Daily Topics - Tuesday April 3rd, 2012
By shawnt56
Catch The Thom Hartmann Program LIVE at our new time, 3-6pm Eastern!
Hour One: Politicians Are Not Leaders
Hour Two: Is Ryan's budget social Darwinism? Peter Ferrara, The Carleson Center for Public Policy
Hour Three: How Americans can "Rebuild the Dream" - Van Jones, Rebuild the Dream / Plus, the President fights back - Josh Earnest, Principal Deputy Press Secretary-White House
Comments
#2
Republican logic is double plus good. It has always been that way.
N
#3
How are the Republicans going to get elected now that the truth is out? What a silly question, they'll get elected the same way they have for the last 30+ years. They know it isn't about getting constituents informed, or get them to buy into their policies. No all they have to do is two simple things, make their candidate "feel good" to vote for, and the other is to get the informed voter to buy into the fact that he can either vote for the lesser of two evils or not bother voting, in the latter case they win a vote they wouldn't have.
In the world of today, there are a lot of people wanting to feel good. They want Gas Guzzlers and cheap gas, they want an environmentally safe world (not one plagued with pollution), they want free medical care, etc etc. So the Republicans tell them, they'll get gas down below $3.00/gallon (feels good), they tell people to ignore science all is OK (feels good), they say its cheaper to get your own medical insurance if you want it (feels good). Its not about reason, it never has been, and as the world around us gets more and more bleak, people will vote for the charlatans because the easy answers feel good. Coupled with the people who know its all BS and enough of them figure the heck with it, the counter candidate has problems too, why bother.
The left better figure this out now, and figure out how to make their policies "feel good", not just logical and reasonable. Would help if they stopped trying to pander to the right too, makes them feel useless.
N
#4
Thanks, Maxrot. That was hilarious. I hear it in Jim Ward's impression of Romney's voice too.
#5
For every complex problem, there is a simple, easy-to-understand, incorrect answer: voting Republican.
#6
I don't hold high hopes of Obama doing the right thing because he got a second term. If he didn't have the courage to risk his first term doing the right thing, I doubt he's going to do the right thing in a second term just because he can. He is a consummate negotiator (a bad one, but still obsessed with it) and he believes he's always one good compromise away from a solution, even though he's the one always making the compromise.
I think we'll see the tough talking Obama of 2008 all through the rest of the election season, but then if he gets re-elected, he'll tack back to the center (or right of center) and go on thinking he knows best and ignore what his base wants. In fact I'd bet on it.
N
#7
Papuliferously ugly. "Papula" is Latin for "pimple" or "pustule". Good one, Thom.
As for the bad, so far as I know, the government didn't make Chevy build the Volt.
#8
Tthe basic concept of the Laffer curve makes sense. 1) If the government taxes at 0%, it obviously gets no revenue. 2) If it taxes at 100%, it still gets no revenue because no one would bother having an income if they can't keep any of it. 3) Somewhere in the middle, the government gets revenue, therefore there must be some tax rate the gives the maximum revenue for the government.
However, the Republicans misunderstand and misrepresent this in a few ways. 1) There is a tax bracket system. The tax rate that gives maximum revenue is lower for lower incomes, because lower-income people need a higher percentage of their income to survive. 2) The tax rate that gives the maximum revenue for very rich people is rather high, probably approaching 99%, since they don't need much of their income to survive. Republicans always act as if the maximum revenue comes at a lower rate than whatever it currently is. 3) Republicans don't actually want the government to have a high revenue. This is why they push the tax rates in the opposite direction from what the first two points recommend.
Thom's Blog Is On the Move
By webmaster
Hello All
Thom's blog in this space and moving to a new home.
Please follow us across to hartmannreport.com - this will be the only place going forward to read Thom's blog posts and articles.
Images of Thom
From Cracking the Code:
"No one communicates more thoughtfully or effectively on the radio airwaves than Thom Hartmann. He gets inside the arguments and helps people to think them through—to understand how to respond when they’re talking about public issues with coworkers, neighbors, and friends. This book explores some of the key perspectives behind his approach, teaching us not just how to find the facts, but to talk about what they mean in a way that people will hear."
From The Thom Hartmann Reader:
"With the ever-growing influence of corporate CEOs and their right-wing allies in all aspects of American life, Hartmann’s work is more relevant than ever. Throughout his career, Hartmann has spoken compellingly about the value of people-centered democracy and the challenges that millions of ordinary Americans face today as a result of a dogma dedicated to putting profit above all else. This collection is a rousing call for Americans to work together and put people first again."
From The Thom Hartmann Reader:
"Never one to shy away from the truth, Thom Hartmann’s collected works are inspiring, wise, and compelling. His work lights the way to a better America."
Backward Republican logic:
When you give facts, you're a despicable liar. --Peter Ferrara
Any ad that quotes what I said is a lie. --Newt Gingrich
John Kennedy the Catholic presidential candidate said religious people shouldn't be in government. --Rick Santorum