So, what exactly would "experience" make Obama do differently?

[Thiebear]

Not what I'm talking about.

Obama will raise taxes so that we can

He will lose at the end of that statement.

People can't afford gas, they won't vote for a tax increase.

[DarrellsMyHero28]

Okay, so you want to raise taxes so we can bring the war to 2 more countries and be more involved in another, while lessening the troops in the one we are already in and at the same time increase domestic spending.

How much more are we going to be paying?

No, I want to actually be able to afford whatever it is we're doing. Period.

If we want to have expensive federal programs, whatever they may be, we need the tax money to afford it.

Oh I'm sure he will raise taxes,rather than trimming federal spending.

Going to have to for his expanded gimme programs as well.

going from bad ideas to worse is not a improvement :2cents:

I'd rather have "gimme" programs that help the American people than the idiotic foreign policies that have poured billions of dollars a day into a country that wants us out.

[DarrellsMyHero28]

He will lose at the end of that statement.

People can't afford gas, they won't vote for a tax increase.

I'm not talking about what he'll do to win or lose the election.

I'm talking about a balenced budget. Something that the current administration has avoided like the plague.

[Koolblue13]

No, I want to actually be able to afford whatever it is we're doing. Period.

So maybe we should just stop doing the things we can't, instead of trying to more.

If we want to have expensive federal programs, whatever they may be, we need the tax money to afford it.

And which glorious Federal programs are we running that we should just throw even more cash at?

I'd rather have "gimme" programs that help the American people than the idiotic foreign policies that have poured billions of dollars a day into a country that wants us out.

Foreign policy doesn't equal the Wars, so which FPs is he going to change? How is he going to get us off foreign oil?

[Koolblue13]

I'm not talking about what he'll do to win or lose the election.

I'm talking about a balenced budget. Something that the current administration has avoided like the plague.

You're not talking about "balancing" a budget, your talking about "increasing" a budget.

[DarrellsMyHero28]

So maybe we should just stop doing the things we can't, instead of trying to more.

And which glorious Federal programs are we running that we should just throw even more cash at?

Foreign policy doesn't equal the Wars, so which FPs is he going to change? How is he going to get us off foreign oil?

I agree with your sentiment that we shouldn't do things we can't do, but we can't cut taxes and increase spending, which is what Bush has done.

I think we need to put more federal money into alternative energy sources, allow more domestic drilling, development of oil from shale etc...to answer your other two questions.

[Koolblue13]

I agree with your sentiment that we shouldn't do things we can't do, but we can't cut taxes and increase spending, which is what Bush has done.

I think we need to put more federal money into alternative energy sources, allow more domestic drilling, development of oil from shale etc...to answer your other two questions.

I agree with everything except the first part. We have to reduce spending before we increase taxing or do it together.

[DarrellsMyHero28]

You're not talking about "balancing" a budget, your talking about "increasing" a budget.

No, I'm talking about a balenced budget.

Whatever the Federal Government bring in in tax revenues, it should not spend any more than that number (except in case of emergency).

I personally do not support Universal Healthcare, its just too expensive. I want is this deficit spending to end, if we are going to have this War in Iraq we need to have a real means to pay for it.

We don't, the American people are struggling, the economy is struggling...and we need to get out.

[Thiebear]

Would President Obama remove the troops from Iraq? I think so.

Would President Obama increase the troops in Afghan? I think so, but we'd maintian a presense that will still cost us.

Would President Obama increase the troops in Darfur? I think so. were back to net zero, but I believe its worth it... just as i did for Iraq for the same reasons. The more Libertarian would say no, leave them be.

I should since I lean that way, but if you sign a no Genocide contract you should live by it. The UN should fix Burma also... they are going to all die.

Whats money if you can't use it to save innocent peoples lives?

[DarrellsMyHero28]

I agree with everything except the first part. We have to reduce spending before we increase taxing or do it together.

The problem is, there are millions of things we need to focus on domestically.

Infrastructure, the Gulf Coast, Social Security, Education reform (No Child Left Behind= :pooh: ), alternative energy etc.

If you take out the expenses from Iraq you may be able to fix alot of the domestic issues we're facing.

I don't like taxes, I don't WANT to raise taxes...but what I do realize is that when the President releases his budget, and its 3.4 Trillion dollars...we need at least 3.4 Trillion dollars coming in in taxes.

Bush would have looked a little better in my eyes if he realized that simple math.

[SkinsHokieFan]

I'm not talking about what he'll do to win or lose the election.

I'm talking about a balenced budget. Something that the current administration has avoided like the plague.

Easiest way to get a balanced budget (I knew these Perot charts would come in handy)

Look at how much Medicare/Medicaid and SS and "other mandatory spending" take up compared to the defense budget

[DarrellsMyHero28]

Easiest way to get a balanced budget (I knew these Perot charts would come in handy)

Look at how much Medicare/Medicaid and SS and "other mandatory spending" take up compared to the defense budget

So your solution is to get rid of Medicare/Medicaid and SS?

[SkinsHokieFan]

So your solution is to get rid of Medicare/Medicaid and SS?

Reform, and cut it down, yes

Not ADD to it, as both Obama and Hillary want to do

The military and wars are not mandatory "entitlement" spending. You can easily make adjustments to defense spending, where as touching the pyramid schemes known as social secuirty, medicare, and medicaid is apparently political suicide

Easiest way to stop the rise in the national debt, STOP DIGGING. Mandatory spending is constant digging and digging and digging

Look at defense spending for example, and how it has become LESS vis a vis the entire budget

[stevenaa]

Experience in any endeavor affords one a greater treasure chest to pick from when making decisions. It isn't a very difficult thing to understand. However, that doesn't assure that a person with more experience will necessarily make better decsions. Given equal abilities and intellect, it does make it more likely.

[DarrellsMyHero28]

Reform, and cut it down, yes

Not ADD to it, as both Obama and Hillary want to do

The military and wars are not mandatory "entitlement" spending. You can easily make adjustments to defense spending, where as touching the pyramid schemes known as social secuirty, medicare, and medicaid is apparently political suicide

Easiest way to stop the rise in the national debt, STOP DIGGING. Mandatory spending is constant digging and digging and digging

Look at defense spending for example, and how it has become LESS vis a vis the entire budget

Tell me your plan for reform.

[SkinsHokieFan]

Tell me your plan for reform.

Redline and privatize, so people like you and I will not be paying into a bankrupt system which will give us nothing in the future

Not add to the pyramid scheme

[DarrellsMyHero28]

Redline and privatize, so people like you and I will not be paying into a bankrupt system which will give us nothing in the future

Not add to the pyramid scheme

Well good luck with that, Bush's proposal was a complete and utter failure. Its not a bad idea on paper though.

[SkinsHokieFan]

Well good luck with that, Bush's proposal was a complete and utter failure. Its not a bad idea on paper though.

Even better luck finding more money then exists to pay for our entitlements.

The 2 key numbers. 28 trillion and 55 trillion. And Obama wants to ADD on to this with his healthcare plan :doh:. Will we be able to raise taxes and cut the military that much to account for those 2 numbers

[DarrellsMyHero28]

Even better luck finding more money then exists to pay for our entitlements.

The 2 key numbers. 28 trillion and 55 trillion. And Obama wants to ADD on to this with his healthcare plan :doh:. Will we be able to raise taxes and cut the military that much to account for those 2 numbers

Again, I don't support Universal Healthcare.

[Tastes Like Chicken]

I'm not a finance guru so can someone explain these to me, thanks?

In January of each year the Congressional Budget Office publishes The Budget and Economic Outlook, which contains, among other items, its “baseline projection” for the next ten budget years. The term baseline as used here simply means that the projection serves as a starting point for further discussions. The baseline projection shows the projected path of spending and taxes under current laws and policies. Thus, it assumes that spending for the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq will continue. It also assumes that the tax cuts of 2001 and 2003 will expire as scheduled after 2010 and that tax revenue will therefore rise sharply. Mandatory spending is forecasted to grow at a rate of 1% over the growth in GDP, while discretionary spending is expected to grow at less than the rate of inflation, which is lower than the growth of GDP. As a result, mandatory spending is forecasted to rise as a percentage of GDP (to 12.0%) by 2017, while discretionary spending is expected to fall to 6.4% of GDP by that year. Under these assumptions, the budget would emerge from its chronic deficit state to a series of surplus years beginning in 2012, mostly as a result of increased tax collections.

In this ten-year projection, the United States Government Accountability Office begins with the “baseline projection” prepared by the Congressional Budget Office, and makes three assumptions to arrive at its “alternative simulation.” (1) discretionary spending grows with the economy after 2008; (2) all expiring tax provisions are extended including the 2007 AMT exemption amount; and (3) Medicare spending is based on the April 2007 Trustee‘s intermediate projections adjusted for CMS’s alternative assumption that physician payments are not reduced as required under current law. These three modifications would result in sizable deficits, mostly as a result of lower than projected tax receipts contained in the CBO baseline projection.

[SkinsOrlando]

Well good luck with that, Bush's proposal was a complete and utter failure. Its not a bad idea on paper though.

Complete failure? Not the terminology I'd choose, more like too good an idea for both parties to agree upon since they'd lose an election argument. Politicians do not take well to losing any type of power on anything well.

Example:

Repubs :"Social Security must be reformed and I will do it since the Dems won't"

Dems: "Repubs want to take away your social security, you'll end up homeless".

[SkinsHokieFan]

I'm not a finance guru so can someone explain these to me, thanks?

We are quite screwed without a very fundamental change in how we spend our money

Fundamental being New Deal reversal fundamental

[SkinsOrlando]

Now back on topic.

Yes his lack of experience is an issue, we haven't elected a sitting Senator to POTUS since Kennedy. The last Presidents all had major management positions before taking office. He has no broad spectrum political managerial experience, hell I dont know if he's had any "real" life management experience. This is why people in the real world become asst managers before getting all the control, the learning curve is steep and needs to be taken at appropriate steps.

[SkinsOrlando]

We are quite screwed without a very fundamental change in how we spend our money

Fundamental being New Deal reversal fundamental

Further translation: Enough with the damn entitlement programs, let the private sector manage more and the federal government less.

[DarrellsMyHero28]

Further translation: Enough with the damn entitlement programs, let the private sector manage more and the federal government less.

What I hear:

Screw poor people, I don't care.

Not saying thats how you feel, but you can't just get rid of the damn entitlement programs, there are millions of people that rely on them.