Watercooler talk in my Repbulican dominated office

[apnu]

I work for a brokerage firm in Chicago. Naturally they're all yapping about tomorrow's election. Here is what I'm hearing:

1) With Barack Obama elected we no longer will have to work or go to school. He will redistribute the wealth so that work and school are no longer necessary in America.

2) All monies earned will be take away from everybody as we move to a full collective environment.

3) People with less money (translation: those who haven't 'earned' it, funny coming from lazy brokers) will get more, and people with more money will have it all taken away.

4) Everybody should quit their jobs on November 5th and live off all the state money that Obama is going to give everybody.

5) Everybody is going to be taxed to death. Sell everything now!

[bookman]

1. Watercooler?

Sounds more like the Kool-Aid cooler.

[Cha]

12. Poor Koolaid guzzlers...it always affects their

brains. I wonder how they dress themselves.

[Sannum]

2. Don't forget. The War on Christmas starts Wednesday!

[azmouse]

3. Won't they be surprised when none of that happens!

[Roland99]

38. Pffft...3 years from now they'll still be decrying the new "welfare state"

[CountAllVotes]

4. and the whole lot of these water cooler crooks

just might lose their damn jobs! :party:

:kick:

[av8rdave]

5. Can people sign up to have you PM them the firm name?

I don't want any of my money invested with morans like that!

[nyc 4 Biden]

Please encourage them...

to follow through and quit their jobs. Then you'll have the last laugh.

[global1]

6. Now There's A Plan ......

finally the Repugs are getting it. (sarcasm)

[buddysmellgood]

7. Post this by your watercooler:

What if the Obamas had paraded five children across the stage,
including a three month old infant and an unwed, pregnant teenage
daughter?

What if John McCain was a former president of the Harvard Law Review?
What if Barack Obama finished fifth from the bottom of his graduating class?

What if McCain had only married once, and Obama was a divorcee?

What if Obama was the candidate who left his first wife after a severe
disfiguring car accident, when she no longer measured up to his
standards?

What if Obama had met his second wife in a bar and had a long affair
while he was still married?

What if Michelle Obama was the wife who not only became addicted to
pain killers but also acquired them illegally through her charitable
organization?

What if Cindy McCain graduated from Harvard?

What if Obama had been a member of the Keating Five?
(The Keating Five were five United States Senators accused of
corruption in 1989, igniting a major political scandal as part of the
larger Savings and Loan crisis of the late 1980s and early 1990s.)

What if McCain was a charismatic, eloquent speaker?
What if Obama couldn't read from a teleprompter?

What if Obama was the one who had military experience that included
discipline problems and a record of crashing seven planes?

What if Obama was the one who was known to display publicly, on many
occasions, a serious anger management problem?

What if Michelle Obama's family had made their money from beer distribution?

What if the Obamas had adopted a white child?

You could easily add to this list. If these questions reflected
reality, do you really believe the election numbers would be as close
as they are?

This is what racism does. It covers up, rationalizes and minimizes
positive qualities in one candidate and emphasizes negative qualities
in another when there is a color difference.

Educational Background:

Barack Obama:
Columbia University - B.A. Political Science with a Specialization in
International Relations.
Harvard - Juris Doctor (J.D.) Magna Cum Laude

Joseph Biden:
University of Delaware - B.A. in History and B.A. in Political
Science.
Syracuse University College of Law - Juris Doctor (J.D.)

vs.

John McCain:
United States Naval Academy - Class rank: 894 of 899

Sarah Palin:
Hawaii Pacific University - 1 semester North Idaho College - 2
semesters - general study University of Idaho - 2 semesters -
journalism Matanuska-Susitna College - 1 semester University of Idaho
- 3 semesters - B.A. in Journalism

Education isn't everything, but this is about the two highest offices
in the land as well as our standing in the world. You make the call.

[apnu]

13. Nice summary, but won't work in this office

They care about one thing and one thing only: Hoarding wealth. So anything that takes away from their horde is bad. Brokers and traders think in very simple terms, from what I can understand (I just fix the computers here)

Even the President of the firm said to me that he's voting on taxes and taxes alone. McCain will give him a tax cut, Obama will not cut his taxes (he is aware that he will see a nominal tax increase). Then he said: "What else is there besides taxes?" Seriously, nothing else matters to these people than their personal hordes.

Working here is like working in an office of Smaug's (the dragon from The Hobbit)

[MadinMo]

25. Sounds like the bunch I work with.

In fact one of the smauglets here asked me about Obama's tax plans because that was going to be his single issue on voting. Then he refused to believe what I shared with him. Go figure. None of these smauglets believe anything Obama says. In fact they say they don't trust him.

I can hardly wait for tomorrow and my gloat time. And I will be wearing BLUE.

[renate]

21. very very nice and very telling n/t

:applause:

[onlyadream]

31. awesome...

I just cut and pasted that into an e-mail and sent it out to all my friends. Most are for McLame, so...we'll see if I still have friends left over by the end of the week...ou, my eye is now twitching!!!!

[RiverStone]

8. When the country and their pocketbooks are in a better place a year from now...

Will they still be whining at the water cooler?

As an aside, do they even give a shit we are spending 30 billion $$$$ a month on our occupation in Iraq?

[apnu]

23. No they don't give a shit about spending 30 billion a month in Iraq

They think that's all well and good.

The key to these people is change. They resist any and all change as a matter of habit and philsophy. Obama wants to change the tax code, that's change so they hate it. Further more, Obama won't give them further tax breaks, so he's doubly bad. And finally he said "redistribute the wealth" which makes him satan incarnate.

Taxes, its all they care about. Everything else is superfluous. Iraq spending, secondary. Borrow and spend government, secondary. Federal purchase of banks, secondary.

[EmeraldCityGrl]

9. They won't need to quit their jobs...if you work for a brokerage firm

you'll be fired in the coming months due to the industries greed and incompetence.

[PermanentRevolution]

10. You should try and make a pact with them

If those things actually happen, agree to contribute the maximum to Obama's opponent in 2012. If none of it happens, each of them have to contribute the max to Obama's re-election fund.

[Occam Bandage]

11. Please, encourage them to quit their jobs and live off the state.

Really, guys. Try it.

[maddowfan]

14. LMAO!

[madmunchie]

15. At least thy are smart enough to know they are losers!

[rucky]

16. We're going to be rich from the welfare and poor from the taxes!

oh noes!

[Hamlette]

17. laugh and remind them how horrible things were under Clinton and tell them Obama

has same economic adviser Clinton had

Then tell them to hurry up and sell because you and all your friends are buying and we want to get their stock cheap so they soar as they did under Clinton

(for those of you who don't remember, the Dow went up like 5 fold under Clinton. From about 2500 to 10,000

[DiverDave]

18. I would be really interested to hear the follow up

when things actually get BETTER...well maybe not for the greedy assholes you work with.
It seems to me with changes to other parts of the costs of living these guys will see a BUMP in the buying power of the money they earn.

Please follow up. I really want to know what these guys think (not having this sort in my life)

[apnu]

27. I can tell you what that will be right now.

I've worked in this industry since Feburary 2001 (When the Chimp was still breaking in his cabinet)

Basically they'll say that the economic turn around happened because of market forces, or magic faeries. Basically anybody will be given credit so long as it is Not Barack Obama or any other Democrat.

Party first, country second, that's their motto.

[Ozma]

37. Yeah, you've got it ABOUT right... but it's pocket book and wallet first

then party, then nothing else matters except good sex in or out of the marriage.

[Lint Head]

19. It's hard to believe there would be so many ignorant people in one place

Especially in a brokerage firm where you have to have a small amount of intelligence. I guess they are functionally ignorant. :dem:

[apnu]

29. Not funtionally ignorant, WILLFULLY ignorant.

Around here, its the 'hear no evil, see no evil, say no evil' thing.

Republicans are given a pass, simply because they are Republicans. Regan is "a great man" I hear that, at least, once a month.

[treestar]

20. Are any of them old enough to have been around during the

Clinton Administration? Maybe they were "successful" then and "earned" a whole lot of money then, had it taxed, and still lived well.

[apnu]

30. Oh yeah, and they're bitter about Clinton

They loathe Clinton. A few still have the old Clinton 3 dollar Bills taped up on their monitors. After all this time.

[Ozma]

39. Then they must have really been stupid brokers if they didn't make a

lot of money under Clinton. Or maybe they were just greedy and lost it all when Bush came in, and blamed Clinton for losing it.

[apnu]

43. They made a lot of money under Clinton... tons...

In fact, my company hasn't see returns under Bush like they saw under Clinton.

However, all of that wealth hording happened despite Clinton's actions, they believe. In other words, Clinton tried his hardest to take their money (the health care thing all over again) however in spite of Clinton's best efforts to destroy the market, they had huge profits.

[Ozma]

48. Then they are as dumb as rocks, just like Sarah Palin!

[ensho]

22. who knew brokers were so stupid?

nt

[pennylayne]

28. same here

at my job, its an oil related technology company..according to them, we will be out of business in no time under obama and all on welfare. :crazy:

[yardwork]

53. We've had some clues in recent months.

[codjh9]

24. Similar to another thread someone started yesterday - it's incredible how many insane people

we have in America.

[Ozma]

40. insane people earningm more than minimum wage doing NOTHING!

[MaryEllen9399]

56. I know this is mean but

the McCain voters deserve what they get-that means if they lose their 401K, health insurance,etc..boo fricking hoo. These people will also be the first to scream for government assistance.

[sandnsea]

26. Ah, now I know why they were so stupid

as to be constantly buying into bubbles and ultimately destroying the economic well-being of all those people they disdain.

[Two Sheds]

32. If Bryan is elected, the factory whistle will not blow on Wednesday morning...

shades of the 1896 campaign. Except this time, we're not electing McKinley.

[flpoljunkie]

33. Greed, lying 'morans!'

[redqueen]

34. Idiots. (nt)

[donco6]

35. Well, at least they don't have to worry about being eaten.

Considering how the vast majority of Americans have been carrying their sorry asses about for 8 years.

[JimWis]

36. How can they really believe all that? How did they ever get the

job they have and still be idiots about the issues? Unbelievable.

[Ozma]

41. Being a broker is one step up or down or sideways from

being a used car dealer.

[Jed Dilligan]

50. They got the job by being idiots. That's how the financial sector works.

[frylock]

42. you work with some real dumbshits..

be sure and tell them that i said that.

[LisaLynne]

44. How are we going to be taxed if we don't have jobs ...

and are living off the state? :crazy:

[apnu]

54. They're brokers, logic is alien to them. (nt)

[ieoeja]

45. Ask them: "how much do you suppose a single man on welfare gets monthly?"

Let them toss out numbers a bit before hitting them with the answer: $100 a month.

I had a friend on welfare here once (I let him move into my basement for a couple years til he could get back on his feet). We were both astounded to learn how little welfare paid. All the bitching about lazy people choosing to live on welfare. I seriously doubt if anyone is lazy enough to quit a job because he can get a whole whopping $100 a month without working.

[QueenOfCalifornia]

46. Yep...

us Democrats never have jobs.

Tell that to my husband after 30 years with the USDOJ... :eyes:

[Hansel]

47. This hyperbole is going to put a stake in the heart of the Repub party

Because when Obama is elected and the sky doesn't fall and none of this stuff comes to fruition, everyone is going to realize what complete utter morons they are.

[depakid]

49. Delusions aside, Republican policies have worked out so well for them

why on earth would they want a change?

:sarcasm:

[prole_for_peace]

51. I like #1

I could go for something like that.

[yardwork]

52. A brokerage firm? No wonder Wall Street tanked.

[progressivebydesign]

58. yeah, the dialogue doesn't really synch with a brokerage firm, does it? Scary. n/t

[apnu]

59. One of the supreme ironies of the industry is...

... be they equities or commodities, is that you're supposed to trade with out emotion. Emotion is bad. One is supposed to approach the market with a strategy, pragmatism and risk tolerance. Meaning if one loses in a trade, they need to be able to absorb that loss and get back in the game.

But the brokers I know, since 2001, are all emotional basket cases. They are, politically, hysterical at the prospect of an Obama victory. Also they are not at all being practical about this election, and they have zero tolerance for risk.

[yardwork]

64. That's alarming but not surprising given the events of the past couple of months.

Damn. I knew I should have stuffed it under the mattress instead. These guys are worse than I thought.

[apnu]

60. dupe, sorry (nt)

[apnu]

66. To be clear, we are in chicago, and are not tied to Wall Street in any direct way.

We're a agriculture commodities firm.

But the stupidity of Wall Street is here too, obviously.

[Vinca]

55. Does the brokerage have mental health benefits in their insurance package?

If not, they should.

[progressivebydesign]

57. That's stupid. They sound like 6th graders. They're just talking shit...

that's what people do.

[apnu]

61. Yeah, you are right about that.

I often tell Mrs. Apnu (and she knows from meeting them as well) that many days at work is like being in a 3rd grader's playground. I don't get it.

[Dr Fate]

62. Water cooler break? Shouldnt these fine examples of capitalism forgo their breaks?

Dont they know that taking breaks from work has its origins in socialist unions? (Shudder!)

[IsItJustMe]

63. It sounds like you had Kool-Aid in that water cooler.

[apnu]

65. UPDATE! More whining from the "strong"

Yeah, they consider themselves "strong" because they have lots of money.

Here's more bitchery from the brokers:

1) Today is the last day of a free America

2) Welcome to the United Socialist States of America

3) This quote from Lincoln they're passing around:

"You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich. You cannot strengthen
the weak by weakening the strong. You cannot bring about prosperity by
discouraging thrift. You cannot lift the wage earner up by pulling the wage
payer down. You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class
hatred. You cannot build character and courage by taking away men's
initiative and independence. You cannot help men permanently by doing
for them, what they could and should do for themselves."

--Abraham Lincoln

(on edit, one more)

4) They are also handing around another long rant from former Congressman John LeBoutillier which is filled with hysterical clap-trap that just won't happen. What's telling about this particular missive, is Leboutillier's language. He never says "if" Obama wins, but "when".

Here in Chicago, the Republicans have given up hope.