Obama raising huge money since Super Tuesday...

[van]

I always like to read sperrys political opinions

[Dean]

He's not even a licensed plumber!!!

[MattR]

The problem is, from an article I cannot find right now on Barron's, that Obama's tax plan affects those making $111k per year and up with significant increases.. not just the rich. I don't consider $111k per year rich, especially when it's lumped into the same group with $250k+ income. I hope it's all flowers and roses like you say Scott, unfortunately, I have a feeling I'll be paying a significantly larger amount of tax in the near future.

[MattR]

According to Obama's calculator, I'm all good, it's just so difficult to decide what stories to believe.

[MikeK]

Written in 2001: http://www.theonion.com/content/node/28784

[JonnydaJibba]

Originally Posted by MattR

it's just so difficult to decide what stories to believe.

I know, especially when everybody is saying everybody else is a liar.

[100_Percent_Juice]

Originally Posted by JonnydaJibba

I know, especially when everybody is saying everybody else is a liar.

Especially when everyone is right in saying that.

[JC]

Originally Posted by MattR

The problem is, from an article I cannot find right now on Barron's, that Obama's tax plan affects those making $111k per year and up with significant increases.. not just the rich. I don't consider $111k per year rich, especially when it's lumped into the same group with $250k+ income. I hope it's all flowers and roses like you say Scott, unfortunately, I have a feeling I'll be paying a significantly larger amount of tax in the near future.

You will be ok big baller.



http://money.cnn.com/2008/10/29/news...lans/index.htm

[Dean]

Even that CNN article misrepresents the TPC data. Not that they are even "The Gospel". If you want to see their analysis, go to http://www.taxpolicycenter.org/taxto...candidates.cfm

You will see that the data even diverges based on whether you beleive what they published, or said in speeches or put in press releases, and when...

[JonnydaJibba]

Originally Posted by 100_Percent_Juice

Especially when everyone is right in saying that.

That is a whole other issue entirely.

[ScottyS]

Seriously, ignore everything that is promised during an election and simply look at the history of each party machine over the last 2 decades in Congress. Look at the trends of government agency and program expansion, and ask yourself where all that money will come from. Those costs will get passed on via direct and indirect channels to the group of people with the least amount of practical legislative and legal representation - i.e. you and me.

[knucklesplitter]

Past performance is no guarantee of future results, but...











http://tlrii.typepad.com/thelisciore...ential-ec.html

[Dean]

The National debt one is the scariest... We had it all but licked at the end of the Clinton years and now it is higher than ever....

National debt = tax on your children and a reason not to count on social security to fund your retirement.

[ScottyS]

Originally Posted by knucklesplitter

Past performance is no guarantee of future results, but...

Linking economic performance to presidencies is shaky, in a global marketplace the performance of the internal US economy should be dependent upon policies regulated by the Congress. Response times are also an issue.

It can also be argued heavily that the behaviors of various long-term economic stats respond much faster to international events (such as war) than to a single president's policies within his administration timeframe. Different actions and events carry with them various time-lags.

Calculation of such things as the national debt and GDP is very tricky these days......

[Dean]

I agree with Scotty on GDP, but national debt, not so much. National debt is a pretty real number based on pretty hard numbers right on the bottom of the federal government's balance sheet.

[knucklesplitter]

CNNBC: "Obama's Loss Traced To Scott Perry"

http://www.cnnbcvideo.com/index.html...456326-3VuhKax

That is some funny shit.

[van]

[sperry]

Originally Posted by sperry

I think Obama could be that president. Not really because of who he is personally, or because of his policies... but more because of what he represents. If the US has a black president, with the exception of the racist minority in the country, I think most people would feel good about turning a page in history. I think people from both sides of the political spectrum will want him to succeed because his success is also success for the nation as it moves into a new era of higher equality, rather than the current political process where the winning party wants to step all over the losing party as much as possible until they lose the next election when the tables are turned.

I also think that a woman president could have the same effect, but I think that Hilary is too much of a partisan politician. I think she'll have a hard time getting republicans behind her because of all the mutual history of hate between her camp and the republican camp. Obama isn't so stigmatized like that.

(Yes, I'm quoting myself.) It's now a year later, and Obama is our 44th President. I'm happy to say that right now I really get the feeling that my hope from last year about Obama seems to be coming true... the pictures from the inauguration are really inspiring. A million people waving flags and celebrating is one hell of an endorsement.

Granted, it's only day 1, and the problems our nation faces today seem even harder than they did a year ago. The honeymoon may be *very* short with Obama. But I have to admit, it feels surprisingly good to know that Bush and his cronies can't screw up the world any more than they already have.

[tysonK]

The DOW took a nice hit, thanks Obama!

But serirously, the fact that many people are happy about the concept of Obama being Presdient is certainly a success for us on the world stage.

[AtomicLabMonkey]

Originally Posted by sperry

But I have to admit, it feels surprisingly good to know that Bush and his cronies can't screw up the world any more than they already have.

Oh no, they still can and will. People in government mostly go to work for lobbying firms, think tanks and/or write books after their term of service is up, which play large roles in crafting government policy & influencing public opinion. So, they'll still be around.

[Dean]

Watching his first major news conference, one thing stands out. He speaks intelligently in complete sentences using actual English words and even occasionally answers the questions. Even if you disagree with his policies or politics, that should at least be refreshing.

I don't want us to end up like the 30s, or Japan and would rather not put future generations further in debt. I don't have the answers, but at least the financial people around him are a good cross section. Now if only we could get the congress, on both sides, to pull the sticks out of their asses and actually work for their constituents, we might get somewhere.

I would really like to see all the rating agency management and staff and risk management folks at the CDO involved firms brought up on criminal fraud charges.