OK.... tell me what socialist things Pres. Obama has done....

[Bigmack]

Perry was blathering yesterday about it, the rightwingnuts constantly pump that meme.

Anybody got anything?

Don't say health care... it's just a health care industry "profits guaranty" plan.

I can't think of anything socialist.

[Whisp]

1. I think he talked to someone at a cocktail party one time

just to be social

[Marrah_G]

2. They live in upside down world.

He is FAR from a socialist.

[JTFrog]

6. That's what the socialists said about FDR.

Just sayin....

[bigwillq]

3. I think most democrats, including Obama, are socialists

or believe in socialistic principles.
Most non-democrats are this way as well ,especially if they send their children to public schools, receive mail from the US post office, etc.

I think this socialist argument that the GOP tries to play is really lame because, in essence, a lot of folks, regardless of party, have benefited from "socialism".

[AnotherMcIntosh]

4. If bailing out banksters with governmental funds is considered socialistic, then ...

If not, then it's OK.

[subterranean]

5. Bush initiated the bankster bailout

So if that's socialistic, then Bush was a socialist.

[AnotherMcIntosh]

13. Agreed. Socialism for the super-rich. Many in this country. And they got away with it.

[sinkingfeeling]

7. TARP took place before Obama was sworn into office.

[AnotherMcIntosh]

14. Then the reasoning is what? It's OK. No investigations and prosecutions are necessary?

[girl gone mad]

20. Only half true.

Obama was probably the single Democrat most responsible for getting TARP passed since he halted his campaign in October 2008 and went back to Washington to lobby hard for its passage.

The second half of TARP was implemented after he was sworn in. In addition, most of the bank bailouts, including the unlimited bailout of FNM/FRE happened under Obama.

[banned from Kos]

12. How the hell can we win elections when our own people repeat crap like that?

Amazing.

[AnotherMcIntosh]

17. If they got away with it once, they'll come back for more. Socialism for the super-rich.

Some of the super-rich who got bailed out aren't even in this country. Nor do they owe any loyalty to this country.

While our own citizens are being impoverish or falling into poverty, and those attending $50,000-a-plate or more dinners are seeking more campaign contributions from the attendees, some of our money is used to benefit some of the super-rich in other countries.

This is a great scam. One of the greatest. In comparison to the banksters, Al Capone was just a piker.

And we're supposed to keep quiet about it?

[great white snark]

19. How do you know it's from "our people?"

Much of the vitriol, IMHO, comes from a small but loud group who's unreasonable and unrealistic positions keep them from finding a political home.

[Journeyman]

8. According to many of his most ardent detractors, he breathes . . .

[AtomicKitten]

9. Everybody in my house screams "We wish!" when we hear that accusation.

[JaneQPublic]

10. He got elected President as a Democrat (nt)

[jpljr77]

11. There is one I can think of: student loans

It was totally the right move, very pragmatic, and fiscally positive for the U.S. for a variety of reasons. But completely cutting private lenders out of the government-backed accredited university tuition and fees loan business could be spun as "socialist."

And that's all I can think of.

Some might argue the GM thing, but as of right now, the U.S. does not own a controlling interest in GM (it's probably around 30%).

[JackRiddler]

15. The GM thing was pure rescue capitalism.

A socialist would have reorganized GM as a public firm, taken over the management and declared: "We make trains and electric cars for the world."

[Norrin Radd]

16. They mistakenly think that young people respond to the term used as an abusive epithet

Last edited Wed Jan 11, 2012, 05:16 PM - Edit history (1)

the same way someone during a Cold War decade may have; that is, they believe red-baiting still has efficacy, which it doesn't.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

23. I think that it still has at least SOME efficacy

at least in the sense that most people hear it and just assume that it's something "bad" or foreign. Most people aren't knowledgeable enough to know that we have a somewhat "socialist" country already and that many of the public services we enjoy (a decreasing amount, however) are government-ran and managed and paid for by our taxes. I wonder how many people would be outraged and upset if more of them knew exactly how nice things are for most people in countries like Canada and most European countries in terms of health care, education, childcare, etc. Instead, unfortunately, we just get Fox News and other corporate media pundits smearing Europeans as a bunch of evil socialists and, in particular, their horrific free/low-cost health care system (even smart people I know have a raft of misconceptions and perceptions about health care in other countries). Heck, in terms of health care alone, if you listen to Rick Santorum, you'd think that European countries were literally sentencing people to die via real-life "Death Panels" if they happened to have certain diseases/genetic conditions or that you have to wait years for life-saving operations (or dying before getting them). Of course, most of it isn't true but we're Americans and a lot of us just seem to prefer getting constantly screwed over rather than wanting something more/better for ourselves and our children.

Sometimes I wonder if we have our own "Max" somewhere holding back social progress yet ensuring that we are none the wiser while they do it (Doctor Who fans should know what I'm talking about

[jschurchin]

18. He paid into Social Security. nt

[DisgustipatedinCA]

21. beersharing.

I think what you'll hear more often though, is that it's "socialist" to compel people to purchase health insurance. That seems to have them all aflutter.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

22. You're missing the point

Republican pols can say pretty much whatever the hell they want and they never have to explain themselves and all of the stories from Politifact and Factcheck.org about how what they're saying is false (or even "Pants-on-Fire" false) aren't going to matter to anybody sane and rational enough to reject (or at least question) such claims in the first place and, well, let's face it the people whom comprise the Republican base are neither of these.

[Rainngirl]

24. I keep hearing the righties saying that,

but I guarantee if you ASK them what, precisely, they are talking about, watch them get a blank look on their face and then start sputtering. They've got nuthin'. Idiots.

[chaoszen]

25. I'm a Socialist

As a Socialist who comes from a family of Socialists, and has lived in Germany, France and the Netherlands... Obama is in no way a Socialist. I wish he was. He is a Capitalist and a predatory capitalist at that. This BS meme of the neofascist right is just that. BS.

The best way to determine if someone is a Socialist is to ask one..

[Saving Hawaii]

26. Obamacare is a "health care industry profits guarantee plan" in the same way that...

Food stamps are an 'agricultural industry profits guarantee plan' or public transportation is a 'whoever makes the buses profits guarantee plan'. If Obama did a big new WPA sorta thing would we call it a 'cement-manufacturer profits guarantee plan'? This gets old.

Talk to any of the many good economists who've had a lot to say Obamacare, many of whom would support something substantially more progressive than what actually passed. I think you'll find very few who won't start talking about markets for lemons when you suggest mandatory issue but not mandatory purchase of insurance and I doubt you'll find many who think the public option wouldn't have imploded for the same reasons the old non-profit community ratings programs did.