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Tuesday, October 19. 2010

Say what?

Bill Clinton on the campaign trail in the South (I thought ex-Presidents traditionally stayed out of active partisan politics. How come nobody talks about that?):



He warned voters, “You are being played,” and urged people to cast ballots with their economic self interest in mind.


What? Not America's best interests? He's telling us to vote our personal self-interest. Good grief.

Posted by The News Junkie in Hot News & Misc. Short Subjects at 09:47 | Comments (12) | Trackbacks (0)

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Ronald Reagan asked "Are you better off now than you were four years ago?" in the 1980 debate which sent him on his way to the Presidency.

Is that not the same idea as President Clinton's appeal?
#1 Tom Francis on 2010-10-19 10:06 (Reply)
I don't think Clinton, Reid, or Pelosi want voters asking that question.
#1.1 NJSoldier on 2010-10-19 10:12 (Reply)
Good point --
"Vote for the candidate promising the most social benefits from the Government purse" will attract the self interested voter seeking those benefits.
"Vote for lower taxes" and "Vote for less government interference in people's lives" will attract the self interested voter who would directly benefit from lower taxes and/or less bureaucratic hassle.

Both of them, can be interpreted as "Vote for me, and I'll give you stuff"

Of course, the reason we have social spending programs is because those who supported them had a strong enough argument that they brought positive externalities. And the reason we get de-regulation and tax cuts is because those who support them can convince enough in congress that a) everyone involved in the economy benefits when the economy improves, and b) those actions will stimulate the economy.

But really, I think Reagan was saying "We've tried printing lots of money and adding lots of regulations on goods and labor -- use your personal experience to determine if you think that has improved the economy".

I'm not sure what Clinton is saying about "voting their self-interest" (that is a paraphrase of a point in his speech, and I can't find the transcript). The “You are being played...” is referenced to the thought that House and Senate republicans seem to care a lot about deficits when Democrats are in power and not so much when they are themselves in power.
#1.2 Douglas2 on 2010-10-19 13:25 (Reply)
I'm not the greatest thinker in the world - I mean hell, I can't keep up my end of the conversation with a box of rocks most times. It seems to me though that if you vote, then you are voting your own self interest - you are voting for the person you think will do the best job for you, your family, your town, city, state and country - right? You vote for issues and propositions based on your own logic train and what you think it right - your own self interest in limiting taxation, over zealous developers, etc.

The whole concept of not voting in your own self interest seems a little - well silly to me because that is the whole point of voting.
#1.2.1 Tom Francis on 2010-10-19 15:31 (Reply)
Folks should remember that Bill Clinton and this spiraling national decline we are in came to town together, and that Arkansas Bill's career startup was sponsored by Senator William Fulbright, the Senate Foreign Relations Chairman whose massive contacts with the KGB are well-documented (search for yourself --LBJ had to put an entire team of spooks on him in order to fight the war in VN). And that the Cecil Rhodes of Rhodes Scholars was an early Progressive and his scholars regularly made 'friendship visits' to the USSR (as did Bill) where they were routinely 'turned' by the KGB, betting 'on the come' that some of them would be helpful later.

Interesting too that Armand Hammer (the founder of Occidental Petroleum) was a Lenin friend and also a Red symp (search this too, for a toxic feast of eye openers), and the Occidental College Fulbright (after Sen. Fulbright) Scholarship that he established at his endowment's Occidental College (well known today for its Red studies) not many years ago was awarded to one Barack Obama (or Barry Soweto, whichever he was using at the time). Again --long horizons, betting 'on the come'.
#2 buddy larsen on 2010-10-19 10:26 (Reply)
Interesting stuff Buddy. We're they all cigar smokers like Slick Willie?
#2.1 jappy on 2010-10-19 21:02 (Reply)
haven't got that far yet Jappy. I doubt it tho --pinchnosed dork commies, usually hate fun stuff.
#2.1.1 buddy larsen on 2010-10-19 23:58 (Reply)
Reagan was the candidate. Clinton's a self-interested creep. The central government is getting downright creepy! Too much cash at stake as far as these jerks are concerned. Whenever Clinton or any statist speaks or recommends candidates or policy the question one should always ask is, "Cui bono?"
#3 Tom C on 2010-10-19 11:44 (Reply)
“You are being played...”

Evidently Bill calls it the "Monica Move".
#4 JJM on 2010-10-19 11:57 (Reply)
- "Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote."

- "When the people find that they can vote themselves money, that will herald the end of the republic."

- "There is no kind of dishonesty into which otherwise good people more easily and frequently fall than that of defrauding the government."

-- Benjamin Franklin

Mr. Clinton is suggesting that people join the wolves deciding the lunch menu with the lambs, to vote themselves generous helpings of Other People's Money, and to fall easily and frequently into defrauding the government.
#5 Knucklehead (Link) on 2010-10-19 13:56 (Reply)
Willie Jeff, being the mama's boy he is, always forgets the conservative lambs are much better armed than the liberal wolves.

And more ready as well!
#5.1 Earl T on 2010-10-19 22:28 (Reply)
Sounds more like a Pimp that believes everyone is a Whore...
#6 dorf on 2010-10-19 17:45 (Reply)

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