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I've been listening to Obama's comments and suggestions about the financial crisis - and I'm left with the question ---"Huh?"

Every question asked is answered with a long rambling "maybe this" or "maybe that" and "we need to analyze" and "we need to look at" and "we need to examine". He criticized McCain last week when McCain said he would assemble a group of economic experts to develop new oversight regulations - yet now Obama mentions several times "having committees of experts to analyze this".

Obama also put forth the opinion that we should look at buying mortgages of homeowners who are facing foreclosure to keep them in their homes (what about the thousands who have already lost homes? what about those people who bought stupidly?)

....and that we might need to provide another few billion to make sure CAR loans don't go into default, and to help people pay student loans borrowed for their education.

Oh - Obama also said we might need to bail out people who are going under financially due to credit card debt. Sure - let's pay off credit cards, too.

Is he nuts?

Where is he coming from with this? Pure socialism - a huge welfare system paid for by working taxpayers to cover anyone who doesn't make payments on anything they bought?

What he keeps saying is "there are many ways to do this" - but did not give one specific way to get out of the mess or to recover from it.

I think this guy will be in trouble on debates - he can't answer a question without a full speech of "if this" and "if that". I listened to all he said - and I have no idea what his point was. I heard no concrete suggestions or plan of action. He tried to blame some of the problem on McCain - but that seems a stretch as McCain has pointed out a developing financial crisis in home lending for over three years.

I seldom have agreed with Newt Gingrich over the years but I listened to an interview with him yesterday on a news station - and he gave more real information and pros/cons of this massive bailout in 10 minutes than Obama did in 30.

McCain hasn't gotten the press on this that Obama has but in 2005 it was Christopher Dodd, current ally of Obama, who kept McCain's bill to regulate risky financing in the housing/lending market from going to the floor for a vote. McCain wanted to put the brakes on lenders and have some oversight on the practices of sub-prime, etc - democrats said that would interfere with the "free market". Isn't so free now, is it?

As for blame - the buck stops at Congress. It was easier to brag about the great housing market than to look at the house of cards that market was sitting on - so Congress refused to look at it. The blame crosses party lines - and the solution should, too.

The problem has grown through both Republican and Democratic administrations and Congresses. Warnings were ignored by both parties.
The candidates and the politicians in Congress need to drop the partisan crap and get to work to solve the problem.

My feeling now is that we're in deep poop territory here.

kay
  • Profile picture of the author ThomM
    That's just one of the reasons I want to vote 'none of the above'.
    We need to send the message that we won't vote for the choices they give us till they give us good choices.
    So far Paris Hilton has the best economic plan, and that's flat out scary (but hot:rolleyes
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  • Profile picture of the author Patrician
    Not to mention: Michelle is over acting the privileged buppie maven.

    I surfed a TV channel the other day and she was chopping the air (Italian style)* while she was talking and had an ugly expression like she was a dictator talking down to the kindergarden class. Spare me this 'first' lady - please.

    No idea what she was talking about and I made sure not to listen.

    *Italians really do talk with their hands. You should see me trying to hold the phone at the same time.

    However 'chopping the air' is another thing altogether and it is done to emphasize EMPHATICALLY, and when I am mad it resembles a karate chop or half-mast nazi salute. Don't argue with me when I am like that. (LOL)

    Well at least she is not smarmy I will give her that.
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  • Profile picture of the author Kurt
    And I've listened to McCain change his opinion on the bail out at least 3 times in the past week. He's a de-regulator, then he's a regulator...Bascially the "Straight Talk Express" has been derailed.

    I used to greatly respect McCain, but he's shown beyond any shadow of a doubt he will say anything he thinks will get himself elected...He's a joke of his former self.

    The reason we're in this mess to begin with is directly due to the Bush/McCain policies that deregulated much of the banking/loan industry. Now you want to give them another term?

    The policies that directly resulted in this mess are from Phil Grahm...Who happens to be McCain's finacial advisor and the same guy that said just about a month ago that our economy is fine, and that the US is just a "nation of whiners".

    It was only 10 days ago, and 22 times this year, that McCain said that the "fundamentals of our economy are strong". Cluesless. Totally clueless.

    BTW, uber-conservative Pat Buchanan even said this mess is due to "capitalistic pigs", and he's a free enterprise as anyone. His point is simple...The rules were changed and the ultra-greedy corp heads pretty much raped the system.

    Now, people complain because they don't like how Obama tends to clean up the mess left by the lunatic fringe right.

    It cracks me up...The lunatic right spends the nation into record breaking debt each term, then when a Dem wants to spend some money, the right cries about how we can't afford anything.

    This message brought to you by the Republican Party - Sponsors of the Great Depression, Nixon's Price and Wage Freeze (how's that for "free market"), record debt by Reagan, record debt by Bush I, record debt by Bush II.
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    • Profile picture of the author espacecadet
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      • Profile picture of the author cashcorpinc
        I said something like this earler today on a different post, but...

        Remember when it was people's OWN RESPONSIBILITY to decide how much they could spend and still afford, or what kind of monthly payment(s) they could handle?

        Why are we bailing out anyone? I've made bad decisions and gotten over extended, both personally and in business. You know what happens? I LOSE MONEY!

        Just like I'm supposed to when I screw up!

        In my real estate investing, I am TIRED of competing with lenders, investors, homeowners, etc. that are only still in business because they are constantly bailed out!

        There are no bailouts in a Free Market. The more you try to band-aid a free market, the worse the inevitable crash.

        To get out of this, we really need to:

        1. let the failing businesses fail or succeed on their own.

        2. Let the real estate market crash and recover.

        3. Make people be responsible for their own finances, now and forever.

        Let it happen now, and it won't pile up.
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  • Profile picture of the author AlexR
    Here in the antipodes, McCain seems to be promoting his ability to run the country on the basis that he was a POW.

    Makes sense to me...NOT.
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    • Profile picture of the author ThomM
      Originally Posted by AlexR View Post

      Here in the antipodes, McCain seems to be promoting his ability to run the country on the basis that he was a POW.

      Makes sense to me...NOT.
      Same here Alex.
      His answer to everything is "well I was a POW'.
      I'll probably get shot for this one, but how does getting caught make you a hero?
      I had a good friend whose job in Nam was going into hostile territory and bringing back wounded soldiers, alone, now to me that's a hero.
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    • Profile picture of the author HeySal
      The reason we are in the mess is the FEDERAL RESERVE - McCain/Obama will dig us out only in two directions - chose your poison, fascism or socialism.

      Get with the real program and vote 3rd party - for the constitutional candidate who is willing to put in the action to abolish the FED -- Baldwin.

      If people don't get it right this time...there won't be a next time.
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      • Profile picture of the author Kay King
        Thom -

        I think the hero designation was because McCain could have left much sooner in a trade but wouldn't leave until the rest of the men did.
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        • Profile picture of the author ThomM
          Originally Posted by Kay King View Post

          Thom -

          I think the hero designation was because McCain could have left much sooner in a trade but wouldn't leave until the rest of the men did.
          Didn't know that Kay, that makes a little more sense then.
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          You can't fix stupid, but you can always out smart it.

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