Friday, October 17, 2008

The Last Debate

Regardless of who you thought won, I think many of us walked away from debate number three with a similar thought: If I hear reference to “Joe the Plumber” one more time…

And then many of us became a little aggressive like McCain was throughout the entirety of the debate.

So I know you want to know.

The number of times the name Joe [the plumber] was used:
By McCain: 22
By Obama: 4

Source: me; I can count.

And here’s the beauty of the situation:
Yesterday, ABC News reported that Joe the Plumber admitted that he wouldn’t actually make more than $250,000 from his new plumbing business to pay higher taxes under Obama. In fact, it seems he would be eligible for an Obama tax cut.

My two favorite quotes from the night:
Obama:
“Even FOX News disputes it, and that doesn't happen very often when it comes to accusations about me.”
McCain: “I am not President Bush. If you wanted to run against President Bush, you should have run four years ago.”

Well said, gentlemen.
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And if you really want to do some reading, here are some differences in what was said by the two candidates on the issues of the economy and education summarized by me:
Economy:
M: Take 300 billion from the bailout and go negotiate to keep people in their homes who can’t afford their loan. This would affect 11 million homes or more.
O: Four step plan:
1) Create more jobs by ending tax breaks for companies shipping jobs overseas and giving a tax credit to those who are providing jobs in the U.S.
2) Middle class tax cut for those making under $200,000, and allow them to access their IRA accounts without penalty in a crisis.
3) Help homeowners renegotiate their mortgages.
4) Focus on long-term ways to improve the economy like investing in alternative energy, the health care system, and education.
M: Wants tax cuts for everyone.
O: Is okay with the top 5% paying more in taxes.
M: Wants an across the board spending freeze on everything but defense.
O: Doesn’t think an across the board spending freeze is needed; thinks that a reallocation of funds is needed in addition to cuts in spending.
Education:
O: Invest in early childhood education. Create a new generation of teachers with higher pay and more professional development in exchange for higher standards. He has proposed a $4,000 tuition credit in exchange for community service.
M: Choice of school is important. He supports charter schools. Encourage programs like Teach for America and Troops to Teachers so those who have served in the military can go straight into teaching without having to pass a required test or get certification.
O: Supports charter schools but not vouchers.
M: Supports vouchers.

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