[quote=UCGal]Brian. I’m a lefty but I have to say that Allan keeps asking a legitimate question – what is Obama’s plan to fix the economy.
For the life of me, I can’t see a plan. And I was very hopeful that he’d be different.
I agree with Allan that blaming isn’t solving the problem so you (and folks on the other side) should just stop.
I’m not a fan of the GOP suggestions – they won’t fix the problem. But (much as it pains me to say this) they’ve at least put something on the table. Even if that something is crap.
The country’s in a big mess. Perhaps not as bad as Greece… but if we don’t do something we’ll be headed that way. I’d love to see leadership and VIABLE ideas. I don’t see them from either side.
For now… both sides are in the pockets of wall street and corporate interests… and I don’t have much optimism. Saying one side is better (or worse) than the other is splitting hairs. They both suck.[/quote]
UCGal: Spot on. Couldn’t have said this better myself. The issues surrounding jobs, tax reform, fiscal responsibility (and immigration) have become heavily politicized and tremendously polarizing and are preventing reasonable voices from either side from being heard.
For Obama to reject the Paul Ryan plan out of hand, and then deliver that class warfare diatribe, was the height of political folly. However, it admirably served his purpose of energizing his base and prepping him for his 2012 run. You’re exactly right in your assessment of the Ryan plan: It ain’t a perfect solution, but it is serious and it is a place to start. For Obama to reject it so casually is to also assert that the Dems don’t want to have a serious conversation on this topic, but will stick with pure party politics.
No, Brian, that isn’t to say the GOP are any better. For the most part, they’re not. But, to Ryan’s credit, he did come up with a working document, albeit one slanted to GOP interests. What the Dems should have done is attempted to meet him in the middle (read “tax increases”) with ideas of their own. That not only hasn’t happened, but Obama does not have a set of plans, and I believe the loss of Goolsbee will further hamper the Dem’s ability to respond effectively.
You say that the Federal government needs to step in, but Where, How, When, Why? To simply throw more stimulus money at it is not a workable solution. So, again, where is the plan? What is the plan? I’d like an answer and, as UCGal said, the question is legitimate.
