George F. Will: As the Oceans Rise | Newsweek George F. Will

As the Oceans Rise

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But it does not. Because of his cultivated persona as a "maverick" Republican, many—perhaps most—voters do not know he is pro-life. When the fact that he is becomes well publicized, and Democrats will make sure it is, Clinton's female supporters will stop sulking in their tents and will rally round Obama.

Something that millions of Americans think they know about Obama—that he is a Muslim—is injurious. When they are disabused of this idea, he will rise. McCain might think Obama cannot rise high enough to win because he, McCain, can get the support of white, blue-collar, culturally conservative Democrats who decisively preferred Clinton to Obama in the primaries.

But there are fewer of these "Reagan Democrats" than there were when that category was identified 28 years ago. That label might not yet be as antiquated as, say, "Wendell Willkie Republicans," but its significance diminishes as the economy and the educational and social profile of the electorate change. War-weary Americans are preoccupied with domestic discontents, but McCain sounds at best perfunctory when talking about things other than those that really interest him, things that fly or explode—the sinews of national security.

Neither candidate can know his current electoral strength because polling is in unexplored territory. No poll is any better than its template for predicting turnout—the size and composition of the Election Day electorate. So Republicans reading alarming polls might be insufficiently alarmed. Obama's candidacy might increase total turnout, and especially participation by African-Americans and young people. If so, some House and Senate races, and some states, may be more competitive than they currently seem.

In 2004, 12 states were won by 5 percentage points or less. Six were won by Bush (Florida, Ohio, Iowa, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico) and six by Kerry (New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Oregon). Bush's six have 73 electoral votes, Kerry's six have 69. But Florida, that geographic afterthought—some of it was tardy emerging from the sea, and its highest point is just 345 feet above sea level—might disappear, depending on "the rise of the oceans."

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Honestly, I'm at a loss as to why they can't cut our taxes to put money back into our wallets and thereby back into our economy. First of all, if you sat down and added up the money that's wasted on pork barrel spending (like the $85M wasted on supplies for Katrina victims that none of the victims ever got), there's billions of dollars floating around in the economy that are just being misspent.

Secondly, institute a flat federal tax of 10% for everyone, regardless of income bracket or corporate status so everyone pays their fair share. No H&R Block, write offs, refunds, and no need for a bloated and outdated IRS. Get rid of state income taxes (some states already have) and that puts even more money back into our paychecks. And get rid of property taxes so more people don't lose their homes and people get to keep even more of their money. That'll also make it possible for more people to get into a house. Instead hike the sales tax on everything but food, fuel and medicine, and create more toll roads to pay for roads and infrastructure.

Instead of these bogus one-time stimulus packages, this would allow the government to collect taxes while at the same time putting REAL money back into the economy in the form of a substantially larger paycheck; money you earned, but which they are no longer subtracting from your check. You can't cheat on your taxes because if you buy any goods and services, you pay tax at the cash register.

A flat 10% tax means that CEO's that pulled in $40M in salary have to put 10% of it back into Uncle Sam's pocket, and that corporations that made billions have to pay their fair share. But eliminating state taxes makes it much easier for them to bring much-needed jobs and money into the state without having to grease the palms of state and local officials, and that will make it cheaper to manufacture here and hopefully bring jobs back to the U.S.

I'm sure congress will never go for something like this because those earmarks and the taxes are how they hold on to power. But I say we put the screws to them. Anyone who votes against at least a 3-year moratorium on the earmarks and flat tax will get his a$$ voted out of office and replaced by someone who'll vote our way. The people currently in office have been deadlocked and getting nothing done for years now, and most of them need to go anyway. But no one, not Obama or McCain, is going to get this economy back on its feet unless they first address the problem of bringing a steady stream of cash back into everyone's homes so we can start shopping and buying big-ticket items again. Best way to do that: Tax so that everyone has to pay their fair share, no one can cheat, and our wallets are full again.

HE'S THE LIAR?!!! Here are some classic Clinton lies:

1. Bosnian sniper fire...not just inaccurate or misspoken. A bald face lie caught on tape.
2. Foreign policy in Ireland that the Irish officials present say never happened. Funny they don't remember her taking part in negotiations.
3. 35 years of experience...as what? Because it certainly wasn't as president. Her White House experience was the same as Laura Bush, Nancy Reagan, Betty Ford, etc. Unless you've already been a sitting president, NO ONE HAS EXPERIENCE BEING PRESIDENT. None of the candidates have that experience. Being married to a president doesn't make you qualified to do the job, any more than being married to an electrician makes you qualified to wire a building.Spending 35 years around experienced politicians doesn't make you a politician with 35 years of experience.
4. The press mistreated her...except when they were calling her "inevitable".

You don't seem to mind being lied to when Hillary's the one doing the lying. But it no longer matters. She can lie as much as she likes now because we no longer have to pay her any attention.

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Posted By: TheCandyPoem @ 09/13/2008 2:35:13 PM

The Quran on the oceans:

http://www.thekeytoislam.com/en/scientific-explanations/oceans.shtml
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Posted By: ginamlaster @ 06/13/2008 4:17:55 AM

Honestly, I'm at a loss as to why they can't cut our taxes to put money back into our wallets and thereby back into our economy. First of all, if you sat down and added up the money that's wasted on pork barrel spending (like the $85M wasted on supplies for Katrina victims that none of the victims ever got), there's billions of dollars floating around in the economy that are just being misspent.

Secondly, institute a flat federal tax of 10% for everyone, regardless of income bracket or corporate status so everyone pays their fair share. No H&R Block, write offs, refunds, and no need for a bloated and outdated IRS. Get rid of state income taxes (some states already have) and that puts even more money back into our paychecks. And get rid of property taxes so more people don't lose their homes and people get to keep even more of their money. That'll also make it possible for more people to get into a house. Instead hike the sales tax on everything but food, fuel and medicine, and create more toll roads to pay for roads and infrastructure.

Instead of these bogus one-time stimulus packages, this would allow the government to collect taxes while at the same time putting REAL money back into the economy in the form of a substantially larger paycheck; money you earned, but which they are no longer subtracting from your check. You can't cheat on your taxes because if you buy any goods and services, you pay tax at the cash register.

A flat 10% tax means that CEO's that pulled in $40M in salary have to put 10% of it back into Uncle Sam's pocket, and that corporations that made billions have to pay their fair share. But eliminating state taxes makes it much easier for them to bring much-needed jobs and money into the state without having to grease the palms of state and local officials, and that will make it cheaper to manufacture here and hopefully bring jobs back to the U.S.

I'm sure congress will never go for something like this because those earmarks and the taxes are how they hold on to power. But I say we put the screws to them. Anyone who votes against at least a 3-year moratorium on the earmarks and flat tax will get his a$$ voted out of office and replaced by someone who'll vote our way. The people currently in office have been deadlocked and getting nothing done for years now, and most of them need to go anyway. But no one, not Obama or McCain, is going to get this economy back on its feet unless they first address the problem of bringing a steady stream of cash back into everyone's homes so we can start shopping and buying big-ticket items again. Best way to do that: Tax so that everyone has to pay their fair share, no one can cheat, and our wallets are full again.
- Reply
- Report Abuse
Posted By: ginamlaster @ 06/13/2008 3:26:58 AM

HE'S THE LIAR?!!! Here are some classic Clinton lies:

1. Bosnian sniper fire...not just inaccurate or misspoken. A bald face lie caught on tape.
2. Foreign policy in Ireland that the Irish officials present say never happened. Funny they don't remember her taking part in negotiations.
3. 35 years of experience...as what? Because it certainly wasn't as president. Her White House experience was the same as Laura Bush, Nancy Reagan, Betty Ford, etc. Unless you've already been a sitting president, NO ONE HAS EXPERIENCE BEING PRESIDENT. None of the candidates have that experience. Being married to a president doesn't make you qualified to do the job, any more than being married to an electrician makes you qualified to wire a building.Spending 35 years around experienced politicians doesn't make you a politician with 35 years of experience.
4. The press mistreated her...except when they were calling her "inevitable".

You don't seem to mind being lied to when Hillary's the one doing the lying. But it no longer matters. She can lie as much as she likes now because we no longer have to pay her any attention.