Obama Mocks Socialist Attacks: "I Shared My Toys"

Here's a funny moment from Obama's rally today in North Carolina -- a rally in which (not so humorously) two attendees passed out, in the process stopping the event while Obama urged medical personnel to attend to them and even offered up his own bottled water.

Responding to charges that his economic policies were socialistic in nature, the Democratic nominee ridiculed his opponent for resorting to trivialities and distractions.

"Now, because he knows that his economic theories don't work, he's been spending these last few days calling me every name in the book. Lately he's called me a socialist for wanting to roll-back the Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans so we can finally give tax relief to the middle class. I don't know what's next. By the end of the week he'll be accusing me of being a secret communist because I shared my toys in kindergarten. I shared my peanut butter and jelly sandwich."

The line was reminiscent of when Obama chastised Hillary Clinton during the primary for citing his kindergarten papers as evidence that he had a long-held presidential ambition. Now, as then, Obama chose to parlay the attack through humor as much as substance, a method that has proved effective not just in dismissing charges but drawing media attention towards his rebuttal.

Comments

[left-leaning-libertarian]

The right wing in this country has tried to demonize every progressive iniative over the last 90 years by framing them as "socialism­." Everything from child labor laws, a progressive income tax, Social Security, voting rights and the mere suggestion of universal single-payer health insurance; all tarred as "socialism­."

As an epithet this has lost a good deal of its zing, especially since 1991 and the fall of the Soviet Union. But still, having nothing else to run on, McCain/Palin and their dwindling base trot out this quaint old canard, a creaky anachonistic usage that tends to tell us a lot more about the desperation of the right wing than the agenda of the left.

It tells me that McCain is stuck quite hopelessly in the past, tilting at nostalgic windmills, trying to fight yesterday's losing battles, incapable of understanding why no one will follow him. Sad, very sad.

As always, Obama puts things in perspective and proves that he "gets it!" I am so looking forward to being led by a person of his intellectual calibre and temperament! What a wonderful relief it will be!

Obama/Biden '08

[aquarius2001]

Read this diary from DailyKos..­.

Inaguaration Ball 2009: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/10/29/1643/9807/819/645987

[Tasies]

What we have to realize is that the Republican Party is a champion of Capitalist extremism. The mere thought of having some income proportionality sends them into seizures.

They talk about curtailing gov't expenditure, but only disparage it when it comes to actually being of benefit to hard working americans.

Expenditure is justified if it used to sure up the public sector by increasing public sector wages.

The capitalist extremist are taking a big risk by making this election a referendum in economic models. America's response to labeling Obama a Socialist could be answered with a resounding "So What?" come Nov. 4th.

The AM radio hoses by Nov. 4th could no longer lay the claim that they have the pulse on the American public.

[Agent420]

Here's mine....SO WHAT! And it is not even the 4th yet.

[Danny]

Yes, Tasies, YES!

[duckcrackers]

Wow- Obama offered to redistribute his water. I hope JOhn McCain and Joe the Plumber are on this.

[lo5ree]

I know...I shared my cab with another person...d­oes that make me a socialist?

[Icantbelieveher]

I can't believe you're still allowed to live in America!

[Nan2008]

Does little Ms VPEEP think that all those who ACCEPT the rewards from the GREATEST SOCIALIST'S PROGRAM OF ALL, SOCIAL SECURITY, to be A BUNCH COMMIES...­LOL

[Sphlynx]

Dis is crazy this guy "Obama" will ruin America, I cant work hard to live the american dream, only to have it given to someone who doesn't pay taxes... This is plain crazy....

Obama is Nothing short of a pure Maxist in the making, Obama is simply buying votes, I mean who wouldn't vote for a guy who promises to give u free money as tax cuts even if u dont pay any tax whatsoever.

Ok lets be realistic here... Would u like to work ur ass off day and night trying to do something, and then when u've finished & gained a nice worthy profit , u then have to split it right down the middle to share with someone, who doesn't even know u exist, justified by Obama as "Spreading the Wealth"... Thats a total No No for Americans I don't like it, Nobody likes it, except of course u are Bill gates or u earn over 300 milla!!!.

[amistad]

No, people like you are trying to ruin America.
Make sense, please.

[MYSTERIOUS]

Get a grip.

[missusam]

How is that giving people free money. If you don't work then you do not pay taxes. Those that do work and pay taxes, are keeping the money that they earned, worked for. It is a tax cut.

cannot make it plainer. Got it?

[Nico Suave]

what sort of dialect are you speaking there, Sphlynx? You are making no sense and citing no facts, but I wonder, maybe persuasion isn't you're point. I wonder if you're just trying to amuse us with your funny dialect.

[ContraEgoiste]

It looks like English, but I can't understand a word you're saying. LOL

Another ignoramus.

[thepathforward]

With all of the McCain campaign/Republican kitchen sink tactics toward Sen. Obama, calling him a “socialist”, etc., and the IMO foolish Republican/McCain campaign mockery regarding “redistribution of wealth”, some things are becoming obvious with regard to all of this.

When the tax money from 95% of all taxpayers (i.e. primarily the middle class) is flowing upward to the (already very) wealthy 5%, including the additional hundreds of billions of (95%’ers) taxpayer revenue recently channeled upward (again) for the financial community bailouts (those IMO who didn’t manage those private, economic sectors well after despising all forms of economic regulation), that apparently is completely OK with Sen. McCain and the Republicans, since we presently reside in the Republican trickle down economics paradigm. But let an inspired, wise, proactive, and intuitive leader (Sen. Obama) propose that these same middle class, hard working, patriotic American 95%’ers (after years of IMO exploitation of their jobs, wages, benefits, health care, etc. by many of the 5%’ers) should ALSO receive tax breaks, share the American financial pie and associated financial security, then that seems to be called “socialism”, and unacceptable “redistribution of wealth”.

It seems the direction of flow of the middle class tax revenue determines in the Republican economic paradigm the definition of acceptable “redistribution of wealth”-upward OK, downward “socialism”. And when the private sector top echelon’s mismanagement gets them into great economic trouble and the middle class (public sector) taxpayers bail them out (again), that’s not “socialism”? What irony!

[TexasLovesUBlue]

I don't know why Senator Obama even bothers to defend these ridiculous accusations from McCain;
in his last ad that was just released, it went on and on(blah,bl­ah..), and at the end, it said something to the effect, he's just not ready NOW.?, Uh, if you really believe you're previous accusations made, "Socialist, Marxist, and other similar and UnAmerican claims, do you think that he will eventually ...say in 8 years or so, suddenly change and BE READY to be President; you and Palin are sure reaching in the bottom of the barrel; or else you just think the stupid is really wearing off on the rest of us?

[kburlz]

Do you prefer the Kerry method of not responding to charges?

[JustLynn]

The "Socialist French" have the best FREE healthcare in the world and it costs $3300 per person....­they even have house call organizati­ons...all this along with free schooling, a free "helper" to come into your haome after chilbirth to help the new mom out with laundry, cooking, etc. and free higher education.­....

[huff-n-puff-post]

That is wonderful.
If you like that then move there.
Chances are they won't let you emmigrate there.
They require that you be a self sufficient professional and not an Obamaite.

[amistad]

Don't worry they wouldn't take you either.
You are too narrow minded and ignor@nt.

[ContraEgoiste]

"...then move there. "

LOL

The last refuge of the ignorant who doesn't have the intellect to refute the facts.

Ummm, they like the educated, but I could see how 10%-ers would have trouble there. Besides who are you fooling, you probably don't even own a passport. Disneyland is probably an exotic location to you.

[Agent420]

You sound like one of those animals that go heehaww, and I don't mean donkey, I mean an animal with a much shorter name.

[degenerate1991]

Then why are the poor minorities of Paris rioting over their plight?

[MMJones]

An almost-citizens couple from Mexico, who've become very dear to me (and are in the process becoming citizens, and in the meantime paying taxes on their cleaning business), told me yesterday that they don't understand what is being said by McCain and Palin about socialism and taxation. They said, growing up in Mexico, they heard complaining all the time about taxes taking so much of their money and there was nothing in return. However, they said that here in the United States it is a privilege, that they look outside and see paved roads, are able to educate their child in a public school, we have police and fire departments, etc., etc.

They get it.

OBAMA/BIDEN '08

[huff-n-puff-post]

All this twaddle about, kindergarten, clothes, taxes, economy, socialism and its variants is distracting the electorate from the most important issue.

The most important issue is our national security.
Without national security, Every other issue is moot.
Obama hopes to have his 'steel spine' be the last word about that.
Everything he is doing is designed to keep the issue of National Security from coming up again.

[amistad]

John McCain's Rage is a National Security Concern:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAyK-enrF1g

[degenerate1991]

Yeah, we pay our federal taxes, and half of it goes to big green trucks rumbling slowly down the interstate. The paved roads come mostly from State taxes, as do public schools. Cops and firemen come mostly from local taxes.

[Puck342]

I fail to understand this socialist arguement. The government has had some hand in business, especially certain heavy industries, for decades. The single largest "socialist" move of this year was done under the auspices of the current president and congress (the bailout of Fanny/Freddie and the investing in banks), and no one calls them (though it would be wrong there too) "socialist".

Making someone pay more taxes, and at the same time lowering taxes for others, isn't giving money to anyone. If you didn't make any money before, you aren't getting any money now. If you used to enjoy an absurd tax rate, too bad. Where did this notion come from that anyone with alot of money should just have more? The Rockefellers made their fortunes paying over 50, 60, 70 or 80 percent in taxes. Didn't seem to stop them. In the 1920s there was a 90% (I am not positive on that number, but it was north of 75%, I know that) tax on the wealthiest Americans, and they sure were able to make a fast buck before plunging us all into the Great Depression.

So to those of you out there who make more than 250k I say vote for McCain if you want to be led by your greed. To those who make less than 250k: I say vote for Obama if you want to be led by your greed.

That being said, whose greed is going to hurt this country more?

[huff-n-puff-post]

That being said, whose greed is going to hurt this country more?
++++++++++­++++++++++­++++++++++­++++++++++
Since Obama has declared Trickle Up Economics to be the correct approach, I have to conclude that the greed of the little guy will hurt this country more. Obama said it I didn't.

[missusam]

Your brainwash is thorough and complete.

[DaisyDooks]

Well, we KNOW you didn't take economics in high school - or college - if you attended either. Because at the end of the day and after all your ranting, you STILL don't know your b u t t from a hole in the ground.

[SCG]

The little guy didn't ask for 700bil., or tax cuts when they sent the country off to war for that matter.

[ContraEgoiste]

"I have to conclude..­"

As is evident by your other posts, your conclusions continue to be wrong. The that is to be expected of the typical low information con.

[Icantbelieveher]

http://www.hightowerlowdown.org/node/1603

Cuz trickle down has worked so well!

[DOMINIKALI]

What's wrong with being a socialist? When will people here stop thinking it's an insult? Are European much worse off than us? Is that so horrible to have job protection, free higher education, free health care? And all this without paying higher taxes.

[bcolei]

AMEN! i would much rather pay a bit higher in taxes and know how much i am going to have after those taxes are paid instead of being hit by unexpected healthcare costs that you thought were covered, education you thought you could pay for before the loans go up. if i knew exactly how much money would be left over, then i know what i could save that for retirement or for my children's education.

[SCG]

At least they have something to point to for all their taxation.

[wmholt]

We already had socialized medicine in Medicare and now we have socialized banking and socialized investing on Wall Street, which the Republicans were begging for.

[degenerate1991]

Socialism is dangerous because when one is reliant on a government (i.e. National Socialism or Communism) then they are easily controlled and easily lose their liberty.

[Rider3]

Man, he's just GOOD.

[dadele]

What's next? He fathered 2 black children.

[Haditup2here]

. . . . In wedlock.

[PingMama]

with a black woman

[sherrzinpa]

My goodness, what a scandal!!

[spell]

In wedlock!!!

[brooksidebeast]

....with a married woman, no less!

[Alaskan99577]

Yep, looks like the next president's going to be sleeping with a black woman. Could be the beginning of the end. Sheesh, some people.

[NickNas]

EEEEKKK!! NO!!!!!!!

LOL

Having Great kids is also a negative..­.or at least they will try and make it look that way soon enough.

[MPCarr]

In Obama's own words he has stated that he wants income redistribution, and in college he made a point to hang out with Marxist professors and others. Those are his words.

Obama is a liar.

[Bongborg]

In college, you hang out with the professors who will let you. And what the hell does "and others" mean? Yes, Obama said he wants to put more money in the hands of the middle class and poor. I guess that is income redistribution. It's also something that needs to be done. He's not a liar, Marxist, Muslim, socialist, Kenyan, Indonesian, "terrist" or any of the other lies you jackasses spread about him. He's a realist, which is something you and your ilk apparently are incapable of being.

[MPCarr]

Obama has a past of associating with far left radicals, socialists, and Marxists. But when confronted, he talks like a centrist. That is why I think he is a liar.

When confronted on Rev. Wright, Obama said after 20 years at his church he never heard Wright say those anti American, anti semitic, racist remarks. Common sense tells you this is a lie.

Taking money from higher income people and giving to people who pay no taxes at all is income redistribution, and socialist.

Making wealthy people and small business pay higher taxes will end up hurting the middle class. Who do you think will pay those higher taxes in the end? The consumers.

Middle class and lower income people don't create new jobs and wealth.

These socialist ideas have been tried before and failed. Why do we have to go through this again??