I think a fair amount of people people believed the lines Obama spouted. He spouted the same lines, but he did it elegantly. Combine that with the ability to get out the vote, buy the vote, pretend that all of your donors aren't PAC donations or donations from Israeli Mossad.
Let's be real blunt about healthcare as mostly UK people I imagine will be reading this... bust out your horror stories about dead relatives that their treatment was experimental, your grandma was too old to warrant a transplant, your cancer treatment wasn't exactly what you would have preferred... lines, rationing...
Obama's plan will be a massive giveaway to the Insurance industry. It's not a public option at all and shit. It's just fucking sad because the people have been disenfranchised yet again. Not as overtly as when Bush did it in 2000, but in a much more dangerous and pervasive manner.
It's like the shell game. The ball wasn't under any of the shells at all. It was just slight of hand and that sort of thing. We all understandably felt a milestone coming in our National history. But I think that "at least it's not 4 more years of Bush" is far too low a standard for a Nation that fancies itself the self proclaimed leader of the world. Obama needs to be shitting golden eggs or by his own admission he will be unemployed in 4 years.
We were gamed and lied to and it just hurts a lot more this time(not to me in general, but us as a Nation) when we had so much hope. But "Hope" was really just the careful spinning of the wording... the real feeling in our Nation was despair. Now the feeling is like coming home and your house has been robbed. You just trusted that lock would keep out the would-be thieves. Turns out the locksmith came and robbed your shit while you were gone. Obama is the locksmith. But Obama is more than just the man, Obama is now the idea... he's an image, a movement... but his movement is dead. He's a shell with no balls.
And he's funded almost entirely by maxed out donors. That is the fucked up part of the whole thing. Obama claimed that most of his donors were college kids with small donations... "Unemployed" donors giving 30k? CEO's... bankers... the director of a private school(makes it look like a teacher, but they run the fucking school)... not to say other candidates don't take that money. They DO admit to it though, unlike Obama.
Budinger, William
Aspen,CO 81611 Not employed 7/31/08 $30,800 Obama, Barack (D)
BOSLER, JAMES
FORT WORTH,TX 76126 NOT EMPLOYED/RETIRED 8/28/08 $28,500 Obama, Barack (D)
HIGDON, JOE
WASHINGTON,DC 20008 NOT EMPLOYED/RETIRED 8/28/08 $28,500 Obama, Barack (D)
MYERS, DEBRA
RANCHO PALOS VERDE,CA 90275 SELF EMPLOYED/PHYSICIAN 8/31/08 $28,500 Obama, Barack (D)
MYERS, WOODROW DR JR
INDIANAPOLIS,IN 46204 MYERS VENTURES LLC/MGR DIRECTOR 8/31/08 $28,500 Obama, Barack (D)
MCDERMOTT, JAMES
LOS ANGELES,CA 90049 US RENEWABLE GROUP/INVESTOR 6/30/08 $14,250 Obama, Barack (D)
ANDREAS, LOWELL W MR
MANKATO,MN 56001 NOT EMPLOYED/RETIRED 6/30/08 $10,000 Obama, Barack (D)
BRIDGES, ANDREW
WOODSIDE,CA 94062 WINSTON & STRAWN LLP/ATTORNEY 7/14/08 $10,000 Obama, Barack (D)
MIRMIRAN, FRED
SPARKS,MD 21152 JMT/PRESIDENT 12/31/07 $10,000 Obama, Barack (D)
ORMESHER, DAVID
CHICAGO,IL 60626 CLOSERLOOK/CEO 10/23/08 $10,000 Obama, Barack (D)
SHERMAN, JOHN
PORTLAND,OR 97210 22 RESEARCH/ASSET MANAGER 8/28/08 $10,000 Obama, Barack (D)
WATT, ROBERT
BROOKLYN,NY 11217 HUDSON RIVER TRADING/DIRECTOR OF IT 8/31/08 $10,000 Obama, Barack (D)
COLOM, TAJ
TIPLERSVILLE,MS 38674 VP SUPN/COLON CONSTRUCTION 6/27/07 $9,200 Obama, Barack (D)
DIES, MARTIN
AUSTIN,TX 78701 DIES & HILE LLP/PARTNER 6/30/07 $9,200 Obama, Barack (D)
FRANKEN, FRANCES
MINNEAPOLIS,MN 55404 AL FRANKEN INC/ENTERTAINER 7/31/08 $9,200 Obama, Barack (D)
GRIFFIN, HAYNES
GREENSBORO,NC 27408 FRONTLINE WIRELESS/CEO 3/21/07 $9,200 Obama, Barack (D)
GSERVOLD, TODD E
NEW YORK,NY 10028 CITADEL/ANALYST 5/8/07 $9,200 Obama, Barack (D)
HARTOG, ELZELIEN
RIDGEFIELD,CT 06877 CHILD GUIDANCE CTR OF CT/SOCIAL WOR 12/31/07 $9,200 Obama, Barack (D)
KOTKINS, HENRY L JR
SEATTLE,WA 98121 SKYWAY LUGGAGE/CEO 6/4/07 $9,200 Obama, Barack (D)
LEONARD, THOMAS
PHILADELPHIA,PA 19103 OBERMAYER REDMAN MAXWELL HIPPEL LLP 8/30/08 $9,200 Obama, Barack (D)
MOLINA, ALFREDO J
PHOENIX,AZ 85016 MOLINE FINE JEWELERS/GEMOLOGIST 9/25/07 $9,200 Obama, Barack (D)
PABRAI, MOHNISH
IRVINE,CA 92620 PABRAI INVESTMENT FUNDS/PORTFOLIO M 6/28/07 $9,200 Obama, Barack (D)
ROCK, CHRIS MR
NEW YORK,NY 10019 ACTOR 4/20/07 $9,200 Obama, Barack (D)
SMISEK, JEFFERY A
HOUSTON,TX 77056 CONTINENTAL AIRLINES/EXECUTIVE 8/28/08 $9,200 Obama, Barack (D)
WITTE, WILLIAM A
LAGUNA BEACH,CA 92651 RELATED CALIFORNIA/REAL ESTATE 6/28/07 $9,200 Obama, Barack (D)
WOLF, THOMAS W
MOUNT WOLF,PA 17347 4/14/08 $9,200 Obama, Barack (D)
FINLEY, RYAN
PORTLAND,OR 97209 SURVEYMONKEY.COM/OWNER 8/28/08 $8,500 Obama, Barack (D)
MCGARR, CAPPY R
DALLAS,TX 75219 MLM INTEREST, LLC/FINANCE/PRIVATE E 6/24/08 $8,000 Obama, Barack (D)
BOSCIA, JON
GLADWYNE,PA 19035 NOT EMPLOYED/NOT EMPLOYED 5/12/08 $7,500 Obama, Barack (D)
ORFALEA, PAUL J
VENTURA,CA 93001 RESOURCES CONSULTING/OWNER 1/31/08 $7,500 Obama, Barack (D)
BELL, JOANN
GLOUCESTER,MA 01930 ELDERHOSTEL/TOUR OPERATOR 6/26/08 $6,994 Obama, Barack (D)
DIETRICH, HARRY
ALBUQUERQUE,NM 87122 NOT EMPLOYED/RETIRED 6/27/08 $6,994 Obama, Barack (D)
COMPTON, ROBERT A
GERMANTOWN,TN 38139 ATHSAN VONTOO/CEO 9/30/07 $6,900 Obama, Barack (D)
DIES, MARTIN
AUSTIN,TX 78701 DIES & HILE LLP/PARTNER 6/30/07 $6,900 Obama, Barack (D)
MYERS, WILL R
AUSTIN,TX 78703 ARCHITECT 3/18/08 $6,900 Obama, Barack (D)
RIVERS, CASSARENA
WINDERMERE,FL 34786 5/31/08 $6,900 Obama, Barack (D)
WEITZMAN, HOWARD L
PACIFIC PALISADES,CA 90272 SELF EMPLOYED/ATTORNEY 9/12/07 $6,900 Obama, Barack (D)
ZIMMERMAN, JOHN W
GREENWOOD VILLAGE,CO 80111 TOMKINS INDUSTRIES/CFO 6/16/08 $6,900 Obama, Barack (D)
TROUT, DAVID
FULTON,MD 20759 ADVANCED CONCEPTS/VICE PRESIDENT 5/14/07 $6,000 Obama, Barack (D)
HUTCHINSON, ERICA
BROOKLYN,NY 11238 ADDY & FERRO/BOUTIQUE OWNER 7/4/08 $5,996 Obama, Barack (D)
IVY, STEPHANIE M
MARINA DEL RAY,CA 90292 GOLDMAN SACHS/INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT 1/14/08 $5,600 Obama, Barack (D)
JONES, STEPHANIE
CHICAGO,IL 60613 FIGLIULO & SILVERMAN/ATTORNEY 2/28/08 $5,300 Obama, Barack (D)
WIRTA, LINDA
NEWPORT COAST,CA 92657 NOT EMPLOYED/HOMEMAKER 6/28/07 $5,300 Obama, Barack (D)
AARON, BARBARA
SAN FRANCISCO,CA 94115 NOT EMPLOYED/NOT EMPLOYED 7/11/08 $5,000 Obama, Barack (D)
ARGIRO, VINCENT
FAIRFIELD,IA 52556 SELF EMPLOYED/CONSULTANT 8/29/08 $5,000 Obama, Barack (D)
BLANKFORT, LOWELL MR
CHULA VISTA,CA 91910 SELF EMPLOYED/WRITER/PUBLISHER 4/10/08 $5,000 Obama, Barack (D)
BOTSTEIN, PAULA MS
BROOKLYN,NY 11215 SELF-EMPLOYED/CONSULTANT 9/17/08 $5,000 Obama, Barack (D)
BUFFETT, WILLIAM MR
ARLINGTON,MA 02476 3/7/08 $5,000 Obama, Barack (D)
BURROUGHS, TYRONE
GERMANTOWN,TN 38139 SALES AND MARKETING CONCEPTS/PRESID 10/28/08 $5,000 Obama, Barack (D)
BUTLER, JAMES C
NEW ORLEANS,LA 70128 TULANE UNIVERSITY/PHYSICIAN 9/27/07 $5,000 Obama, Barack (D)
Source of Funds
Individual contributions $656,357,572 88% (mostly bundled PAC donations)
PAC contributions $1,830 0%
Candidate self-financing $0 0%
Federal Funds $0 0%
Other $88,626,223 12%
Incomplete $15,611,429 (3.7%)
No Disclosure $25,289,671 (6.0%)
Source: Open Secrets. Most of the disclosed donations were bundled PAC and corporate donations.... "OTHER" means that the source is unaccounted for. Over 100 Million tax free just up in the air dollars. How many kids could go to college... how many hearts could be transplanted... how many HDTVs could he give to under privileged youths? How many instruments... how many roads... how many fucking anything... and he just can't account for it.
Also: He raised(on the books) 745 Million dollars... spent 730 Million... 15 Million into thin air...
All in 50 dollar donations from college kids
He didn't come to us from a position of honesty from the start. No reason to believe in his change now either. Change we can panhandle for.
And Genevieve fucking nailed it... should the Euro opinions matter? If our leadership here didn't try and influence your leadership the answer would be a resounding yes. I don't think the United States has the right, the authority or the moral obligation to right the wrongs of the world. I want to trade with your country, have free and fair trade with your country and let your country determine for itself what is right. That's up to the voters in your country though. I seriously hope the entire world stops electing US Lapdogs as well, we need to take a shot to the pills so to speak.