# Did Obama really say he'll "spread the wealth"? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [November 8, 2008, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-obama-really-say-hell-spread-the-wealth/471748 "2008-11-08T00:51:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![HubZilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ccd318/32.png) [@HubZilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HubZilla)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2008, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-obama-really-say-hell-spread-the-wealth/471748/1 "2008-11-08T00:51:40Z")
I hear this A LOT. Usually from friends and other folks. Especially my sister-in-law who believes that Obama will force her USAF husband out of a job because Democrats hate the military (but that’s another story). :rolleyes: I looked at Snopes, but it linked to an article that said the [Wall Street Journal](http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/distribute.asp) did an addition to his quote. Obama never said it himself. Is that it? Is that what the critics are talking about? Is there any more? Please tell me there’s more that this “quote”. Oddly enough, I cannot use a Snopes to derail her argument, because she doesn’t trust it. She thinks Snopes always seems to defend liberals (and that’s yet another story). ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2008, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-obama-really-say-hell-spread-the-wealth/471748/2 "2008-11-08T01:08:04Z")
Here is video of the quote in question: [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFC9jv9jfoA](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFC9jv9jfoA) his “spread the wealth around” comment is at 4:44, but should be heard in context. > [@Barack Obama](#): > > “My attitude is that if the economy’s good for folks from the bottom up, it’s gonna be good for everybody. If you’ve got a plumbing business, you’re gonna be better off if you’ve got a whole bunch of customers who can afford to hire you, and right now everybody’s so pinched that business is bad for everybody and I think when you spread the wealth around, it’s good for everybody.” ---
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2008, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-obama-really-say-hell-spread-the-wealth/471748/3 "2008-11-08T01:47:47Z")
And I always contended that when you read his “spread the wealth” comment out of context it made it seem worse than it was. I think he really meant that he wanted to get money flowing in the economy… ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2008, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-obama-really-say-hell-spread-the-wealth/471748/4 "2008-11-08T01:59:36Z")
Every admin spreads the wealth. The tax policies and any other financial plans will move the money where they want. Bush’s tax cuts for the wealthy stretched the middle classes finances. All his economic policies assisted in exacerbating the wealth gap. Yes, he redistributed the wealth. Obama is suggesting that the tax breaks for the wealthy should stop and breaks should go to the middle class and poor. Why does anyone have problems with that? More people should be involved it the wealth of America. We do not need to develop a special class of billionaires. That is wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Frostillicus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Frostillicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frostillicus)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2008, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-obama-really-say-hell-spread-the-wealth/471748/5 "2008-11-08T03:35:14Z")
> [@](#): > > Especially my sister-in-law who believes that Obama will force her USAF husband out of a job because Democrats hate the military (but that’s another story). Have you told your SIL lately how stupid she sounds? ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2008, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-obama-really-say-hell-spread-the-wealth/471748/6 "2008-11-08T05:50:34Z")
I would say that Bush failed to achieve distribution of wealth as opposed to concentration. Or am I the only one who uses these words this way? ---
**Author:** ![HubZilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ccd318/32.png) [@HubZilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HubZilla)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2008, 7:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-obama-really-say-hell-spread-the-wealth/471748/7 "2008-11-08T07:13:31Z")
> [@Frostillicus](#): > > Have you told your SIL lately how stupid she sounds? Apparently Clinton skeletonized our military, therefore Obama the democrat will do the same thing. Her facebook stated: “I am very depressed thinking Obama has won… unsure of military’s future and husband’s career.” So I quoted [Obama’s own site](http://www.barackobama.com/issues/defense/). I figured it would show her she has nothing to worry about: (Italics mine) [QUOTE=Obama] Obama and Biden will complete the effort to **increase** our ground forces by 65,000 soldiers and 27,000 Marines. They will also invest in 21st century missions like counterinsurgency by **building up** our special operations forces, civil affairs, **information operations** , foreign language training and other units and capabilities that remain in chronic short supply. [/QUOTE] Her response was golden: [QUOTE=Sister in law] "I am not pushing my beliefs on you and I would appreciate the same from you. I do not like a lot of what democrats stand for. This is my choice and just like you it would take a lot to change my beliefs so please let it go. I promise I won’t question you guys, you are entitled to believe what you want and so am I. " [/QUOTE] So, no retraction or counterproof. She’s entitled to her _beliefs_ and that’s that. Can’t we all just get along? :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2008, 7:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-obama-really-say-hell-spread-the-wealth/471748/8 "2008-11-08T07:53:47Z")
> [@HubZilla](#): > > Apparently Clinton skeletonized our military, therefore Obama the democrat will do the same thing. Her facebook stated: “I am very depressed thinking Obama has won… unsure of military’s future and husband’s career.” So I quoted [Obama’s own site](http://www.barackobama.com/issues/defense/). I figured it would show her she has nothing to worry about: (Italics mine) > > Her response was golden: > > So, no retraction or counterproof. She’s entitled to her _beliefs_ and that’s that. Can’t we all just get along? :smack: Bethany: You’re saying that having beliefs is a bad thing? Rufus: I think it’s better to have ideas. You can change an idea. Changing a belief is trickier. I’ve always loved that line. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2008, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-obama-really-say-hell-spread-the-wealth/471748/9 "2008-11-08T12:15:47Z")
> [@foolsguinea](#): > > I would say that Bush failed to achieve distribution of wealth as opposed to concentration. Or am I the only one who uses these words this way? Bush was insanely succcessful in redistrbuting the wealth. It flowed from the middle class to the richest 5% of the country. Concentration \*is \*redistribution. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2008, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-obama-really-say-hell-spread-the-wealth/471748/10 "2008-11-09T04:02:06Z")
> [@foolsguinea](#): > > I would say that Bush failed to achieve distribution of wealth as opposed to concentration. Or am I the only one who uses these words this way? Well he achieved an inequitable distribution. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2008, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-obama-really-say-hell-spread-the-wealth/471748/11 "2008-11-09T16:20:17Z")
By definition, taxation (and the use of the money acquired through same) is redistribution of your money. Since all administrations in my lifetime have used the income tax to pay for programs, all presidents have been “Redistributors in Chief”. It’s a stupid argument. ---
**Author:** ![Shayna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shayna/32/17976_2.png) [@Shayna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shayna)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2008, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-obama-really-say-hell-spread-the-wealth/471748/12 "2008-11-09T18:21:23Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > By definition, taxation (and the use of the money acquired through same) is redistribution of your money. Since all administrations in my lifetime have used the income tax to pay for programs, all presidents have been “Redistributors in Chief”. It’s a stupid argument. And given that the progressive tax was the brain-child of Teddy Roosevelt, and the Earned Income Tax Credit that of Richard Nixon (signed into law by Ford, and increased by both Reagan and G.H.W. Bush)\*, it seems all the more _absurd_. \*See [this post](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=10373170&postcount=79) for further detail. Also, you can read Teddy Roosevelt’s entire 1910 speech [here](http://www.teachingamericanhistory.org/library/index.asp?document=501). I **highly** recommend it, actually. Sounds eerily like something Barack Obama would be saying, as opposed to, for instance, John McCain, who claims Roosevelt has his idol. Interesting stuff. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2008, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-obama-really-say-hell-spread-the-wealth/471748/13 "2008-11-09T21:30:38Z")
If it is logical to put it in the wealthy to trickle down, lets just give it all to Bill Gates. As he spends it, we will all be enriched. He will buy a car and the dealer will make money. If he goes to Europe on vacation .we will wait patiently. If he builds a new house ,the builders and salesmen will make money. After a while it will trickle down to the Target clerks. Yep ,giving the tax breaks to the rich is just about as logical. Give tax breaks to the average worker, then they go out and eat. They buy a car or a computer. Lots of them. Gates makes money. Many people ,including the rich, make money. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2008, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-obama-really-say-hell-spread-the-wealth/471748/14 "2008-11-09T22:25:31Z")
[http://www.corpwatch.org/article.php?list=type&type=16](http://www.corpwatch.org/article.php?list=type&type=16) Like this example,which does not get on the news because they own newspapers and TV stations. ---
**Author:** ![flickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7bcc69/32.png) [@flickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flickster)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2008, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-obama-really-say-hell-spread-the-wealth/471748/15 "2008-11-10T04:22:39Z")
Obama also discussed wealth redistribution during an interview on WBEZ in 2001 [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iivL4c_3pck) ---
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2008, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-obama-really-say-hell-spread-the-wealth/471748/16 "2008-11-10T06:10:24Z")
> [@gonzomax](#): > > If it is logical to put it in the wealthy to trickle down, lets just give it all to Bill Gates. Why him specifically? It seems to me that the government has a vested interest in encouraging the development of new jobs and new companies in all sorts of industries, not just Windows software and operating systems. ---
**Author:** ![IClaudius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c37758/32.png) [@IClaudius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IClaudius)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2008, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-obama-really-say-hell-spread-the-wealth/471748/17 "2008-11-10T06:23:17Z")
> [@flickster](#): > > Obama also discussed wealth redistribution during an interview on WBEZ in 2001 > > [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iivL4c\_3pck](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iivL4c_3pck) That’s a disingenuous subtitling of what he said. Every time the narrator tries to draw explicit inferences they are wrong and twist what he actually said. Why can’t the right just be intellectually honest for a change? ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2008, 10:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-obama-really-say-hell-spread-the-wealth/471748/18 "2008-11-10T10:26:56Z")
> [@jtgain](#): > > I think he really meant that he wanted to get money flowing in the economy.. That’s exactly what he meant, and what any Chicagoan would mean. ---
**Author:** ![Aquila\_Be](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a698b9/32.png) [@Aquila\_Be](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aquila_Be)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2008, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-obama-really-say-hell-spread-the-wealth/471748/19 "2008-11-10T11:40:36Z")
> [@Shayna](#): > > And given that the progressive tax was the brain-child of Teddy Roosevelt— Given? Do you seriously believe that Teddy Roosevelt was the originator of the idea of a ‘progressive tax’? ---
**Author:** ![Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cc9497/32.png) [@Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt.Ridley_s_Shooting_Party)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2008, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-obama-really-say-hell-spread-the-wealth/471748/20 "2008-11-10T12:28:08Z")
The idea dates back to at least Adam Smith (that capitalist stalwart), probably earlier. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-obama-really-say-hell-spread-the-wealth/471748.md?page=2)