Here are 10 good reasons why you should vote Republican come election day. You won't hear about them on ABCCBSNBC News.
>>>Reason #1. The economy is kicking butt. It is robust, vibrant, strong and growing. In the 36 months since the Bush tax cuts ended the recession that began under President Clinton, the economy has experienced astonishing growth. Over the first half of this year, our economy grew at a strong 4.1 percent annual rate, faster than any other major industrialized nation. This strong economic activity has generated historic revenue growth that has shrunk the deficit. A continued commitment to spending restraint has also contributed to deficit reduction.>>>
But we didn't have deficit spending before Bush.
<<<Reason #2. Unemployment is almost nil for a major economy, and is verging on full employment. Recently, jobless claims fell to the lowest level in 10 weeks. Employment increased in 48 states over the past 12 months ending in August. Our economy has now added jobs for 37 straight months.>>>
Unemployment claims were running 285,000 a week before Bush. I haven't seen that matched since.
<<<Reason #3. The Dow is hitting record highs. In the past few days, the Dow climbed above 12,000 for the first time in the history of the stock market, thus increasing the value of countless pension and 401(k) that funds many Americans rely on for their retirement years.>>>
If you had invested in the Dow when Bush was appointed President, you would be up 8% in 5 years for an average ROI of around 1.5% per year. Adjusted for inflation, your money would be worth over 20% less now, than it was then. Of course if you had invested in the NASDAQ or S&P 500, you'd still be trying to break even, before adjusting for inflation.
<<< Reason #4. Wages have risen dramatically. According to the Washington Post, demand for labor helped drive workers' average hourly wages, not including those of most managers, up to $16.84 last month -- a 4 percent increase from September 2005, the fastest wage growth in more than five years. Nominal wage growth has been 4.1 percent so far this year. This is better or comparable to its 1990s peaks. Over the first half of 2006, employee compensation per hour grew at a 6.3 percent annual rate adjusted for inflation. Real after-tax income has risen a whopping 15 percent since January 2001. Real after-tax income per person has risen by 9 percent since January 2001.>>>
The big difference between now and the 90s is that wage increases in the 90s was not an isolated event. Of course the "averages" don't look quite so good once you back out the option packages for oil execs.
<<<Reason #5. Gas prices have plunged. According to the Associated Press, the price of gasoline has fallen to its lowest level in more than 10 months. The federal Energy Information Administration said Monday that U.S. motorists paid $2.21 a gallon on average for regular grade last week, a decrease of 1.8 cents from the previous week. Pump prices are now 40 cents lower than a year ago and have plummeted by more than 80 cents a gallon since the start of August. The previous 2006 low for gasoline was set in the first week of January, when pump prices averaged $2.238. In the week ending Dec. 5, 2005, prices averaged $2.19. Today, gasoline can be found for less than $2 a gallon in many parts of the country.>>>
In 2000 I was paying a buck ten for regular. The last time I looked, it was $2.60. That's a 236% increase. Funny thing is I can remember a time not so long ago when OPEC wanted to tighten supply to keep it around $25 a barrel. Now OPEC jumps on cuts when it drops below $60.
<<< How To Defeat A Violent Attacker Twice Your Size Can Pheromones Fix Your Relationship? New Stock Market Report - Limited Time Offer! POWs' Lawsuit Could Force Kerry to Come Clean >>>
Pheromones probably won't help if you're ugly and stupid. Bathing on a regular basis would probably help as much as anything.
<<< Reason #6. Since 9/11, no terrorist attacks have occurred on U.S. soil. Since 9/11 the U.S. has not been attacked by terrorists thanks to such programs as the administration's monitoring of communications between al-Qaida operatives overseas and their agents in the U.S. and the monitoring of the international movement of terrorist funds -- both measure bitterly opposed by Democrats.>>>
And who was protecting the country on 9/11? Oh yeah, it was the same guys who published a white paper the year before, stating they needed a new Pearl Harbor to advance their political agenda. On the bright side, defense spending is back to peak cold war levels, Iraq is no longer selling oil for $15 a barrel, and the anti narcotic Taliban has been replaced by local drug cartels pumping 1.2 million pounds of heroin a year, for a 92% share of the global heroin market.
<<< Reason #7. Productivity is surging and has grown by a strong 2.5 percent over the past four quarters, well ahead of the average productivity growth in the last 30 years. Strong productivity growth helps lead to the growth of the Gross Domestic Product, higher real wages, and stronger corporate profits.>>>
Actually, productivity is a measure of how much labor an employer can get out of an employee without raising wages or hiring more help. A steady flow of illegal aliens across the boarder is a big help in that area.
<<< Reason #8. The Prescription Drug Program is working. Despite dire predictions that most seniors would refrain from signing up to the new Medicare prescription benefits program, fully 75 percent of all those on Medicare have enrolled, and the overwhelming majority say they are happy with the program.>>>
The overwhelming majority of drug companies you mean?
<<< Reason #9. Bush has kept his promise of naming conservative judges. He has named two conservative justices to the Supreme Court, Chief Justice John G. Roberts and Justice Samuel Alito. In addition, he has named conservative justices who are devoted to the Constitution as it is written and not as activist liberal judges think it means. The strong likelihood that one or more justices will retire from the Supreme Court makes it mandatory for the Republicans to hold the Senate and have a chance to name new conservative justices.>>>
Yes, some of the decisions have been quite interesting. My personal favorite is the one where private developers may now cut deals with a city council to grab your prime real estate for private development projects.
<<< Reason #10. The deficit has been cut in half three years ahead of the president's 2009 goal, with the 2006 fiscal year budget deficit down to $248 billion. The tax cuts have stimulated the economy and are working.>>>
Yep, Bush burned through the surplus in record time and hasn't produced a balanced budget since. Who do you think has to pick up the tab on deficit spending?
<<< In contrast to this stunning record of real achievement, the Democrats offer no real plans for the way they want to improve America or make us safer.>>>
There is that. It would make a great argument for a viable third party.
<<< Instead, issues like the Mark Foley scandal have been used to smokescreen their own lack of ideas in a public debate.>>>
Yep. Kinda like Monica, except with little boys, instead of chubby women past the age of consent.
<<< The choice voters will make is whether they want higher taxes and less security by surrendering the tools used to combat terrorism or lower taxes and the continued use of tools like the Patriot Act, terrorist surveillance, terrorist interrogations and missile defense. >>>
Indeed. It's just ever so much easier to beat a confession out of your favorite patsy once the Constitution is abolished. Like Humphrey Bogart said, "Round up the usual suspects.".
<<< The leader of House Democrats and the woman who would be speaker of the House, Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said after 9/11 that she "doesn't really consider ourselves at war ... we're in a struggle against terrorism.">>>
Hmm... instead of creating anarchy and breeding hot beds of terrorism in once stable countries, use the kind of police methods the British used to thwart the plot to blow up airplanes a few months ago. I just don't know. It's just too radical a concept to give serious consideration.
<<< By opposing the Patriot Act, terrorist surveillance missile defense and even interrogating the most dangerous terrorists captured on the battlefield, Democrats are in direct opposition to the vital tools we use to fight terrorism.>>>
Yep, heaven forbid we go back to things like the public trials used to put away Tim McVeigh and the blind shiek.
<<<Democratic leaders have made it clear that they see investigations and impeachment as viable options should they take control of Congress. They are therefore promising to tie the hands of the president and his administration in the middle of a war. >>>
How terrible!!! Oversight and accountability are the last things we want to see at the highest levels of our government. |