We've all seen how effective the Republicans have been at telling outright lies and distorting Obama's record and proposals, like Kerry and Gore's before his. They make statements that have some tangential relationship to the truth (without explaining what it is!!!), and make our candidates defend their programs, which just perpetuates the story. Instead of constantly complaining about it, it is time that the Democrats go on the offensive and stop trying to be fair to McCain while we criticize his proposals.
Keep it simple!
Here's what needs to be said about John McCain and the Republican party:
- John McCain would tax health care benefits.
- John McCain would make it easier for health insurance companies to deny people benefits and coverage.
- John McCain would raise taxes on the middle class.
- John McCain would give companies and their CEOs tax incentives to ship jobs overseas.
- John McCain's economic plan would reduce Social Security benefits and Medicare coverage.
- John McCain does not have a plan for the mortgage crisis, as the owner of 7 homes, he believes the current crisis is overstated.
- John McCain is against alternative energy development.
Keep it simple!
It's not our job to explain how or why those above statements are true, it is McCain's job to explain how they are not.
For your sake, I will justify all of the above, but the real point is that we need keep it simple to compete for the low information voters. The voters that now believe that Palin has more experience than Obama. Just make the assertions, no longwinded explanations.
- John McCain's healthcare plan would extend a $4,500 tax credit to pay for the costs of health care, but would tax the benefits employers provide to their employees. Translation: John McCain would tax health care benefits.
- A very likely result of McCain taxing the benefits employees receive would be that many companies would stop providing health insurance to their employees, because doing so would not be a way to give employees a tax free benefit. Health insurance companies generally cannot deny coverage to an employee of a medium to large size company under a company plan. However, if companies stop providing insurance and individuals have to go get their own coverage, the insurance companies can filter out people with pre-existing conditions. Furthermore, tort reform reduces the costs for health insurance companies that wrongly deny insurance coverage under an existing plan. Translation: John McCain would make it easier for health insurance companies to deny people benefits and coverage.
- See 1 above. Translation: John McCain would raise taxes on the middle class.
- John McCain wants to cut taxes on corporate profits. His plan does not punish companies for shipping jobs overseas. Companies ship jobs overseas because it is more profitable to do so. Therefore, if companies are permitted to keep a higher percentage of their profits, they have a greater incentive to ship jobs overseas (this is basic Republican supply-side Econ 101). Furthermore, by extending the tax cuts on capital gains income, CEOs who own stock and stock options in their companies have a greater incentive to make their companies more profitable by shipping jobs overseas. Translation: John McCain would give companies and their CEOs tax incentives to ship jobs overseas.
- Even when matched against his proposed cuts to earmarks, John McCain's tax cuts will dramatically increase our deficit. After Reagan's supply-side economic plan failed to produce its advertised results and the federal deficit soared, many conservative intellectuals began to put forth the argument that he was "starving the beast." They argued that it would not be possible to eliminate popular programs like Social Security or Medicare unless people were forced to choose between those programs and large tax increases. Since McCain is now proposing massive tax cuts and the extension of the Bush tax cuts, which caused the deficit to balloon over the last 8 years, it is fair to assert that he may be trying to "starve the beast." Translation: John McCain's economic plan would reduce Social Security benefits and Medicare coverage.
- This one doesn't require much explanation. Mix in his houses, his lack of understanding of the economy, a little Phil Gramm and you have enough to make this true. Translation: John McCain does not have a plan for the mortgage crisis, as the owner of 7 homes, he believes the current crisis is overstated.
- McCain voted against (or failed to show up) to vote for an extension of tax credits for alternative energy companies. But, let's stop saying it that way. Let's just say: John McCain is against alternative energy development.
Again, it is not effective for Democrats to explain all of these things, nor is it our responsibility to do so. We make the conclusive statement, let John McCain worry about defending his record and let the media follow-up with the explanation.
That's how you hit McCain! Keep it simple, (for) stupid.
Obama: Putting the American people first!