ROPE A DOPE...OR JUST DOPEY?
Where was Barack Obama last nite? Did he have any idea that he was there not only to defend himself and his record over the last 4 years but the progressive values of those that elected him in the first place? Did he expect that defense to be anything but a dismantling of Romney's only intention...to turn the national treasury over to his cronies in the kleptocracy...AGAIN?
If he did, then he didn't show it. He allowed Romney to escape time and again from his only theme...that is, a return to the supply side scam that lowering taxes, particularly on the wealthy, would somehow bring in more revenues to pay for the government Americans continually indicate they want and need. That hasn't worked since the so aptly named Art Laffer introduced it to main stream economics in the 1970s. It has been tried before...by Reagan in the 80s when he tripled the debt...and by Bush Jr. in the last decade when the debt was doubled. At the same time inequality has reach the highest point since the gilded age and jobs have made that giant sucking sound that Ross Perot predicted.
Oh, but Romney didn't say that revenues would grow...his plan would be neutral in that regard, as would the actual effect on taxes for the wealthy. Of course, no specific loopholes, credits, deductions or exemptions to be eliminated...that's his secret plan...but it's not. We've seen it for the past 30 years...and it's failed. Romney even admitted it. Business start ups at a 30 year low....exactly in line with the 3 decades the supply side flim flam has dominated the economic conversation.
Romney says he will limit deductions in total...but at what level? The other day he said $17K...most of us reach that point...last nite he threw out $25K, $50K, pick a number...he literally said that! No mention of how we define income....your salary or pension is taxed at the income tax rates....HIS income is virtually all taxed at the capital gains rate of 15%...and that includes the category called "carried interest"...a scam that the 1% claim are capital gains but aren't...they're commissions for the most part...that allows the 25 top financial scammers ( AKA Hedge Fund Managers) to average $980B...yes, that's a "B"...a few years ago and pay that CG tax rate which itself is the lowest in history. Flim Flam, thank you Ma"am!
But Obama pointed out none of that. He was passive and allowed Romney to dominate the stage, including the moderator...the weakest performance since the last Dukakis debate in 1988. It brought back old images of loud big mouth Republicrites pushing around passive & "nuanced" Demwits. It worked then, and it will again if Obama doesn't get his head out of his ass! It better start next week...Biden better take Ryan to school on their lack of specifics, their lack of specificity, their dissembling. These debates are the big stage....if Obama doesn't realize that, then we could be stuck with Romney-Ryan-Akin...and it won't be pretty!!!
