Seems like the taxpayer is the least politically represented class in the USA right now. When even multimillionaire Wall Street gamblers come higher up the Congressional pork totem poll, you have to wonder why anyone calls America a democracy. With the Bear bailout in people's minds - a bunch of rich people being gifted even more money, courtesy of Joe Public's wallet - just at a time when normal people are feeling the crunch from recession, soaring food & energy & healthcare costs, has there ever been an era since 1932 when Main Street was more ripe for the political plucking? Most Americans can accept losing their job from time to time, without crying for a handout - that's the capitalist way and the US is not France. But very few Americans - Bernanke, Dimon, and Cayne excepted - can accept normal people losing their jobs whilst at the same time having their wallets raided to make criminally negligent multimillionaire Wall Street insiders even richer and more privileged than they already are. Americans instinctively know this is socialism for the rich, Darwinism for the man on the street, and IMO they are screaming bloody murder right now.
I think this is the political opportunity of a lifetime for whichever person wants to pick up and run with it.
The silence from all 3 presidential candidates is deafening on this matter. The first to really grab onto this issue and lambast the Wall Street inside clique will IMO be a shoe-in for the presidency.
It is hard to imagine Obama, let alone Clinton, strongly defending taxpayer interests, or having the personality type for a huge public slugfest with some of the richest and most powerful members of the business and political elite. But John McCain is a bit of a firebrand, with a volatile confrontational personality - IMO he would positively relish a no holds barred fight with the worst of Wall Street and the worst of the do-nothing fiddle while Rome burns regulators. Just think of the political popularity he would gain. No one, but no one supports bailout out rich people when their reckless bets blow up. Even those who support the bailout, have to hold their nose as they defend it. The fact is, it stinks. You are never going to persuade the average guy that this is fair. John McCain has an array of billion dollar sitting ducks lined up in front of him, and mainstream American would absolutely love it if he shot them all down, one by one.
I think that if McCain came out all guns blazing and slated this pandering to rich, secretive vested interests, he could get huge support from centrist voters and carry the election. The beauty of this strategy is that the only people who can complain are a small number of rich Republicans. What are they gonna do - vote Obama? Ha. No Republican will vote Dem because of this. Lots of stay at homes will come out and vote McCain if he does. Some Dems might even vote for him.
This is the biggest no-brainer in American politics for the last 25 years. If McCain and team have half a clue, they could go from outsiders to rank favourites within a month.
I think this is the political opportunity of a lifetime for whichever person wants to pick up and run with it.
The silence from all 3 presidential candidates is deafening on this matter. The first to really grab onto this issue and lambast the Wall Street inside clique will IMO be a shoe-in for the presidency.
It is hard to imagine Obama, let alone Clinton, strongly defending taxpayer interests, or having the personality type for a huge public slugfest with some of the richest and most powerful members of the business and political elite. But John McCain is a bit of a firebrand, with a volatile confrontational personality - IMO he would positively relish a no holds barred fight with the worst of Wall Street and the worst of the do-nothing fiddle while Rome burns regulators. Just think of the political popularity he would gain. No one, but no one supports bailout out rich people when their reckless bets blow up. Even those who support the bailout, have to hold their nose as they defend it. The fact is, it stinks. You are never going to persuade the average guy that this is fair. John McCain has an array of billion dollar sitting ducks lined up in front of him, and mainstream American would absolutely love it if he shot them all down, one by one.
I think that if McCain came out all guns blazing and slated this pandering to rich, secretive vested interests, he could get huge support from centrist voters and carry the election. The beauty of this strategy is that the only people who can complain are a small number of rich Republicans. What are they gonna do - vote Obama? Ha. No Republican will vote Dem because of this. Lots of stay at homes will come out and vote McCain if he does. Some Dems might even vote for him.
This is the biggest no-brainer in American politics for the last 25 years. If McCain and team have half a clue, they could go from outsiders to rank favourites within a month.