Quite often I thank God that we live in a democracy where we, as a people, get to choose who governs us. It is somewhat empowering to know that those people that make the laws are drawn from the same pool of people who need those very laws in order to survive.
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Thank you God. After months of campaigning, spending, collecting, slandering, complaining, misstepping, traveling, speaking and everything associated with a campaign, we can finally put the Democratic half of all that mess aside and welcome Barack Obama to the fight for the presidency against Senator John McCain.
I am so so so so so so happy. No more HRC vs BO ads. No more HRC period. That is the best thing ever.
To celebrate this momentous occasion my wife came up with the best quote ever for a campaign:
If I was a Clinton donor I would so be asking for a refund right now. Thanks Hilary.
So I totally could not resist making my own Barack Obama poster. I am not an Obama supporter, but nonetheless, I found this to be very amusing.
So what do you think? Gotta an ideas of your own?
I wonder why our presidential candidates have not talked to the people in our country about taxes using an illustration like this one, reportedly authored by David R. Kamerschen, Ph.D. and Professor of Economics at the University of Georgia and later proven otherwise.
So, that’s what they decided to do.
The ten men drank in the bar every day and seemed quite happy with the arrangement, until one day, the owner threw them a curve. “Since you are all such good customers,” he said, “I’m going to reduce the cost of your daily beer by $20.” Drinks for the ten now cost just $80.
The group still wanted to pay their bill the way we pay our taxes so the first four men were unaffected. They would still drink for free.
But what about the other six men - the paying customers?
How could they divide the $20 windfall so that everyone would get his ‘fair share?’ They realized that $20 divided by six is $3.33. But if they subtracted that from everybody’s share, then the fifth man and the sixth man would each end up being paid to drink his beer. So, the bar owner suggested that it would be fair to reduce each man’s bill by roughly the same amount, and he proceeded to work out the amounts each should pay.
And so:
Each of the six was better off than before. And the first four continued to drink for free. But once outside the restaurant, the men began to compare their savings.
“I only got a dollar out of the $20,”declared the sixth man. He pointed to the tenth man,” but he got $10!” “Yeah, that’s right,” exclaimed the fifth man. “I only saved a dollar, too. It’s unfair that he got ten times more than I!” “That’s true!!” shouted the seventh man. “Why should he get $10 back when I got only two? The wealthy get all the breaks!” “Wait a minute,” yelled the first four men in unison. “We didn’t get anything at all. The system exploits the poor!”
The nine men surrounded the tenth and beat him up.
The next night the tenth man didn’t show up for drinks, so the nine sat down and had beers without him. But when it came time to pay the bill, they discovered something important. They didn’t have enough money among all of them for even half of the bill!
And that, ladies and gentlemen, journalists and college professors, is how our tax system works. The people who pay the highest taxes get the most benefit from a tax reduction. Tax them too much, attack them for being wealthy, and they just may not show up anymore. In fact, they might start drinking overseas where the atmosphere is somewhat friendlier.
I left this little gem in to answer my original question as to why presidential candidates are not using this illustration to talk about taxes to the US citizenship:
Today marked a huge day around the country as millions of people participated in Super Tuesday, a day when the largest population of large states voted in the presidential primary election.
I have said before that I am horribly disappointed in our current candidate pool. And the more I think about it the more I realize that as an American, my choice for president has been taken from me.
You’d think in a democracy like ours, in which freedom is preached to all parties, that we as citizens of this country would have a complete listing of current candidates to vote for. There were a bunch in the voter’s guide I received from the country registrar of voters. And I voted for the guy that I think would best serve our country according to the beliefs and ideals I hold. But I began to think that we as a country have been horribly lef out in the dark in this campaign.
If I asked you who the candidates are that running for president you would probably say:
That’s right. All seven of them, right there for your voting pleasure. But did you know there are actually over 300 hundred potential candidates in this year’s presidential primary? No? Why are you not hearing from them? Why are they not in any debates? Why is there no media coverage on any of these candidates?
I am not sure the best answer for this question but I suspect it has something to do with a lack of millions of dollars coupled with a late media start coupled with these candidates’ lack of placement in a high level political office currently. Whatever the cause, you have been given a limited choice of candidates to lead our country into the future. The worse part in all this is that we are still no better off even with these candidates.
Ron Paul is more than likely going to be out of the race after tonight. Mike Huckabee will probably be out. I think John Edwards is already out. So this means that the hope of our country is literally laying at the feet of either John McCain or Barack Obama/Hilary Clinton. That sucks beyond all things that could suck.
Anyway, if you wanted to know who was potentially in this race this year, here they are:
| Name | Party |
|---|---|
| Matthew Jay Borman | American Independent |
| Diane Beall Templin | American Independent |
| Don J. Grundmann | American Independent |
| Max Riekse | American Independent |
| William David Beadles | Citizen’s |
| J. Boydston | Constitution |
| Robert Locke | Constitution |
| Todd Marvin Clayton | Constitution |
| Albert Gore | Democratic |
| Barack H. Obama | Democratic |
| Barbara Ann Scaff | Democratic |
| Caroline Pettinato Killeen | Democratic |
| Christina Gerasimos Billings-Elias | Democratic |
| Chuck See | Democratic |
| Dal Anthony LaMagna | Democratic |
| Danny M. Francis | Democratic |
| Darrel Reece Hunter | Democratic |
| Donald Robert Gillen | Democratic |
| Dory Frank | Democratic |
| Edward Dobson | Democratic |
| Emperor Caesar | Democratic |
| Evelyn Louise Vitullo | Democratic |
| Frank Lynch | Democratic |
| Gary Rostad | Democratic |
| George H. Ballard | Democratic |
| Gerald Lamar Hankins | Democratic |
| Grover Cleveland Mullins | Democratic |
| Heather Fox | Democratic |
| Henry Hewes | Democratic |
| Hillary Rodham Clinton | Democratic |
| Jack L Dietz | Democratic |
| James Wellington Wright | Democratic |
| Jim Rogers | Democratic |
| John Christopher Mason | Democratic |
| John Joseph Kennedy | Democratic |
| John W. Sawyer | Democratic |
| Karl Everett Krueger | Democratic |
| Keith Russell Judd | Democratic |
| Kenneth A. Capalbo | Democratic |
| Larry Keith Reed | Democratic |
| Laura Davis Aaron | Democratic |
| Lee L. Mercer | Democratic |
| Leland Montell | Democratic |
| Libby Hubbard | Democratic |
| Loti Gest | Democratic |
| Lou-Gary Espinosa | Democratic |
| Mark R. Warner | Democratic |
| Mary Ann Tomkins Segal | Democratic |
| Maurice Robert Gravel | Democratic |
| Michael Keith Forrester | Democratic |
| Michael Oatman | Democratic |
| Michael P. Skok | Democratic |
| Michel Anissa Powell | Democratic |
| Monroe Lee | Democratic |
| Nick Farmer | Democratic |
| Ole’ Savior | Democratic |
| Orleans Victor Mcfoy | Democratic |
| Peter Bollander | Democratic |
| Philip Epstein | Democratic |
| Philip Tanner | Democratic |
| Ralph Spelbring | Democratic |
| Randolph Wilson Crow | Democratic |
| Raymond Joseph Caplette | Democratic |
| Rich Lee | Democratic |
| Richard Edward Caligiuri | Democratic |
| Richard Francis Flynn | Democratic |
| Robert Anthony ‘Ram Rod’ Gibson | Democratic |
| Robert Edwin Boyer | Democratic |
| Roland G. Aranjo | Democratic |
| Ryan Joseph Brady | Democratic |
| Sal Mohamed | Democratic |
| Sandy Whitehouse | Democratic |
| Scott J. Sheldon | Democratic |
| Thomas G. Koos | Democratic |
| Tish Haymer | Democratic |
| Tom Laughlin | Democratic |
| Warren Roderick Ashe | Democratic |
| William Campbell | Democratic |
| William Charles Hughes | Democratic |
| William Keefe | Democratic |
| Willie Felix Carter | Democratic |
| Wrendo Johnson P. Godwin | Democratic |
| Cynthia Ann McKinney | Green Party |
| Elaine Brown | Green Party |
| Howie Hawkins | Green Party |
| Jared Arlen Ball | Green Party |
| Jesse Johnson | Green Party |
| Kat Swift | Green Party |
| Kent Philip Mesplay | Green Party |
| Ralph Nader | Green Party |
| Jose Miguel Aparicio | Independent |
| Albert Hamburg | Independent |
| Andy Clown Miannay | Independent |
| Arnold Matthew Jones | Independent |
| Bennie Lee Ferguson | Independent |
| Blake Ashby | Independent |
| Cameron Sadovsky | Independent |
| Carl Durantye Belle | Independent |
| Christopher David Borcik | Independent |
| Claire Elisabeth Fields Cruise | Independent |
| Clarita Fazzari | Independent |
| Curtis Hayward | Independent |
| Daniel Avery Bacon | Independent |
| Daniel J. Imperato | Independent |
| Dennis M. Hanaghan | Independent |
| Deshon Porter | Independent |
| Donald Kenneth Allen | Independent |
| Earnest Lee Easton | Independent |
| Edward Anthony Szynalski | Independent |
| Gary W. Ruff | Independent |
| Greg Black | Independent |
| Hugh Wallace | Independent |
| Ida Cecilia Garza | Independent |
| James Hatton McCall | Independent |
| James John Prattas | Independent |
| James Louis Dezort Watchman | Independent |
| Jared Benjamin Lee | Independent |
| Jeffrey Charles Petkevicius | Independent |
| Jeffrey Earl Brown | Independent |
| Jeffrey Harlan Boss | Independent |
| John Douglas Blyth | Independent |
| John Robert Henry | Independent |
| Jonathon Sharkey | Independent |
| Joseph C. Miechowicz | Independent |
| Joseph Felix Leonaitis | Independent |
| Joseph Martyniuk | Independent |
| Lanakila Washington | Independent |
| Liza Dawn Cherricks | Independent |
| Megally Z. Megally | Independent |
| Michael Christopher Dutcher | Independent |
| Michael James Cortney | Independent |
| Michael R. Bloomberg | Independent |
| Michael Sugerman | Independent |
| Michael Tienken | Independent |
| Nanci Jean Taylor | Independent |
| Orion Karl Daley | Independent |
| Peter Samuel Grasso | Independent |
| Ralph Marshall Robinson | Independent |
| Ralph Nader | Independent |
| Richard Earl Fleharty | Independent |
| Richard H. Clark | Independent |
| Robert B. Winn | Independent |
| Ruth Bryant White | Independent |
| Samuel B. Hoff | Independent |
| Samuel Lyndell Powell | Independent |
| Sheila Bilyeu | Independent |
| Stanton T. Jolley | Independent |
| Stephen Adams | Independent |
| William F. Berg | Independent |
| William John Ohlsen | Independent |
| William Long Hale | Independent |
| William Michael Ingram | Independent |
| Barry Joel Hess | Libertarian |
| Bob Barr | Libertarian |
| Christine Smith | Libertarian |
| Daniel E. Williams | Libertarian |
| Daniel J. Imperato | Libertarian |
| David Lynn Hollist | Libertarian |
| Douglas Stanhope | Libertarian |
| George David Joseph Phillies | Libertarian |
| John Finan | Libertarian |
| Jon Jay Banks | Libertarian |
| Karen Kwiatkowski | Libertarian |
| Kip Lee | Libertarian |
| Mary J. Ruwart | Libertarian |
| Michael Paul Jingozian | Libertarian |
| Robert Garrison Jackson | Libertarian |
| Robert W. Milnes | Libertarian |
| Steve W. Kubby | Libertarian |
| Wayne A. Root | Libertarian |
| Brian P. Moore | Liberty Union |
| Jacques Yves Boulerice | Native American |
| Jon A. Greenspon | None |
| Bradley K. Lord-Leutwyler | None |
| Dan Byron Canfield | None |
| Daniel Melzine Kingery | None |
| David Allen Koch | None |
| Frank Edward McEnulty | None |
| Frank Zilaitis | None |
| Hubert Billy Miles | None |
| Joseph Charles Schriner | None |
| Myrtle Charlotte Carlyle | None |
| Omar Jones Monahan | None |
| Richard Steven Atkins | None |
| Sandra Queen Noble | None |
| Yul L. Anderson | None |
| Brian Joseph Moran | Other |
| David Michael Bishop | Other |
| George C. Nelson | Other |
| God Johan Josephe Lally | Other |
| HRM Caesar St Augustine De Buonaparte | Other |
| James Harlin Carter | Other |
| Janice Marie Chase | Other |
| Jerry Leon Carroll | Other |
| John Glenn Barry Metcalf | Other |
| John Taylor Bowles | Other |
| Jomo K. Manual Williams | Other |
| Kelcey Brian Wilson | Other |
| Larry Joseph Schuetter | Other |
| Madison Augustine Primus | Other |
| Mark Shane Robinson | Other |
| Matthew D. Pinnavaia | Other |
| Max Englerius | Other |
| Michael W. Bay | Other |
| Mike Benjamin Martisko | Other |
| Robert Coleman Jorgensen | Other |
| Thomas Wayne Allen | Other |
| Thomas Wells | Other |
| Brian P. Moore | Peace and Freedom |
| Cynthia Ann McKinney | Peace and Freedom |
| Gloria Estela La Riva | Peace and Freedom |
| John R. Crockford | Peace and Freedom |
| Ralph Nader | Peace and Freedom |
| Stanley Hetz | Peace and Freedom |
| Stewart A. Alexander | Peace and Freedom |
| Gene Amondson | Prohibition |
| Bruce Calvin Trask | Reform |
| Abdul (Kareem) Muhammad | Republican |
| Alan L. Keyes | Republican |
| Albert B. Howard | Republican |
| Alden Link | Republican |
| Alexander Michael Huton | Republican |
| Anne Hart Geisler | Republican |
| Anthony Lungo Carter | Republican |
| Charles G. Railey | Republican |
| Charles Gordon Vick | Republican |
| Charles Skelley | Republican |
| Cornelius Edward O’Connor | Republican |
| Corrogan R. Vaughn | Republican |
| D. Wayne Wilson | Republican |
| Daniel A. Gilbert | Republican |
| Daniel James Barnett | Republican |
| David Ernst Furniss | Republican |
| David Ruben | Republican |
| Dewey R. Broughman | Republican |
| Eamon Patrick Clune | Republican |
| Edward Allan Buck | Republican |
| Elvena E. Lloyd-Duffie | Republican |
| Eugene Robert Zarwell | Republican |
| Freddy Irwin Sitnick | Republican |
| Frederick Eugene Ogin | Republican |
| George Brent Bailey | Republican |
| George E. Pataki | Republican |
| Giannibicego Hoa Tran | Republican |
| Gilbert R. Michael | Republican |
| Greg Martin | Republican |
| H Neal Fendig | Republican |
| Hugh Cort | Republican |
| Jack E. Shepard | Republican |
| James Cooper | Republican |
| James Creighton Mitchell | Republican |
| Jedidiah Elijah Wendell Kennedy Banks | Republican |
| Jerry Ralph Curry | Republican |
| Jerry Roland Johnson | Republican |
| Jesus Bilal Islam Allah Muhammed | Republican |
| Joe Honeychurch | Republican |
| John H. Cox | Republican |
| John Lee Campbell | Republican |
| John Michael Fitzpatrick | Republican |
| John R. McGrath | Republican |
| John Sidney McCain | Republican |
| Johns Wallace Stevenson | Republican |
| Joseph Howard Tucker | Republican |
| Kamal Karna R Reverend Roy | Republican |
| Keith Robert Sprankle | Republican |
| Launeil Neil Sanders | Republican |
| Linda Thompkins-Reagan | Republican |
| Lowell Jackson Fellure | Republican |
| Marc Wolin | Republican |
| Mark Irwin Klein | Republican |
| Marshall Samuel Sanders | Republican |
| Michael Andrew Arterburn | Republican |
| Michael Burzynski | Republican |
| Michael Charles Smith | Republican |
| Michael D. Huckabee | Republican |
| Michael P. Shaw | Republican |
| Mildred T. Howard | Republican |
| Orlin Gentry Cole | Republican |
| Philip A. Kok | Republican |
| Rajesh Srinivasa Raghavan | Republican |
| Raymond Ferrill Green | Republican |
| Raymond Louis McKinney | Republican |
| Rhett R. Smith | Republican |
| Richard Michael Smith | Republican |
| Rick Outzen | Republican |
| Robert Edward Moreau | Republican |
| Robert Leonard Forthan | Republican |
| Robert Paul Brown | Republican |
| Ronald Ernest Paul | Republican |
| Sean Murphy | Republican |
| Stephen D. Macmillan | Republican |
| Stephen W. Marchuk | Republican |
| Steven Edward Mirabella | Republican |
| Susan Gail Ducey | Republican |
| Timothy Charles Kalemkarian | Republican |
| Vermin Love Supreme | Republican |
| Vernon Edgar Wuensche | Republican |
| Virgil L. R. Wiles | Republican |
| Virginia E. Algar | Republican |
| William Hobert Blakley | Republican |
| William Jason Burns | Republican |
| William Nathaniel Raven | Republican |
| William Ronald Koenig | Republican |
| Yaphet Kotto | Republican |
| Yehanna Joan/Mary Malone | Republican |
| Da Vid | The Light Party |
| Jackson Kirk Grimes | United Fascist Union |
| Charles Joseph Leo Symonds | Unknown |
| Christopher Lafontaine | Unknown |
| Eric Leland Creviston | Unknown |
| Glenda Gail Parker | Unknown |
| Jeanne Chebib | Unknown |
| John Stuart Nolan | Unknown |
| Lawrence Anthony Obern | Unknown |
| Mark Blair Graham | Unknown |
| Patrick Cazneau | Unknown |
| Paul Russell Rosenberger | Unknown |
| Robert Sherman Nix | Unknown |
| Steven Douglas Mabey | Unknown |
| Terry Lee Barkdull | Unknown |
| Elizabeth Mason Frothingham | Unknown |
| Jerry Odom | Unknown |
| Laura Jane McCumber | Unknown |