gen. Petrasus yesterday, he plans on pulling US troops out of Bagdad next summer. We are in wrap up mode, yet the left still wants to surrender, it really shows their meddle, or lack there of.

Butt Plug · #6 (**permalink**) 09-04-2008, 11:29 AM

Your accountant told you what you like to hear. Would he like to lose a paying customer? He only has to put up with you once a year.
Why can't you do your own taxes, do you have out of the ordinary deductions? Its really not that difficult, if you can type on a forum you can get a good tax software like Turbo Tax and do it youself. But I understand if your really going out on a limb with some of your deductions you might want someone to anser to the IRS.
On to what you said about Gen.Petraes. The Bushes and McCain have now accepted Obama's plan to withdraw our troops from Iraq on a timetable. Like the Iraq President has requested.
Of course if McCain won the Presidency you would knowtice that plan would change back to permanant Residence in Iraq. And then maybe Iran and who knows eastern Europe would you like that?