Admittedly...I fell asleep during the debate last night. It could have been because because neither candidate really gave a straight answer to the questions...at least early on.
But today, I had somewhat of an epiphany at work. I am leaning McCain...and here is a brief run down of why.
The economic downturn has done two things in my opinion; it has made taxes/economy the central issue of this campaign; and it has HELPED, not hurt, McCain. Well...it should be helping McCain, but for some reason, the vast majority does not think my way. Here is why this issue now helps McCain.
Obama is proposing billions of dollars in additional government spending; health care and education are major initiatives he is running on. Now...lets avoid the argument of whether the government should be paying for this and just think through this rationally. Obama is proposing to pay for additional programs related to these two areas, along with his pithy energy plan (McCain's is just as pithy) and whatever else he has thrown in there that I am not yet aware of, by cutting tax loopholes to corporations, eliminating wasteful spending (even though he voted for the bailout package, as did McCain, which features numerous earmarks and bribes - see the details in a previous post!) and raising taxes on the those making $250,000 or more per year.
I think Obama is not telling us the truth. How can he possibly follow through on all his campaign promises without raising additional taxes on someone, somewhere; running the economy into further debt; or declaring current government programs that can be significantly cutback? It can not be done. I doubt he can even raise taxes on the middle class; no President since Hoover has done this during a recession. Obama simply is not being honest with us; he makes it sound like his economic plan is completely unaffected by the current financial crisis. That can not be true. And if it is, he has not made it clear to me.
Relating to McCain...McCain has also not proposed any significant cutbacks in government programs. McCain has proposed eliminating wasteful Washington spending (which means nothing, because just like Obama, McCain voted for the wasteful bailout package, loaded with the very earmarks he focused on vetoing during the first debate). But McCain is being realistic...he is not proposing an increase in taxes, but he is not promising to cut taxes for the middle class either (Obama is proposing to cut taxes for 95% of the American people). Although McCain has not pointed out any significant government programs that can be cut, he is not campaigning on adding new programs.
McCain, to me, is simply a far less risk to the current tax/economic system than Obama. McCain represents less of a risk of my taxes going up. He is talking far straighter to the American public than Obama is.
Just my thoughts...
To both candidates...tell me, honestly, what are you going to cut in terms of government spending? You either have to make major government spending cuts, or tax a part of the population way more than you say you are going to, in order to keep the country from falling further and further into debt. If you are not doing either...you better not be proposing an influx of additional government spending...or you are lying.
McCain is acting more straight with me...I think I have to vote for him. We will see if anything changes over the next few days!
Until we meet again, goodbye!
McCain should explain how he plans to pay $3 trillion to buy bad mortgages.
ReplyDeleteDemocrats raise taxes, Republicans raise debt - which is just a nice way of saying future taxes.
Andrew...I appreciate the comment.
ReplyDeleteI will admit, after my post, I thought I should have discussed McCain's apparently plan to buy additional bad mortgages. This plan is absurd, I completely agree. The reason why I did not mention it in my post (even though I clearly should have) was because in no way, in any part of my subconscious mind, do I consider it an actual policy proposal. If the situation stabilizes this week, which many analysts agree it will, McCain's "proposal" would be pure insanity. I think he said it to pander to "real people" worried about "pocketbook issues". Shame on McCain for making a promise he know he will not keep.
In response to your second statement, I disagree. Republicans do not raise debt. Remember...it was a Republican led Congress that helped produce the $300 billion surplus this country enjoyed when Clinton was in office. This batch of Republican government, I agree, has been highly successful at raising debt...but it is mostly on the shoulders of one man (President Bush) that responsibility falls on. Many Republicans in Congress are completely appalled at the non-conservative nature of government spending in recent years. And those Congresspeople that have voted for the past budgets should be held accountable, along with the President.
Phew...what a long response.
Joe