Pet peeve: Obama's "fair share" talking point

[AsburySkinsFan]

It is like what was said when trying to define porn, "I know it when I see it". Sure that's entirely subjective but only at the margins, when you compare the Venus de Milo to a photo of a nude sunbathing the differences are blurred, however when you compare the Mona Lisa to an menage a trois spread in Hustler magazine it is relatively simple to identify which one is porn. So when we compare someone paying 15% vs another paying 25% with pretty large differences in their annual income it isn't exactly clear which one is a fair share, however when you compare a 25% rate on someone making a 10th of the person paying 13.9% it is pretty easy to see which is pornographic.

[ncr2h]

"Fair share" = payment in exchange for the privilege of being American

http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/...es_631859.html

[deejaydana]

I think he's going with "fair share" because it shifts the tax burden (in a speech anyway if not reality) from the middle class to the fat cats. Unfortunately it's just that, rhetoric.

[skinfan2k]

It doesn't matter who the president is and which party. The problem is with Congress and all the internal agenda each congressman has and what they are willing to do not for the good of the country. We need to have term limits for these clowns. Each congressman person can only serve a max of 8 years while presidents should have only be able to do 1 6 year term with no reelection.

[Corcaigh]

Specifics are too complicated. If you can't sum up your entire economic policy in 3 words the folks in Peoria are zzzzzzzzzzzzz. Sad but true. Better to dumb it down and run attack adds.

He should stick to attacking lawyers and the Irish. Everyone could get behind that.

[stevenaa]

Specifics are too complicated. If you can't sum up your entire economic policy in 3 words the folks in Peoria are zzzzzzzzzzzzz. Sad but true. Better to dumb it down and run attack adds.

I think you have it backwards. It's easier to run attack adds than it is to put forth your plan and actually engage in intellectual debate to show yours is the plan to be embraced. He can't sell his vision so it's best not to give any details. Par for the course in politics these days. Show as little as possible so as to give as little as possible for attack by the opposition. It's not about debating the merits any longer, it's about who can attack most effectively.

[Larry]

I think you have it backwards. It's easier to run attack adds than it is to put forth your plan and actually engage in intellectual debate to show yours is the plan to be embraced. He can't sell his vision so it's best not to give any details. Par for the course in politics these days. Show as little as possible so as to give as little as possible for attack by the opposition. It's not about debating the merits any longer, it's about who can attack most effectively.

I formed a theory in high school that I still believe explains a lot.

When a politician talks in platitudes, then everybody in the audience will assume that the politician agrees with them.

Say "If elected, I'll make America glorious", and everybody cheers.

Say "I'll make our trade policy more protectionist", and some of the people in the audience will say "Ewww, that's a terrible idea." And they'll walk away.

[Tarpon75]

Rhetoric is Obama's strong point,there is no substanance.His vision is terrible,and he is a very bad leader. He had a majority Congress and Senate for 2 years and did very little with it.Burgold please stop making excuses for him.

[Burgold]

Rhetoric is Obama's strong point,there is no substanance.His vision is terrible,and he is a very bad leader. He had a majority Congress and Senate for 2 years and did very little with it.Burgold please stop making excuses for him.

I love it when I get criticized for being too positive based on a post that is being critical of the guy and mainly talking about his failings.

[Tarpon75]

I love it when I get criticized for being too positive based on a post that is being critical of the guy and mainly talking about his failings.

Sorry if I came off as being too critical of you,didn't mean it personally. I am just really unhappy with the overall state of political affairs in this nation,particularly the current Presidency.

[Burgold]

Not too hard to find things to be frustrated with. Personally, I think almost all the pillars are failing. I think Government's behaved irresponsibly, as have the banks and lenders, and the many businesses who have been too focused on immediate, short term profits and made terrible decisons, and lastly... we, the people, are acruing too much debt and acting irresponsibly whether it's from the entitlement generation issues, the debt issues, or a certain callous divide which allows all the larger institutions to abuse the hell out of us.

[Thirtyfive2seven]

Obama's policies are a trainwreck unless you dig socialism And hey, if that's your thing, great! Point of note: no war time President has ever been denied a 2nd term. Watch out Syrian, Iran. If your policies fail you can always start a war!

And lastly, the only way to pay a 'fair share' to have to the 49% of people that don't pay taxes start paying taxes and have the rest of the people pay the same rate. You earn more, you pay more. Flat tax sounds great to me.

[Madison Redskin]

Obama's policies are a trainwreck unless you dig socialism.

Please elaborate upon your theory that his policies constitute "socialism". Are you referencing the auto bailouts? Like the ones Reagan approved? Or TARP, i.e., the program that Bush devised? Or the health care mandate, like the one proposed by Newt Gingrich or the other one proposed and actually implemented by Mitt Romney? Or are you talking about the tax hikes on the wealthy, like the ones Reagan implemented?

Or, given the thread title, perhaps you are talking about Obama's use of the phrase "fair share." If so, this guy wants to talk with you....

[YOUTUBE]cgbJ-Fs1ikA[/YOUTUBE]

Contrary to what Fox News and the current lame slate of GOP nominees are spoonfeeding to their followers, Obama is NOT a radical left wing ideologue. He just seems like one because yall have drifted so far to the right that just about everyone, outside of those who wear tin foil hats, seems like Chairman Mao.

[Thirtyfive2seven]

[YOUTUBE]cgbJ-Fs1ikA[/YOUTUBE]

Contrary to what Fox News and the current lame slate of GOP nominees are spoonfeeding to their followers, Obama is NOT a radical left wing ideologue. He just seems like one because yall have drifted so far to the right that just about everyone, outside of those who wear tin foil hats, seems like Chairman Mao.

As for Obama not being a radical left wing ideologue we agree to disagree. I thought Obama was the great uniter. That's what he was made out to be during his run for Presidency. They said he would "reach across party lines and bring the people together." Yet all he really talks about is class warfare and class envy. How does that bring a country together? How does talking about people paying their fair share bring anyone together? IMO, a flat tax is the answer.

What is the point of succeeding in this country if the President of the United States wants to make you pay for that success? Why should I start a small business and want to grow it into a huge multimillion dollar corporation like GE and Apple when I'll have to pay the highest business tax rate in the world? Or have the strictest EPA standards anywhere all based on the lie of man made global warming? Why become a millionaire when the Government will step in and tell me that I don't pay enough and I should contribute my money to .. and here's the kicker.. a larger, more freedom restricted government? A Government that wants everyone to be 'equal' and have 'free' health insurance. Stop saying it's free. It's not. Have you ever been to a government run business? Can't wait to stand in line for healthcare!! I suppose you also agree with the occupy movement since you agree with 'fair share.'

Do you make a lot of money? I'm curious. If so, I deserve some of it because x,y,z. How about this as an alternative. Work for a living and pay your own way and stop expecting someone who was in the same situation as the "99%" and figured out a way to make it with hard work. The entitlement culture in this country needs to change. Not everything in handed to you. Yes, you actually have to work for it.


And btw, quoting Reagan or Fox news is not something you will find me doing. I read CNN, MSNBC, Washington Post, Huffington Post, and watch morons like John Stewart and Bill Maur because I want to hear all sides of the story before coming to my own conclusions. My conclusions differ from yours and that's ok And finally I will say this. Why do we have to tax more? it's not really because not everyone pays their fair share. If that were the case then we would address the situation that 40 some percent of people don't pay ANY taxes. no. The real issue is we need to tax more to pay for all the entitlement programs and "free health insurance"

---------- Post added February-26th-2012 at 03:16 PM ----------

Not too hard to find things to be frustrated with. Personally, I think almost all the pillars are failing. I think Government's behaved irresponsibly, as have the banks and lenders, and the many businesses who have been too focused on immediate, short term profits and made terrible decisons, and lastly... we, the people, are acruing too much debt and acting irresponsibly whether it's from the entitlement generation issues, the debt issues, or a certain callous divide which allows all the larger institutions to abuse the hell out of us.

i agree with everything you just said.

[deejaydana]

I have to laugh that Fox is the bogey man in every instance. While I readily admit they're biased, you can't deny that CNN, MSNBC and loads of other 'mainstream' outlets are carrying water for Barry.