We won’t fall for that Okey Doke.
Posted on October 23, 2008
[posted by ArrMatey]
Somebody once said that words mean things. Somebody else once said that we won’t fall for that okey doke.
I attended an Obama campaign rally this past Monday. I filmed every word of it, and have spent some time the last few days watching it. It strikes me, and I’m certainly not the first to mention this, that I don’t quite think much attention is paid to what the man actually says. I think we should, of course., and I have some questions. I don’t expect to have them answered, but I’ll still pose them here.
Incidentally, Senator Obama gave this line (paraprhased here) about McCain’s campaign: “We will not be distracted…hoodwinked…bamboozled…we won’t fall for that okey doke”. I wasn’t familiar with the term “okey doke”, so I googled it. It is of note that Obama used the same line referring to Hillary’s campaign during the primaries.
1: Obama said during the rally that he supports a “3-month moratorium on foreclosures” and stated that “we can do it without putting your tax dollars at risk…we shouldn’t let the banks and lenders off the hook…”
My first set of questions that I’ve not seen Obama asked: Senator, is it your position that while Article I, Section 10 of the Constitution forbids states to “impair the obligation of contracts”, that the federal government can nullify or change the terms of private contracts? If so, is that power limited to mortgages? Is this moratorium a calendar three months with a fixed start date, or is every future foreclosure automatically stayed for three months upon commencement? Why is it acceptable to put my savings account at risk by forcing my bank to bleed money legally owed to it that was loaned with my deposits in that bank? (I could go on and on about this one).
2: Here’s some more. Senator, you told us clearly in Orlando that 95% of us will get tax cuts. You told us plainly that the under 250k crowd “will not see your taxes increase one single dime. Not your payroll tax, not your income tax, or your capital gains tax — no tax — that’s my commitment to you”, but later you said, “We’re all gonna need to tighten out belts; we all need to sacrifice.” What gives, Senator? Just lay it on me. What does that mean? How are we going to be tightening our belts? How are we going to be sacrificing? Remember, we won’t fall for that okey doke.
3: Here’s another thing that I heard you say. We’re going to put millions to work laying broadband and rebuilding everything under the sun. You tell us that we can pay for it because “if we can afford $10 billion a month in Iraq…we can spend some of that money right here in America.” Question: will it be your policy to continue federal spending at wartime levels eternally? This is a pet peeve of mine. Wars are supposed to be emergencies, and they are expensive. Can you really justify perpetual wartime spending even after the war is over?
4: My next questions are about when Obama said at the rally that “Under my plan, tax rates are actually less than what they were under Ronald Reagan.” With all respect, my okey doke radar just went off. Are we talking about the Carter tax rates that existed during Reagan’s first days in office? Before or after 1986 tax rates? Bottom line, and perhaps my googling ability just isn’t up to the task, but I cannot find what Obama says will be the top marginal tax rate under his plan, nor can I find any news organization that seems interested in finding out. We are looking for a number here. What is it? What will be your top marginal tax rate?
5: My next questions arise from this that I heard at the rally: “And you know what else we’re gonna do? We’re gonna make sure that every child in America is given the best education this country has to offer from the day they’re born ’til the day they graduate from college.” Senator, what does that mean? How on earth can everyone have “the best” education available? What happens to “good” and “better” education? I know it’s stump speech rhetoric, but I am concerned about being so specific about when public education will begin. The day a child is born? Really? Can I have just a few days without government involvement in my baby’s upbringing?
6: My last questions (for now) concern the following that I heard from the candidate on Monday: “Every young person in America, if you are willing to work [laundry list of public service], then we will make absolutely sure that you can go to college, no ifs, ands, or buts.” Question: do you mean that? Which colleges will be forced to have no admissions qualifications whatsoever to accomodate illiterate students, or mentally ill students, or dangerous sociopath students who happen to have agreed to your public service ideas? Your statement is unequivicable. Every, absolutely, no ifs, ands, or buts. What does that mean?
I am glad that I took the time to attend Senator Obama’s rally and hear his own words and record them faithfully. The questions I’ve asked above are meant to be serious questions. We’re about to elect a president, and I think we have a right to at least have some of these questions answered (hell, I’d settle for them being asked by the MSM). These questions are not personal; they don’t involve scandals or conspiracies or associations. They are pure policy questions. They won’t be asked or answered, though; we know that. I just post them now so in the event that Obama wins, we can ponder them later.
As for me, I won’t fall for that okey doke. Selected footage of the rally I attended is below:
» Filed Under Elections, News, Obama/Biden
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2 Responses to “We won’t fall for that Okey Doke.”
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Thanks! We have a debate coming up next week with each campaign’s State Campaign mgrs, and they say they’ll take questions.
I’ll try to get yours in.
Thanks, and I love your blog.
These are completely valid questions, every one of them. I find it horrifying that the MSM is not out rooting up the answers.