Re: [Marxism] On Obama's chances to win

[Walter Lippmann <walterlx@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

McCain is certainly trying to tap into some of the deepest
fears which have been implanted in the consciousness of the
people of the United States of America. It's hard to tell if
it's going to work, and as I've mentioned before, I observe
that while the Obama campaign seems to have an extremely 
impressive and well-funded get-out-the-vote effort, I do not
see a significant effort to DEFEND THE RIGHT TO VOTE til now.

  Today's LA TIMES has a feature with this headline:
  "John McCain compares Barack Obama's policies to socialism"

It certainly tells us something about the political training
of the people of the United States that a candidate from one
of the two dominant political parties would use a vocabulary
like this to make his points. A century or more of deliberate
diseducation has brought the United States of America to this
kind of politics. In the face of this, the Los Angeles Times
today endorsed Obama, as did his home-town paper, the Chicago
Tribune, which hasn't endorsed a Democrat in its entire 161
year history, until it did so on this day. Both the Times and
the Trib are owned by the same company. Yesterday Obama was
endorsed by the Washington Post. Why do I get the feeling we
are living in 1948 all of a sudden? The New York Times soon
will endorse Obama. Perhaps only the Wall Street Journal will
stand tall for the Grand Old Party. Like Ghostbusters, it's 
a dirty job, but somebody's got to do it.


Walter Lippmann
Los Angeles, California
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http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-ed-endorse19-2008oct19,0,5966124.story
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/chi-chicago-tribune-endorsement,0,7429170,full.story
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http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-campaign19-2008oct19,0,1946625.story
From the Los Angeles Times



The Republican makes frequent use of the galvanizing term 
while campaigning in North Carolina. His Democratic opponent 
fires back in front of a 100,000-strong St. Louis crowd.
By Bob Drogin and Mark Z. Barabak
Los Angeles Times Staff Writers

1:36 PM PDT, October 18, 2008

Concord, N.C. -- With the presidential campaign entering its final
stretch, Republican nominee John McCain today accused Democratic
rival Barack Obama of seeking to impose socialist-style economic
policies on America. Halfway across the country, Obama drew what
appeared to be the largest American crowd of the campaign, an
estimated 100,000 people who covered hundreds of yards at a park in
downtown St. Louis.

Here in the heart of conservative NASCAR country -- a longtime
stronghold for the GOP -- and later in Woodbridge, Va., McCain drew
far smaller crowds of several thousand. He used both events to hammer
Obama's tax plans as an attempt to "redistribute the wealth" and
"just another government give away."

In a national radio address earlier this morning, McCain declared
that Obama's policies "sounded a lot like socialism" and amounted to
a "phony tax cut."

"At least in Europe, the socialist leaders who so admire my opponent
are upfront about their objectives," he said.

McCain's language was striking because Republicans have portrayed
Democrats for decades as liberals who favor 1960s-style big
government solutions to national challenges, such as poverty and
health care.

Socialist theory is more radical, and arguably more sinister to
American ears. It calls for collective ownership of most private
enterprise and the creation of an egalitarian society. Karl Marx
argued that socialism was a transitional phase between capitalism and
communism.

Ironically, the Bush administration's emergency $700-billion bailout
of major banks and other troubled financial institutions involves the
kind of government ownership of private institutions that Socialists
favor. Both McCain and Obama voted for the rescue package, which aims
to shore up the credit markets and stabilize the economy.

Obama fired back at McCain while in Missouri, another battleground
state that is leaning toward the Democrats. As he has in the past, he
accused McCain of distorting his tax proposals.

"Under my plan, if you make less than $250,000 a year, which includes
98% of small business owners, you won't see your taxes increase one
single dime," Obama said. "Not your payroll taxes, not your income
taxes, not your capital gains taxes, nothing."

McCain wants to cut taxes for "folks making out like bandits, some
literally," Obama said to a roar from the massive crowd at the foot
of the Gateway Arch. "I want to cut taxes, cut the taxes of 95% of
all workers."

Obama did not directly answer McCain's use of the term "socialism,"
but focused on a portion of the Republican's radio address in which
he suggested Obama would "convert the IRS into a giant welfare
agency, redistributing massive amounts of wealth at the direction of
politicians in Washington."

"He must be the first politician in history to call a tax cut for
working people 'welfare,' " the Illinois senator said. The only
welfare proposal, Obama added, was McCain's plan "to give another
$200 billion in tax cuts to the wealthiest companies in America."

The Democrat was referring to McCain's plan to make permanent the tax
cuts enacted under President Bush. Obama would allow those cuts to
expire, as Congress intended when it passed them. McCain argues that
letting the cuts expire amounts to a tax hike.

McCain's rally in the Cabarrus Arena and Event Center, 20 miles from
Charlotte, reflected mounting Republican worries in North Carolina.
Obama has launched a full-on assault in the state, hoping that a huge
turnout of newly registered voters and other supporters will swamp
the state's conservative traditions.

Significantly, McCain did not mention Sen. Elizabeth Dole or any
other statewide GOP candidate seeking office this year. Dole, caught
in a reelection fight, did not attend the event.

Instead, McCain focused chiefly on Obama's exchange last weekend with
Samuel J. Wurzelbacher -- now better known as Joe the Plumber -- a
blue-collar voter in Holland, Ohio, who had told the Democrat that he
hopes to buy his boss' business. "Your new tax plan is going to tax
me more, isn't it?" Wurzelbacher asked.

Obama responded that the marginal tax rate would increase from 36% to
39% for businesses that earn more than $250,000, restoring rates used
prior to the Bush administration.

"Right now, everybody's so pinched that business is bad for
everybody, and I think when you spread the wealth around, it's good
for everybody," Obama added.

McCain cited that "spread the wealth" exchange with Wurzelbacher
during Wednesday's presidential debate and every day since to paint
Obama as hostile to small business and working families.

Republican campaign aides hope the growing focus on Wurzelbacher will
invigorate McCain's underdog effort, much as his surprise choice of
Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate provided a crucial jolt
of support in early September.

McCain's campaign distributed hand-painted signs at the rally today,
and supporters seated in the bleachers, in view of TV cameras, waved
"Fight for Joe the Plumber," "I'm Joe the Plumber" and "Don't Take
Joe the Plumber's $$$."

bob.drogin@xxxxxxxxxxx

mark.barabak@xxxxxxxxxxx

Drogin reported from Concord and Woodbridge, and Barabak from St.
Louis.


=========================================
     WALTER LIPPMANN
     Los Angeles, California
     Editor-in-Chief, CubaNews
     http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CubaNews/
     "Cuba - Un ParaÃso bajo el bloqueo"
=========================================

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