President Obama, 7/13/2012: “There are a lot of wealthy, successful Americans who agree with me — because they want to give something back. They know they didn’t — look, if you’ve been successful, you didn’t get there on your own. You didn’t get there on your own. I’m always struck by people who think, well, it must be because I was just so smart. There are a lot of smart people out there. It must be because I worked harder than everybody else. Let me tell you something — there are a whole bunch of hardworking people out there. (Applause.)
If you were successful, somebody along the line gave you some help. There was a great teacher somewhere in your life. Somebody helped to create this unbelievable American system that we have that allowed you to thrive. Somebody invested in roads and bridges. If you’ve got a business — you didn’t build that. Somebody else made that happen. “
I heard about this speech last week while I was in Germany and although I was shocked that he would express his honest feelings about American businessmen in an election year, I thought, “good for him – at least he’s willing to be honest and true to his principles and put his true feelings out there to let the voters decide now”. Let me be clear – these sentences in his speech were no accident. This is truly how this man feels – this is his truth. This speech was written for him and he most assuredly reviewed it, rewrote it and practiced it several times. He KNEW what was in the text of the speech. President’s have speech writers that are very careful to ensure that the sentences are clear, cannot be misunderstood or misconstrued in any way. He did not go off script – he truly spoke from his heart and was throwing fresh meat to his partisan crowd. Listen to the live version of his speech on YouTube to hear the cheers, jeers and the increasing, pulsating, collective heartbeat of the crowd as the raw meat was thrown to them. They eagerly devoured it and impatiently waited for the next morsel to be thrown their way and Mr. Obama obliged, feeding on the energy of his adoring fans.
What Mr. Obama fails to explain: Since we all use the same infrastructure, but some are more successful than others, what is the difference? Why does one succeed and one not succeed? Might good ideas and hard work have something to do with that? Barack Obama suggested that no, hard work and smarts have little or nothing to do with that. “There are a lot of smart people out there! There are a whole bunch of hard working people out there!”, Obama said with a sneer.
But, if the difference between success and failure is government-provided services such as education, roads, bridges and firefighters, and NOT talent or hard work, then HOW does one explain the existence of BOTH successful and unsuccessful people in a country REQUIRED BY LAW to provide these services to ALL equally?
So now, the polls are telling him that his words were offensive to the real Americans that have not only worked hard, but sacrificed blood, sweat and tears to make their businesses what they are today. The cat is now out of the bag – Mr. Obama has told us what he really thinks of Americans and their aspirations. He is backpedaling and telling everyone that those words are not what he meant to say. But one look at his face during his speech reveals that he meant it. It is an affront to all clear-thinking Americans with a brain to listen to this man try to tell us that he didn’t say what he said. All anyone needs to do is open up YouTube or go to his own website and read his words. Really – how stupid does he think we are??
At a time when we are hearing of real, heroic men in Aurora, CO who threw themselves in front of their true loves to protect them from the bullets of a mad man, we are now hearing a pathetic, man-child president – the most powerful man in the world – lie his pants off to try to regain a few points in the polls because he’s too cowardly to stand by his words. Even worse, he is afraid to stand by his true principles. I would have more respect for him if he had been willing to stand by his own words. This president’s past statements reveal the true nature of this man and what he thinks about Americans (never mind that he sat in the pews listening to Reverend Wright for over 20+ years and now disavows that fact – but that’s another story).
This is what I truly find most disgusting and pathetic about this president. His inability to act like a principled man. I was raised with REAL men who told the truth, no matter the consequences. Real men who were up in the morning before the sun rose and were plowing the fields or preparing to open their store for the day. Real men who worked hard to support their families, ensured their children were respectful to their parents and elders and were willing to help their neighbors at a moment’s notice – without any support from the government. Sure there were liars, but they were quickly ostracized and only the truth tellers earned the respect of their peers. At a time when this country needs strong, principled leaders to lead us, we have nothing but cowardly panderers, who are willing to say and do whatever it takes to maintain control, power and money, no matter the cost to this nation – all under the guise of wanting “to help the people”.
This president has been the worst president ever for protecting our civil rights http://www.npr.org/2011/10/10/141213273/op-ed-obama-devastating-for-civil-liberties – and in fact, has been actively taking them away as his partisan supporters stand by and spew their drivel and every possible justification they can think of. Yet they know in their hearts that had a president on the opposite side of the aisle tried the same crap they would have been up in arms. His actions have been devastating to our economy, our small businesses and even worse, to my wallet. As a middle-class American, I can’t believe that his poll numbers are even as high as they are right now. Where are the principled democrats? Principled democrats would be listening to that voice in the back of their head that is telling them that this president is dangerous to this country, not only in terms of our freedom, but also to our future economic success. His disdain for those citizens who are productive has been made very obvious.
What has become even more horrifying is listening to the people who believe him. The people who will nod approvingly at his every word and believe his blatant deceit only because he belongs to *their* party. They will vote for him no matter what he says, because he’s a democrat. I guess that’s where he gets the idea that ALL Americans are stupid, when he looks out on the crowd and they are looking at him with adoring eyes and he thinks, “you’re all suckers”. He is the most arrogant, narcissistic, petulant, vindictive, thin-skinned president I have ever seen in my life. We need a MAN – a real man – to lead us away from the abyss. Vote for Ron Paul!
Actually, Barack Obama is a very articulate man who has a lot of say, and actual involvement in the speech writing process. In 2008 he had a hard time coming to grips with how presidential candidates and presidents have to acquiese control of the speech writing process to their staff, and he still wanted to interject
I completely disagree with some of your takes on Obama, but that is alright. Sometimes I go a bit too quite on my stances on issues, but then I realize other conservatives and liberals are speaking up and out and I should as well.
Honestly, some of things about success are actually being in the right place at the right time, and having advantages over others. Up until the 1960’s or so we had many self made men who started successful businesses in this country from nothing, but more and more today that is becoming more difficult. Tax codes favor companies that outsource, and Democrats and Republicans are both guilty of that. Of course that is the way things are going, things are being outsourced now, but it is a bit sad both parties lifted tariffs and created trade agreements that allow politicans, lobbyist and the corps to all benefit. I am not anti-corporatist, but it would be nice to see small businesses that make things in America have a better chance at selling their wares, but unlike cheap exports from China, anything made in the US has to pass strong quality control. I would like to see the same rules applied to foreign imports, and thus make things more equatable.
I would like to see college and health care more affordabe for all Americans so those who want to succeed will have a chance. When it comes to the best candidate for president I will vote for Barack Obama again as Mitt Romney’s putting money into tax shelters overseas, misleading about how he took over many companies and outsourced during his helm at the top of Bain Capital, and flip flopping on his stances, and many other aspects of Republicans candidates in general are just not my cup of tea.
By the way, it might be best not to assume all people voting for Obama just nod and go along with what he says. Just listen to commentators like Cenk Uygur, and you will find liberals who are much tougher on the president than I am. I think he has played way along with the Republican side and been way too consolatory, more than a Republican president would have been even. A lot of us feel he has been way too soft on the banks that got bailed out, and are not happy with some of his corporate friendly policies that will not give multinational corporations more power to do as they like in the US. Some of us liberals and Democrats even think Barack Obama was too slow at withdrawing from Iraq, and we do not want to be involved in Afghanistan. So what is our choice?
Many of us are definitely not voting for Mitt Romney, who thinks Iran has nuclear weapons and would like to start another war. I get a lot of unsolicited emails and mail from the Romney campgain, and these all end up in the trash. Romney does not care about the American people, but he cares about his corporate interests and buddies. I actually think Obama cares a bit more about American families and those who are trying to put their kids through college, or pay off medical bills. His mom died of cancer, so he can relate to the struggles that many families of had to go through.
Kathy, I agree.
What’s more, every time I hear this “infrastructure” argument for mooching off the successful, (wasn’t this something Elizabeth Warren said before Obama said it?) I am more and more convinced that we should do away with government sponsorship of any infrastructure whatsoever.
People achieve despite government regulation and government involvement in the economic sphere. If the government were not involved in building roads, schools, and providing healthcare, think how much more the capable individual could accomplish!
Here is one I wrote specifically about roads and public transporation:
http://aya-katz.hubpages.com/hub/Oh-Beatiful-for-Pilgrim-Feet-Public-Transportation-and-the-Road-Less-Traveled
Ron Paul is the only candidate for the presidency who understands that the less government does, the better!
Julia – regarding your first paragraph – I’m glad that you agree with me that he is a well-honed speaker and what he said in Roanoke was exactly what he meant to say.
I’m not sure you understand my point which is, NOW he is trying to wiggle his way out of what he said in Roanoke. I have a problem with liars. The evidence is available for all to see & judge.
Regarding, “being in the right place at the right time”. We will just have to agree that we disagree on that one. The successful person has to PUT themselves in that place and BE THERE at the right time. It’s not just the “luck of the draw”. People MAKE their own luck. They don’t just sit there and wait for it to come to them as so many often do, then they wonder why they’re not successful.
Regarding the cost of college, have you ever asked yourself WHY college is so ridiculously expensive? Why healthcare is so ridiculously expensive?
I too would love to see small businesses thrive again in the U.S. – go ask them why they can’t. Their answers would be enlightening – and it’s not just the reasons you list above. Govt. regulations COST MONEY to the businesses in order to adhere to them. I know this for a fact – I’m in the business of making sure my company adheres to the govt. regulations. It’s costing my company MILLIONS and they are now laying off people because of it.
Lastly, regarding Obama going along with republicans and Romney & the corporations: it seems you have forgotten that Obama had complete control of all 3 houses for TWO years. Congress, Senate & White House. And he had a super majority in the Senate for over 3 months of that 2 years. That means ‘filibuster-proof’. He could have done anything he wanted in those 3 years, but he didn’t withdraw from Iraq or Afghanistan, he didn’t close GITMO, he not only didn’t destroy the Patriot Act – he EXTENDED it’s authority (go read the link above to the NPR article) and now we have DRONES flying over our heads in the UNITED STATES of AMERICA. Do not fall for the rhetoric of “republican obstructionism”. It’s a distraction and media sound bytes to his supporters who have not bothered to properly educate themselves on what is happening and what he is REALLY doing.
Honestly, I could care less about Romney’s money. So he avoids paying taxes. Who cares? I would too if I could get away with it. If that were really an issue for you, you would be offended at all the people in Obama’s administration that haven’t paid taxes and have PURPOSELY avoided it, some even doing it illegally. Envy of another person’s money is truly just that – envy.
You speak of Romney & Iran – but did you miss the part where Obama started bombing Libya WITHOUT Congressional approval, which goes AGAINST our Constitution??? This man thinks he is a damned king and kings easily turn into dictators.
You may not care about your freedom and what has been done in the last 3 years, but I do. I’m not trying to change your mind, I’m just encouraging you to get past the 60 second sound bytes and educate yourself on what Obama has done. This information I’ve talked about above isn’t just on the right-wing news sites – this stuff can be found on HuffingtonPost, FireDogLake and other left-wing sources. Regardless – just as you will – they will all vote for him again, even though he has PROVEN what he will do in the last 3.5 years. It boggles the mind.
I see you are supporting what Romney does, and placing the blame on Obama. Calling Obama names just does not make the case. Well at the end of the day when it comes to who I trust more, it will definitely be Obama over Romney. Telling me to educate myself over what Obama has done, well I have. I am an educated person that is well thought out on politics, but I do not agree with you. Did not agree with how we went into Libya, but it was a NATO operation undertaken by many countries, and the interference there ended pretty quickly. Also, did not agree with Bush on Iraq on Afghanistan, or Obama continuing to go there. However, you are not holding Romney and his gung ho advisers accountable by comparing Obama in Libya to Iran.
First off Gaddafi was hiring contractors to bomb civilian protesters in Libya, which is why the international community asked us to intervene. I say let them handle it themselves, but I was much less upset about Obama intervening via NATO there than Bush and Cheney making up excuses to go into Iraq, which lasted for years.
Whereas I do not like the religious government of Iran, they have never bombed their own civilians. However, under Reagan and his early support of Iraq, that country used American weapons to bomb Tehran. I certainly did not like that. The president I admired the most when it came to foreign policy was Carter who did not bomb other countries or get involved in conflicts. He may not have been popular, but at least since his time in office he has worked to establish peace. It seems every Republican is psyched about going to war with Iran, and the only one I hear not saying that is Ron Paul. Michelle Bachman says disgusting things about Muslims every day, and there were just so many Republican candidates that came across as prejudice to me.
You are implying I am a 60 second sound bit kind of person, which is really odd. Whenever someone implies that, it is time not to take it seriously at all. I read the BBC, New York Times, history books, political theory books, and yes I am left leaning. I was at the age of ten when I realized I was taunted for reading about Dukakis, and Republican kids told me how I was less than. It stoked a fire within, and made me realize going against a put-down committee makes you stronger.
There are a lot of intelligent people who are liberal, and thank goodness we do not agree with you. See, I never implied you were misinformed, even though I do not agree with you at all. I think you are intelligent person, and I would not put you down. Divergent opinions make the world go round, and anyone implying that a left-leaning source is less than is want to control things a bit, even though they may not realize it. That is okay, I knew this would happen when I took at stand. Conservatives need to stop implying liberals are not educated, we simply do not agree with your takes.
Also, implying I do not like freedom is a bit silly because I happen to feel we have a great deal of freedom in this country, even if things are not perfect. I do not want to deregulate to the point where things become dangerous or caustic, and that is my stance. I agree with Obama that university education and health care should be open to all. I am not excited about going back to the days of Oliver Twist where people had to starve to death, that is not my idea of freedom.
I prefer how our infrastructure is now, even though my main gripe is outsourcing and corporate politicians who support that. Obama does to some extent, but Romney does way too much. He uses loopholes in the tax code to paying a lower precentages of tax than I do, and he will never have my respect. He flipflops and outright lies about his stances, just as you called Obama a man-child for doing. See I really say that is your freedom of speech to do that, but I notice you did not do the same to Romney. Do you know why Mormons were living in Mexico? Because Romney’s forefathers were polygamists, and they follow the book of Mormon. There has even been speculation that Romney’s dad had more than one wife, but I really do not care. But then you bring up the thing about Reverend Wright, who is not my choice of religious leader, but both Romney and Obama have things religiously in their past that are questionable. I do not care about this stuff, it has nothing to do with how either of them govern.
Mitt Romney has outsourced and taken away American job, and this compromising American freedom to provide for their families. Under Obama the first two years I actually had less tax taken out of my paycheck, and that helped me too. Obama inherited a horrible economy thanks to Bush, and while he has not done the best to
Also, yes the reason small American businesses are not thriving is because of all the reasons I listed above. I have done my research and I know. I will stand by my pen, and I always smile when I notice one part I missed. Corporatism and outsourcing is hurting America, and team Romney wants more of it, and that is what Bain capital is about. Health care reform was a complete compromise because if you had followed it closely, Obama dropped the public option hoping Republicans like Olivia Snow would at least vote for it. In the end no Republicans did, and I do not expect them too. I did not bring up the thing about obstructionism, you did. However, I see the way you portray things is slanted to your view point entirely, and not taking into account families who have lost loved ones on health insurance. The health care reform was a Bob Dole plan, and Obama actually acts like the Republicans of fifteen years ago. Also, you did offend when you implied only those who agree with you are real Americans. I have a few aunts and uncles who are CEO’s of companies in the pay area by the way, successful people, and they are voting for Obama. Not all business owners feel he is bad for business. To some extent he is pushing for more American manufacturing. Romney is not.
Julia – by the way – 1 other point:
According to the IRS’s guidelines, it’s not illegal to AVOID paying taxes (Romney), it’s only illegal to EVADE paying taxes (as many in Obama’s admin are doing).
Aya – I just read your article – nicely written and I agree with all your points! Excellent!
Julia, you seemed to have missed the last sentence of my post. I request you go back & read it. I am a Ron Paul supporter. But that being said, I disagree with misrepresentations of any challenger to Obama.
Where did I say those who don’t agree are not “real Americans”? I never said that. Please, I appreciate it if you argue the points, but don’t pull the old, tired “victim” card. I have spoken my mind and if it offends, then that is your problem.
Again – a president who is willing to do things like declare war (with or without NATO) without Congressional consent and outside the confines of the Constitution is more dangerous than a presidential CANDIDATE who HAS NO AUTHORITY.
Romney is not president, so I don’t care about his Iran comments. On the other hand, Obama IS president and today he is commenting about Iran’s chemical weapons. HIS comments & his position right now is what you need to be worried about, if you’re truly concerned about war. So, I’m not clear why you’re stuck on Romney’s comments about Iran.
Again, I’m a Ron Paul supporter – we should get the hell out of the other countries – let them figure out their own problems. We will NEVER change their culture by force.
Let me try to clarify something….maybe “educate yourself” is the wrong approach. You do seem to be well-educated. Maybe I would be better served to use the phrase, “don’t let yourself be fooled by this president because of your partisan blinders”. All politicians will lie to us, Julia, and the more their followers do not challenge them and question govt. the worse it is for the rest of the country. I challenged republicans the same way when Bush was in office and was thrown off conservative discussion forums for critizing Bush for what he did.
In the same light, liberals should have more courage in honestly critiquing Obama.
Not playing the victim card here, but when you said real Americans were offended by Obama’s words, it came across that you were implying people who agreed with Obama are not real Americans. I could be wrong, but that is what it came across. Also, I think that the corporations and businesses saying “I am successful, why are you punishing me with taxes”, that comes across as playing the victim card as well. They pay a lower percentage of tax rates than they did under Reagan, and even a lower percentages than they did under Eisenhower. I am not envious of the rich, but they are not always successful in my book. Being in the right place at the right time analogy has a lot to do with those who steal the ideas of others, which some corporations have. Like the automatic windshield wiper idea, well the Detroit auto makers stole it from Robert Kerns, who went to them openly with it. Later he went to court to make his case about it, and won.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1054588/.
That is why there is copyright law, and many have come up with ideas they gave to companies, which were later taken because the company had the resources to market at the time. Not everyone who is successful is Thomas Edison, and those type of stories are fewer and farther between. A lot of our startups are created by foreigners these days, and these kids were educated in public schools in countries that push kids to succeed. I had an excellent public school education, and I see making this better as a platform to give more people chances. Of course you can succeed without an education, but these stories of rags to riches are becoming fewer and farther between. Overseas they are encouraging ingenuity, and we should do it here. I have always firmly believed if corporations cared enough about people here, they would create programs, and not outsource. They would figure out the ways to do it. Supposedly they are these ubber smart businessmen and women, so why can they not do it? Money is the motivating factor, and there becomes a time when if you are spending $23,000 on building a sandbox for a child’s birthday party, yes, I think you can pay a bit more tax, like you would have back in the days of Eishenhower or Reagan.
Also, to be honestly I think you are not really as familiar with a large number of commentators that are criticizing Obama, and from the start many of them have defected to Ron Paul or other smaller candidates. My issues with Ron Paul are his infrastructural cuts, which are just too many. If Ron Paul were electing president, there is no way either party would go with this. As a senator he has a lot more lee way, but as the president he would be probably vetoing most things. I think even those who really like him would be disappointed because he would not be able to get anything he wanted accomplished domestically, but he would be better on foreign policy.
I am well versed on politicians and have studied it all my life. Of course they deceive, but not one of them is pure. At the moment I even think some of the leaders of multinational corporations are worse, and they will deceive people even more. Power and deception go hand in hand, and I can see why some of you admire Ron because he seems one of the few that remains true to principles.
When it comes to Romney, it is his entire record of thinking he can say whatever he wants to slide right on by. With the Internet you cannot do that anymore. Actually I always thought the name Obamacare was ridiculous and sounded like a junior high taunt, and wondered why Democrats adopted it. It was called the patient health care reform act, and modeled on what Dole and Romney both wanted. Actually the entire mandate to require people to buy health insurance is a Romney idea, and he says so on video many times. But now that it is a federal thing it is deemed unconstitutional? Look I did not like the insurance mandate either, but Nixon, Dole, and Romney all wanted it, but now it is evil when Obama and the Democrats want it? This comes across as I will change my opinion just because someone else decided to want what I used to want. One analogy I suppose I could make is how I once explored the world of online dating, and I had a friend who told me how desperate that was. A year later she met her boyfriend online and got married to him, but all of a sudden it was the best idea in the world when she tried online dating. It comes across that when conservatives like Romney want something and then change their mind, they are being a bit contrary. You do not have to agree with me, but that is the opinion they strike.
I will not comment any further on this because I do not see myself agreeing with you. You are entitled to your opinions, I just have to get used to idea that voting for Obama will get a lot of chagrins.
I am not voting for Romney, and the race looks like it will be between those two. At least Obama is listening a bit more to liberals now, and he is withdrawing from Iraq. Finally purposing a job’s bill, but I guess the icy on the cake is if Romney is elected we get to give his supporters or anyone who voted for him the same hard time that has been doled out to us.
One parting thought, I will 100% focus on Romney’s ideas on foreign policy because he is a presidential candidate, and he will most likely do what he says in that arena if elected. It is a very big issue with many of us, and a war with Iran is ridiculous and would put America is so much jeopardy. He sending out newsletters to registered Democrats talking about how we are on his side, and have a need to go to war with Iran. If people want to criticize Obama, than I will also criticize Romney. They are both running for president, so I am going to make the best choice for me based on their stances. It is going to be an election between these two, we each have to decide what is best for us.
Julia, you are entitled to your opinions, even when they’re wrong. 😉
You’re truly making me laugh by trying to justify what Obama did with Libya, yet reacting in “shock horror” to any talk by Romney about Iran. We should all have very basic principles that we espouse & live by and not compromise them based on who is president. Those principles should not be open for negotiation nor should they be based on certain conditions (ie, well, Obama did it with NATO consent., etc., etc.). I’m very aware of my principles and there are no conditions or compromises to my practice of them. You are either anti-war or you or not. There is no grey line here. I don’t care that you’re not voting for Romney or Paul, but I do have to thank you for proving my point about how liberals have compromised their principles based on partisanship.
Conservatives and liberals do have a problem in communicating with each other because we think differently, so I’ll leave it at that.
Okay, maybe I am right, and you are wrong. It could be that way as well :). You think I am wrong, you think I am right. I am not justifying Obama’s stances on Libya, but we are not still there. It was a small little interlude that ended, and I am not supporting it.
What I find puzzling is you are saying not to focus on anything Mitt Romney says because he is not yet president, but no one extended that same courtesy to Obama, so why should we extend that to Romney?
My determination on who is the best candidate is on domestic and foreign issues combined. Mitt Romney is coming up way short, and even though I never would have voted for John McCain, I have to say he is much more of a team player that Romney would ever be.
Oh, and I did not prove your point about compromising my principles. I am voting for Obama because he is still the best choice.
Julia, I respect your right to decide on your own who is the best choice. But… please don’t assume that people who do not like Obama and find fault with things he has said or done are necessarily voting for Romney. Many of us have fought long and hard against Romney and some of us will not vote for him even if the choice that we are presented with by the political machine is between Obama and Romney. And we are not voting for Obama, either.
If by the best choice you mean someone you really support, then by all means vote that way. But if by the best choice you mean the lesser of two evils, don’t give in to evil. Don’t let them manipulate you into sanctioning any evil at all.
How do you feel about the NDAA? How do you feel about the bill of rights? Do you think it is right to detain “suspects” indefinitely without right to counsel? That is what Obama had passed into law.
Don’t come back with “Romney is also bad.” It’s completely irrelevant. Nobody here is telling you to vote for Romney. Don’t vote for Romney. And don’t vote for anyone else that has enabled the by-passing of the bill of rights, even if his name happens to be Obama. It’s not personal. It’s about principles.
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