"I am not a socialist" = "I am not a crook"

[eridani]

OK, Obama didn't say that in so many words--see the complete quote here-- http://www.reason.com/blog/printer/132135.html

Still, coming from someone who regularly did a great job breaking the framing of his opponents' arguments whilc running for office, this seems sort of defensive and weak.

It isn't actual socialism that repukes and conservatives are attacking here--it is the very notion that there are such things as public goods. Why not an affirmative defense of public goods instead of a weak objection that you are not actually in favor of state ownership of the entire means of production?

[islandmkl]

1. this was 2 months ago...and he did just fine, or else we would have been hearing..

about 'Obama being weak' non-stop from the M$M and the rest of the naysayers...

[eridani]

2. This is not about one incident. The repukes are spending ALL their time hollering "socialist"

Obama and every other Dem needs to confront that by sticking up for the notion of public goods.

I'm seriously sick of all the crap about "socialist government interference in health care decisions." When will the Dems come out and say "How stupid do you have to be to think that because the government paid for the interstate highway system the government will then tell you where to drive?"

[islandmkl]

3. uhhh....about that 'interstate highway system'...

the 'socialist' financing/construction aspect aside...a near-perfect example of a misguided choice of project, effort, resources and effect...

there is virtually no train travel (ala Europe) between all the towns in america...the consumption of oil by the u.s. is the result of the way this nation travels, even short distances...

there is no correlation between the government building the interstate system (and therefore actually dictating not just WHERE you drive, BUT how you travel) and 'socialism'...

the argument should be about the correct, proper choices that would/will be best for all americans, with concrete visions of the outcomes of those choices...and the fact that the rightwingnuts are crying 'socialism' about healthcare, while not crying 'socialism' about military funding, etc. is the true example of the erroneous nature of their claims...

[eridani]

4. People are never going to agree on how the public good is best served

This is about defending the notion of public goods in general, not any particular program. The government pays for lots of things that it does not dictate to indivivuals and communities how to use.