Video: Obama’s redistributionism
posted at 6:55 pm on October 13, 2008 by Ed Morrissey
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Fox and Friends featured this exchange between Barack Obama and a plumber on the campaign trail this weekend. Want to hear a redistributionist explain his policy? Here it is:
Plumber to Obama: “Your new tax plan is going to tax me more. Isn’t it?”
Obama: “It’s not that I want to punish your success, I just want to make sure that everybody that is behind you, that they have a chance for success too. I think that when you spread the wealth around, it’s good for everybody.”
It really doesn’t get any clearer than this, although a close look at Obama’s tax policy makes it almost as obvious. He doesn’t want to penalize your success! He just wants to take a big chunk of it and give it away to people he likes better.
Redistributionism. It’s what’s for dinner after January. (via The Boss)
Update: I’m not as pessimistic as that last statement sounds. I just wanted to keep it punchy. We still have a long way to go before this election is over.
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or ends….
I dunno MAVERICK!seems tired…..
sven10077 on October 13, 2008 at 7:51 PM
Calm yourself, woman.
ManlyRash on October 13, 2008 at 7:51 PM
You are right: you don’t know. For Obama, it’s the beginning of the end; for McCain, the end of the beginning.
ManlyRash on October 13, 2008 at 7:52 PM
Oh the irony. BO wants to spread our money around to those that aren’t successful, yet he can’t send his half brother in Kenya living in a hut 20 bucks.
How many times does BO have to show McCain his glass jaw before McCain takes a swing?
swami on October 13, 2008 at 7:53 PM
I thought Biden said that!
AubieJon on October 13, 2008 at 7:55 PM
Nonsense. We have more than enough on McCain NOW to foment a full 4 years of “disgrunteledneddess”.
If only John McCain were as tough and consistent in taking on the socialists in the Dem party as he is in taking on the conservatives and the base of his own party, this would be a very different campaign indeed.
I couldn’t and can’t stand GW Bush as POTUS (”compassionate conservative”, my shapely backside), nor did I vote for him in either 2000 or 2004. That said, there’s a reason he wiped the primary floor with McCain in ‘00 and he would beat Obama hands-down, as well. The man simply runs better, smarter, tougher campaigns. Not that I’m surprised; governors tend to be tougher campaigners.
McCain wants to be everyone’s friend and respected colleague. Obama wants to be POTUS.
Harpazo on October 13, 2008 at 7:55 PM
Just remember what Michelle Obama said about pieces of pie. Obama wants to be the Chief Slicer and Distributer. (All of the rest of us productive people are going to have to work a little harder so that Chief Slicer and Distributer has more goodies to offer to those who just don’t want to put in the effort of working.)
The Left thinks that wealth is a fixed amount, and that all that a “leader” has to do is to divide it according to his concept of “fair”. The whole philosophy is a zero sum game of no growth. It presumes that if someone succeeds, then another must of consequence fail.
onlineanalyst on October 13, 2008 at 7:55 PM
It took a relatively unified west to beat communism and people of will….the Moonbat Media will not let Bambi be hurt….they’ll fawn over his “caring”….you don’t need to be the amazing Karnak to have been able to make this argument to people read his books or watch him on C-Span….everyone is stuck in “anyone that makes a dollar more than me is evil” mode that is not already against the guy.
Pity really I am still doing my part and giving funds and time to our ticket but….
if it were Bush/palin we’d be winning if it were Bush 2000….the M$M has crapped on us for what 10 years now?
The populace may well need reminded why they fell so in love with the donks in ‘94 they gave us power.
sven10077 on October 13, 2008 at 7:56 PM
I am noticing this trend.
Mission O-Possible….
O O OO O O OO OOOOOOO OOOOOOO OOOOOO oo oo.
upinak on October 13, 2008 at 7:57 PM
Dude, lorien is a guy.
BWAHHAHHAHAHAAAA!
upinak on October 13, 2008 at 7:57 PM
You talk too much, Sven. McCain will win. End of story. Now have a drink and get some rest.
ManlyRash on October 13, 2008 at 7:58 PM
You don’t think by any chance that Obama was attempting to bamboozle and hoodwink that plumber?
onlineanalyst on October 13, 2008 at 7:58 PM
Precisely.
ManlyRash on October 13, 2008 at 7:58 PM
I’ve been neutered!
lorien1973 on October 13, 2008 at 7:59 PM
Only once – for a knockout blow.
ManlyRash on October 13, 2008 at 7:59 PM
WE’RE GONNA CHANGE THE WORLD
Music and lyrics by Lily Campbell
We’re gonna spread
happinesssocialismWe’re gonna spread
freedomredistributionObama’s gonna change it
Obama’s gonna lead ‘em
We’re gonna change it
And rearrange it
We’re gonna change the world.
Disturb the Universe on October 13, 2008 at 8:00 PM
O.K., so we have Rev Wright, Ayers, Rezko, Flagher, Dem congress, Dem scandals, ACORN, A hateful wife, infanticide, and last but not least, socialism.
And America is hellbent on electing this tool?
I am at a loss for words.
anniekc on October 13, 2008 at 8:00 PM
Then drop the knife and grow a pair.
ManlyRash on October 13, 2008 at 8:00 PM
Caption today.
“I wish I could quit you.”
lorien1973 on October 13, 2008 at 8:00 PM
McCain doesn’t want the New Yrok Times to say bad things about him.
Cicero43 on October 13, 2008 at 8:01 PM
“From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs.”
–Karl Marx
“It’s not that I want to punish your success, I just want to make sure that everybody that is behind you, that they have a chance for success too. I think that when you spread the wealth around, it’s good for everybody.”
-Obama
Scary stuff.
Guardian on October 13, 2008 at 8:01 PM
That’s what I’ve been telling McCain for a month now! :P
lorien1973 on October 13, 2008 at 8:01 PM
Oh excuse me, I forgot to add RACISM to my list
anniekc on October 13, 2008 at 8:02 PM
Ya know if Barry does win, I won’t have to feel so bad about not giving money to the homeless because they are going to get it from me through Barry’s redistribution program. Boy, I feel better already!
Agent of the Cross on October 13, 2008 at 8:02 PM
Then save your breath and your keystrokes…he is going to win.
ManlyRash on October 13, 2008 at 8:03 PM
“And
Americathe lll media is hellbent on electing this tool?”FIFY!
/America hasn’t gotten her full say jus’ yet …
Buckaroo on October 13, 2008 at 8:03 PM
are you getting a massage? whoa.
upinak on October 13, 2008 at 8:04 PM
Perhaps McCain suffers from some long stifled Stockholm Syndrome from his POW years and its manifesting itself upon the socialist Obama.
Disturb the Universe on October 13, 2008 at 8:04 PM
The election is over with that video……..he got a little too confident and said what he is really going to do.
BO’s own October surprise, and it was of his own doing…….ads, ads, ads.
McCain wins 49%, O’Bama 46%.
Game – match – riots in the streets.
Hillary and Bill throw a losers party.
Starlink on October 13, 2008 at 8:06 PM
is that Vic Mackey?
Ropera on October 13, 2008 at 8:08 PM
“It’s not that I want to punish your success…” nice. Thats a clever line, but I’d love to see someone have the b@lls to call him out and say “That’s exactly what you want to do. You’ve stated your intentions to do it several times.”
zhohlz on October 13, 2008 at 8:11 PM
America is, I think.
I’m not even sure that a majority of people disagree with this concept.
lorien1973 on October 13, 2008 at 8:11 PM
The tax plans of both Obama and McCain are harmful to America in the long term. Obama wants to steal from the rich, McCain wants to motivate them. But both plans leave America in absurd levels of debt in 5-10 years.
http://www.taxpolicycenter.org/publications/url.cfm?ID=411693
cannonball on October 13, 2008 at 8:14 PM
I think we disagree only on what reasonable taxation would be. I’d set “richness” quite a bit higher than Obama — 100 times more at about the $25M mark (which I’ve calculated is the point at which, if you invested all your money and contributed nothing further to society, you’d be able to afford a nice house and all the food you can eat for the rest of your life). The tax bite would be fairly gentle before that point, but past it, I’d be far more confiscatory, in the interest of not encouraging an inherited aristocracy of the Paris Hilton ilk.
unclesmrgol on October 13, 2008 at 8:16 PM
10% across the board. That is the maximum satisfactory tax rate.
lorien1973 on October 13, 2008 at 8:17 PM
Agreed.
ManlyRash on October 13, 2008 at 8:19 PM
I can’t prove it, but I think one of the reasons some GOPers are giving Obamarxist a pass is that they feel that our system of checks and balances will prevent his nuttiness from gaining any real traction. This misses the point.
Liberal politicians have thrived on incrementalism. Earbama need only accomplish a fraction of his agenda while keeping conservatism from gaining any ground, thereby getting us a little closer to a democratic socialism that they can say they earned at the ballot box, fair and square.
Look around at what they’ve already accomplished. It nauseates me.
pugwriter on October 13, 2008 at 8:25 PM
And exactly what checks and balances are there going to be in a Dem run government? with Obama appointed SCOTUS?
anniekc on October 13, 2008 at 8:27 PM
The crippled economy?
lorien1973 on October 13, 2008 at 8:29 PM
That’s why we love him so. 7% is thankfully incorrigible.
Entelechy on October 13, 2008 at 8:31 PM
Yep. I don’t know how, but Scotus appointments slipped my mind during that post. SCOTUS is, by far, the number one reason not to vote for Obama.
pugwriter on October 13, 2008 at 8:33 PM
Oh the economy won’t be crippled anymore! He’s going to have all that “War” money to play with, and George Soros is going to stop playing with the stock market.
anniekc on October 13, 2008 at 8:33 PM
Hey Pug,
You mean like the checks and balances that was supposed to keep Campaign Finance Reform from passing or maybe Kelo? There do not seem to be any more C&B’s – it’s time to defeat not only the Dems but also the get rid of the RINO’s! STOP GIVING TO THE RNC and RINO campaigns until they understand who elected them!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sporty1946 on October 13, 2008 at 8:34 PM
Yeah. I’d rate the free market and capitalism just slightly ahead of scotus.
lorien1973 on October 13, 2008 at 8:34 PM
Off Topic-
Where’s the Tim Mahoney story on HA?
anniekc on October 13, 2008 at 8:38 PM
Obama is way off message. He should have said “No, I the Messiah shall heal the planet and the waters shall receive, and money shall floweth forth from my a…”
BKennedy on October 13, 2008 at 8:38 PM
Maybe I’m being overly optimistic, but if Mac should, GULP, lose, I think we are in for a conservative revolution, a la 1994 in 2010. Only this time it would be nice if they held on to their nads for more than two years.
pugwriter on October 13, 2008 at 8:40 PM
McCain you crochety old fart (I say this in a most respectful but very restrained manner) — Call Obama out as a Socialist. We must stop this now. History is littered with the bodies of Socialist countries that aren’t working out. This is madness and someone must stop it!
Help us Ayn Rand, You’re our only hope (yes I know it sounds crazy, but I’m desperate!)
baxtrice on October 13, 2008 at 8:42 PM
I place SCOTUS at the top because it can have the longest lasting effect. Then again, some senators, and their constituents, seem to think they are lifetime appointments too.
pugwriter on October 13, 2008 at 8:42 PM
About at the bottom of the front page.
You’re kidding, right? the most likely judges to be replaced are already liberals.
once government removes the free market; it’d take a violent revolution to get it back.
lorien1973 on October 13, 2008 at 8:47 PM
“You see… uh, what I’m going to do…. ah, is take some of your bling and make it someone else’s bling because why should they work for a living”.
Hog Wild on October 13, 2008 at 8:49 PM
It is basically a 5-4 court. It would only take one conservative judge to fall ill and the whole dynamic changes.
The legislative branch, and economic policy, can be influenced at the ballot box.
And, yeah, I’m one of those Christian conservatives.
pugwriter on October 13, 2008 at 8:55 PM
It’s official. Barack Obama has hired Robin Hood as his economic advisor.
Dr.Cwac.Cwac on October 13, 2008 at 8:56 PM
Well, at least he said what it is but then said it isn’t what it is in the same breath.
I’m so confused.
Yakko77 on October 13, 2008 at 9:03 PM
chilling.
Stevel on October 13, 2008 at 9:04 PM
Down with communism!
CP on October 13, 2008 at 9:07 PM
Ummm…yeahbut…
What if the whole point of this exercise is to make US homeless, too?
uncivilized on October 13, 2008 at 9:08 PM
No. Barry said he’d stop foreclosures for 90 days. Given that many sheriffs around the country won’t enforce them anyways, the point is moot.
lorien1973 on October 13, 2008 at 9:10 PM
They better not say his middle name!
WisCon on October 13, 2008 at 9:12 PM
“You spread the wealth around, it’s good for everybody.”…obama doesn’t say around “America” remember this is the guy who wants to give $385Billion American tax dollars to the U.N to “spread around to the rest of the world!
I
heartobama!christene on October 13, 2008 at 9:20 PM
What’s maddening about that is if you have a really good system already going, socialism can help make sure nobody ‘fixes what isn’t broke’.
If most of America had the same rock-solid values of our founders, a carefully constructed socialist system could set in motion something wonderful and long-lasting. But with present-day Americans? Out of the question.
Dark-Star on October 13, 2008 at 9:29 PM
Promise? Are the American people really going to vote in Socialism? How about Pelosi and Reid unbridled? No? What about the whole sub-prime mess caused by “fairness to unqualified borrowers”?
Why is it better that we all have the same — less — and that ambition is squashed and excellence is gone?
I really can’t believe it.
Moxie on October 13, 2008 at 9:32 PM
Thank God for small favors.
IrishEi on October 13, 2008 at 9:32 PM
a carefully constructed socialist system could set in motion something wonderful and long-lasting. But with present-day Americans? Out of the question.
Dark-Star on October 13, 2008 at 9:29 PM
____________________________________________________________
obama is that you?
christene on October 13, 2008 at 9:34 PM
WTF are you talking about? Socialism is in direct opposition to human nature; which is why it fails everytime it’s put into motion.
lorien1973 on October 13, 2008 at 9:35 PM
But I love that its “our fault” socialism won’t work. It’s not a flaw inherent in the system. Definitely not.
lorien1973 on October 13, 2008 at 9:36 PM
If Errow Flynn could rise from the grave and slap you with his scabbord for callin’ him a socialist, he would.
Rovin on October 13, 2008 at 9:36 PM
There it is. They really think that earning your way to success is no different than being handed a government check.
stevieray on October 13, 2008 at 9:38 PM
Sorry. I should’ve been a bit more specific.
There are certainly many decent, sensible people left in the ol’ USA. If the majority of Americans had good old fashioned values and used their heads for something other than hat racks, it would be possible – with much prayer and careful planning – to fashion a socialist system that we could all be proud to live in.
…but that’s not the case.
As much as I hate to say it, we Americans as a rule are lazy fools, easily swayed by whatever we see/hear/read from the liberal-controlled mass media. A socialism built with today’s population would be a disaster. You can’t build a wall with a few good bricks and a lot of bad ones.
Dark-Star on October 13, 2008 at 9:40 PM
The WSJ piece on the myth of Obama’s tax plan is a good one. Problem is John McCain cannot tell his ass from his elbow when it comes to this. Nor can his stupid campaign handlers put something for him to say over and over again for the next 20 days calling Obama’s bluff. McCain and his campaign should watch this video and just plagiarize the people in this video.
If McCain loses he must not blame it on the economy or Bush but his own weak campaign.
Birdseye on October 13, 2008 at 9:47 PM
There is something so absurd about a millionare politician lecturing a plumber on wealth distribution.
Terrye on October 13, 2008 at 9:49 PM
How much of the million$ Obama made on his autobiography has Barry “spread around”?
(And did Bill Ayers ghost write the book for him?)
profitsbeard on October 13, 2008 at 9:51 PM
I agree but the Republicans have been rather lame in countering the MSM. Bush never mentioned these last two weeks that Republicans have warned about the impending doom regarding Fannie and Freddie, did he? Bush is really too dumb – I can forgive him for that – to do any of this but where are the rest?
Birdseye on October 13, 2008 at 9:51 PM
Do unto others. That’s enough.
Mr_Magoo on October 13, 2008 at 9:54 PM
SOCIALISM!!!
SOCIALISM!!!
SOCIALISM!!!
God help America! What are we handing our children?
rightwingmom on October 13, 2008 at 9:56 PM
All the Libs are happy Barry is redistributing wealth. The problem is they all think they are on the receiving end. Should be fun to watch the gnashing of teeth when they get the bill.
Mr_Magoo on October 13, 2008 at 9:57 PM
Dark-Star on October 13, 2008 at 9:40 PM
Please flesh out your colorful “a few good bricks” metaphor. I think you have it back asswards the only wall that needs to be build is to keep socalism out of this country!
dmann on October 13, 2008 at 10:01 PM
McCain taking the gloves off Wed night: “I respect my opponent’s tax plan and I refuse to attack his decision to redistribute wealth. And furthermore, my friends, I am not afraid to take on those within my own party. My record proves this. So, in that spirit as well, and because we are all Americans and need to come together, I am publicly calling on my VP Sarah Palin to tone down her hateful attacks on Senator Obama, a truly great family man whom I respect.”
JellyToast on October 13, 2008 at 10:02 PM
You mean this. Heard him on the Mike Medved show today talking about it.
There were a lot of angry Bambi supporters calling in.
1GooDDaDDy on October 13, 2008 at 10:06 PM
I’m John McLame and I personally approve of this message, all hail the Messiah!
dmann on October 13, 2008 at 10:06 PM
Well keep in mind that in another eight years when Michelle Obama wants to run against, oh I don’t know, maybe a Hispanic, or a transgendered Phillipino, the MSM might very well treat Obama with the same snide contempt that they treated Bill Clinton with when Hillary ran. Then we can all snicker and laugh.
anniekc on October 13, 2008 at 10:15 PM
I don’t think you understand what I said. It means that socialism only works in stagnant societies. I doubt anyone with a brain wants to live in a stagnant society, since stagnant societies are dead societies.
Hardly. Our Founders loved the idea of private property and commerce and made them the very foundations of our nation. The US was built on individualism, not any sort of whackjob collectivist system.
progressoverpeace on October 13, 2008 at 10:17 PM
Obamatron response: “Thats not what they taught me at school”…..lets cut to the chase indeed!
dmann on October 13, 2008 at 10:23 PM
1GooDDaDDy at 10:06 PM-
Exactly! Heard it, too.
McCain needs to ask Barry, on Wednesday, if he had a ghostwriter for “Dreams From My Father”
And if it might have been Ayers.
Even if it were just some anonymous schlub, having someone else secretly pen your “autobiography” may seem a little creepy to the average voter.
profitsbeard on October 13, 2008 at 10:29 PM
theft … plain and simple.
AZ_Redneck on October 13, 2008 at 10:33 PM
Obama wants to make sure that “everybody that is behind” the plumber has a chance for success too? So Obama doesn’t believe that everybody has a chance to become a successful plumber in this country if they’re willing to work hard enough? What does it take to become a plumber? You go to trade school and learn how to do it. Can’t afford trade school? Then the government will help you out with low-interest student loans — if you’re a minority, you can probably get a scholarship and go for free. Once you’ve learned the trade, then you have to do the work. If you really want to be successful, you save your money and eventually start your own plumbing business. It’s not easy, it takes years of hard work, but anybody who really wants it can do it. It’s not that the people “behind” the plumber don’t have the same chance for success that he had, it’s that they don’t want to have to work as hard as he has worked to earn that success.
In an Obamanation, there won’t be any incentive to work to become successful, because once you get there, Obama will take away the fruits of your success and give it to the millions of welfare queens and illegal aliens who don’t want to work and save and be responsible. Then life will be so much more “fair” for all of us.
Is it any wonder that Obama has won the official endorsement of the Communist Party USA?
AZCoyote on October 13, 2008 at 10:37 PM
I don’t know if this has been mentioned, but it is eerily similar to the now-famous Karl Marx quote, “from each according to his ability, to each according to his needs.”
McCain needs to get out there and hammer this socialist for what he is.
jdawg on October 13, 2008 at 10:55 PM
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