Evaluating Palin's Economic knowledge & more...

From Couric's interview:

COURIC: Why isn't it better, Governor Palin, to spend $700 billion helping middle-class families who are struggling with health care, housing, gas and groceries; allow them to spend more and put more money into the economy instead of helping these big financial institutions that played a role in creating this mess?

PALIN: That's why I say I, like every American I'm speaking with, were ill about this position that we have been put in where it is the taxpayers looking to bail out. But ultimately, what the bailout does is help those who are concerned about the health-care reform that is needed to help shore up our economy, helping the—it's got to be all about job creation, too, shoring up our economy and putting it back on the right track. So health-care reform and reducing taxes and reining in spending has got to accompany tax reductions and tax relief for Americans. And trade, we've got to see trade as opportunity, not as a competitive, scary thing. But one in five jobs being created in the trade sector today, we've got to look at that as more opportunity. All those things under the umbrella of job creation. This bailout is a part of that.

Link

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huh?

You know what -- I'd love to give Sarah the benefit of a doubt here -- but there's no more benefit to be given unfortunately. So assuming she was trying to articulate the common GOP/Republican mantra here: "we gotta give it to the rich so that it can filter down to the middle and lower class..."

Trickle down economics would be fine if it worked ... except that it doesn't. Moreover, if a full-blown Republican government couldn't make it work -- what makes us think that John McCain is selling anything different? But let's take a look at the tale of the tape for proof that McCain/Palin's economic policy is nothing more than a farce. Because when we look at when things were supposed to be at their "best" (dare we even utter that) -- things were still *WORSE* than they were under the Bush regime:

a.) Unemployment has never gotten close to what Bush inherited
b.) Salaries have actually DROPPED to what Bush inherited
c.) GDP may have risen, but the dollar has tanked thanks to the Bush presidency
d.) Our debt has DOUBLED in eight years after Clinton managed to score a budget surplus towards the end of his Presidency
e.) The cost of energy, the rising cost of our goods and services continue to out pace our salaries and wages

By Sarah's measure -- the economy should've been robust, exciting and lots of jobs, raising salaries and a lot of growth confidence..... oh, but it hasn't been like that for the middle and lower class, has it? It was great for the upper class with their fancy schmancy golden parachutes, obscene profits to shareholders while forgetting about the employee who watched their job go 'bye bye' overseas. Oh -- life was purdy for those folks. But it's evident that the Republican mantra simply sides with big business so that they can squeeze the average person out of the equation. Trickle down economics -- clearly only works if you're at the top of the heap and not shoveling it up from the bottom. It simply doesn't work and yet this ticket seems to think that all we need to do is hand over $700 BILLION and all smile for the camera.

The $700 BILLION also isn't going to change a damn thing. Not unless there's a drastic change in how we regulate and oversee the markets. This is why Republicans are adamant against closing provisions like the Enron Loophole. It's why the likes of McCain's adviser Lindsey Gramm (and his wife) slipped in the measure to remove the regulation processes that were installed after the Great Depression.

Why is the American taxpayer being asked to bail out those that have made it their practice to greedily take their money and run when they've failed to self-govern, self-report, and self-regulate as McCain wants them to do? Why is the American taxpayer responsible for those who continue to exploit every loophole and continually shrug off any attempt at self-responsibility or accountability so they can secure their hefty profits that inevitably screw the the rest of us? Why is it that the Republican nominee has surrounded himself with the corrupt folks responsible for this mess to begin with?

It's painful to constantly watch McCain talking out of both sides of his mouth because of the house he currently holds. It's painful to think that Bush saw this coming months ago and that's why they started working on a "PLAN" back then. If Bush had the audacity to craft a plan months ago -- THEY KNEW this was coming and did nothing to stop it. McCain "warned us" and yet continued to vote against regulations that would've kept the markets at bay. If he was "warning us" back then -- where is that legislation he put out there that could've nipped this all in the bud? Hell, I can predict that we'll reach $4.00 a gallon for gasoline -- but that doesn't mean I'm prophetic or anything.

It's really tough to trust anything having to do with his message.

Especially when he employs 7 top advisers who were operating in the THICK of this crisis -- who PERPETUATED this crisis -- and even LIES about their "alleged" involvement in the collapse of these markets. It's AMAZING that he just doesn't get the IMPROPRIETY that poisons his campaign. How the hell are we supposed to TRUST and BELIEVE this from someone who adamantly defended his campaign manager as having NO TIES to the failed Freddie Mac for the last 2 years .... only to reveal that not only was Rick Davis getting benefits from Freddie Mac as recently as a month ago .... come to find out he is *still* getting benefits from them for the foreseeable future!!

It's a single issue -- where we find the McCain/Palin wheels just coming off the bus -- one after another. It's indicative of someone who has played the politics of Washington for the last 25 years and who can't deliver the promise of change that over 80% of Americans demand while supporting the policies of a failed president over 90% of the time.

This is why John can't stay on point - it's why John can't debate the issues - it's why John has to make up facts and hope at least some of them stick because he has nothing else. It's tragic in a way - because it could've really brought out the "Maverick" approach to what he was back in 2000. The campaign is utterly confused what its message is because it has no viable policy to cling onto that can't hold any water.

If John was given a "do-over" for his Veep nod -- he probably should've chosen someone who has a working tub of knowledge about economics -- instead of locking in the beauty queen who has the beauty queen answers for everything locked down pat. Unfortunately, the vice president has to be able to lead the country instead of trying to muddle through it like we all expect it to "snap into place" come January.

Tune in folks ... Palin has to score large in order to re-write some of her most potent gaffes to date, but at least we know why she's been kept in the closet this entire time. She can undermine the message and even inadvertently back the message of their opponent.....

The ship is in trouble John...