Stupid! It's The Economy. (Right Rage, Wrong Reason)

Boston Herald ^ | October 14, 2008 | Michael Graham

[suspects]

When a voter stood up at a John McCain rally in Waukesha, Wis., and announced “I’m mad - I’m really, really mad,” I thought to myself: You go, boy! It’s about time!

Then he lost me: “And what’s gonna surprise ya,” he told McCain, “it’s not the economy.”

Not the economy? Pal, I don’t know what Kool-Aid they’re serving in your bunker, but you need to lay off. Anger over the “socialist take-over” may be dominating the message boards at the John Birch Society, but for normal Americans, it’s not even on the radar screen.

McCain has absolutely got my vote. (If the gang at ACORN comes through, perhaps SEVERAL of my votes.) And of course I’m mad. If you’re not angry, you’re either not paying attention or you’re incredibly bad at math.

We are headed into a recession, we’re hemorrhaging jobs and Washington’s response has been to throw a trillion dollars-plus of our money at Wall Street. And what happens? We choke down the Barney Frank Bailout, and the markets drop 2,000 points in a week.

And Washington’s reaction is to shrug and say, “Gee, seemed like a good idea at the time. How about we try nationalizing a few banks?”

So get mad, get screaming mad. But when I hear people getting mad over Bill Ayers or Sarah Palin’s trooper ex-brother-in-law or the Red Menace, my response is: Are you kidding me?

We are living through the worst economic crisis, not only of my lifetime, but of my father’s, too. In the first six minutes of trading Friday morning, the Dow was falling 100 points a minute.

Do you think folks depending on their 401(k) for their financial security give a rat’s you-know-what about the legal status of Obama’s birth certificate when they’re watching...

[ovrtaxt]

Hey Boston journalist guy- the jacked up economy is a result of socialism! ddeerrrrrrr....

[tbpiper]

Actually Mr. “I’m really Mad” was more on the mark. This election is about bigger things than just the economy.

[snowrip]

Anger over the “socialist take-over” may be dominating the message boards at the John Birch Society, but for normal Americans, it’s not even on the radar screen.

It sure as hell IS on the radar screen. Socialist power is the reason media whores like the BG are so blatently in the tank for The Zero.

[fabjr60]

Mr. Graham, you sir, are a complete idiot. Americans who have an IQ above dirt can dam well conclude that Obama is a Socialist who seeks to fundamentally change this republic. They are mad at the media and dolts like you that constantly dismiss Obama’s associations and radicalism by saying “There’s nothing to see here, citizens. Move along.” Move along, hell! The only way we can take this Marxist cretin down is TO focus on this like a laser beam and not let up.

[dforest]

The timing of the economic crisis is very suspect. The idea for the Obama camp is to try to keep it on the economy as if there are no other reasons we also weigh, in choosing a POTUS.

When is comes to the economy, it is wise to look at the character, policy, and philosophy of the candidates. That is a way to gauge what you might see from that candidate.

The McCain camp was giving Obama what he feared the most when he started talking character. Thats why the MSM started the racist rants.

When you have the enemy down on the ground, you don’t let up.

[True Grit]

“Move along hell”.........Your commits are right on the mark and well stated.

[spetznaz]

Actually Mr. “I’m really Mad” was more on the mark. This election is about bigger things than just the economy.

Sure it is, but the main thing in the minds of most voters IS the economy. As I said on another post, things like Ayers, Odinga, birth certificates, etc are real nice (and Sarah can hammer them out), but the election will be won or lost based on the economy. A person who just saw their 401K value drop will have higher priorities than whether Obama is an American, Indonesia, Kenyan or other citizen. Sure, it makes the rounds here on FR, but we are a fringe (our favorite candidates were not even chosen to be the Republican candidate ....basically no one on FR supported McCain during the race for candidacy, but lo and behold, he is the candidate!! Just because something makes us jump does not mean it will make voters get more animated).

There might be bigger issues than the economy, but the economy is the biggest issue when it comes to this election. Compared to it, issues like Ayers, Odinga, birth locus, and even ACORN do not even come CLOSE to being important. Walk across the street and ask the first person you come across what they think about the economy. They will yap a lot. Then ask them what they think about ACORN (a really major issue that has a lot of implications) ....chances are that the person will not even know what the heck you are talking about, and may even start talking about how an acorn seed grows into a mighty oak.

It is the economy! Saying otherwise is very dangerous delusion. Most voters could care less about Ayers, even though he (like Osama bin Laden) attacked the Pentagon. However, everyone cares about the economy.

I really do not understand why we are pretending that the economy issue is not major when it easily has the largest multiplier effect in this election. It is very weird. Maybe someone can explain ....is it denial?

McCain has only 3 weeks before the election, and people are still trying to follow things like birth certificates? If there was any viable and easily accessible truth there, wouldn't Hillary's camp have unearthed it and used it months ago? The Ayers thing ...that he was a ghost-writer for Obama's book. Even if it is true, and it might be, there is not enough time for it to have an impact. Maybe if the election was 3 months away instead of 3 weeks, but it isn't. Odinga, another topic that is garnering wings on FR. Most Americans couldn't care less about anything going on in Africa, and this would merely be preaching to the choir. The comments of his wife have really fired up big 'C' conservatives, as well as the PUMA element (who were already fired up when Hillary did not win), but the average voter could care less about what the lady said, and anyways Obama's camp has taken her out of the media. What about Rev Wright ....now that is a major story. A story that could have sank any candidate (think of how even our side has lot good politicians just because they said a word or three that was out of place ....which led to their resignation! Yet here is a person who was in a radical church for years, and ....well ....nothing!). It is a big story, but it has been sat on by the media big time, McCain's camp is not willing to touch it, and moreover the story did not have as big an impact on voters as was anticipated (remember this was Hillary's big weapon, and it failed for her).

There are many potential October surprises out there, but the real and vital issue still remains the ECONOMY.

If McCain ignores the economy, independent and moderate voters will ignore him.

[Travis McGee]

Anger over the “socialist take-over” may be dominating the message boards at the John Birch Society, but for normal Americans, it’s not even on the radar screen.

Too bad for Americans. They'll be getting a wakeup about the socialist takeover pretty soon.

[spetznaz]

I've tried to respond (my post # 8) to the comments you would have said to Graham, and I have to disagree with you. However, you stated something in your post that shows why the economy is NUMBER ONE. This is what you said:

Mr. Graham, you sir, are a complete idiot. Americans who have an IQ above dirt can dam well conclude that Obama is a Socialist who seeks to fundamentally change this republic. They are mad at the media and dolts like you that constantly dismiss Obama’s associations and radicalism by saying “There’s nothing to see here, citizens. Move along.” Move along, hell! The only way we can take this Marxist cretin down is TO focus on this like a laser beam and not let up.

Have you ever considered that most voters do NOT have IQs above dirt? You may find an issue so important that it is exasperating that other people do not 'see it' like you do, but what if ENOUGH voters do not see it like you do? What then?

Again, I bring up the race for Republican candidate. On FreeRepublic there were around 4 names that had very strong support ....none of those names was McCain. Yet he is now our candidate. This goes to show that just because Acorn infuriates you, or Ayers (a terrorist) infuriates me, doesn't mean that it necessarily has any resonance with the average voter (maybe there is a reason they are called 'average' voters).

For them, it is the economy. You may call them idiots, but they are idiots with a vote.

[fabjr60]

I understand your point, however, I am not willing to concede at this point that the mob will rule the day (Clinton’s two terms notwithstanding). Perhaps I have hope; it could be that I don’t believe the American people would sell their birthright that cheap. Yes, the economy is bad, and most people cannot, or are unwilling to connect the dots of corruption and incompetence to the Rats. Perhaps the voters are like sheep and cannot see the slaughterhouse they are being led to in the distance. McCain was not my choice, and Lord knows if Romney would be doing any better now. The only things I can rely on now are my God and my family. I pray for wisdom and strength to see the light and do what’s right. Perhaps I am naive in thinking that there are still Americans that think as I do. God help the republic if I am wrong.

[SECURE AMERICA]

So get mad, get screaming mad. But when I hear people getting mad over Bill Ayers or Sarah Palin’s trooper ex-brother-in-law or the Red Menace, my response is: Are you kidding me?
We are living through the worst economic crisis, not only of my lifetime, but of my father’s, too. In the first six minutes of trading Friday morning, the Dow was falling 100 points a minute.

The economy will as it always does fix itself IF the Government leaves it alone. Howvere when you have a socialist Government they will not do that. Soclism arising in America will do more harm to our children then a year of two of economic corrections to the system. The socialsim will profoundly effect their lives in their future taxes, their future loss of individual rights, future attacks on the religion, and a continued dumbing dowm of education.
Sorry paper guy its the Socialism that is a danger to us and America...
Oh and I don’t drink kool aid of any kind.....

[bray]

Hammer Obummer on the Fannie Mae scandal. His fingerprints are all over it from the contibutions to Frank Raines/Johnson to ACORN. He and the DNC is the reason the banks failed.

Pray for W, McCuda and Our Troops

[spetznaz]

I'd say the part where you may be wrong would be on the level of coherence that most voters use on the ballot box. I personally think that most people who vote should not be voting, that they do not even understand the issues, and there is a lot of lemming-esque movement .....but then again I believe in democracy, thus even such people should be allowed to vote. I also believe that for the large majority of people it is the economy that is key ....all the other things have no gained any real traction for over 9 months now, even with a relentless assault from the Hillary camp during the Dem race, and our 527 groups (McCain really has not done much though ....he was even covering for Obama some days back). Republicans will vote for McCain (or for Sarah, which is the same thing), Dems will vote for Obama. That is a given, but it will not change much since both groups would have voted for their party no matter what (they are the choir for each respective side ....most Republicans would vote for a goat with an R behind its name, and most Democrats would vote for a dog with a D behinds its name ...think YellowDog democrats). The key factors here are the independents and the moderates, who are really concerned with the economy. They are THE key, and they do not care about Ayers or Odinga. They care about their bank accounts, their jobs, their retirement accounts, their mortgage payments ....such things. When they look at Obama and McCain, they do not see them the way a core Republican or a core Democrat would ....they see two contenders, each with a narrative, each who can be given a vote. (There is another item in this election, which is extraneous factors such as fatigue from the Bush years ....the media has really made him look like a failure, although it should be added that Bush did not really make it any harder to do that. Another issue is the effect that the PUMA camp may have, and whether it will be large and powerful enough to make a difference. People have compared them to the Reagan Democrats, but RDs were Dems who were fiscally conservative ....PUMAs are not that but are instead people sore that Hillary did not win, and I have my own doubts as to how many of the PUMAs exist and how many are just Conservatives having a spot of fun with chaos?).

Where you are not wrong is that McCain can win. He is within the statistical dead-heat zone, and 3 weeks (while short) is still long enough for a major shunt to occur. It is not over for McCain, not by any measure. He can win, and he very might win. It would not be surprising.

However he needs to focus on the economy. Sarah can hammer out the Ayers/Acorn/other stuff, but McCain NEEDS to stand up and talk to the people concerned about their retirement accounts and homes.

If he does that he can win, if he doesn't he will lose.

[Wpin]

It is the socialism and racism from Obama that has real Americans concerned.

[codercpc]

I, literally, came out of my home office this morning, yelling at my husband, "I don't care who wins this damn election anymore, the Country is going socialist either way!"

I was partly serious. I have every intention of voting for McCain, and trying to convince every person I know to do the same, but what does it matter any more?

I, unlike many posters here, am much more of a fiscal conservative, than a social conservative. I am much more libertarian. So I am really becoming disillusioned. I am beginning to almost agree with the people that said let Obama take it, and then he can also take the blame four years from now when this country is in the pot.

I also am a true security Mom! That is why the thought of an Obama win scares the hell out of me!

So I tell myself, buck up, put on a happy face, ignore the polls, and the entitlement society we live in, and do everything with in my power to make sure that John McCain and Sarah Palin become the next President and Vice President of the United States!!!!!

[codercpc]

Bravo! You hit the nail on the head.

I am not saying to drop Ayres, but don't count on it either.

America has proven that they want an entitlement society, and we here at Free Republic must be in the minority.

However, I have found that if you talk about the individual issues, people agree with us! They don't want people that overbought, or overborrowed bailed out. They just want to make sure that they have a job tomorrow.

John McCain MUST ask the people to please point out one time that Barak Obama has ever supported a tax cut. Ask them why they think he will do it this time if he never did it before. He must continue to point out that even though our economy is going to pot, that it was somewhat stable two years ago before the Dems took over congress.

Although he probably voted for it himself, he should point out the Republican mantra of minimum wage. We tried to tell everyone that every single time min. wage has been raised, unemployment has gone up. Yet this is never, ever mentioned now, when that prediction came true yet again.

I am peeved that the mutual fund I started when my son was in kindergarten lost over half its value when I needed it to pay his first semester college tuition last week (the first time I would have withdrawn from it since I started it), but instead I made a sacrifice, and left it alone, but worked overtime to make up the money. I don't want the government bailing me out!!!!! I just hope it recovers in the next 6 months, before the next bill is due.

[Just A Nobody]

MICHAEL, Michael, michael…you are NOT the Michael I knew.

It is because of the “socialist take-over” that we are experiencing the so-called worst economic crisis of our lifetime.

Why not write an article naming the names of the perpetrators of this so-called worst economic crisis? You could begin with these:
Jimmah Carter
BJ K’Toon
Bwaney Fwank
Chrissy Dodd
Franklin Raines
Jim Johnson
b Hussein o …..
Don’t refrain from mentioning the only real thing I’ve heard of him doing - defending ACORN in a lawsuit against Citibank for not issuing enough fraudulent loans to those who had no business getting a loan.

You may also want to mention how bHo is the second highest recipient of the FM’s cash bribes, and managed the fete in less than 4 years instead of disparaging conservative folks and organizations!

Sure it’s about the economy, but the huge black cloud overhead is indeed the socialist take-over of America! When we become a communist nation, no one’s 401K is going to mean jack-crap! We are yet to see the “worst economic crisis” in our lifetime!

[Just A Nobody]

P.S.
ACORN, a small swatch of our population, have effectively bastardized our elections for years, leading up to the coup they are about to accomplish this year. THEY are an important part of the “socialist take-over” of our country!

You get upset when people get upset about Ayers???
Now I have to say: Are you kidding me?
Ayers, Jodie Evans, Frank Marshall Davis/Alinsky, Soros, ACORN, Axelrod, Khalidi, Al-Mansou, Bernardine Dohrn, Louis Farrakhan, Jeremiah Wright, Michael Pfleger, Tony Rezko and Raila Odinga ... are very important components in this alleged election!

Do you think folks depending on their 401(k) for their financial security give a rat’s you-know-what about the legal status of Obama’s birth certificate …..

They should…we ALL should give a rat’s you-know-what about the legal status of Obama’s birth certificate!
The constitution is VERY CLEAR about the qualifications to be president of the USA.
Please see Aritcle II, Section1
No Person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President; neither shall any Person be eligible to that Office who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty five Years, and been fourteen Years a Resident within the United States.

I’m sure you had to have more of a resume than that to write this column in the Boston Glob. If he is not eligible, he is NOT eligible, period! When one files their intent to run for POTUS, a certified vault copy of the birth certificate should be included in their paperwork.

Why do so many want to shred and then burn the Constitution?
It would make the “socialist take-over” much easier for sure!