Campaigning for Social Security?

[Do Miss America]

Bush is making campaign stops. Emails, phone calls, blogs, etc.

Now both sides are doing campaign style commericals slamming the other side. Organizations outside the parties are campaigning(just like the Swift Boat etc), it's like the election didn't stop.

I thought the election was over but millions of dollars are being sent in order to convince voters this social security plan works.

I thought Bush wanted to work with both sides to get this new plan to work. That didn't last long.

So have we seen these campaign style tactics used before to pass legislation? Is this the future? What is this going to do to the gap?

 

[nbcrusader]

"Campaigns" have been used in the past to promote proposed legislation. It is nothing unusual.

 

[Rono]

"Campaigns" have been used in the past to promote proposed legislation. It is nothing unusual.

But do you think it is acceptable ? I think people need to get independ information, not baised rubish. ( from both sides )

 

[BVS]

I don't ever remember seeing campaign's like this for legislation, not with the similar mud slinging commercials and what not.

And I agree with what Rono said, we'll never be truly educated this way.

 

[nbcrusader]

But do you think it is acceptable ? I think people need to get independ information, not baised rubish. ( from both sides )

Yes, it is acceptable - it is part of free speech.

It is up to the individual to seek the "unbiased" sources of information.

Many people here look for alternative sources of information.

 

[U2democrat]

I don't have a problem with it. It would be hypocritical of me to say otherwise.

 

[BVS]

Yes, it is acceptable - it is part of free speech.

But is it responsible?

 

[verte76]

I am opposed *big time* to SS privatization. That said I have no problem with the Bush people trying to convince people otherwise. Right now the polls have 65% of the voters opposed to privatization and only 35% in favor of it, so I'd be shocked if they weren't trying to sell the deal.

 

[nbcrusader]

But is it responsible?

I think that's far too subjective to establish a clear principle.

 

[U2democrat]

What verte said

 

[nbcrusader]

I am opposed *big time* to SS privatization. That said I have no problem with the Bush people trying to convince people otherwise. Right now the polls have 65% of the voters opposed to privatization and only 35% in favor of it, so I'd be shocked if they weren't trying to sell the deal.

I would be interested to see what percentage actually understands the privatization proposal.

 

[verte76]

I would be interested to see what percentage actually understands the privatization proposal.

That's a valid point. It may be that many people don't understand it at all. It's very early in the campaign, and the numbers could change when people have read more in the press. Social Security is a very emotional issue, and probably some people will always have an emotional response to this rather than one based on intellectual understanding. This shouldn't happen, of course, but I think at least a little bit of this happens in every election and every political campaign.

 

[BVS]

I would be interested to see what percentage actually understands the privatization proposal.

Of course they don't, both sides are just slinging mud and using tactics rather than stating the facts.

 

[najeena]

I hate to think that some people will be taken in by Bush's 'town meetings' with the carefully selected and rehearsed supporters who will lavish praise on the proposal. Feh, what a dishonest tactic.

 

[Rono]

See your future,...

If the DIY pensioning will be a great succes as the medical insurance , good luck to you.

I wonder if the minimum wage workers can pay for it, or the 45 million people that already can`t pay medical insurance. ( this figure turned up in the minimum wage debat a couple of day`s ago )

Why don`t the cristian politician don`t care anymore about the weak and the sick

 

[speedracer]

I know next to nothing about Social Security.

I do know that the stock markets are subject to sharp losses in short amounts of time, but also that they've gained an average of 12% or so per year over the last 40 years, and that the top stocks have gained an average of 17% per year over the last 20 years.

 

[Flying FuManchu]

I don't mind the campaign style attempts at "educating" the voters or swinging people to support their SS reform. It is within their right. Bush and company are presenting their "side" of the issue by the what they deem to be the best possible "means." The responsibility part. IMO falls under the "opposition" party to rebut or the media to inform. All we can do is take in the info and process it and make judgements that result in actions for or against. With that said, there still isn't enough info and neither party seems to be putting out counter "options" to Bush's nebulous plan.

 

[BVS]

My problem is that the commercial I've seen is another one of those "the Democrats would like you to believe..." shit. No one is being "educated". It's just more slinging.

 

[MrsSpringsteen]

I wonder of you have to sign a loyalty oath for this too

A Wonkette operative reports from Bush's barnstorming tour:

What's with these incredibly polite hecklers? There were four today [in Memphis]; four at yesterday's first event in Louisille. It's almost as if they've been planted by the Bush people. At his first event today, a well-dressed woman shouted, "With all due respect..." but the rest of her gripe was drowned out by Bush. Later, a chubby heckler said, as Bush was talking about controlling your own personal account, "There's no guarantee of ownership." The woman was hustled out, but the guy just sat there, partly because his heckle could only be heard by the nearby press corps.

And yesterday, one heckler said: "Mr. President, your plan wants to do away with Social Security," before immediately escorting himself out. Maybe at his next speech in Shreveport, someone will stand up and shout: "Mr. President, I take strong exception to the verifiability of your wage indexing estimates!