"...if we don’t use this campaign at least to define the problems we face, we will end up wasting the $2 billion or so this campaign will cost..."

As we have seen for at least the last half century, national political campaigns don't spell out governing philosophies, make firm commitments, nor provide any information/education to the voters, they're just free money to the M$M to assure their continued cooperation.

is crap about Brown's nude centerfold vs. Warren's fake Cherokee heritage, rather than the fact that one candidate wants to dismantle any regulations on reckless, economy-destroying Wall Street gambling while the other one wants to increase them.

They've got to make and keep this a contest and keep those dollars rolling in. The republicans could run Zombie Marx and somehow he would poll in the margin.

It would be funny if not for the fact that so many people believe and take it seriously.

R&

The really shocking thing about the modern right wing is that if you just flat-out ASKED them if this is what they really believe, 90% of GOP supporters, and up to 50% of GOP politicians (especially in the House) would actually say YES!

This is what separates the modern right wing from the Reagan-era right wing, or even the Goldwater-era right wing. The mid-century GOP used to go to great lengths to HIDE their contempt for the poor, and their blind admiration for the wealthy, and couch their philosophy in focus-grouped CPC (Conservative Politically Correct) catch phrases about 'culture of dependance' and 'compassionate conservatism,' and 'boot strap,' and 'give a man a fish and you'll feed him for a day, teach a man to fish and you'll feed him for a lifetime.'

Now, they don't even bother to hide it anymore. In the early 80s, the idea that the rich are SUPERIOR, and needed to be granted special concessions, and coddled by the tax code began to emerge. It picked up steam in the 90s, but now we've arrived at the logical destination of that philosophy: "If the RICH are morally and mentally SUPERIOR, and thus DESERVE to have more...IT FOLLOWS, therefore, that the POOR must be morally and mentally INFERIOR and DESERVE to be poor."

I'd been waiting for this other shoe to drop for 30 or 40 years now, but I'm just surprised the general public has taken it in so easily. We're now at a point where a large chunk of the middle class accept this callous philosophy that the poor are inferior human beings and deserve to be poor.

We really have to fight double time to reverse this philosophy, and point out that A) the poor work VERY HARD, B) Very LITTLE of the social welfare net is wasted on people who don't deserve it (as opposed to the dominant view that MOST of it is wasted), and (most importantly) C) the creation of wealth TRICKLES UP, not DOWN. The economy only grows, and we all prosper, when the lower class is mobile, and can easily transition into the middle class, and when the middle class has BUYING POWER. Giving MORE money to plutocrats does NOT stimulate economic growth. Giving more money to the MIDDLE CLASS and lower/working class who spend it in the LOCAL economy DOES stimulate economic growth!

Good as the OP. Conservatives don't need to sound benign anymore. "Trust me" has officially morphed into "go to hell".

It's the new thing....preaching that wealth is how God shows his favor. It's making me sick.

Very convenient for the already advantaged!

own the Supreme Court, the voting machines, and the media, so they can just ram it down our throats without worrying that we might be able to do anything about it.

Their USSC made it possible for the .01% to pour obscene amounts of money into electing their obedient servants, and their media will propagandize effectively to ensure a close enough race that their voting machines can be used to steal it wherever it threatens to go in a direction that might displease our wealthy and powerful masters.

After parroting it for decades, they now have come to truly BELIEVE their BS.

And, absolutely right on the larger economy.

There has to be a balance, but end of the day, it only works when the lower 90 percent actually can buy stuff.

We have had 30 years of trickledown dominating our country's decisions in regards to our economy, and we are were we are at now because of it.

DUMBEST right wing sign I've EVER read.

You know, because strengthening the strong on the presumption that the weak will get lifted as a result has worked out SO well these past 31 . . . centuries.

K & R.

That's disgusting.

Tierra_y_Libertad

But Voltaire - and many like him, discovered what would happend, if the poor get enough of starving, of hunger and of ilnesses... So if they want to keep some of their wealth, the smart move is to share some of it - and not lose everything in one big bang... It have happened before, and can happend again if the rich and wealthy are not carefull enough..

Diclotican

They must delude themselves into believing that profit is more important than the planet, the rest of humanity, and whatever God they choose to worship.

Actually, money is their god, and cruelty the alms they shower upon us.

How rich people think:

American International Group Inc. (AIG) Chief Executive Officer Robert Benmosche said Europe’s debt crisis shows governments worldwide must accept that people will have to work more years as life expectancies increase.

“Retirement ages will have to move to 70, 80 years old,” Benmosche, who turned 68 last week, said during a weekend interview at his seaside villa in Dubrovnik, Croatia. “That would make pensions, medical services more affordable. They will keep people working longer and will take that burden off of the youth.”http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-06-03/aig-chief-sees-retirement-age-as-high-as-80-after-crisis.html

I don't think this election can be constructive. I believe too many think their position on social issues, such as abortion, gay rights, etc.. truly think these are central issues that must be resolved even at the expense of the more pressing ones.
I also believe the clinging to power is more important to many than the actual wielding of that power. Politicians and their staffs have a good job and they certainly don't want to lose them, even if they're bad at them.
And I believe that special interest groups don't wish to compromise their policy beliefs or give up their measure of power, again at the expense of reality.
All in all I'd say the time and money is going to be wasted and not much will be accomplished.
If the President is re-elected his policies, for good or for bad, will be compromised by certain special interest groups and blocked by others on the right.
If Mitt is elected he's already said his policies will reflect those of Bush, Reagan et al on such things as health care, economics, foreign policy and regulations so we're screwed there (unless a repeat of the recession/depression, a few more wars and so on are your goals).

I love E.J. and my first inclination is to at this because it's so true and so succinctly put, but upon reflection, it just makes me want to

"Conservatives say if you don't give the rich more money, they will lose their incentive to invest. As for the poor, they tell us they've lost all incentive because we've given them too much money."

-George Carlin


Great point however you phrase it.

Succinct and to the point