# Latest McCain Desparation: Obama Wants Reparations for slavery... **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 27, 2008, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-mccain-desparation-obama-wants-reparations-for-slavery/469767 "2008-10-27T15:04:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Rand\_Rover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/db5fbb/32.png) [@Rand\_Rover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rand_Rover)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2008, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-mccain-desparation-obama-wants-reparations-for-slavery/469767/81 "2008-10-28T16:41:52Z")
> [@Liberal](#): > > Then — again — why does that mean you support McCain over Obama? Have you actually looked at McCain’s proposals? > > And why the single issue? Let’s say that McCain was a purist libertarian and eliminated the IRS. Do you honestly believe he has the calm temperament and deliberative judgment to lead America into a 21st century world? He won’t be able to tell the world “Stop! I want to get off!” when a crisis occurs. He won’t be able to suspend his presidency and go hide in a hole. He won’t be able to shuffle around on a stage and spew insults while the world moves on without him. Use your fucking head, man. Think. On the first part of your post, as I’ve said before, I’ll listen to an argument that Obama is the better choice for someone whp wants small government. Care to make that argument? On the second part, to me the role of government in society is the most important issue when deciding who will serve in the government. I see Obama in particular and democrats in general as having a completely different viewpoint on this than I do. I’m just going to back away slowly from the last part of your post. ---
**Author:** ![Discordia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Discordia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Discordia)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2008, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-mccain-desparation-obama-wants-reparations-for-slavery/469767/82 "2008-10-28T16:45:58Z")
> [@Rand\_Rover](#): > > On the first part of your post, as I’ve said before, I’ll listen to an argument that Obama is the better choice for someone whp wants small government. Care to make that argument? > > On the second part, to me the role of government in society is the most important issue when deciding who will serve in the government. I see Obama in particular and democrats in general as having a completely different viewpoint on this than I do. > > I’m just going to back away slowly from the last part of your post. Neither candidate supports small government. Sucks but there ya go. Obama is less likely to borrow money to pay for it though, dunno if that matters to you. ---
**Author:** ![Rand\_Rover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/db5fbb/32.png) [@Rand\_Rover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rand_Rover)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2008, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-mccain-desparation-obama-wants-reparations-for-slavery/469767/83 "2008-10-28T16:50:43Z")
> [@Discordia](#): > > Given that consumption is headed straight for the toilet it would seem giving cheques to poor people would be rather beneficial at the moment. Or do you think there’s actually a supply problem? I understand the argument for pumping cash into the demand side in a recessionary environment with low consumer confidence. But Obama’s tax plan would not end the cash payments once the economy was no longer recessionary and consumption picked up. A better alternative to pump up the demand side are stimulus payments. ---
**Author:** ![Rand\_Rover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/db5fbb/32.png) [@Rand\_Rover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rand_Rover)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2008, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-mccain-desparation-obama-wants-reparations-for-slavery/469767/84 "2008-10-28T16:55:40Z")
> [@Discordia](#): > > Neither candidate supports small government. Sucks but there ya go. > > Obama is less likely to borrow money to pay for it though, dunno if that matters to you. On the first part, I agree, and it does suck. But McCain supports a smaller government than does Obama. I’ll listen if you want to argue the contrary. On the second part,that’s debatable, and, in any event, I look more at the gross expenditure side to guage the size of government. ---
**Author:** ![Discordia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Discordia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Discordia)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2008, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-mccain-desparation-obama-wants-reparations-for-slavery/469767/85 "2008-10-28T17:38:31Z")
Do you really think there are problems on the supply side? There have been problems with demand for a while, hidden by people continuing the splurge with debt, but AFAIK supply is just dandy. Given that supply was fine during the Clinton years, and as far as I know Obama is simply proposing letting the tax cuts on the top end expire, it seems a reasonable guess that they’ll be OK again. re smaller government, as far as I can tell Obama would be somewhat more healthy for the budget ([example](http://www.taxpolicycenter.org/publications/url.cfm?ID=411749)). I strongly suspect both candidates would borrow and spend their way out of the recession though, so it seems the appropriate time to base one’s vote on this issue would be once the US is clear of that. I don’t think that’ll be long before the next election, if then. Longer term while I certainly prefer smaller government, infrastructure (including education IMO) is crucial, and the US is seriously lagging behind. US spending priorities have been completely whacked for a while (hi Iraq), you can’t spend on the wrong things and simply ignore infrastructure, that’s just foolish, even if you don’t like bigger government. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2008, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-mccain-desparation-obama-wants-reparations-for-slavery/469767/86 "2008-10-28T18:37:26Z")
Regretably, gentledopes, we are speculating in an information vacuum. What we don’t know is vast and deep. Philosophical speculation about mythical creatures - small government, free markets, that sort of thing - is empty until we know just how deep and wide the Big Shitpile is. Both the the candidates, or at least their staff, are smart enough to know this, and all promises are gossamer dreams. I want the smartest guy in the room, one with a proven academic background, a wonk of Godzilla magnitude, a guy who can process huge amounts of data and make the best guess. And “guess” is all its going to be. And that man is Barrack Obama. I am leaning in his direction. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2008, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-mccain-desparation-obama-wants-reparations-for-slavery/469767/87 "2008-10-28T20:13:13Z")
Ok dudes- can we agree that McCain \* is \*very Desparate, but has not actually claimed- “Obama Wants Reparations for slavery”? ---
**Author:** ![Rand\_Rover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/db5fbb/32.png) [@Rand\_Rover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rand_Rover)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2008, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-mccain-desparation-obama-wants-reparations-for-slavery/469767/88 "2008-10-28T20:36:53Z")
Luci, you’re going to have a tough time finding that name on your ballot. (I know it’s bad form to snark on a typo when I make so many, but I couldn’t help myself.) ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2008, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-mccain-desparation-obama-wants-reparations-for-slavery/469767/89 "2008-10-28T20:49:30Z")
Here in MN, they make it easy, they use “avatars”, much like an internet game or a video. So I just have to distinguish between Dudley Do-right and Snidely Whiplash, no prob. 'Course, that isn’t entirely accurate, Obama is pretty much skin-and-bones lean, whereas Dudley was a husky fucker… ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2008, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-mccain-desparation-obama-wants-reparations-for-slavery/469767/90 "2008-10-28T20:52:33Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > Dudley was a husky fucker… I must protest! Dudley had nothing to do with dogs! He was a one-horse man. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2008, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-mccain-desparation-obama-wants-reparations-for-slavery/469767/91 "2008-10-28T20:55:14Z")
Poor Nell! How she pined away for a good, thick slab of Canadian bacon… ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2008, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-mccain-desparation-obama-wants-reparations-for-slavery/469767/92 "2008-10-28T21:23:35Z")
> [@cricetus](#): > > Even meta-outrage seems to be flickering… we now find ourselves watching McCain with more objective interest, like a child watching an upside-down turtle trying to right itself. And Palin is like a turtle on top of a post – you know if doesn’t belong there, you know it didn’t get there by itself, and you wonder why some dumbass put it there. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-mccain-desparation-obama-wants-reparations-for-slavery/469767.md?page=4)