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April 15, 2008

 

Obama shows trust and respect for voting public: Hillary not so much

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Obama has embarked on a profound sociological and political gamble. He gambles by offering the electorate a deep respect by quietly and firmly telling truths. His campaign, to a degree unparalleled in normal campaigning, constantly and repetitively gambles that voters of all stripes, indeed, can handle the truth. It must be at times agony to watch the 'gotcha' spin from opponents and the press while waiting to see if the American citizenry can make intelligent decisions faced with a cacophony of spin.

So far the voters have proved Obama's respect for them to be well placed. They have showed their common sense by ignoring mindless spin battles and continuing to vote increases in Obama's winning lead primary numbers.

Hillary has made herself into the politician's worst nightmare, a caricature of the pandering politician. This week I am against trade deals says she as she enters a post-industrial state. This week I am a bird hunter she advertises. Last week I was a policy wonk and before that Mrs. Experience and whoops I find myself in rural hinterlands so fetch me a shot and a beer.

Obama was thoughtful, honest and a bit perhaps too cerebral last week. He was thoughtful, honest and trusting of the electorate and a bit perhaps too cerebral the week before. He said his white Gramma distrusted black people and that she said bigoted things, which was honest, thoughtful, respectful of his listener's intelligence and a bit too cerebral the week before that. Pennsylvania's rural voters in the majority accept that there is bitterness and a penchant to be angry over race, guns and religion but Barack's delivery would have been better couched in more palatable down to earth terms.

It must be agony for Barack and Michelle to watch and listen to twaddle gossip cast as news, waiting and waiting to see if common folks respond with common sense to not particularly revelatory truisms, that widespread unemployment encourages bitterness and that racism at varying levels is part of America's culture.

I'd like to think that the Obama family is actually in a "win-win" situation. They will continue to rise above pandering political showmanship and tell truths, although perhaps in a voice a bit too cerebral. They will ask and tell the electorate that their understanding is required to define and tackle America's open sore problems in health care, job creation, a dollar driven Washington culture and the USA's international posture. If Americans in a majority can actually "handle the truth" we/they will stand with the Obamas when they inherit the White House and begin a brutal slog to "change." If, on the other hand, voters revert to distraction over race, religion, sexuality and Annie Oakley panderings then Barack's quest for truthful definitions to guide America will be seen as a bridge too far of an endeavor; a bit perhaps too cerebral.

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April 14, 2008

 

Hillary talks 'cracker': her days of guns and food stamps

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Hillary says. "When in Pennsylvania cracker land, talk cracker."
"That is in no way condescending" she said, "It's simple political play book, page one tactics. Talk guns and beer."
"Barack, however, is different" she said. "Even tho' he was telling a known version of cracker truth, he used a five syllable word plus complicated syntax. That, my friends, is elitist. Knee slappin' elitist."
"Back when Momma, Poppa and I were on welfare.......and the revenuers were looking for our stills........"

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April 04, 2008

 

The Crooked Citizen takes a Mortgage

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John and Jane, brokers, sit in their mortgage originator store front office. They spy a couple reading their window adverts.
"Come in, come in. And how are you lovely folks today?"
"Good." "Good."
"May we ask you if you rent or own?"
"Ah, you rent. $900 a month and it's tight. We see." (They huddle a moment.)
"Folks, we've assessed your case and our thinking is if you sign right here for a thousand a month mortgage, we'll see that you get a quarter of a million dollars to get that home you have your eye on. How's that?"
"Don't you have to write down all your credit card debt?" "No. Your application looks great, just as it is."
"And what will your mortgage and mortgage rate be at the end of the initial term? No one can say for sure but the standard operating procedure is that you come back and refinance with the new higher value of your home". "Everybody does, just SOP, right Jane?"
"SOP, everybody does."
"You're curious how we get paid. Well, it comes from the lender's part of the deal. It isn't a lot but we get to put good folks in great homes. That's a big reward right there."
"All set? See ya later. You're welcome, thank you."
John and Jane high five, laughing!
"What a couple of con artists those two are, borrowing a quarter mil on their credit record."

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"Leverage" An off off Wall Steet Drama

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"Who's knocking on our door ?" the CFO of a huge investment bank asked.
"Why it's the government Banking Auditor. It's his day of the week to ask us to mark our assets to market."
"Are we in shape for his visit?"
"Uhm, Yes and no. Sorta good news, bad news."
"What's the good news?"
"We've done the math and we figure our remaining mortgages on the books, good and bad, are worth $43 billion, so we're okay."
"What's the bad news?"
"Uhm, well, nobody will buy any mortgage paper at the moment and some righteous auditors have been saying, no valid quotes, no value."
"That's absurd. That would mean we have negative equity."
"Shhh! He's leaving. Bernanke's got him on the phone."

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