Episode 24: Joe the Missing?

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This short clip is my new favorite Youtube! At a rally in Ohio today, McCain called Joe the Plumber onto the stage, only to be greeted with… silence! JTP wasn’t there!



I guess he missed the memo…

While we’re on this [name] the [occupation] kick, allow me to take a stab at it, and call out “Joe the Metaphor.” Joe, who’s real name is Sam, was launched from obscurity to fame in a matter of minutes, after he became the running metaphor of the working American in the 2nd debate. But the larger metaphor is how Joe the Plumber perfectly encapsulates the McCain campaign message – or lack thereof.

Joe went from enjoying his 15 minutes, to hating the attention, to loving the attention, to aspiring to run for congress, to hiring a publicist, to vying for a country music record deal. The many phases of Joe, which have no meaningful connection with each other, and have nothing to do with the election, check.

Next, Joe is a foreign policy expert. He was asked in a press conference if a vote for Obama means the death of Israel, to which, he replied “I’m gonna have to go ahead and agree with that.” Even Fox News had to debunk that claim! Making spurious claims with no basis in the truth whatsoever to scare a particular demographic of voters, check.

Joe has a publicist? Talk about cashing in! That publicist is gonna stick Joe in everything from music, to TV shows, to book deals, and then drop him like its hot. Cashing in on C-List celebrity status from being thrust into the media’s eye in the 11th hour, check.

So as we can see, Joe couldn’t have been a better puppet to drag around for the last five days. He is the epitome of the lack of direction, focus, and lack of message for a campaign devoid of substance. But as with all the William Hungs of the world, it is sure fun to watch the spectacle!

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Episode 23: The Elevator

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So I have been wondering why my episode numbers havent been matching with the number of posts made. I deleed and reposted episode 6, so I thought it was blogger's fault. It turns out, I just missed number 23 lol. So here is my explaination... When buildings exceed 13 floors, they skip floor 13 because it's bad luck. 13+10 equals 23. Therefore it is a bad luck number in this blog as well. I have much like symmetry, so I only added this post for the sake of evening out the numbers!

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Episode 22: Your Vote Counts!

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I don’t think this is the McCain campaign's doing, more likely independent supporters, but we’re seeing the adage “if you can’t win, cheat!” take effect.

It’s a shame people have resorted to these measures. Even more important than the first amendment (and I was a communications major!) is our right to vote. I have no respect for anyone who tried to suppress voting. Win with class, or go down with dignity.

But What The McCain Camp Is Doing…

…is making up their own poll numbers! Talk about crestfallen and disillusioned! I think the bigger purpose is to keep the base excited about the election still. Having done a fair amount of sampling research, I know that the internal McCain polling has a fair share of sample bias, but you can’t blame them for trying!

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Episode 21: Cold Hard Cash

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With the economy in shambles, the presidential election by and large is about how each candidate will address America’s financial future. The democratic and republican candidates have wholly different approaches to the issue but which plan is better?



As I understand it, McCain wants to continue the supply-side economic model, which offers tax breaks to all Americans and businesses, in hopes that the savings will be reinvested into small business, the stock market, and the creation of new business. In order for this model to succeed, it requires the government interferes with the free market as little as possible by way of the deregulation of lending institutions, believing banks should determine whether to issue loans, not government mandates.

I’m not sure what the economic term for Obama’s plan is, but he labels it as “bottom-up economics.” In this plan, there is a tax cut for middle class, working Americans. Those making under $250,000, or 95% of working Americans, would receive tax relief. There would not be any taxes on capital gains, and small businesses get a tax credit when starting a new business. Also there is tax relief for business owners who hire American workers.

In a perfect capitalist system, I believe there is much merit to John McCain’s model. I believe capitalism, the idea that anyone with a good idea can rise to wealth, competition that drives prices down while increasing quality, and the ability to reinvest to create sustainable wealth is what makes America so great. The problem is capitalism inherently has winners and losers. In a perfect system, losers give their idea a shot, and when it fails in the market, they come up with a new idea or they quit. In reality, losers try to cheat their way to get ahead, and winners try to cheat the game to stay ahead. Because of an imperfect system, there is a need for a referee.

That referee is the government. Regulation is essential to ensure the free market system works. Without rules, and punishment for breaking the rules, the free market becomes the wild west – a recipe for disaster that came into fruition with the economic crisis almost two months ago.

McCain’s plan requires a cultural change; a change that encourages shared responsibility. The survival-of-the-fittest model in play is a game of “every man for himself.” This causes a hoarding mentality, as we are more apt to accumulate wealth, and then spend the money on ourselves. When the economy is good, we buy lavish things: cars, jewelry, clothes, etc. However when the economy is bad, we pay our bills. In the end, we do not reinvest money, building a business is difficult, and economic growth is stunted. The true irony of McCain’s plan is Obama’s approach is a necessary pre-requisite to ensuring the success of a supply-side model.

Obama’s economic approach requires a much broader brush stroke to fully understand how it affects our financial future. The first step is to rebuild the middle class. In order to create the kind of growth McCain suggests, it is essential that we have a thriving middle class to mitigate the hoarding mentality. By offering extreme relief to the middle class, middle class spending confidence will be restored. This will get money circulating again, and in the long term end our financial crisis. By providing incentives to hire Americans, more people will be able o go to work. Finally, by increasing spending for infrastructure, even more people will have access to jobs while simultaneously repairing our roads, bridges, and tunnels. Looking at the big picture, this spreads opportunity for economic growth for Americans of all socio-economic status, from labor jobs, to white collar jobs.

Increasing the number of jobs is just the first element. The next element, and the most important element, is redefining the American culture. Obama wants to move from the hoarding mentality to a mentality of shared responsibility. I think his vision is largely based on his beginnings as a community organizer; this is community organizing on the grandest of scales! The first part deals with energizing young Americans to participate in civic responsibilities. One way he proposes is a $4000 credit for college tuition in exchange of doing community service. At first, young Americans will adhere to their hedonistic tendencies, and volunteer only to get money for school. However, over time, young Americans will develop the self initiative to perform civic duties, and help one another.

The second aspect deals with transportation and information technology. By investing in these infrastructures, Americans from all parts of the country become accessible to on another. Broadband access in rural communities means they can earn college credits from home, participate in internet jobs, and build international businesses somewhere in the mountains of Wyoming. Bullet trains, faster, clean, and safer transportation allows us to easily access any part of the country and break down the walls that keep us apart. We can no longer be ignorant of what is going on from state to state, if we hope to compete country to country.

We become a nation inextricably intertwined under Obama’s plan. This plan is dependent on a revitalized middle class. The insinuation, or I suppose outright claim that this plan is socialist is absurd. None of what I described can happen in a socialist system. We need a free market to create the kind of jobs and competition to make any of Obama’s plans work. One people have money, the middle class is revitalized, and our culture has been redefined, it may be possible that a supply-side system may work. However, it is just as possible that we undo our progress, and revert to the hoarding mentality.

These are big picture ideas not even on McCain and Palin’s radar. None of what I write here will come to fruition in 4 years. Should Obama be reelected, we may only see a tiny sprout of this cultural redefinition. But Obama will definitely set the precedent for a better America. We will rise and fall as one nation. Which direction we go is solely up to us.

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Episode 20: Talking Points

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This post is just a few thoughts I had about some recent news. They weren’t long enough to warrant its own, so I put them all together. It may turn into a regular segment, so stay tuned.

Regarding Undecided Voters:

Who could possibly be undecided at this point? There hasn’t been such a major ideological difference between two presidential candidates for at least a couple of decades. From taxes, to jobs, to planning for the future of transportation and energy technology, Obama and McCain are nearly polar opposites. They do meet in the middle on some of the needs for the country, but still have different ideas for achieving the same goal. The general thought is undecided voters this late out wants to vote McCain, but don’t agree with his campaign tactics, Palin, or the war in Iraq. They seem to be waiting for a ground-breaking, earth-shattering, reason to solidify their vote for either candidate. I doubt this late in the game they will get it.

Regarding Palin’s $150,000 Wardrobe:

The problem is not that Palin is wearing clothes from high fashion designers. I do believe her when she says the clothes will be , returned or given to charity. The problem is that citizens donate money to the RNC for the campaign. They shell out hard earned dollars in a bad economy to support a cause the believe in. They expect that money to go towards ads, town hall meetings, flyers, bumper stickers, and things of the like, but not for the wardrobe and make up for one candidate. It is true Obama has been able to outspend McCain as much as 5:1. Thus it is in the best interest of the RNC to use their money wisely. Which brings me to…

Regarding Effective Advertising:

The McCain money problem is also routed in wasting money on attack ads that don’t work. It proves how out of touch with the country the McCain campaign is. With 24 hour news, bloggers, internet, podcasts, broadband access, fiber optics, Youtube etc, information moves at the speed of light. The American population is savvy enough to vet the information they receive, and read credible sources of information to debunk false claims. If the someone thought Obama said something out of bounds on a speech, and repeated the sound bites that seem damaging, Americans interested in discovering the truth for themselves can simply watch Youtube and hear for themselves exactly what was said and draw their own conclusions.

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Episode 19: Yes We Can!

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A friend of mine showed me this video, and I had to share it.



I don't understand it... I don't understand how people think McCain and Palin are relevant when you hear Obama speak. This is not fancy rhetoric... this is a well thought out examaination of the state of our union, and what we can do to make America and the world a better place. All I hear from the other side of the aisle is an ignorant disregard for the future of our country, egocentrism masked as patriotism, and a lack of the rational thought.

8 days left however. Can Obama do it? YES HE CAN! and YES WE CAN!!!

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