You know, it's hard to believe that Obama can be as thick, pretentious, and totally out to lunch as he appears. Yet, with statements like these, how can the man not be completely out of touch with reality?
FROM THE AP:
"The challenge for the tea party movement is to identify specifically 'What would you do?'" to help turn around the economy and produce jobs.
"It's not enough just to say, 'Get control of government.' I think it's important for you to say, 'You know, I'm willing to cut veterans' benefits or Social Security benefits or I'm willing to see these taxes go up.'"
The government can't simply cut taxes on the nation's wealthiest people "and magically think things are going to work out," he said.
Focusing on the poor economic conditions that existed when he took office, Obama said, "The hole was so deep that a lot of people out there are still hurting."
The gross straw-manning and textbook politicking displayed in the president's comments makes one wonder if his insults to our intelligence are deliberate. So "out there" are his remarks, that I scarcely know where to begin.
Let's start with his first remark that "the challenge for the tea party movement is to identify specifically 'What would you do?'" to help turn around the economy and produce jobs. Um…I hate to be the one to break this to you, Mr. President, but we have articulated our plan of action since before you got elected. I can't believe you're so stupid, you can't understand what we've been saying all along…or so inattentive that you didn't notice. (I hope to God someone…anyone asks me to elucidate what actions I would take as a legislator or as president to turn things around. It ain't that hard to figure out. And I would be most happy to articulate the common sense approach to fixing our economy.)
His comment about cutting taxes on the "wealthiest people" is a deliberate straw man, in which he misrepresents the viewpoints of his critics in order to more easily undermine their position. No one is advocating cutting taxes on the wealthy strictly speaking. Rather, it's a plethora of cuts in both taxes and spending along with a generous reduction in the size of government.
His final comment is just more of what we've come to expect from beltway politicians. It's called the blame game. You see, it's all Bush Jr's fault we're in this mess. Interestingly, our situation has only gotten worse since Obama took office. It's not his fault that none of his economic actions have fixed anything, that they have made things worse, that he has only amplified Bush's neocon economic blunders. And let us not forget that all this is coming from the man who campaigned on a promise, which no politician can deliver with certainty, that he would bring economic prosperity. Remember that promise? I do.
Nice ad-hominem. So, what would you do?
Hey, thanks for the props.
Probably the first thing I would do is secure the borders and enforce our immigration laws.
I would dramatically decrease the size of government. That means cuts….deep ones.
I would cut government spending.
I would go to a “fair tax” plan.
I would repeal nationalized health care, NAFTA, and our current free trade agreements. I would reimpose tariffs on imported goods, thus giving corporations good incentives to return to our country and (guess what?) create jobs.
That’s as a start.