America change or lose it all for ten years.
69The New President to be
How will Barry or Barack Obama fix the US Economy?
Barack Obama is in.
I will say upfront that as an Australian I am very relieved and happy about the outcome of the Presidential election in America and I was wrong about who was more likely to win.
I did not think Barack Obama would make it because I did not think the huge lead he had would show up so well at the American voting booth.
I will try not to under estimate my US cousins next time.
I thought many would vote differently than stated in the polls. I still think they probably did, but the net is quite a weapon for truth as well as propaganda, and he had the advantage of being a good communicator.
Obama can thank the modern and young voters who must have turned out in droves to stave of the religious right.
All the god-botherers and racists (of all colors) and those who voted single issue did not have the weight.
It was all the poor at home who wanted and needed Barry, and thank dog they voted.
His proposed team is being listed on BBC radio as I write. They will need to move fast, and have it bolted up to survive till January somehow.
The Economy.
the President will need a very fast reaction time and this will be the first test of Barry's power through Biden's connections to get everyone onside, and that will not be easy with a softer more democratic incumbent this time round.
Congress will have to re look at the bailout still based on Henry Paulson's dunny paper and rip it up.
The Automotive Industry needs r&d by the bucket-load to surpass the world in quality very quickly if it is to survive.
Huge infrastructure building at home will offset the employment to some degree.
More money has to come from reduced debt, and a good place to start is offshore.
Here are a few thoughts.
Iraq.
Sixteen months seem a long time to save the 8 billion a month still pouring in to Iraq.
Some of that 8b is feeding American companies like the huge arms business in America, and George Bush's cronies companies in Iraq, so a lot of employment will need to be replaced when their employees come back from working in Iraq.
There number of American companies in Iraq may account for the sixteen months Obama has decided on to pull out the troops from Iraq, I hope he lets us know the reason it is that long. I fervently hope it means they are going home and not to Afghanistan.
Replacing an entire country which they flattened. (good work if you can graft it, but better left to a rich Iraq who will then have full employment and be more able to handle their own internal civil religious war on a full stomach in shelter, safe with their friends again, with safe education for their children.
Afghanistan.
I hope Barry will talk to Pakistan about talking to some tribal chiefs, then slowly educate the Taliban and all the other extreme god-botherers over there to get along by providing education for their kids.They, like all extremists must learn not to harm human life also.
Many will need to learn about the last few centuries, especially the older ones who have been in the same fight as their great grandfather and are born in to religious wars.
America and everyone else has ties with the US will go down the gurgler for quite a few years if Barry can't get what he wants through the levels of government and be the new Abraham Lincoln.
Firstly sell Americana's on the dream that the economy needs a big bump from the bottom up. (He has laid the groundwork for this already)
In other words take the load off the very poor, directly as soon as he is in the oval office .
Give ordinary American some real justice. Swat those bloody bank related rich crooks in every country they are in, shame them and chase them.
They did what they did for nothing but greed.They already had plenty.
When are you rich and powerful, at what level are you a blight on humanity!
Yes they had lots of help from people who purchased 10 houses.Screw them too.
They can go back a few houses without loosing food of the table to do so.
Blame the Government that gave these crooks the capacity to abstract the use of money almost beyond apprehension, and blame the Bankers not the borrower/end user the Government and Bankers are the real crooks here.
They sold a lot of greedy people a pup. They did the same in Australia and we are yet to pay for it.
Greedy home owners, Real Estate Agents, Politicians, bankers,middle men middle middle men, salesmen.
We are all potentially greedy. But the Government defined then manufactured it and promoted it and how the hell could they could be given such a rating for such a leveraged product is a major mystery to me, and I wish I knew something about it.
Screw all of them, make them pay back to their bare needs like the rest of us who will be struggling to maintain even a meal each for the kids.
Mongrels all of them! Shame on them!
Those involved from CEO to shareholders who made packets pay it all back.
Not through lawyers either. They broke the law it's easy, book em, lock em up take the loot.
Peoples houses will still be worth less so adjust their mortgage down to the new valuations and put the rest of it back on the banks books where it belongs.
Allow the other banks to guarantee their real losses only,and make them completely stop foreclosures which will help them gain back better equity.
No houses foreclosed means higher prices for the housing stock.
assistance money must go to the poor now.This must be done house to house in some areas, but do it anyway, it will save many lives from ruin.
Then America will be a rich democracy in all ways again.
Like many Australians I wish the best for the great country that America is.
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Comments
Thank you Ernesto, I am so relieved that I was wrong and Barry got the big job.
I hope some of the rich bankers get hit.
Great Hub. It's nice to know that Obama is getting support from the good people Down Under. He's got a LOT of work to do, but I think he's going to have the support of (most of) the rest of the world.
Thanks rockinjoe. I still hold grave doubts for the American economy, but it had no chance without Obama and he just might pull it off. I am concerned with his choice of treasury chief though.
Earnest, great hub. After the last two elections, believe me, we wondered if he'd succeed as well. However, when I saw a huge red, white, and blue placard of Obama I knew that he was different, I thought and told a friend right at that moment that he's not just candidate he's a whole movement (and I was right to). Don't you worry, he's already taking steps to move our country in the right direction and he's not even inaugurated. For example, he's going to close Guantanomo during his first week in office.
He seems a bit too slick and Tony-Blair-like for my taste
I decided to comment on this hub today because we are very excited in Africa and Nigeria precisely for our big brother OBAMA. Today Obama has been given that go ahead he has long been waiting for. May God continue to bless America and uphold him. Nigerians are very happy too. Nice hub about our big brother, thanks for ur comment also.
Writer Rider, the compliment is appreciated. You make a good case for him, and so did his Speech.You were sharp in spotting him. I admire the man also, but I am still afraid of his treasury. I hope he can control them.
Hello London girl, Tony was slick wasn't he? And very English good looking too. The sort of face you thought you could trust. I bloody near fell over when he backed Bush in the gulf. Do you think he may have been genuine but gullible? Barry the Irishman as I like to call Barak Obama only worries me in two areas so far.
Religion and treasury.
Thank you efeglo, very nice to hear from you. It is a wonderful and proud day for you and your beautiful country. Please let others know that Australia is very happy that Obama won the Presidency too!
"Tony was slick wasn't he? And very English good looking too. The sort of face you thought you could trust. I bloody near fell over when he backed Bush in the gulf. Do you think he may have been genuine but gullible?"
I think he started to fall for his own hype.
LondonGirl I think he started to fall for his own hype.
you shoot straight! That does seem to be a good explanation, he sure could talk.
Anyway the last of the western war-mongering Government was replaced today.
Hooray for America!
earnestshub,
You are right on with everything in this hub. Too bad you couldn't be an American voter in 2000 or 2004, or at least I wish more Americans would see your views. We have been set behind years, if not decades, by the past thieves (administration).
Hello again tyler_durden. Thank you for your support. I have never met the Americans who supported these thieving bastards. All the Americans I know are smarter than that, and more like you. I am honored by your commments and hope that if enough of us get read, we may be able to bring about change.
“...the capacity to abstract the use of money almost beyond apprehension...”
I love that line. It's positively elegant.
Greed is innate to some extent but capitalism promotes and rewards it, along with dishonesty, cruelty and a number of other very negative character traits.
Much of what you suggest seems pragmatic and possible but, short of a real government being built to replace the fascist corporatocracy now in place, little or none of it will happen.
There's nothing wrong with large government. Large nations with large populations need proportionate institutions.
It is the purpose and responsibility of government to serve the population, not rule and subjugate it. The amerikan government serves the wealthy and really always has. At first it was rather subtle about it. Now it's just blatant plutocracy.
Unless a real social democracy is installed here things will continue to devolve until the usual bloody revolution takes place and the whole cycle begins again.
Thanks CWB, I wonder is there any movements in America fighting the bailout? I would like to see some movement somewhere on the globe to fight this madness.
earnestshub, unfortunately it looks like all the predictions of same ol same ol is coming true. I wish it was not because it is going to set the world back many, many years. If a recovery is possible at all? It looks like heading into a Mad Max scenario. With the rate of unemployment in America extremely high and Australia and other countries following suit it may be heading towards Anarchy.
agvulpes, thanks for the comment. Our un-employment figure just went up violently again, and in America people are sleeping in their cars. Not a good look!
Earnesthub I cannot believe what has happened I read in the hub pages and other sources of tent towns, food parcels, towns closing down. Toads recent hub is scary too and I also believe a Mad Max scenaro is possible if things dont change soon.
earnestshub, sleeping in cars is not isolated to America. In our local paper last week a young mother with children says that she drove around and found a good arear to park so her and her children could sleep in the car safely. Fortunately she did not fall through the cracks and the Salvos came to the rescue once again.
Thanks for the comment sixtyorso. When will we start to wake up that for some people enough is never enough. MAd MAx may be just around the corner.
I'm sorry, but since no one else is saying it, I will: this hub blows. Totally segmented and unsubstantiated ramblings from someone who doesn't even live in America and has the political wisdom of a twelve year old. And way to blow off a huge segment of the population with "religious right" and "god botherers." Seriously? Don't get me wrong, I don't mind Obama, but this is just ridiculous. One regurtitated soundbyte after another, steeped in idealism and utterly divorced from reality. Please, for the sake of preserving any small segment of intellectualism and truth on hubpages....stop writing. Or go back to school. Or both. What a load of nonsense.
Thanks for the comment jreuter. I am not an American as you noticed I have however travelled fairly extensively in your country and have been following American politics for forty years. I did not need your insults, and having visited your hubs, I do not see you as an intellectual giant among men, and so reject your assessment of my capacity. Grow up.
Not only you many of us might not have expected that Obama will win the election and become the new president to America. the major blow to him is the current recession state of the world if not he would also be spectacular like the others.
His words " say yes to buffalo but not Bangalore" hurt many Indian fans but it is clear that most of the unemployed in US is in the marketing or sales sector but not in the IT industry. so they has to depend on the other countries for extra man power which is efficiently done by the Indians.
Thank you swathin2, that does seem about right to me.
sarmack. I will be honest with you, as you did not read my hub, I did not allow your comment.
Hello earnesthub,
I found your hub via your comment on a friend of mine's hub bgamall. I was interested on your comments on our (US) election, and your eveluation of Obama.
Although I did not vote for Obama, I did have at least one reason to rejoice at his election and that was to at last see Dr. King's dream' realized. I did not agree with Obama's political views, but I did wish him the best.
Sadly his views are now in focus. They are views more of Saul Alinsky, ACORN, SEIU, not in tune with the Amenrican people. It seem "Yes We Can" is now "Yes You Will". We must like it or lump it. The health care of his health care adviser Ezekiel Emanuel are quite scary (Check "Entire lives system) look at the priority curve. Those under 10 and over 50 have such low priority as to foster talk of "Death Panels".
Can you honestly at this time (August 21, 2009) say Obama is doing well?
Tom, thank you for your thoughtful comment.
At this time I have quite a few reservations I will admit, but hope that the Health care problem America has had for many years can be improved. It certainly does not seem to have bi-partisan support!
The economy, which I heard has "turned around" is still a shocking mess with a long way to go.
I thought he would stop foreclosures and he did not apparently do so yet.
I had high hopes as many in the world did, but they are not dashed yet.
I never thought the previous admin were right to go in to Iraq, or with it's attitude towards other countries, mine included.
In short I am still hopeful, because given any government, this one inherited a doozy set of problems.
I still support Obama, and yes he is not perfect. To be honest I wish he had been more aggressive about implementing the single payer health care model, but in many ways he is conservative and has toned down his policies to meet the interests and desires of mainstream America. The person above mentions the ACORN, and usually but not always, when a commentator does that they have certain preconceived notions about Obama. I am not saying for certain about the man above, but he might be one of those who doubts Obama was born in the US, and has closer ties to Ayres than he ever did.
Obama is doing what he can to press for health care reform by going across the country and having town hall meetings, but at the moment there is a vocal opposition to this. There is only so much he can do with the opposition, and many of them are in Congress. Blue dog Democrats tend to vote a bit more conservative, and many are still reticent about health care reform. Given the opportunity to vote for Obama again I would. I am one of those that is happy with my vote in all honesty.
I would be too, In Australia we are ecstatic! The bush admin coupled with our prime minister and Blair in England got the whole dirty Iraq war supported! We also recognize the change in attitude in US policy to be more like our government with a softer less abusive posture towards the rest of the world and the American people. I do not trust the fed, or the bankers, or the treasury, but I do trust Obama to do the best the American public will allow him to.
I listened to some USA extreme radio yesterday and I was blown away by how ignorant and rumor driven it was! I can see these puppies will not change. Ignorance by choice.... they worry me. :)
I live in Southern California, which seems to be a bastion for conservatives that enjoy talk radio, and foisting their ideology on people. You are right about how scary it is, and the funny thing is people in the larger cities like San Francisco and LA do not hold these extreme views. For some reason the farther inland you get here in Southern California there are many of those scary types of conservatives.
Unfortunately a lot of it has to do with the culture of rich to middle class white people that have the means to do well in life, and they are very scared of of lower middle class to poor white people, and even many minorities. Not literally scared, but many still believe the fallacy that Republican admins are less bureaucratic than Democratic ones, etc. Over the last twenty years religion has even began to infiltrate their party politics, and now much of their efforts are focused on prop eight and other hateful measures. California is the most populace state, which is why I bring up many of these issues. Things vary from state to state, but I could tell you how odd I felt growing up in a community where I was actually more ethnically mixed, and more liberal than the average person. Things have changed some what in twenty years and are more diverse even in the more traditionally white and conservative communities, but often they wonder why people leave the Republican party. The truth is the party alienates many through its policies and tactics.
I grew up in a community where from a young age if you like a politician that was in favor of diversity people would make fun of you because their parents taught them to do that. Remember how in fifth grade we had a mock election and all the kids some how found out I voted for Michael Dukakis. Right now from a friend I heard how it is the rage to pass around anti-health care reform threads on Facebook, and this is in the conservative area I am talking about.
I too have my reservations about the fed and the bankers, but I also have my reservations about Congress, which can be just as inept. Congress is a money and power suck, and it is sad to see how the more conservative Democrats are so anti-health care. People are now actually falling for much of the anti-health care propaganda because politicians have not done enough to stand up to the protesters.
Thank you for your perspective SweetiePie, it seems a lot more balanced than some press I have seen from others. I do love America very much, almost as much as my own country in some ways even more so, but it does seem to have an extreme range of views with a top and bottom end that are preposterous.It also gives other countries a biased view I think.
We have our share of foolish beliefs too. Someone here must have thought it safe vote-wise to include Australia in the band of merry men rounded up to invade a sovereign country.
I hope more Americans get past the spin and into the idea that to support your poor and needy is paramount to good governance.
I do agree Obama inherited a doozyy set of problems. He knew of those problem before the election, he could have said "It's above me let Hillary do it." So he went into the problems with his eyes open. Those doozy set of problems are typically used as political cover. Bush wis blindsided by 9/11/2001 ( my 55th birthday ) and I do believe he over reacted. If I had been in his place my over reaction would have much more drastic.
Thanks Tom, I can understand the reaction to 9/11, our reaction here was one of horror and disbelief!
I know as a politician his first priority is his job. No job no say in what goes on, common to all politicians. How much Obama uses the problems as cover will be the test of how well he can get people behind him as a change maker. I wish my American cousins well, it is a hard row hoe!
What's a "god-botherer" ?
My definition is a religious zealot.
Hi earnesthub,
I read Sweetiepie's comments above. As a conservative I would like to state my positions. I ask her are they scary?
1. I don't trust big government. Any government big enough to give you everything is big enough to take everything away.
2. I am against abortion, but I don't think it sould be illegal. It is not the governments business. It is a personal choice.
3. I am against the death penalty. The government makes mistakes and death is irreversible. Also there is absolutely no way I could ever participate in an execution. Once a criminal is caught and convicted and tied down like an animal I simply could not do it.
4. I have no problem with LEGAL immigration. I would like to see more assimilation into the American traditions.
5. I demand that politicians of all stripes follow the American Constitution, and all amendments thereto.
There is an process to amend the constitution. The liberals have in recent history relied on Supreme Court decisions to reinterpret the constitution.
6. I have no trouble with gay marriage. Gays should share the misery (LOL).
I don't think the ideas of this conservative are too scary. Do you think so?
Thanks for commenting Tom. I think some are scary, but then I think both sides of American politics are scary at the extremes....
I agree with so much of what you have stated, and you seem to be one of many Americans who are truly bipartisan. SweeteePie will speak for herself, and I welcome any views or opinions from you both.
Tom,
I see you are far more balanced than many conservatives I have met. However, being a little bit more on the liberal side I do not agree with all that you say. First off it is a fallacy that any administration, Democratic or Republican, has been small government in the last hundred years of our country. Republicans love to talk about small government and very little intervention, but if they truly felt that way they would be Libertarians. The Libertarians and many Independents actually do preach small government, but if they ever had a chance at the White House I believe they would be changing their tune. It is popular to say we want small government, but in practice that is impossible with the large number of people, land, and Congress that we have.
Also, I think you are a little too paranoid about ACORN as it is not the corrupt organization many conservatives make it out to be. I am not involved with ACORN or having any connection to it, but they actually do some good work. Nothing is all good and bad. There are good and bad people on all sides and position of the political spectrum, so some of your comments about liberals I just do not agree with.
The Constitution is a living document that is continously open to new interpretations. If it never were then we would allow slavery, child labor, and many other things that have gone to the wayside. Let us not forget how there was a big temperance movement in the US from the inception of our country, and while misguided, it had good intentions.
As early as the early 1800 temperance movement leaders used to pass around documents such as the nine steps of a drunk, arguing against the consumption of alcohol. Yes there are alcoholics that go to extremes, but this document claimed one sip of alcohol was the road to ruination. There were enough people to get on the temperance bandwagon to finally where the twenty-first amendment in 1919. The truth of the matter is every amendment to the Constitution has been a reinterpretations of it as it is not a black or white guiding piece. Certain things are clear cut in the Constitution, where others left open to interpretation. The founding fathers intended for our Constitution to be this way, so I am not sure why you believe liberals are guilty of misinterpreting the Constitution. Eventually people decided the twenty-first amendment was silly, and that was repealed.
More and more people are leaving the Republican party because there is a segment that is just way too extreme. I grew up with a group of people who were like that, and California being the most populace state I will tell we do have a large concentration in Southern California. Also, we have some of the more extreme segments here, and yes I do not like extremism on either side, but the darn truth is most of the extreme behavior is right, right, wing Republican. Just listen to Rush or Glen Beck, and that is where some of the most bitter extremism is coming from.
HI James,
I stated 6 of my view above. SweetiePie painted me with a broad brush, She assumed I had many beliefs I had not stated.
1. She assumed I am a Republican, I am a Libertarian.
2. Did I mention Acorn?
3. Amendmen is a valid concept for changing the constitution.
4. On rare occasions the Supreme Court needs to correct past misdeeds. This was cleary the case in the 1954 decision to end segragation in public schools.
5. In the case of prohibition the constutional process worked exactly as the founders had envisioned. One amendment enacts prohibition, and another amendment negates that amendment.
This amendment process is THE way the Constition lives and breathes, with the rare exceptions of Supreme Court decisions which clearly correct past wrongs. If the founders had meant for us to make it up on a whim the Constitution would so state.
A small but typical liberal action that happened over this past weekend. Sen. E. Kennedy is in very bad health. He knows he has terminal brain cancer. In 2004 when John Kerry was running for President. Kennedy urged the Massachusetts Legislature to change the law of senatorial succession. He asked that the Governor not be allowed to appoint an interim senator. But only replace a senator with a special election to be heald within 5 months of a vacancy. At that time the governor had the right for an interim selection followed by a special election within 5 months. Mitt Romney (Republican) was Governor in 2004. Last weekend Kennedy wrote to current Governor Patrick (Democrat) to change the law back. Allow an interim appointment.
Almost instant karma.
earnesthub,
I apologize for mis-typing your name in the above comment. Senior moment.
Tom,
You have painted me with a broad brush too, and I stand by all my astute points. I was speaking of Conservatives in general and many I have encountered here in California, so please do not assume all of my posts are about you. I see you are striving your best to paint me as imbalanced in my views of America, but have I done that to you. No not really, and maybe you should consider why you need to do this.
Yes you did mention the ACORN in your initial post, but I realize many conservatives are paranoid about an organization they do not even know much about really. I did point out in my post that even if Libertarians had a shot at the White House would end up sacrificing many of their small government ideals. These are all such lofty ideals, but not workable in practice. I stand by all I have said about the Constitution being a living document, and I think you are a little too harsh towards liberals. Conservatives seem to paint liberals with a wide paint brush, and I stand by all my well thought out comments.
Ted Kennedy actually has a stellar record as a senator, although he has been in office too long in my opinion. By the way the Prohibition amendment shows how America continuously is being reinterpreted, and the founding fathers did write our Constitution as a very loose document. The Supreme Court has been interpreting the Constitution since the inception of our country and I find it interesting you think only during a few cases they have been accurate to do so.
By the way the majority of the Supreme Court is filled with conservative justices appointed by Republican presidents in the recent years, so the whole drama about Sotomayor is rather amusing. As of now the Court is not even really that balanced, but people were so worried about her smart Latino lady remark. Not saying you are one of them, but I agree with her actually. She may have been too blunt to say it, but she did have a point.
earnesthub
I stand corrected by SweetiePie, I did mention ACORN and link below shows the reasons why.
This link is from your perspective though Tom. I really do not share your views on this. ACORN helps low income people, has lobbied to pass a living wage in expensive cities such as New York and Chicago, and helps people from falling for housing scams. These are not bad things, but I suppose if you think helping the under served Americans is bad, then you probably would feel that way.
Members of ACORN have been indicted for violations of election laws, that is all that needs to be known about ACORN!
Members of the Republican party did the same thing on a mass scale during the 2000 election. The accusations against ACORN are unsubstantiated. Why people object to the organization is because they receive federal funding, but so do mega churches and many other institutions quite a few conservatives like. Churches are even used as a platform for organizing and voter registration, so people are angry at ACORN for doing this in a secular way? Seems a bit hypocritical.
Acorn has at least 277 fully subsidiary entities. ACORN is primarily a criminal enterprize.
Al Capone (in Chicago Obamas home) was much beloved by the poor. That did not make Big Al a good guy.
Accusations about ACORN ? check the convictions , the guilty pleas, the plea deals!!!!
SweetiePie what on Earth are you smokin.
Tom,
I am such a sober and smart girl, you would be surprised. I can boast never having done drugs, been drunk, or smoked. I am such a goody goody you would have a boring time at my house. However, your paranoia of ACORN is amusing. Sorry earnest for speaking out to these fellows so much on your hub, but their political ideology is a true hindrance. If us sentient Americans continue to speak our minds maybe a few people will not fall for the bizarre lies.
If I am paranoid why do I use my real name. I fear no one right or left. I also have passwords for internet uses. But on these hubs I use my real name, how about SweetiePie doing the same. At least on her profile page.
She deflects a serious question about Ted Kennedy and his hypocritical actions. Pleas justify the specific action!!!!
Tom,
I use my picture, and you do not. I tell my hubber friends about my life in my writing and I am very open, and you do not have a profile even. Hypocrisy is a funny thing! I think you are pushing boundaries, what can I say. Women are smart not to use their real name on this website because they can get stalked by men, which has happened a few times even with my screename. I have a profile and a picture here. I use my real name over at the LA examiner, so do not assume.
Ted Kennedy has done some bad things in his personal life, but as a politician he has done quite a bit for Civil Rights. Bush and Chenney committed true horrors with the war in Iraq, but unlike you I am not all worried about pursuing them. I just do not vote for people I do not like.
Other Republicans have sex and scandals like Kennedy. Even Libertarians are not immune. Tom you do not even have a profile on Hubpages, and I happen to write for many site, so do not play mind games with me. I do not use my name here because women do not want to deal with stalker men. If you cannot get that I am sorry.
I do have a profile, but I do not have a digital picture. I do not know if one exists.
The main reason I did not like Kennedy is that I thought he skated on a clear manslaughter charge. If I had driven a car of the bridge at Chappaquiddick resulting in death of another I would have served time in prison.
Today he is gone. I wish him RIP.
earnesthub,
The true nature of ACORN is being unmasked. It is a true representative of the culture of corruption that permeiates US society today. Political parties, financial instutions, now the community organizers ACORN are shown to be up to their necks in corruption.
This is the same ACORN organization that our President worked as a lawyer for to begin his career.
Ernesto says:
13 months ago
You are right...you did not think and you did not think that Lil Lightning would fail at whatever ha had in mind whatever that was. 95% pay no taxes while 40% were retired, disabled, on welfare.etc and would not pay anyway. Rich 250,000 to 120,000 dollars will pay or move to Bahamas or just close the business. But Spike Lee said Barack was "magic" and Spike Lee's influence even got Barack to say,"Take day off, vote for ME!"