Just to point out how quick to change the subject folks are when they're on the losing side.

Ohio doesn't have a large enough African American vote to affect the stats.

 

Uh yea, that whole The Political Machine thing where I designed and developed the statistical model that correctly predicted most of the states in THIS election (including South Carolina). I've been doing this stuff for over 8 years now.

Oh, I would make no promises on that.  Right now, JU is essentially charity. The Google ads and such on here generate probably less than $1k per month.  

In all likelyhood, I'd simply kill it because the most expensive part of JU is the customer service part.  I'd keep what's here so that I and people I like could continue to blog but everyone else would be gone.  They could still participate in the comments. It's the free blog sites that would go.

But I'm taking a wait and see approach.  I have no problem with Obama. If he doesn't raise our taxes, then it's a moot point.

OK I'll acknowledge that you have a certain level of expertise in this area. However even granting this I still believe it's quite a reach to conclude that the *reason* people voted the way they did is because they expect a handout.

Why examine just Ohio? National statistics show people making >$200,000 voted Obama 52% to 46%.

Clearly, those commies don't know how wealth is created.

-http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/results/polls/#USP00p1

Don't worry if Obama does slip up (hope not) the liberals will be gone in droves from this site, kinda like after the 2004 election.

The Obama campaign must not have told them, or they didn't hear, the new level for "rich" according to the Democrats is $120K. They will find out soon enough, it's changing your mind that's a bitch.

That would presume that there are droves of liberals here to begin with which I believe is a flawed assumption. It has nothing to do with whether or not Obama "slips up". It has a lot more to do with the fact that liberals are basically made to feel unwelcome here.

I personally don't feel obligated to "convert" anyone to share my opinion. There are always going to be folks that disagree with you. Unlike many others here, I have no interest in trying to convince folks that they are somehow "wrong" and that the way I view things is somehow "right". I'm fine with a live and let live attitude. What comes around goes around. It's childish to assume that things will always go your way.

I also have no issue when folks try to reasonably argue their position in an attempt to convince me that their opinion is somehow better than my opinion. The only thing that bothers me is when folks insist that the way they view things is the  *only* logical way and that if I don't agree with them I am somehow stupid, or lazy or looking for a handout.

I do just fine for myself thank you very much and even if there is a certain segment of the population that takes advantage of the taxes I pay, I believe that overall there are more people that deserve the help than there are those simply milking the system. In any case whether I'm wrong or right I have enough to live comfortably. I can put a roof over my head and food on the table, I don't feel the need to own a Beemer or live an ostentatious lifestyle and I don't begrudge someone that somehow gets by off of the taxes I pay.

But then we knew that going in.  Kind of like the ant and grasshopper.  Those looking at their paycheck today (the grasshoppers) voted for Obama.  Those that were thinking about getting gouged in the future (the ants), voted for McCain.

There is a reason that the young vote for the democrat more often.  They are making less than the adults, and do not have the experience that comes only with living, not with promises and teachers.  They will learn.  Perhaps too late.  But then they only have themselves to blame.

???

This seems totally unrelated to any recent reply in this thread but perhaps this is in response to reply #15. Any clue as to what this is in reference to?

But if you're not bothered by your taxes being wasted (or frivolously spent at best), why should the government be bothered either? They will just take more. It matters to me. I want every dime accounted for. If citizens are being ask to live more efficiently, our government should do the same.

May I suggest you claim us lefties as charity?

I guess it's a matter of perceived waste. I mean there's a certain amount of waste in any process that's unavoidable. In my estimation the amount that's wasted is within reasonable limits and so I have no problem with it. If in your estimation more is wasted than spent effectively then you'll be pissed.

I personally believe that there are more people legitimately helped than there are people that cheat the system and so I feel my taxes *do* provide a benefit to others and I don't begrudge that. But there's also a matter of feeling that I have enough left for myself. Like I said I can afford a roof over my head and food on my table and I can afford to buy a Chevy every 5 or 10 years or so for both me and my wife. If the amount of taxes taken didn't leave me enough to support me and mine then I would feel differently about it. But if by paying taxes I can't afford a new Jaguar every year then that's just too bad.

I don't feel any sympathy for someone making way more than any normal person needs to get by. Whether they pay 15% capital gains or 50% capital gains won't make the difference between putting a roof over their heads or food on their table. We're talking ostentatious consumption. Let them pay a 100% luxury tax on their new yacht or not buy their wife a diamond necklace this year. But I do feel bad for people that can't put food on their table and a roof over their head.

I think he already is.

 

First, they didn't have the national one available at the time.

 

Now...talk about cherry picking..

Let's look at this statement.

Who decides how much someone "needs"?

Secondly, when someone buys a yacht aren't they spreading their wealth? Isn't that what we want? Why is it better for the government to decide where that wealth is spread?

Aren't you the least bit curious to know why someone is strugglign to put food on the table (and really, please show us where these starving Americans are hiding, maybe the obese poor people in the US are getting in the way?)?  Aren't you interested in looking into why someone is poor before you decide to feel sorry for them?

My consumption is often quite conspicuous.  I'm building an insane house.  But in doing so, I'm employing a lot of people to build it. Local workers who are paid well.  To get the money to be so conspicuous, I worked very hard and in the progress created a lot of other jobs.  I would not have worked hard and created those jobs if there was no conspicuous reward for doing so.