Thursday, October 16, 2008
Robin Hood
We must remember that Robin Hood was a thief. That's what Joe is reminding the voters.
If Joe becomes viral, he might become an iconic figure. We will only know in hindsight.
19 Comments:
By 
, at
Thu Oct 16, 05:34:00 PM:
What this boils down to is the marginal tax rate explained in laymans terms. Econospeak probably never gets through to a lot of people but now, in very tangible terms, people understand better the disincentive to work and the penalty for success.
By 
Escort81, at
Thu Oct 16, 07:10:00 PM:
CP -
If only it were so. Joe is already being chewed up and spit out (not that any of this is relevant and/or true) as:
A) owing back taxes
B) a plant
C) related to Charles Keating
D) having been through a nasty divorce
E) bad at math (tax rate applies to net business income, not gross revenues, and even then his taxes only go up a few percentage points over 250)
F) unlicenced to operate as a plumber in his county in Ohio
He seems like a decent guy that was not the least bit intimidated by Sen. Obama, but I wonder if he is going to wish that he never had his rope line discussion caught on video.
At the very least, it points to the notion that aspirational middle income voters understand that they have a reasonable shot at upper-middle and high income levels, and wonder about the "fairness" of a 39.6% marginal rate on that portion of income above $250,000 (plus whatever state and local taxes may exist, possibly putting you close to 50%).
By Jim VAT, at
Thu Oct 16, 07:32:00 PM:
"Most Americans, especially aspirational Americans, like reading Robin Hood, but don't want his philosophy put into practice."
This is where the logic went astray. Most Americans are not aspirational. They want things given to them and truly desire a "spread the wealth" plan. The only explanation I could offer is if wealth was spread around the planet, they would be living on <$1000 a year.
By , at
Thu Oct 16, 07:54:00 PM:
... do you trust the smooth talking brown man with your wallet? Or, are you betting on that old white guy?
I think people vote for who they identify with, which is why GWB is and has been well thought of. He's the Willie Lowman in the bunch, the guy who stumbles through the speech, but the guy you want to and often do believe to be telling you the truth.
I get that more from McCain than Obama ...
By , at
Thu Oct 16, 07:57:00 PM:
As I recall, Robin Hood was known (at least in some ballads) as a Saxon yeoman who took to outlawry to rob from the Norman tax-gatherers and return the taxes to those from whom they were taken.
I suspect most politicians would feel uncomfortable with that whole concept, especially with the part where the taxes are returned to the actual people from whom they were taken.
I wonder how many pages Robin Hood gets in the 8th grade school books, compared to Senator Obama?
By Elijah, at
Thu Oct 16, 07:58:00 PM:
Joe the plumber?
After some investigation by the Obama campaign, it seems his real name is not even Joe.
It's John Galt
By , at
Thu Oct 16, 08:29:00 PM:
The Democrats have jumped all over Joe the Plumber showing again that those with whom they disagree are to be personally destroyed.
Biden's mocking of Joe and Obama's new line on Joe have added to the pile-on.
How much more of a demonstration is needed to prove that a government controlled by Obama and his like minded supporters would be the end of free speech and the imposition of government approved speech codes?
By , at
Thu Oct 16, 08:58:00 PM:
The best part is what effect "destroying" Joe will have on the electorate. Remember what that did when they started on Sarah and her family? This guy isn't even on the ticket. Beating on him will draw a lot of anger toward the media and Obama. Looks like Joe is a real American hero.
By , at
Thu Oct 16, 09:14:00 PM:
I think that the intellectually honest would have a hard time denying that both sides in this campaign have gone negative at times. The questions of who, first, how often, and how far are interesting, but I think a more damning question is why they felt the need to in the first place. My answer: because Americans are comfortable basing important political decisions upon <2 min spots from their teevee, which doesn't (in my mind) bode well for our economy as a whole, our government, or our free markets.
By , at
Thu Oct 16, 10:43:00 PM:
The phrases, "attack ads" and "negative campaigning" have been co-opted by the media and spin masters.
It comes down to, "I don't like when hard punches are thrown at my guy/gal."
What we should be against, in my opinion, are clearly false ads and false responses to truthful ads.
Ads which call into question the fitness for office of a candidate are completely in bounds in my view, because after all we are not just interested in policies, we are deeply interested in the nature of the candidates. We need to consider that in making a decision.
By , at
Thu Oct 16, 11:49:00 PM:
Anon ... I agree. But the negative ads work, because they give people something to think about, and the MSM gets pissed enough to at least provide coverage. People are now becoming aware of Ayers. If he did what he did today, he'd get life in prison if not capital murder. I can't believe that any cop would vote for a guy who looks beyond a guys cop killer status, or unrepentent history as a Terrorist.
This is an election about trust, and the record of the candidates. And, I think there's a real issue with the fitness of the Veep. McCain is the oldest presidential candidate and might not live, but Obama has his won special risks.
If it comes down to Biden who couldn't get more than 25 votes from the Dems in his quest for the Resolute desk, or Sarah, I'm going for Sarah.
In the meantime, there's no question that McCain is better prepared.
And, I have to believe that old folks 'trust' a fellow grayhair with their social security, national security, and overall judgment.
I would've liked Mac to drive harder on the associations of the One with terrorists and scum, but I think he planted the seed just the same.
What's scary is when talking to people who unaware they are of Ayers, Rezko, ACORN, Wright, the double-talk and general hogwash and smoothtalk.
In the end, I think McCain pulls this one out, assuming the left doesn't stuff too many ballots ...
By Georg Felis, at
Fri Oct 17, 12:25:00 AM:
Where "I am John Galt" will not resonate with the vast majority of people in the US, we are all Joe the Plummer now.
By Cardinalpark, at
Fri Oct 17, 07:56:00 AM:
Attacking Joe the Plumber is politically stupid. It is the precise equivalent of Obama talking about working class white people in Pennsylvania clinging to their guns and bibles.
It will not help him in November.
By Cardinalpark, at
Fri Oct 17, 07:56:00 AM:
This comment has been removed by the author.
By Unknown, at
Fri Oct 17, 03:23:00 PM:
I disagree with the notion that most Americans are not aspirational. I think those impulses are still very strong, whether individual Americans consciously acknowledge them or not.
Whatever else you may think of him, Spengler of the Asia Times made a good point recently when he wrote that America has never had a true peasant class because our small farmers have always been entrepreneurs. And I think that that's true of much of our urban tradespeople as well. Go through the phone book in any U.S. city, and you will find a lot of people like Joe the Plumber, who see their jobs as a stepping stone to something bigger and better, or who are, in fact, small business owners. Below the display ads, you'll find a lot of plumbers and other service people who are just a guy with a truck and tools, whose wife answers the phone; or all the employees are immediate family. These are folks who are trying to build something of their own.
And I don't think these folks like the idea that they will spend years fulfilling their life's ambition only to have the government take their earnings and "spread it around" like muck in a field.
By Dawnfire82, at
Fri Oct 17, 05:00:00 PM:
Aspirations are multi-generational, as well. I'm the first person in my father's family to attend a university. My father began work with Mobil as a field apprentice and worked his way up. At one point when I was a teenager, he was an officer in the OCAW union. (Oil, Chemical, and Atomic Workers) His father was raised a farmer, who learned a technical trade and worked on pipelines. *His* father was a dirt farmer.
Because of their sacrifices, each successive generation went on to something bigger.
By Gary Rosen, at
Fri Oct 17, 11:47:00 PM:
When McCain "goes negative", he attacks an unrepentant bomb-throwing terrorits.
When Obama goes negative, he attacks a hard-working plumber.
That says it all, doesn't it?
By , at
Sat Oct 18, 12:45:00 AM:
By , at
Mon Oct 20, 12:04:00 PM:
Brarack Obmama is a tyrant he isa despot HE IS A LIBERAL
