Quick & Easy Candidate Comparison (email I recieved)

[NAO]

I got this from an employee of someone I do business with. It infuriates me because 1) it's from a very nice person and 2) I'm sure she completely believes it. I'm sure lots of others will buy these "talking points" without question.

*****

Below, you can quickly check out the differences between John McCain and Barak Obama on the some of the issues that matter most to people. There are reference links at the very bottom. Thought you might find this helpful.



2008 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE COMPARISON TALKING POINTS



ISSUE
JOHN McCAIN
BARAK OBAMA

Favors new drilling offshore US
Yes
No

Will appoint judges who interpret the law not make it
Yes
No


Served in the US Armed Forces
Yes
No

Amount of time served in the US Senate
22 YEARS
173 DAYS

Will institute a socialized national health care plan
No
Yes

Supports abortion throughout the entire pregnancy
No
Yes

Would pull troops out of

Iraq immediately
No
Yes

Supports gun ownership rights
Yes
No

Supports homosexual marriage
No
Yes

Proposed programs will mean a huge tax increase
No
Yes

Voted against making English the official language
No
Yes

Voted to give Social Security benefits to illegals
No
Yes

CAPITAL GAINS TAX

MCCAIN
0% on home sales up to $500,000 per home (couples). McCain does not propose any change in existing home sales income tax.

OBAMA
28% on profit from ALL home sales. (How does this affect you? If you sell your home and make a profit, you will pay 28% of your gain on taxes. If you are heading toward retirement and would like to down-size your home or move into a retirement community, 28% of the money you make from your home will go to taxes. This proposal will adversely affect the elderly who are counting on the income from their homes as part of their retirement income.)

DIVIDEND TAX

MCCAIN
15% (no change)

OBAMA
39.6% - (How will this affect you? If you have any money invested in stock market, IRA, mutual funds, college funds, life insurance, retirement accounts, or anything that pays or reinvests dividends, you will now be paying nearly 40% of the money earned on taxes if Obama becomes president. The experts predict that 'Higher tax rates on dividends and capital gains would crash the stock market, yet do absolutely nothing to cut the deficit.')

INCOME TAX

MCCAIN

(no changes)
Single making 30K - tax $4,500
Single making 50K - tax $12,500
Single making 75K - tax $18,750
Married making 60K- tax $9,000
Married making 75K - tax $18,750
Married making 125K - tax $31,250

OBAMA (reversion to pre-Bush tax cuts)
Single making 30K - tax $8,400
Single making 50K - tax $14,000
Single making 75K - tax $23,250
Married making 60K - tax $16,800
Married making 75K - tax $21,000
Married making 125K - tax $38,750
Under Obama, your taxes could almost double!

INHERITANCE TAX

MCCAIN
- 0% (No change, Bush repealed this tax)

OBAMA
Restore the inheritance tax

Many families have lost businesses, farms, ranches, and homes that have been in their families for generations because they could not afford the inheritance tax. Those willing their assets to loved ones will only lose them to these taxes.

NEW TAXES PROPOSED BY OBAMA

New government taxes proposed on homes that are more than 2400 square feet. New gasoline taxes (as if gas weren't high enough already) New taxes on natural resources consumption (heating gas, water, electricity) New taxes on retirement accounts, and last but not least....New taxes to pay for socialized medicine so we can receive the same level of medical care as other third-world countries!!!



You can verify the above at the following web sites:


http://money.cnn.com/news/specials/election/2008/index.html

http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/issues/issues.taxes.html

http://elections.foxnews.com/?s=proposed+taxes

http://bulletin.aarp.org/yourworld/politics/articles/mccain_obama_offer_different_visions_on_taxes.html

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/fact-checker/candidates/barack_obama/

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/fact-checker/candidates/john_mccain/

[tblue]

1. She may be a very nice person, but she's spreading lies.

Doesn't matter whether she believes it or not. If she sends it out without checking it out, she's LYING. That I don't consider "very nice."

[NAO]

2. They are IGNORANT lies, but uncritically believed

Spreading lies, no doubt.

But they are the kind of lies stupid people believe. Ok, does that make me an elitist? Because I realize that these are simplistic lies and that most people won't check the references or won't know how to interpret the stories they read?

[cameozalaznick]

3. When I get bullshit emails

I make sure to clearly refute them and cite my sources. And then I hit Reply All, so that everyone who got that email at the same time you did will see the correction.

[JStatus330]

4. Got this too!

My Dad and Aunt have been sending it around. I basically sent them both TONS of links about Sarah Palin, and how that email has NO SOURCES. Someone just made stuff up, with no explanations of their positions.