RSSBarack The One Term President
August 25, 2010
Squeaky - See all 31 of my articles
Editor’s note – I’d like to welcome the visitors from The Centsible Life. If you want to get a good feel for what The Soap Boxers is all about, check out the archives. We have more than 600 articles to choose from, on a wide range of topics. Thanks for visiting. Now, I’ll turn over the show to Squeaky, one of our political writers. ~Kosmo
Barack Obama was elected as US President on November 4, 2008. He was inaugurated on January 20, 2009. For many people, that is a day that few will forget. For many it’s as significant as the day that Reagan was shot, the day that the space shuttle Challenger exploded, the day we invaded Iraq and the day Saddam Hussein was captured.
For me, I keep thinking of the dates November 6, 2012 and January 20, 2013. I hope that those dates will be equally as significant for me. Why do I think of those dates? November 6th is the date of the next presidential election and January 20th is the date that the next president will be inaugurated. As a Libertarian/Conservative, I’m in political exile right now. I don’t even know who will be running in the next election, but I hope for nearly anyone other than BO. Would I like Hillary in the seat of President? No, but she couldn’t do as much damage as BO.
On January 25, 2010 Diane Sawyer’s interview with BO aired. Here is a quote from BO:
“You know, I — I would say that when I — the one thing I’m clear about is that I’d rather be a really good one-term president than a mediocre two-term president. And I — and I believe that.”
I would tend to agree with BO. I’d rather see him be a good one-term president too. Hell, I’d just be happy if he were a good president. Here are some of the items he has done that have rubbed me wrong:
- Healthcare reform. It seems more like dismantling what is existing and putting the rest of it under his own thumb….more power, more pork, more government.
- Cap and Trade. Push the oil jobs out of the US; raise the price of electricity by forcing them off of coal burning. We are experiencing a large electricity price increase already in Colorado because of this. Two of my neighbors working in the oil/gas industry have moved to Canada to keep their jobs.
- Employee Free Choice Act – Union garbage (IMO of course). This takes away the anonymous vote on whether to unionize or not. No pressure from the unions.
- Auto maker bailout. I should say government buy out of the auto makers. After the last year I will buy a Ford as my next vehicle just because they were sustainable on their own.
- FSA changes. January 2011 over the counter (OTC) meds will no longer be able to be claimed on your FSA/HSA if you have one. This will now be for prescription drugs only.
- Tax increases. No one making under $200,000/year will not pay a dime more in Federal Taxes. According to the Joint Committee on Taxation (part of Congress), that is a lie.
- Breath Tax – If you breath you MUST have medical insurance
- Tax on Medical Devices – Medical devices will become a tax windfall for Obama’s money vats creating an additional $20 Billion in tax revenue.
- Brand name drugs – prices will go up on these due to a new tax on non-generic drugs. You thought those ADHD meds were expensive before, just wait.
- Tax bases – The tax base for EVERY income range will increase at least 3%. (10% goes to 15%, 25% to 28%, 28% to 31%, 33% to 36% and 35% to 39.6%).
- The marriage penalty tax is coming back. A married couple making $75,000 will pay more in taxes than a single person making $75,000.
- Capital Gains taxes increase from 15% to 20% and Dividends will increase from 15% to 39.6%.
- Education – The deduction for tuition and fees is being eliminated. Student loan interest is also not going to be deductible.
- Love for the Unions. On August 4, 2010 Obama thanked “all my brothers and sisters in the AFL-CIO” who have worked so hard to help get America’s economy back on track. (http://bit.ly/9PKmv1) I understand American Pride and Made In the USA. I don’t understand the need for unions though. They have truly outlasted their usefulness and only do two things: 1. Increase the cost of producing items by inflating wages to the point of being ridiculous and 2. Encouraging mediocrity. That is what happens when every single worker gets the same pay raise regardless of performance. I prefer to stand on my own feet and let my work product determine what kind of pay increase I will receive.
- Amnesty for illegal immigrants. Maybe it’s the cold-hearted police officer in me, but how can we simply let 11-18 MILLION people that are here ILLEGALLY stay? I was raised to obey the laws and not intentionally break them. If I broke the laws or the rules I would pay the price. There was not a simple, “That’s ok Squeaky, let’s reward you for hitting your sister by giving you ice cream”. That is exactly what we’re preparing to do with the talk of amnesty. The difference is that the ice cream will become free health care, college tuition, unemployment, etc. I work with several people that moved here from India. They have invested a great deal of time and money to become LEGAL citizens. L-E-G-A-L. I’m very proud of them for that and I’m happy to call them my friends. Those that are illegal have no sympathy from me.
I could go on forever, but my soap box isn’t that comfortable. For now, I keep hoping and praying that Obama will make some non-liberal decisions; but I’m not holding my breath. I don’t know Obama so I can’t say that he is a good man or a bad man. The only thing I have to judge him on are his political ideals. He and I are polar opposites in that regard and for that reason I will probably never appreciate his work. Like some of you, I’ll keep waiting for “change” on January 20, 2013. For others, you will be hoping for a successful reelection bid for Obama. Regardless, on November 6, 2012 I’ll be clinging to my religion, my family and my guns. On that day I will vote my conservative, Christian, family values and that will NOT include a vote for Obama.
Squeaky…
Image source: http://iusbvision.wordpress.com/2010/05/25/voted-obama-embarrassed-yet-street-signs/
Aug 26, 2010 @ 10:37:12
on my phone so i can’t write a big response, but the challenger exploded on January 28, 1986 it was my eighth birthday so i remember it. i’ll leave a better response to the article later wen at home.
Aug 26, 2010 @ 13:17:15
Squirrel! It’s been to long bro, I look forward to hearing (OK seeing) your thoughts. Wow, the Challenger explosion will forever be burned in your memory.
On 9/11 I was at home sick from work. My wife called, woke me up and in disbelief I turned on the TV and watched in horror.
Those are days that we’ll take to the grave.
Aug 26, 2010 @ 14:58:09
well at first i thought you were thinking that the challenger happened on the 20th of January so i was just clarifying. then i reread the wording and researched the other two items and got my confusion. Then again Regan being shot by an obsessed fan of Jodie Foster and the toppling of a leader we propped up in the first place are not high on my lists of day to remember, that and I was two when Regan was shot.
Still don’t really have the time to make much more of a comment though. Although I would like to see the President actually be a liberal President, whether one term or two. He’s gonna be called it no matter if he went as far right wing nutty as he could on something, so might as well go all out for the gusto.
And I likely could see him being a one term President, depending on whole gets nominated by the Republicans. If Gingerich or Palin get it, then say hello to Obama’s second term. (I know you’re cringing at the thought of it…)
and Kosmo, when am i next up for writing, for some reason I thought it was this week, but hadn’t heard anything from ya early on in the week so i shelved my thoughts.
Aug 27, 2010 @ 07:49:36
Great stuff squirrel!
@Kos—where is your comment? You HAVE to have an opinion on this. Seriously?
It always makes me smile reading comments of someone (generally you) that is on the other end of the political spectrum from me. Your comment about Obama: “Although I would like to see the President actually be a liberal President…” made my jaw hit the floor. I understand what you’re saying though. From a conservatives standpoint he is totally liberal. However, from someone that is truly liberal (that is you amigo) he probably seems more like a moderate. The difference in our perspectives is amazing.
There are so many significant dates, but some are for more significant than others depending on your standing. In your case that Challenger exploding will probably forever be
Hey, I hope there is no repeat for Obama but who knows. A lot can change between now and then. Not having to listen to Pelosi would be an equally huge blessing in my eyes. =)
Have a great weekend!
Squeaky…
Aug 27, 2010 @ 08:27:46
That’s the irony of this. Liberals are PO’d because they feel that he’s sold them out, and has tried too hard to please conversatives, and as a result he’s not following through on liberal ideas. The truth is probably somewhere in the middle. We saw the same thing when Bush was elected. I’d say to both parties – “guess what? They have a name for this- it’s called losing an election.”
Aug 27, 2010 @ 09:04:49
“@Kos—where is your comment? You HAVE to have an opinion on this. Seriously?”
(shrug). I’m unaffiliated. My vote will depend on who runs against Obama. If Palin’s on the GOP ticket, I vote for Obama (it’s not her rhetoric that concerns me – it’s the apparent lack of preparation in getting up to speed on topics). If it’s someone else, who knows. I tend to follow elections with more of an academic interest. In other words, If candidate X wins these states, where must candidate Y pick up wins to counterbalance. Also, I’m shifting my voting strategy to focus on issues that have 45-55% support in congress in an attempt to push legislation on those issues in the direction I wish. I’ll have to see how the candidates compare on those issues.
I expect many of the tax-related changes to not have the impact that is currently projected, though. There is plenty of time for congress to extend the Bush era tax cuts (in whole or in part), and I fully expect the estate tax to be reinstated for 2010, retroactive to 1/1/2010 (meaning that there won’t be a jump from 0% to 55% between 2010 and 2011.
Aug 28, 2010 @ 20:16:13
Republican solution to financial crisis: Blame Obama and the Democrats
Aug 28, 2010 @ 22:32:20
Now Johnson, that is like throwing in flash/bank grenade and running. Yes, Republicans do blame the Dems for the financial crisis. I happen to agree that this is a correct assessment though. The root of the mess goes back to the Barney Frank dream of everyone owning a home and recklessly mandating that Fannie and Freddie open up credit to everyone. My neighbor runs a bank for Chase here in Fort Collins. He has told me numerous times that they HAD to submit xxxx number of “crap” loans for lack of better terms.
I don’t blame Obama for the credit crisis but I do blame him for lack of preparation in dealing with it. How many times did he put a high end on unemployment only to have it breach that point? What kind of fool implements more spending in this financial crisis? Health care being the biggest screw up of them all. Who raises tax in a time when the majority of the people in the US are making less money and/or scared that they’re going to lose their job? Tell you who—Obama. FOOLISH.
Do conservatives blame dems for this? Yes, their bleeding heart plans and agenda created this. Do they blame Obama for it. No, although he’s done plenty to make it worse or at least no remedy the situation.
All in all you’re statement isn’t all that far off.
November 2nd baby! VOTE conservative and fix this mess!
May 23, 2013 @ 17:48:05
“Republican solution to financial crisis: Blame Obama and the Democrats.”
StiLL TrUe!
~Echoh~