This is the inaugural edition of a new series, the Obama Nightly News. This afternoon, I wrote a diary about the fundraising disparity between Romney and Obama last month, about $35M for Romney: Romney Out Fundraising Obama: Time For All Of Us To Give.
In it, I talked about the need for creating enthusiasm here for the campaign, and suggested this series, which is modeled in part on a series from 2007:
In the 2007-08 election cycle, I particpated in a series called EENR. The Edwards Evening News Roundup debuted on April 4, 2007 and ended the night that John Edwards suspended his campaign, January 30, 2008. Icebergslim did a weekly Obama News Roundup. I'd like to start an Obama Nightly News Roundup (some former members of EENR may faint). I'll kosmail iceberg about it. I'd really like her to be part of it. If anyone is interested in helping, let me know in the comments or by kosmail. Bluntly put, we need to create enthusiasm here for Obama. I really believe this is the most important election since 1932 or 1896. And I think the community created by such a series can help.
The Edwards Evening News Roundup debuted on April 4, 2007 and ended the night that John Edwards suspended his campaign, January 30, 2008.
Icebergslim did a weekly Obama News Roundup. I'd like to start an Obama Nightly News Roundup (some former members of EENR may faint). I'll kosmail iceberg about it. I'd really like her to be part of it. If anyone is interested in helping, let me know in the comments or by kosmail. Bluntly put, we need to create enthusiasm here for Obama. I really believe this is the most important election since 1932 or 1896. And I think the community created by such a series can help.
ObamaNightlyNews
(All the letters are run together because the KosSystem kept telling me I could not create a group with a space at the beginning or end. It let me, however, and now there are two. The one that is real is ObamaNightlyNews)
This series will be about the news of the day regarding the Obama campaign. My hope is that a community will grow and we can help raise money, spirits, and volunteer hours in support of the Obama campaign. Enthusiasm is as important as the other two things.
We're still working out the group. It is a community diary and I ask that folks not to start flame wars. There are folks alienated who reject the President or won't help. That's ok. They have that right. I ask that folks disagree civilly and move on. No need to try to convince folks who don't want to be convinced. Instead, let's create a community that is positive. We can smash Romney and explain why we think the President should be re-elected.
Like most communities, this one will grow and change. I hope there is a vibrant community here when people start looking at political blogs in the fall and, hopefully, coming to support Obama. If we build it, it will be here when they come. :-)
Here is the initial schedule. If you want to write a diary, let the group or me know. I (and others) can fill in for the blank spots until we get a full roster. We also will have relief diarists when regulars can't do it. The more diarists with their own point of view, the better. This is about building support and enthusiasm for the President's re-election.
Contact us if you want to do a day regularly or just once.
1. President Obama announced today that he would ask Congress to extend the Bush tax cuts for those making under $250,000 and for one year only. The tax cuts for those making over $250,000 should expire. This means that the first 250,000 of an individual's income will get the tax cut, but the taxpayer will pay the Clinton rates on amounts greater after $250,000. This will affect only 2% of taxpayers and they still will get cuts on the first $250,000 of income. Romney and Republicans are quite upset. From Barack Obama this afternoon, explaining the core philopsophocal differences between Mitt Romney and himself: Trickle down or build up and out from a thriving middle class.
Many members of the other party believe that prosperity comes from the top down, so that if we spend trillions more on tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans, that that will somehow unleash jobs and economic growth. I disagree. I think they’re wrong. I believe our prosperity has always come from an economy that’s built on a strong and growing middle class -- one that can afford to buy the products that our businesses sell; a middle class that can own homes, and send their kids to college, and save enough to retire on. That’s why I’ve cut middle-class taxes every year that I’ve been President -- by $3,600 for the typical middle-class family. Let me repeat: Since I’ve been in office, we’ve cut taxes for the typical middle-class family by $3,600. (Applause.) I wanted to repeat that because sometimes there’s a little misinformation out there -- (laughter) -- and folks get confused about it. Moreover, we’ve tried it their way. It didn’t work. At the beginning of the last decade, Congress passed trillions of dollars in tax cuts that benefited the wealthiest Americans more than anybody else. And we were told that it would lead to more jobs and higher incomes for everybody, and that prosperity would start at the top but then trickle down. And what happened? The wealthy got wealthier, but most Americans struggled. Instead of creating more jobs, we had the slowest job growth in half a century. Instead of widespread prosperity, the typical family saw its income fall. And in just a few years, we went from record surpluses under Bill Clinton to record deficits that we are now still struggling to pay off today. So we don’t need more top-down economics. We’ve tried that theory. We’ve seen what happens. We can’t afford to go back to it. We need policies that grow and strengthen the middle class -- policies that help create jobs, that make education and training more affordable, that encourage businesses to start up and create jobs right here in the United States. So that’s why I believe it’s time to let the tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans -- folks like myself -- to expire. (Applause.)
I disagree. I think they’re wrong. I believe our prosperity has always come from an economy that’s built on a strong and growing middle class -- one that can afford to buy the products that our businesses sell; a middle class that can own homes, and send their kids to college, and save enough to retire on. That’s why I’ve cut middle-class taxes every year that I’ve been President -- by $3,600 for the typical middle-class family. Let me repeat: Since I’ve been in office, we’ve cut taxes for the typical middle-class family by $3,600. (Applause.)
I wanted to repeat that because sometimes there’s a little misinformation out there -- (laughter) -- and folks get confused about it.
Moreover, we’ve tried it their way. It didn’t work. At the beginning of the last decade, Congress passed trillions of dollars in tax cuts that benefited the wealthiest Americans more than anybody else. And we were told that it would lead to more jobs and higher incomes for everybody, and that prosperity would start at the top but then trickle down.
And what happened? The wealthy got wealthier, but most Americans struggled. Instead of creating more jobs, we had the slowest job growth in half a century. Instead of widespread prosperity, the typical family saw its income fall. And in just a few years, we went from record surpluses under Bill Clinton to record deficits that we are now still struggling to pay off today.
So we don’t need more top-down economics. We’ve tried that theory. We’ve seen what happens. We can’t afford to go back to it. We need policies that grow and strengthen the middle class -- policies that help create jobs, that make education and training more affordable, that encourage businesses to start up and create jobs right here in the United States.
So that’s why I believe it’s time to let the tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans -- folks like myself -- to expire. (Applause.)
2. Why is this so bad for Romney and so good for Obama?
The Obama campaign has already depicted Romney as a corporate raider and outsourcer, but over the last forty-eight hours, the Obama campaign has transitioned to a new phase of the offensive: taxes. snip The two-pronged tax offensive places Romney in a delicate position. He will be forced to oppose extending tax cuts for the middle class and defend tax cuts for affluent Americans immediately after a relentless effort to define Romney as a self-interested plutocrat who prioritizes personal wealth over middle class job security. snip The tax issue strikes at the heart of Romney’s path to victory and illustrates the challenge facing his campaign. To win the Presidency, Romney needs a historic showing among white working class voters. While a sufficient number of white working class voters harbor deep reservations about the President’s performance, Romney has not yet consolidated their support and there are more undecided white working class voters than any other demographic group. Undoubtedly, attacks on Romney’s time at Bain Capital, tax evasion, and tax policies will help Obama among these critical voters.
snip
The two-pronged tax offensive places Romney in a delicate position. He will be forced to oppose extending tax cuts for the middle class and defend tax cuts for affluent Americans immediately after a relentless effort to define Romney as a self-interested plutocrat who prioritizes personal wealth over middle class job security.
The tax issue strikes at the heart of Romney’s path to victory and illustrates the challenge facing his campaign. To win the Presidency, Romney needs a historic showing among white working class voters. While a sufficient number of white working class voters harbor deep reservations about the President’s performance, Romney has not yet consolidated their support and there are more undecided white working class voters than any other demographic group. Undoubtedly, attacks on Romney’s time at Bain Capital, tax evasion, and tax policies will help Obama among these critical voters.
3. Here are a couple Obama ads running in battleground states.
First, hitting Romney hard about outsourcing to China:
[The ad begins with a snippet of Romney at a Republican debate]: Romney: “The Chinese are smiling all the way to the bank, taking our jobs, and taking a lot of our future, and I’m not willing to let that happen.” He made a fortune letting that happen. [picture of empty factory floor] These and other documents [showing documents and Washington Post news article] show that Mitt Romney's companies were pioneers in outsourcing manufacturing jobs to countries including China, bragging that they were "a one-stop shop" for their outsourcing requirements. Mitt Romney is not the solution. He is the problem.
Romney: “The Chinese are smiling all the way to the bank, taking our jobs, and taking a lot of our future, and I’m not willing to let that happen.”
He made a fortune letting that happen. [picture of empty factory floor]
These and other documents [showing documents and Washington Post news article] show that Mitt Romney's companies were pioneers in outsourcing manufacturing jobs to countries including China, bragging that they were "a one-stop shop" for their outsourcing requirements.
Mitt Romney is not the solution. He is the problem.
[Pictures of women] Every woman who believes decisions about our bodies and health care should be our own is troubled that Mitt Romney supports overturning Roe v. Wade. [Picture of Mitt and words: Supports Overtunring Roe v. Wade. ABC News, 4/16/12"] Romney backed a law that would outlaw all abortions, even in cases of rape and incest. [same words on screen] And that's not all. [video of Romney speaking]: "I'll cut off funding to Planned Parenthood." For women, Planned Parenthood means life-saving cancer screenings and family planning services. But for Mitt Romney: [video of Romney speaking]: "Planned Parenthood, I'm going to get rid of that."
Every woman who believes decisions about our bodies and health care should be our own is troubled that Mitt Romney supports overturning Roe v. Wade.
[Picture of Mitt and words: Supports Overtunring Roe v. Wade. ABC News, 4/16/12"]
Romney backed a law that would outlaw all abortions, even in cases of rape and incest. [same words on screen]
And that's not all.
[video of Romney speaking]: "I'll cut off funding to Planned Parenthood."
For women, Planned Parenthood means life-saving cancer screenings and family planning services. But for Mitt Romney:
[video of Romney speaking]: "Planned Parenthood, I'm going to get rid of that."
Go here if you can spare $10 or $25 or more tonight to help re-elect the President:
barackobama.com (Hit Donate and it will take you to the page)
Or here:
Act Blue: Contribute now to Barack Obama (President)
That's our inaugural edition. Hope folks like it and want to participate.
Update: Also thanks and a shout-out to my partner effervescent who did the cool color around the schedule.
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