My take on the Iowa straw poll, Rick Perry’s Texas, caring about Wall Street more than Main Street, and Obama’s bus trip to hopefully find his heart(land). If you want to receive my adVantage Points every weekday morning in your inbox, email info@movementvision.org
Straw (Poll) For Brains - story
Ames straw poll voters selected Michele Bachmann, the candidate most likely to destroy our government and bring about the apocalypse of America’s future. Of course, Bachmann’s campaign presumably spent more money turning out voters than her administration would spend on Medicare and Social Security combined.
Rick Perry Helped Texas, Hurt America – story
The economy in Texas is only crappy, as opposed to downright awful, because Perry created low-regulation, low-pay jobs that sucked opportunity away from other states. That plus high rates of immigration and strict mortgage lending regulations — things most Republicans oppose. Rick Perry’s campaign slogan should be: “I messed with Texas, I’ll mess with America!”
Coddling Investors - story
Why is it that $25 million Americans being out of work isn’t a crisis — but a few drops in the Dow is? Over and over again, politicians and the media seem more concerned about stock prices on Wall Street than suffering on Main Street.
Obama Focuses On Public Opinion: Too Little, Too Late? - story
Perhaps having finally realized that Republicans in Washington cannot be coaxed into a coalition of bipartisan compromise, President Obama is getting on a bus and talking to the everyday Americans he should have been fighting much harder for from the start. For optics, he should be traveling in a tank — showing that he’s finally ready to fight for the middle class against the conservative elite.
If the stock markets continue their roller coaster ride this week, blame 4,823 straw poll voters in Iowa. After all, the S&P made clear that its historic downgrade of America’s credit rating was not a reaction to government debt and spending levels but, rather, the irresponsible and reckless fact that “people in the political arena were even talking about a potential default.” Yet here come 4,823 Ames straw poll voters endorsing Michele Bachmann, head cheerleader for defaulting on our nation’s debts.
Perhaps their judgment was clouded by fried butter. But it’s our economy that will suffer the heart attack. If the markets have yet another precarious week, blame Michele Bachmann.
After all, Bachmann’s the one who led the absolutist Tea Party charge against increasing the debt ceiling and said that default would not lead to a credit downgrade. But Bachmann also said that high unemployment and a struggling economy would help her chances at winning the presidency. “I hope so,” Bachmann quipped, literally cheering on national economic decline.
Republicans are accusing President Obama and Democrats of trying to pass the blame on the S&P downgrade and resulting market declines. But the S&P has made it unquestionably clear that the rhetoric and actions of anti-government zealots like Michele Bachmann caused this disaster.
Still, 4,823 Iowans voted for Bachmann. This week, Wall Street will feel the aftershocks. Going forward, all of us — especially the 25 million out of work Americans — will pay the price.
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