Monday, November 03, 2008

Election Myth Busters


There are some whopping great, stupid lies going out about both Barack Obama and John McCain. Before you vote - for either candidate - make sure you know the truth.

Myths about John McCain:

"McCain will slash Medicare benefits." McCain will do no such thing - he intends to slim Medicare's burden on the taxpayer by making it more cost-effective, not by reducing any coverage or benefit.

"John McCain will privatise Social Security." John McCain will allow younger workers to 'opt out' of Social Security and opt into a privatized system. The bulk of us would stick with Social Security - even if it is potentially bankrupt.

"John McCain wants a 100 year long war in Iraq." Totally untrue - although John McCain can see Americans remain there for decades to come, in a peacekeeping role much like the American troops stationed in South Korea even fifty years after the war ended.

"John McCain will give $4 billion in tax-cuts to the oil industry." John McCain will be giving huge corporate tax cuts across the board - including to the oil industry. He hasn't singled out that sector for a specific tax-break.

"John McCain will definitely overturn Roe vs. Wade." Despite now claiming the opposite, in 1999, when he wasn't saddled with pandering to the Republican party, John McCain expressed his true opinions on abortion. "In the short term, or even the long term, I would not support repeal of Roe v. Wade, which would then force X number of women in America to undergo illegal and dangerous operations."

Myths about Obama

Obama is a Muslim. No he isn't. Obama is a Christian and attended the same (admittedly controversial) church for over 20 years.

Obama is a secret Muslim. Anybody who tells you this is an idiot and should be ineligible to vote.

Obama will raise taxes on anybody making more than $42,000. Absolutely untrue. Obama will cut taxes - quite dramatically, for 95% of Americans and everybody earning less than $200,000 a year.

Obama will socialize... something... redistribute the wealth... or something. Obama is not a socialist. What the Republicans call 'redistribution of wealth' largely involves a redistribution of the burden of taxation - away from the middle classes.

Obama will socialise the Health Care industry. Obama will do no such thing. He will shift the burden of 'free' health care from those who pay for medical insurance to the government itself, thereby reducing health care costs across the board.

Obama is friends with known terrorist William Ayers, who ghost-wrote his autobiography. Obama served on the same committee as William Ayers and attended functions together. They are not friends and have no affiliation beyond that. Many Republicans in Chicago are more closely affiliated to William Ayers. Ayers did not write Obama's autobiography: Look up the 'auto' in the definition of 'autobiography.

5 comments:

The Chemist said...

Good work Roland!

I would add that Bill Ayers never killed anyone. They engaged in crimes against property, including Federal property, but they went out of their way not to kill people. The only people killed by the bombs of the WUO, were members of the organization who were killed accidentally in their construction.

He went through the justice system, and his guilt and responsibilities were dealt with. Now he is a productive member of society. This is a far cry from being an unrepentant terrorist in the first place, whatever his relationship with Obama.

ck said...

I believe many of your myths about BO, will be proven to be closer to truth than his campaign promises.

I highly expect my taxes, income WELL below 250K, will be raised under a democratic rule. And the minute it happens... you better believe I will call it out.

The Bush tax cuts have saved me 3K per year. I am FAR from rich.

Roland Hulme said...

Well, here's hoping your taxes go DOWN, CK, like he promised.

ck said...

Its just not possible. They can't go down AND have all these new social services. Just doesn't work that way.

Even YOU know that.

Anonymous said...

Very nice Roland!

I, for one, hope to be very wrong about Obama... especially if he is, in fact, elected.