As If It Matters 2008 – As If It Matters
I stopped writing these a while back because I couldn’t get myself up for them. I found myself doing my best to find anything else to write about — to the point where I started about 15 things in my draft queue that I’m probably never going to finish. It then occurred to me that the stupid blog-that-lacks-a-name is supposed to be fun. After the infomercial tonight (in which I decided that I can’t think of anyone better to reign in wasteful government spending then a guy who’d drop the cash to rent Invesco Field and buy a half-hour infomercial at 8pm during fall TV season) I’ve decided that I can’t take the election anymore.
For quite some time my decision had been made. I liked McCain in 2000 when he ran against Bush in the primary. I also generally agree with the Republican’s stance that the economy tends to be better off when less of people’s money is sucked in to the gaping black hole in Washington. I also have huge misgivings about Obama’s health care plan. I have a huge problem with a Obama teaching kids from a very young age that it’s totally normal to rely on the government for everything (via the college service tax check from Uncle Sam). The more I read, the more I became bothered by these gigantic government programs that seem to be the cornerstone of the entire Obama campaign.
Then, recently, I came across an article about 401(k)’s and it brought the whole thing together for me. With Obama’s impending election, a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate, and control of the House — all the pet projects Democrats have had for the last 8 years get green-lit. This includes taxing retirement savings (while in the same breath complaining that Americans don’t save enough for retirement… but… whatever). Because an investment account designed to make money over 40 years lost money over six months, the obvious answer is to start messing with a retirement savings program that most people seem to like. On top of that, let’s just call it what it is — a thinly-veiled way to bolster a failing Social Security programs that Democrats are desperate to save… just like their dogged insistence that Bush’s calls to take a gander at what was going on with Fannie Mae was nonsense. Besides… who needs personal savings accounts when the government can provide? Who needs to decide what they need to save when the government can take what you need and just pay you what they think is fair?
From the article: A less radical idea under consideration would permit all workers to contribute to “universal” 401(k) plans.
This is where we’re going?
Besides that point, here is a general list of things supported by the last Congress:
* no secret ballot to unionize
* “fairness doctrine” – allowing the gov to dictate content of media outlets
* various tax hikes (depending on what plans we are talking about)
* dramatic expansion of the definition of a “child” for gov’t health care purposes, or just the all out gov’t plan for all.
* re-institution of drilling bans on OCS and oil shale while insisting we need to end our dependence on foreign oil.
* rewrite of DC gun ban, plus likely expansion of federal restrictions
* a flood of justices to lower courts after the Senate’s 8-years of whining and stamping their feet about Bush appointees.
* adding House and or Senate members, with voting rights, to the House and Senate for DC
We’re staring down the barrel of a massive, New Deal-esque expansion of government with Obama somehow insisting he’s going to manage to cut taxes on 98% of Americans while only 60% of Americans pay federal taxes in the first place. Which seems… stunning. After watching the infomercial, it makes me wonder why so many people are trying to come here illegally when it obviously sucks so much to live here.
And that leaves me with a guy whose 114 years old who voted for a banking bailout, wants to nationalize mortgage loans, and picked maybe the worst VP candidate in the nation’s history in hopes to rally the crazy Religious Right into voting for him when they were never, ever going to vote for Obama in the first place.
But I can’t pick against the Giants because David Carr sucks.
I guess the problem with running on a platform of Change is that some people liked it the way it was. I’m not going to volunteer for socialism… you’ll have to bring it to me.
I’m voting for McCain.
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