President Obama: Progressive vs Republican Philosophy
President Obama visited the University of Michigan today to promote the minimum wage increase. He gave a strong defense of the reasons the minimum wage needed to be increased, specifically to lift many out of poverty. He noted that the average minimum wage earner was not a teenager but an adult.
President Obama reminded his audience that Henry Ford realized that a well-paid worker could afford the products American companies were selling. This is something that many supposedly intelligent American businesses forget.
President Obama enumerated all the ills of the new Paul Ryan budget. He said it would shrink opportunity for their generation. As usual it gave big tax cuts to the wealthy at the expense of social programs. It repeals Obamacare. And it removed the security put in place to protect Americans from another financial meltdown.
President Obama was at his best when he described the Republican philosophy. He said if the economic plan sounded familiar, it should. After-all it was their economic plan in 2010 and 2012.
President Obama fired up and in great form.
Here is the truth. They [GOP] are not necessarily cold hearted. They just sincerely believe that if you give more tax breaks to the fortunate few, and we invest less in the middle class, and we reduce or eliminate the safety net for the poor and the sick. We cut food stamps. We cut Medicaid. And we let banks, and polluters, and credit card companies, and insurers do only what’s best for their bottom line — without the responsibility to the rest of us — then somehow the economy will boom and jobs and prosperity will trickle down to everybody.
And when I say it that way I know it sounds like I am exaggerating; except I am not. This is their theory. They are pretty unabashed about it. And it is not a new theory. The have held it for decades, through good times and bad. They were making the same argument against FDR when he was setting up social security. And look, it does create opportunity for a handful of people who are already doing really well. But we believe in opportunity for everybody — More good jobs for everybody. — More workers to fill those jobs. — A world class education for everybody. Hard work that pays off with wages you can live on. And savings you can retire on. And healthcare you can count on. That is what opportunity for all mean.
This is the passion and rhetoric that will be needed to bring out the base in 2014. They must realize the politicians they are voting for will be effecting poor and middle class centric policies.
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