Hillary Is Not A "Born Again" Populist!

[last1standing]

She is a panderer and a liar.

Populists believe the policies they propose will help people whereas a panderer and a liar just says popular things without any real intention of actually do anything to help.

A populist would never propose letting the oil companies steal $9 billion more when they're already collecting record profits just to win a few votes. A pandering liar, however, would do it in a heartbeat.

It's important that we remember the difference.

This has been a DU service announcement.

[PBS Poll-435]

1. Suspending the gasoline tax takes away a RW talking point.

That might be helpful.

[anigbrowl]

3. It might, if a majority agreed with her

but even Republicans say say it's a bad idea by a small majority, per the recent CBS/NYT poll.

[PBS Poll-435]

5. The Talking D*cks on RW Radio

Constantly talk about how the poor oil companies suffer and that their profit margin is less than "the government's"

[last1standing]

4. It could also take away a bridge or two. But so long as Hillary wins, right?

n/t

[PBS Poll-435]

8. Do you honestly think that the Transportation & Federal Highway Fund would not get an offset from

The general fund?

[last1standing]

9. And where will that money come from? Should we just ask China for another loan?

I can't wait till I'm cruising down the Peking Interstate. :eyes:

[PBS Poll-435]

10. Which is it?

Either the fund will be offset or not?

[last1standing]

11. I very much doubt it would. There's no place to take the money from.

Do you really think that this country can run on China's money forever or do you agree that we need to start managing our budget and stop wasting money to pander for votes?

Which is it?

[PBS Poll-435]

12. What programs do you recommend we cut?

We ARE in serious trouble.

[last1standing]

14. I first suggest we cut the proposal to eliminate the gas tax.

We need those funds, desperately, and there is no place to take the money from to replace them.

Seriously, prodn2000, we can go back and forth with games all day but the idea that cutting out the gas tax for the summer wouldn't hurt this country is ridiculous. We need that tax in place.

My own opinion is that we could save buckets of cash if we were to get out of Iraq then suspend most, if not all, of these contractors who are currently doing the work that the soldiers used to do such as cooking, cleaning, office work, etc... Those menial jobs give a soldier time away from the front lines during wartime which boosts their mental health. It also saves tons of money.

Any disagreements with that?

[PBS Poll-435]

17. I very much agree about the contractors.

[last1standing]

18. So why don't we agree on the gas tax "holiday"?

n/t

[PBS Poll-435]

19. Not everyone agrees on every point.

And we can still be civil.

:-)

[last1standing]

20. I'm all for being civil, but I honestly want to know why you support it.

I've been asking for days and not one person has come out and told me how it is effectively a good plan. I've had people say it's a good idea but they never back that up with any logical answer for why.

If we could have an honest, no insults allowed, debate on that, I'd be a happy guy.

[PBS Poll-435]

21. Ok, I will give this a shot. No laughing!

1. Independent Owner/Operators are getting slammed by the price of diesel. The >20 cent per gallon relief will go a long towards keeping them in business and their homes from being foreclosed on. Trucking is all about margin, and if they are just breaking-even, that is a very bad thing.

2. I think that if the oil companies DID increase the wholesale price of unleaded gasoline in response to the suspension of the tax, that would create an easy to prove direct cause/effect relationship. That would do much for the case of a windfall profits tax. The federal gasoline tax is collected by the wholesaler from the gas station or retailer at time of delivery.

[last1standing]

23. I'm not laughing. I think that truckers do need help.

However, wouldn't the wiser solution be to provide tax credits that replicate the Earned Income Tax Credit for business use of a vehicle so that money is refunded regardless of taxable income? That way it would go back into the pockets of those who need it without increasing consumption or giving the oil companies an excuse to increase prices.

As for the windfall profits tax, there's very little hope of that passing in either a repub or Democratic congress. The current system allows for lobbying and political contributions to PACs and the oil companies use both to their fullest possibilities. There is no way short of a complete political revolution (which neither Dem candidate represents) that this will change for the better.

If you agree with my second point, wouldn't you say my first is the better way to go as it will not jeopardize our infrastructure and thousands of jobs?

[PBS Poll-435]

24. Yours is a good idea. A very good idea.

EIC can even be pre-paid. That makes it very effective.

Our infrastructure is FUBARd as it is.

[last1standing]

25. Thanks. I didn't know EIC could be pre-paid. That would make it a big help.

So why doesn't someone propose that? It seems an easy, vote attracting, responsible way of dealing with the worst of the problem without screwing with infrastructure funds. It would likely pass congress and maybe even skirt a presidential veto.

It's a shame that NEITHER of our candidates has come up with this.

[havocmom]

7. Telling the truth about what gas taxes do and how little we each really pay would do more

If you want to take away a RW talking point, you point out the absurdity of it, you don't non ands say yeah! what the GOP spews!

Most people know that. Hillary's campaign seems to be more in favor of Rove methods.

[endarkenment]

13. The Clintons felt the same way about DOMA and flag burning

and welfare as we knew it and NAFTA and don't ask don't tell, oh and about standing up against that criminal enterprise in Iraq. At what point does 'taking away a RW talking point' become being RW?

[last1standing]

15. Excellent points. You should expand that into a thread.

n/t

[NJmaverick]

2. That's pretty much a given

[BlooInBloo]

6. If she thought she could get elected by being a pirate, then she'd become a pirate.

[flpoljunkie]

16. "Faux" born-again populist?

[madrchsod]

22. she never was a populist

she has never thought populism was a valid political movement