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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsCarly Fiorina Will NEVER Be President.
But I think one candidate stood out in stupidity during the debate, and in doing so probably ended any slim chance she might have had to become this nation's president. That candidate is Carly Fiorina. She did that by attacking two of the most popular things the federal government has ever done -- Social Security and the minimum wage. And she showed her complete lack of understanding about our Constitution by claiming that both were actually unconstitutional. She said:There is no Constitutional role for the federal government in setting up retirement plans. There is no Constitutional role for the federal government to be setting minimum wages.
She doesn't seem to care that the Supreme Court has ruled both Social Security and the minimum wage to be constitutional -- ignoring the fact that the Constitution gives the federal government the right "to lay and collect taxes" and to "provide for the. . .general welfare of the United States". Surely, allowing workers to invest in a government program that will insure they don't have to live in abject poverty when they retire, and insuring that those who are willing to work a full-time job don't have to live in poverty, are programs that insure the general welfare of this country.
She also ignores the fact that both of these government efforts have been largely successful. Before Social Security was enacted, over 50% of the nation's senior lived in poverty. Now that figure has been reduced to about 10% (and with an expansion of benefits could be even lower). The minimum wage gave workers a livable level of income. That has been eroded by government inaction and needs to be raised now, but Fiorina is in that group of far-right Republicans who would not only not raise the minimum wage, but would eliminate it altogether -- a move that would insure millions of working Americans must live in poverty (and put a downward pressure on the wages of all American workers).
She shows us that she simply doesn't care for Americans that are not rich. But that is not an attitude that the general public in this country will tolerate. A hefty majority of Americans support both Social Security and the minimum wage. Poll after poll has shown that the public wants Social Security protected (and oppose any cuts to the program). And those polls also show that the public wants the minimum wage raised. The debate is not over whether the minimum wage should exist, but over how much it should be raised (and a significant majority would like it raised to at least $10 and hour).
MORE:
http://jobsanger.blogspot.com/2015/10/fiorina-debate-blunder-insures-she-will.html
Logical
(22,457 posts)spanone
(135,830 posts)a kennedy
(29,655 posts)HughBeaumont
(24,461 posts)Well, any Republicans, really . . .. but with full knowledge of her scorch-the-earth, job-offshoring, worker-firing, bonus grabbing, do-nothing CEO Larceny tenure at HP, I'm wondering if that voter who thinks it's an awesome idea to put her in ANY governmental office has their mental faculties intact.
roguevalley
(40,656 posts)Fred Sanders
(23,946 posts)Business-folk thinking their giant egos will be carry them through anything have a lot to learn.
Isn't about time to acknowledge government is not a business....what business spends half its discretionary income on Security?
phantom power
(25,966 posts)Amimnoch
(4,558 posts)Or womens rights, or human dignity, or equal opportunity, or fair business practices, or fair and reasonable taxes that make sense, or ......
Really, based on this articles criteria, what GOP hopeful does have a chance?
mountain grammy
(26,620 posts)and the other Republican fools running for president. Most have no understanding of America, it's laws or it's people, and yet, they think they can run the country, and they are discussed in the corporate media like serious candidates. The corporate takeover of America that's been in play since the 70's is nearly complete.
Helen Borg
(3,963 posts)It's really striking.
LuvNewcastle
(16,844 posts)Can't wait to see her reaction to the negative press.
gademocrat7
(10,656 posts)NonMetro
(631 posts)Is that not true then?
Gary 50
(381 posts)The one candidate (ok, one of many) who needs no fact checking. If it comes from her mouth it's a lie. If she ever told the truth it was by mistake.
Brainstormy
(2,380 posts)Fiorina's are the most egregious. And after every one, from the Planned Parenthood lies in the second debate to the women losing jobs under Obama one in the third, she pulls the "liberal media is so biased stunt" and refuses to discuss those lies.
Shrike47
(6,913 posts)Why fool around with city councils or state legislatures when you can run for president? The arrogance is astounding, and she's not even a brain surgeon.
smirkymonkey
(63,221 posts)CrispyQ
(36,461 posts)As much as I hate repub men & their "legitimate rape" & "a woman's body can just shut that thing down," type of comments, the harm Fiorina's done to women by perpetuating the Planned Parenthood lies is incalculable. And they were all just so happy to have a woman say it.
blackspade
(10,056 posts)Duval
(4,280 posts)Besides lacking in intelligence, she really went overboard on the Planned Parenthood story. We really need someone in office who gets hysterical when dealing with issues. LOL Never understand why she is even considered a viable candidate!
4lbs
(6,855 posts)In 1980, before Reagan took office in 1981, the federal minimum wage was $3.10 per hour.
Currently, the federal minimum wage is $7.25.
That is an increase of 233% in 35 years.
The average cost of living, due to inflation and other factors, has increased by much more in the same time frame.
The annual average rate of inflation from 1980 to 2015 is 3.3%. Extrapolate that over 35 years, and that is 312%.
( (1.033 ^ 35 ) * 100% = 312%)
What would cost $100 in 1980 is $312 now due to inflation.
At the least, the minimum wage should be about $10 if basing it solely on inflation rates.
Now, consider the median apartment rent, and fuel costs, which have increased by higher rates over the past 35 years.
In 1980, the national median monthly apartment rent was $308. Now it is $1244. That's slightly more than 400%
In 1980, a gallon of gas cost 35 cents on average. Now, it is about $2.65 for the national average. That is an increase of almost 755%. However, this cost fluctuates throughout the year, and could be viewed with a margin of +/- 35 cents, or +/- 15%.
Take the average of 312%, 400, and 755. The answer is 489.
489% of $3.10 is $15.16.
Based on those main factors, the federal minimum wage should be the $15 per hour stated by sane, rational people.
That would give people the same buying power and livable wage as in 1980, before Reagan began his gradual destruction of the middle class.
oldandhappy
(6,719 posts)COLGATE4
(14,732 posts)'She's a nasty piece of work'.
oldandhappy
(6,719 posts)lunatica
(53,410 posts)Her face is schooled into a rigid frozen grimness that is decidedly unattractive now, when she's supposed to be winning us over. I can't even imagine what it would look like if she was President.
I feel sorry for her staff.
KamaAina
(78,249 posts)KamaAina
(78,249 posts)Of one of those offshore floating libertarian utopias.
MisterP
(23,730 posts)Last edited Fri Oct 30, 2015, 04:32 PM - Edit history (1)
they want nothing to do with her little double-bachelor's paper
*insert Bislcavret joke*
Democrats_win
(6,539 posts)When you are as far removed from reality as Fiorina, you become a danger. This fine company's stock holders lost around 86 billion dollars because of her.
eridani
(51,907 posts)Lots of analytical labs would have been in deep shit if they hadn't.
kairos12
(12,858 posts)akbacchus_BC
(5,704 posts)I would love to see a debate between her and Mrs. Clinton! Mrs. Clinton is not only progressive, this carly idiot is against women's rights and everything women has been fighting for. She wants to put women back two centuries ago. Mrs. Clinton will win hands down in a debate with this loser who ran HP underground.