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Name: A Right Brainer
Location: Ventura, CA
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Conversation with a Liberal

My wife has an aquaintance that she worked with for a while, who is decidely liberal. My wife recieved an email from her friend and promptly forwarded it to me with a two word introduction: "you respond"
 
LOL my wife is opinionated but non-confrontational. So I did here is the conversation thus far I'll add to it if she responds.
 
From her:

If it wasn't for Bush's failed presidency over the last eight years Americans may have never been in the place we are now to elect the first very intelligent and well spoken black president.

We don't know how the next 4 years are going to play out but, how can we not not be inspired by what has been done here and what potential we have as a nation.

I know there are some of my friends on here that supported McCain and are very unhappy right now.
Can you honestly say that an Obama presidency is going to take America in a wrong direction or make things worse than they are now?

I hate Bush with a passion and I am happy that he will be gone next year (hopefully). I am worse off financially than I was when Clinton was president and the country is trillions in debt. McCain only offered more of the same. Please list out how I am wrong don't just make a blanket statement about how McCain is awesome....I want you to tell me facts about how he could have made things better for us. If you don't already know how an Obama presidency has plans to improve our standing in the world and start getting us out of debt, then you haven't been paying attention.

Thank you!
 
From Me:

There are several issues which you list; I will attempt to distill them into a reasonable bullet point list so they can be addressed.

Bush’s Failed Presidency?

This has been a tired accusation in the media since he took office. Yes since he took office. It is part and parcel of the conspiracy theories around election 2000 in which Bush supposedly stole the election, then the supposed mishandling of the reaction to the 9-11, both domestically and globally. The National Debt, and a whole slew of other items that get added to the list when ever someone feels like placing blame. In a sentence; EVERYTHING BAD IS BUSH’S FAULT. The fundamental flaw with the argument is quite simple but those who hate Bush fail to see it.

We have a governmental system that generally means half of the people will be dissatisfied with the outcome of any given election, no matter what. There used to be something called the loyal opposition in this country, the principle was that “though we may disagree with your policy, you are the president and therefore command the respect of the entire nation". You will see that played about by the losing side this time as it should have been by the losing side last time. You will not see acts of treason ala John Murtha, Denis Kusinich, etc from the right. After 2000 this country became divided not because of Bush but because a bunch of whining children who didn’t get their way decided to throw a tantrum with the help of the print press and the alphabet CBSNBCABCCNNMSNBCBBC. Since they have aided in the election of a charlatan they will no doubt cover for him this time much the way they did for Clinton during his years. I would advise you to set aside your hatred and look at facts. The first being 7 years and counting with 0 attacks on the homeland, which by the way is the President’s chief role in our government; Protecting the Homeland.

Intelligent and well spoken black President?

Perhaps he is, we really don’t know do we? He certainly sounds good when he speaks, but he is reading off a teleprompter. The simple fact is when ever he goes “off-script” he is stuttering and meandering in his thought process. He can not articulate a simple answer. Nothing is black and white (if you’ll forgive the expression), right or wrong, but all shades of grey. In essence he has become president based on what he himself says; “just words, just speeches” which by the way he plagiarized from Deval Patrick’s 2006 speech. Hardly the intelligence you imply.

Inspiration?

Those of us who opposed him in the campaign are inspired. He symbolizes something fantastic; a black man who became president of the USA.I dare say that many of  his supporters were inspired because he was black, what a grand thing it is no? You all can relish your moral superiority in electing a black man. It is a shame that people can’t look beyond skin color even in 2008. President-elect Obama inspired not with the content of his character, but with the color of his skin. Martin Luther King is probably rolling over in his grave. Pay attention over the next few years, will Jesse Jackson still be around? How about Al Sharpton, Farrakhan and all the other race-baiters. How many times will president Obama be let off the hook simply because he is black?

Will Obama take us in the wrong direction?

Yes. By his own words, and his fervent supporters would know this had they paid attention. The issue though is how to define wrong direction, You would likely think that it is anything remotely resembling a Bush Policy. Others would say anything that damages the country.

Will Obama make things worse than they are now?

If President Obama does what he says in terms of fiscal and foreign policy the answer is again yes. Sadly, these are facts that a majority of American’s either don’t understand or purposely ignored. The economy is in dire straights for a very specific reason, Social engineering. If you are unfamiliar with that term it means when the government tries to impact society in a way that goes against the natural tendency of human beings. The government cannot fix what it created, but Obama thinks it can. Through increased taxation, yeah I know you are going to cite some number that occasionally changes, but his record shows much lower than he even says. You need to stop and think for a minute about how taxes actually work. Disregard at what level he says he will impose them. What happens when business pay more in taxes? How do they deal with increased cost? What happens when individuals have to pay more in taxes on their investments? Will they continue to invest? Will they seek out instruments that protect them? If Investors quit investing in business what happens? Where do businesses go first to reduce cost? (this one I’ll answer for you: jobs) How do you think prices are set? Are they a function of material cost and overhead? Or are they some random number that some greedy executive says? What’s included in overhead? Are taxes included in that? If taxes go up will price also? If price goes up will sales? If sales go down, will the business be better or worse? If worse how will they respond to that? Further the market has dropped another 700 points as of this writing and since he was elected. It will continue to do so if he insists on his polices of taxation and other economically impacting issues like environmentalism and free trade.

Foreign Policy is a game of chess not checkers and Obama has shown himself to be a good checkers player, but woefully lacking in the skills of chess. To further exacerbate the problem and highlight Obama’s fundamental lack of experience, he sought out Biden, who has been wrong on just about every issue of foreign policy since he took office, not only wrong but delusionally so. Obama’s own party has said they wish to cut the military by 25%. Economically the military is the number one purchaser of manufactured goods and services in the US. Think of the impact to the economy that such a drastic cut would have, secondly how does he propose to defend ourselves, from those that conspire to destroy this country? “Just words, just speeches”? Here again is another flaw in his judgment and intellect. The enemies of the United States do not hate us because we don’t talk to them, they don’t hate us because Bush is president, (if so why were the twin towers first attacked under Clinton’s first term), They hate us because they are fundamentally flawed religious zealots. Words will do nothing to deter them. Whether you perceive it or not this is an existential conflict. To them our existence is inspiration enough for hatred and terrorist acts, much like the Jews were to Hitler. There can be negotiation under these terms, terms which they have set, not us.

Those are just two points, there are many others I can list, but I won’t. This country is seriously in danger with Obama at the helm. I hope he ignores his rhetoric and follows the advice of those who actually are intelligent on these matters. Furthermore I’ll say right now that I hope he does well, he is the president of my beloved country, I wish him no ill and only much success, I am simply mindful that it is not likely given his positions.

Bush hatred.

It’s called Bush Derangement Syndrome (BDS) it was first described by voters in Florida after the 2000 election, since then it has become a full fledged epidemic on the leftward leaning side of the populace. Lest you think I am joking look it up. The source of the syndrome comes form an over investment emotionally in the outcome of things with which neither you nor the president can control. My side just lost to a man I think is wrong for the country, will I become obsessively hateful towards him? No. I will work to ensure that my voice is heard, that is our right. There will be no such thing as (ODS)

Gone next year (hopefully)?

Here again is an example of BDS, why the hopefully comment? Do you think some conspiracy will take place to eliminate Obama before hand? Seriously? Get a grip and be rational. The man is surrounded by secret service, who are sworn to give up their life for him. He will take his oath (though I seriously doubt he will mean a word of it) and take office just like every other president before him.

Financial Status then and now?

I am sorry to hear that you are worse off now than you were 8 years ago; there are many that are like you in our country. But there are equally as many that are better off now than 8 years ago. Why is that? Were they all rich to begin with? I can only speak for myself. I am better off than I was eight years ago, doubly so. Why is that? I do not have a wealthy family, no education beyond community college, no grants from the government, nor do I own my own business. So why are some better off than others? You may not wish to hear it or you may not want to believe it because of what it means to you personally, but the simple truth of the matter is it is individual choice and individual responsibility. Those who are better off today will be better off in four years, those who are not will not be. Why is that? Because of the choices they make about their future, I choose to make my life better for myself, you and those who have bought the “Hope and Change” mantra choose to wait for someone else to do it for you. That is yours and their choice, but don’t begrudge those who have chosen differently and become successful. You should take inspiration from them and seek out ways to improve your circumstances on your own, otherwise you will forever be dependant upon someone else. Specifically the government, Be honest for a second, name one thing the government actually does right and cheaper than private industry.

Is National Debt a concern?

You comment that the national debt has risen, there are specific reasons for that. None of which I will go into here. What I will do instead is ask you if you think Obama is concerned about the national debt. If so why has he proposed increasing spending in an amount almost double what he says he can “save”? If so why have members of his own party said, “…that deficit spending will be necessary, we can always tax the wealthy more later”? Taxing the wealthy does not make up enough of his already proposed deficits, even if he were to tax them at 100% it wouldn’t make up enough. Further taxing the wealthy, (those that actually create jobs) will cause a furtherance of this economic downturn, what happens when people lose their jobs? Businesses close? Or worse move off shore? The tax revenues go down? This again speaks to his intelligence and judgment. It is a proven fact throughout the world that taxation does not lead to prosperity. All throughout Europe countries are lowering taxes to invite business after having gone the route that Obama wants to go, now here. Is he blind to their failure or does he just not care? Either way it doesn’t speak well of him, it is as if he and his supporters (those who understand, not the those simply enamored with him) want to “experiment” with our economy and at the worst possible time. Regardless will you care about the national debt when he says he has to increase it? Will you decry him for the same things you decry Bush for? I doubt it. You will buy fully whatever he is selling, because he’s your guy.

On a side note: Though Bush was my guy, I have a decried every instance of his bad economic and social policies. They are currently functioning as I predicted, terribly. Does this make me a prophet? No. I simply have educated myself through study and observation so that I know what does and doesn’t work.

You asked to have facts I have just given you a bunch of things to consider, interspersed throughout are facts and common sense anecdotes. I have asked you specific questions in the hopes of helping you understand that you quite possibly have been duped. And if so what will your response be? Will you suddenly turn on him? Or will you blindly follow?

Good luck to you, and congratulations on your victory, (all blame from here on out can be laid nowhere save the feet of the Democratic Party and Obama)

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