How Obama Got Elected

[designermv]

If you can criticize any question, I suppose it's that one. The basis for it is contained in this audio: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2veGfjtOhPg He clearly states that he favors policies that will "bankrupt" consumers of coal. The question that Zogby asked then inferred, arguably correctly, that bankrupting the coal consumers would have the ripple effect of putting the coal industry out of business or greatly crippling it. And since almost 50% of our electricity comes from coal plants, supply and demand would dictate that the price of electricity would increase significantly from the loss of that segment of the power generation market or the imposition of the harsh "carbon taxes" that Obama wants if coal continues to be used to generate our power.

But if you take exception to this line of reasoning, then you can throw that question out... and it wouldn't change the general findings of the study.

Thanks for taking the time to answer my question.

 

[3jsmommy]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1Kl5ASl6Lo

This must be one of those "smart" americans that refuses to let the media sway them!

 

[Charade]

I looked at Zogby's actual questions, and one question was worded as such:

"Which candidate said their policies would likely bankrupt the coal industry and make energy rates skyrocket?"

I'm doing some fact checking and I can't come up with where he said these exact words, can someone point me to that source?

Thanks so much.

That was Obama. But I'm sure you knew that already. And that's not an "exact" quote. It's a paritial one though.

Let me sort of describe my overall policy.

What I've said is that we would put a cap and trade system in place that is as aggressive, if not more aggressive, than anybody else's out there.

I was the first to call for a 100% auction on the cap and trade system, which means that every unit of carbon or greenhouse gases emitted would be charged to the polluter. That will create a market in which whatever technologies are out there that are being presented, whatever power plants that are being built, that they would have to meet the rigors of that market and the ratcheted down caps that are being placed, imposed every year.

So if somebody wants to build a coal-powered plant, they can; it's just that it will bankrupt them because they're going to be charged a huge sum for all that greenhouse gas that's being emitted.

The problem is not technical, and the problem is not sufficient mastery of the legislative intricacies of Washington.

The problem is can you get the American people to say this is really important and force their representatives to do the right thing? That requires mobilizing a citizenry. That requires them understanding what is at stake, and climate change is a great example.

When I was asked earlier about the issue of coal…under my plan of a cap and trade system, electricity rates would necessarily skyrocket…even regardless of what I say about whether coal is good or bad, because I’m capping greenhouse gasses, coal power plants, natural gas…you name it…whatever the plants were, whatever the industry was, they would have to retro-fit their operations.

 

[designermv]

That was Obama. But I'm sure you knew that already. And that's not an "exact" quote. It's a paritial one though.

Thanks. When he says "So if somebody wants to build a coal-powered plant, they can; it's just that it will bankrupt them because they're going to be charged a huge sum for all that greenhouse gas that's being emitted," I interpret it as the builder of said coal plant would be screwing themselves because they'd be fined so heavily. Not that Obama's policies will single-handedly bankrupt the entire industry. I guess my brain works differently.

Thanks for pointing out the source of the (non) quote, I appreciate it.

 

[TroyE]

I saw this one linked on Facebook today. Every time I see a video like this is makes me think that some voters are not very educated about politics, but this is not a new thing. I bet this was happening 100 years ago.

The thing that I see about this video is whether or not someone is educated about politics or not doesn't matter, because their vote still counts as much as the most educated voter.

 

[DancingBear]

If you can criticize any question, I suppose it's that one. The basis for it is contained in this audio: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2veGfjtOhPg He clearly states that he favors policies that will "bankrupt" consumers of coal.

McCain also favored cap and trade.

 

[designermv]

McCain also favored cap and trade.

How odd that this was overlooked! Hmm, surely this fact wasn't intentionally overlooked???

 

[Tomader]

Obama was elected in large part because millions of people who never voted came out to vote.

 

[Master Mason]

This is so incredibly absurd. Here's a newsflash: Some people don't use their brain when they vote. Do you want proof? Bush got reelected in 2004. Anyone who couldn't see that Bush was taking this country down the toilet is not using his/her brain but they voted against Kerry because the Bush & Co was able to frame Kerry as snotty, rich liberal who screwed over his fellow Vietnam veterans and Bush as a good old boy rather than a draft dodging incompetent, neither of which are entirely true. Here's another newsflash: Some people who voted for Obama are not very well-informed, same as with McCain voters. Why does this surprise anyone?


I think it's time to hand out pacifiers and blankies to all those who keep whining about Obama winning. Clearly, it's nap time.

Well gee you have had 4 and or 8 years to get over Bush being elected, and yet your still whining about that.

 

[Master Mason]

Well, I don't know you. Perhaps I should have written "a good chunk" or "most" or "a segment". What I really wanted to say was that I think Bush got a lot of values voters in 2004, not people who were thinking from a strictly political standpoint, otherwise, I don't think he would have won. I didn't mean to insult you and I should have put it differently. I do have a hard time understanding why anyone would look at Bush in 2004 and think "Yup, I'd like another 4 years of that."

I didn't, I looked at both of them, and decided I didn't want 4 years of Kerry, more than I didn't want 4 more years of Bush.

 

[Master Mason]

Obama won because he was the best man for the job!
If certain members of the press agreed with that, it's probably because they were watching D.C. more (than the average "Joe") for the past 8 years!!

Actually he won because the majority felt he was the best man for the job, whether he was or not is open to debate and remains to be seen.

 

[DebIreland]

A survey of twelve people? Twelve? Really? Is the word 'million' missing or something? I'm not American so correct me if I'm wrong about your good country, but aren't there like hundreds of millions of you guys? But twelve of you were surveyed?

I think I'll do a survey on how wonderful my business is - I'll just ask my mother and that should be a fair and accurate representation!!

12 people = 1 person in every 45 million US citizens. Hee hee.

 

[Charade]

How odd that this was overlooked! Hmm, surely this fact wasn't intentionally overlooked???

I didn't overlook it and I don't think it was overlooked during the campaign. It was one of the things I disagreed with McCain (and obviously Obama) on.

 

[Geoff_M]

McCain also favored cap and trade.

True, perhaps... But I don't recall McCain stating that one of the certain outcomes of the version of such a program he favored was to "bankrupt" coal fired plants. The amount of proposed taxes to levy has a larger impact that just wanting to levy the tax in the first place.

...like I said, if you have a problem with that question, then just set it aside. There's still plenty to drop your jaw about in the answers of the 512 respondents.

 

[CarlaKay]

Approximately 66,882,218

Wrong. President Elect Obama's total has increased to 67,066,915 http://www.adn.com/election/results/story/576447.htmlPresident Obama won by a difference in excess of 6.8 million votes.

 

[Charade]

Wrong. President Elect Obama's total has increased to 67,066,915 http://www.adn.com/election/results/story/576447.htmlPresident Obama won by a difference in excess of 6.8 million votes.

All that means is there are way more people like those 12 shown in the video.

 

[DancingBear]

True, perhaps... But I don't recall McCain stating that one of the certain outcomes of the version of such a program he favored was to "bankrupt" coal fired plants. The amount of proposed taxes to levy has a larger impact that just wanting to levy the tax in the first place.

...like I said, if you have a problem with that question, then just set it aside. There's still plenty to drop your jaw about in the answers of the 512 respondents.

Actually, though, on a quick scan it looks like there was always at least a plurality for the correct answer, even for pretty obscure things like Obama having gotten the other Dems kicked off the ballot in his first state Senate race (in 1996). Is there any real surprise that folks knew more about GOP spending $150,000 on Palin's clothes vs. Biden's plagiarism in 1987?

 

[yeartolate]

All that means is there are way more people like those 12 shown in the video.

You may have something....remember the polls of Fox viewers that for years thought Saddam Hussein/Irag was ewsponsible for 9/11 and had had WMD.