Yes, if the McCain campaign really keeps hammering the socialism theme...
It's really simple - run with the the "distribute the wealth" comment Sen. Obama made to Joe Wurzelbacher, a Toledo, Ohio plumber looking to buy the small business he's worked at for years. Tie in the fact that Obama's tax cut for "95 % of Americans" is the instrument that Obama intends to use to enact this massive wealth redistribution project since, as The Wall Street Journal pointed out, 40% of Americans pay no taxes. If they really get ambitious they could note that Obama's first run for elected office was as a member of socialist party (The New Party) that had wealth redistribution in its platform.
Hammer it in every way possible.
As Mark Steyn notes:
They should put him in a series of ads: "I'm Joe the Plumber, and Barack Obama wants to spread my wealth around." He'd be this season's Willie Horton ...but positive!And while they're at is they might want to capitalize on McCain's characterization (whether it was intentional or not) of Obama as "Senator Government"
If you missed it here's the Joe the Plumber video from Neil Cavuto's show on Fox News.
Lorie adds: I just saw an interview with Joe the Plumber on Good Morning America. He called Obama's plan to tax those making over $250,000 "scary" and "socialist" and said it was a slippery slope that might be 250,000 today or 100,000 tomorrow. Diane Sawyer asked him if people who made a million dollars should be taxed more and he said no, and asked why should they be punished for being successful? The only problem with his interview is that he did not make it clear that McCain is not talking about people who make more not paying more in taxes, but rather being taxed at a higher rate. If everyone is taxed at the same rate, those who make more are obviously going to pay more than those who make less. The question is whether those more successful should be soaked, taxed at an even higher rate than now, so that their money can be "spread around" as Obama put it. If business owners are taxed at a higher rate they have less money to invest in the business, hire people, purchase new equipment, etc. How much is it going to help those 95 percent to get a tax cut if they are out of a job? I hope McCain hammers this theme for the next 2 1/2 weeks, as well as make the point that 95 percent would not get a tax cut under Obama anyway because many of them currently don't pay income tax, so what they would get amounts to a welfare check. Why McCain did not make that point last night baffles me. Hopefully it will be made frequently from now 'til election day.
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2008 Presidential Race
Comments (14)
"Senator Government" was pr... (Below threshold)1. Posted by Melissa | October 16, 2008 1:46 AM | Score: 6 (6 votes cast)
"Senator Government" was pricless, intentional or not.
1. Posted by Melissa | October 16, 2008 1:46 AM |
Score: 6 (6 votes cast)
Posted on October 16, 2008 01:46
2. Posted by Brian | October 16, 2008 2:44 AM | Score: -7 (11 votes cast)
CNN's focus group said Joe the Plumber became "gimmicky" after the second usage. For whatever that's worth.
2. Posted by Brian | October 16, 2008 2:44 AM |
Score: -7 (11 votes cast)
Posted on October 16, 2008 02:44
3. Posted by Conrad | October 16, 2008 3:08 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
The Top 50 Swing Voters: #27 - Joe The Plumber
#50 - Hockey Moms - Demographic Power Play
#47 - People with STDs - Burning for Change
#40 - Anonymous Sperm Donors - Swimming Against The Tide
#36 - Master Debaters - Everybody's Doing It
#29 - Nudists - Sticking To The Issues
http://swingvoters.wordpress.com
3. Posted by Conrad | October 16, 2008 3:08 AM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on October 16, 2008 03:08
4. Posted by Sheik Yur Bouty | October 16, 2008 5:18 AM | Score: 6 (6 votes cast)
Brian,
You mean CNN's hand picked group of "undecided" Democrats?
Color me shocked!
4. Posted by Sheik Yur Bouty | October 16, 2008 5:18 AM |
Score: 6 (6 votes cast)
Posted on October 16, 2008 05:18
5. Posted by WildWillie | October 16, 2008 7:15 AM | Score: 6 (6 votes cast)
Last night Obama had the look of a child that is trying to lie his way through a situation but cannot make he body language agree. Joe the Plumber does resonate. He asked a simple question and got a horrible answer. Joe alone proved what we all know, Obama is for giving money to those that do not earn it, but take it from those that do. ww
5. Posted by WildWillie | October 16, 2008 7:15 AM |
Score: 6 (6 votes cast)
Posted on October 16, 2008 07:15
6. Posted by pa | October 16, 2008 8:06 AM | Score: 4 (4 votes cast)
Don't forget that Obama's dear old dad advocated a tax rate of 100%. If his crowd gets the power they seek, not one penny of your money can really be counted on as yours. It all belongs to the government.
6. Posted by pa | October 16, 2008 8:06 AM |
Score: 4 (4 votes cast)
Posted on October 16, 2008 08:06
7. Posted by Oyster | October 16, 2008 8:48 AM | Score: 3 (3 votes cast)
"...not one penny of your money can really be counted on as yours."
Indeed, there are those in our government who have the distinct impression that your money is not really yours because they hold the power to take as much as they 'need' and they'll determine how much you need.
7. Posted by Oyster | October 16, 2008 8:48 AM |
Score: 3 (3 votes cast)
Posted on October 16, 2008 08:48
8. Posted by epador | October 16, 2008 9:16 AM | Score: 3 (3 votes cast)
Brian:
CNN's "focus group" only went 50/50 by a hand vote, and CNN was so embarrassed they had to cut back to Anderson before the moderator for the focus group could turn around and face the camera.
8. Posted by epador | October 16, 2008 9:16 AM |
Score: 3 (3 votes cast)
Posted on October 16, 2008 09:16
9. Posted by Dustin May | October 16, 2008 9:28 AM | Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
I sure hope people in America are listening to this guy. Obama's "blank slate" is getting full of color. Most of it red.
http://o2richenvironment.blogspot.com/
9. Posted by Dustin May | October 16, 2008 9:28 AM |
Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
Posted on October 16, 2008 09:28
10. Posted by Brian | October 16, 2008 2:01 PM | Score: -1 (1 votes cast)
CNN's "focus group" only went 50/50 by a hand vote, and CNN was so embarrassed they had to cut back to Anderson before the moderator for the focus group could turn around and face the camera.
Which CNN were you watching? They were 15-10 for Obama.
10. Posted by Brian | October 16, 2008 2:01 PM |
Score: -1 (1 votes cast)
Posted on October 16, 2008 14:01
11. Posted by Brian | October 16, 2008 2:05 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
You mean CNN's hand picked group of "undecided" Democrats?
Color me shocked!
OK, how about Fox News and Frank Luntz (approvingly cited previously by Wizbang), whose focus group had exactly zero Obama supporters before the debate, of whom a "clear majority" of them afterwards said Obama won the debate. Does that shock you too?
11. Posted by Brian | October 16, 2008 2:05 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on October 16, 2008 14:05
12. Posted by COgirl | October 16, 2008 3:27 PM | Score: 2 (2 votes cast)
We are so screwed. My plan for when the messiah increases taxes and takes more of my money is to just stop spending on discretionary items. I'll save the money instead. I wonder who will get hurt? Odds are that it will be some of those 95% Obama claims he's cutting taxes for.
12. Posted by COgirl | October 16, 2008 3:27 PM |
Score: 2 (2 votes cast)
Posted on October 16, 2008 15:27
13. Posted by sgtphoenix | October 16, 2008 11:15 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
I really do not see what the big deal is on joe the plumber, and how did the media single out this guy since there are dozens of actual sites with company names of "Joe the plumber"?
Try doing a search in google and there are loads of them, but I bet the servers for these joe the plumber sites are getting strained by the unrealistic media buzz on a political joke by McSame.
13. Posted by sgtphoenix | October 16, 2008 11:15 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on October 16, 2008 23:15
14. Posted by charles | October 21, 2008 1:55 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Joe Biden says the election of Obama may lead to a new conflict, terrorist attack, or a third war. A careful analysis of history says he may be correct.
http://strategicthought-charles77.blogspot.com/2008/10/can-we-afford-third-war-that-obama.html
14. Posted by charles | October 21, 2008 1:55 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on October 21, 2008 13:55