This Is The October Surprise?
By Justin Gardner | Related entries in 2008 Election, Barack, Video, WTF?Audio from a radio program where Obama talked about how wealth redistribution didn’t help those who fought in the civil rights movement more?
By the way, just in case you don’t know this already, our economy has been predicated on wealth redistribution brought about by progressive taxation. And so is every other first world economy in the world. If you weren’t aware of this, well, now you are.
Ayers and Wright were stronger than this weaksauce.
Moving on…
UPDATE:
Upon listening to this again…Obama wasn’t even advocating redistribution of wealth via the courts. In fact, just the opposite. He said it would be a clumsy way to do that, and because the Warren court didn’t do it, that means they weren’t such a radical court.
Also, he was arguing that folks within the civil rights movement looked too much towards the courts to bring about change, instead of doing more community organizing and building change infrastructure.
Jeez, this was even thinner than I thought.
UPDATE:
TIME points out another obvious flaw in this argument: any politician who’s for progressive taxation has to be for wealth redistribution of some sort…
This argument remains problematic for McCain, because back between 2000 and 2004 McCain also had concerns about the distribution of wealth in America. More specifically, he opposed the Bush Tax cuts because a “disproportional amount went to the wealthiest Americans.”NBC’s Tom Brokaw asked McCain about this on Sunday, during a Meet The Press sit down. McCain’s answer is a bit difficult to parse. He seems to suggest that some progressivity is good in the tax code, but that progressivity should be minimized (or at least not increased) during difficult economic times.
Is John McCain a socialist?
See, we can do it too.
This entry was posted on Monday, October 27th, 2008 and is filed under 2008 Election, Barack, Video, WTF?. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
October 27th, 2008 at 9:55 am
Obama stated that the court was unable to “…break free from the intentions of the Founding Fathers.” He said it as if it was a failure. And while he said that the court may not be the place to win this battle, community organization (to support legislation) is the answer.
Yes, we currently have a progressive tax system with redistribution of wealth. But it is clear that Obama is for more redistribution of wealth. This is not a one side or the other, for it or against it issue. There are varying degrees of redistribution and Obama has time and time again proven to be on the radical end. And if you take his PROPOSED policy and put it next to his actual record for taxing and spending, do you honestly believe that no one else will see a tax increase during his presidency? That would be a bit ignorant and idealist…but then, that is his platform.
October 27th, 2008 at 10:14 am
[...] this video as some sort of smoking gun are taking a huge leap of logic. Justin Gardner, I think, has it right: Obama wasn’t even advocating redistribution of wealth via the courts. In fact, just the opposite. [...]
October 27th, 2008 at 11:11 am
First off, somebody is “ignorant and idealist” to take Obama at his word? You’re using a pretty broad brush there, and one that bases somebody else’s ignorance on your opinion of Obama’s veracity. Sorry, that doesn’t pass the smell test. You can distrust Obama all you want, but I think it’s inappropriate to call others ignorant for not sharing the same opinion.
A couple points about this audio…
You claim he was talking about breaking free as if it was a failure. And yet he goes on to say this…
Doesn’t this sort of cut the legs out from under any argument that he’s for the courts redistributing wealth? I’d say so.
Also, on the topic of redistribution as an idea, this from LIbertarian Republican Doug Mataconis…
Like it or not, the engine that this country runs is quasi-free market economics and progressive taxation. And so does every other first world country with any economic might.
October 27th, 2008 at 12:40 pm
I was actually quite pleased to hear Obama talk so cautiously about what the court should and should not do. I much prefer a politician who is willing to do things the hard but right way (through the legislative process) rather than the easier but sloppy way (through the courts).
That said, it’s going to hurt him that the subject was “redistribution of wealth” rather than “fairness” or “income equality” or some other less-nefarious phrase. Obama comes off sounding like he supports taking money from one group and giving it to another rather than improving the conditions of the disadvantaged so that they can earn more while monitoring the ultra-rich to make sure they’re not gaming the system in order to concentrate America’s wealth.
We don’t want too many poor people and we don’t want too much wealth concentration. Redistribution is one means to alleviate those issues, but it’s not the only way. Obama, like most liberals, probably relies on redistribution too much and that will cost him support — but since his tax plan isn’t radical, I don’t think it will cost him a lot of support.
October 27th, 2008 at 1:03 pm
You say 2+2=4, well I say 2+2=6.
See, we can do math too.
October 27th, 2008 at 3:04 pm
I like how right wingers have taken two clips of Obama saying “redistribute” or “spread the wealth” out of context around as evidence for his socialist agenda, while ignoring the nationalization of the nation’s banks and the worst economic crisis in modern history.
But then, it’s not about solving problems, is it? It’s short term political gain, that’s the only game in town.
October 27th, 2008 at 3:42 pm
[...] More discussion from Greg Sargent, Marc Ambinder, Matthew Yglesias, Michael Scherer at Swampland, Justin Gardner, and Andrew [...]
October 27th, 2008 at 4:38 pm
[...] the wires today is a 2001 Barack Obama radio interview clip concerning wealth redistribution. As with all things political, your perspective and your [...]
October 27th, 2008 at 7:43 pm
Apparently, McCain wants to eliminate the progressive income tax, despite the fact that some people are failing to make ends meet working two jobs, while others can afford private jets and 200 foot yachts. After all, some poor guy working for $7.50 an hour can just as easily afford a 20% tax as somebody who buys and sells baseball teams, right? Thanks, John – We’re drowning and you want to throw us an anchor. I’d say that this, and not remembering just how many houses you own, makes it pretty clear where you stand economically-for and with the selfish, greedy fat cats who are fleecing us for a TRILLION DOLLARS! Throw the bum out! Now!
October 27th, 2008 at 10:43 pm
The McCain Campaign Misrepresents Obama’s Position on “Redistribution of Wealth”…
by Damozel | Here is what the McCain camp says he said:In a previously uncovered interview from September 6, 2001, Barack Obama expressed his regret that the Supreme Court hadn’t been more ‘radical’ and described as a ‘tragedy’ the Court’s refusa…