[StBernard] Did Barack "Spread the Wealth" Obama Just Blow the Election?

[Westley Annis]

Did Barack "Spread the Wealth" Obama Just Blow the Election?
October 16, 2008 11:37 AM ET | James Pethokoukis

No. Really. You're kidding me. Barack Obama actually told that Joe the
Plumber guy that he wants to "spread the wealth around." What, did Obama
just get done reading the Wikipedia entry on Huey "Share the Wealth" Long or
something? Was he somehow channeling that left-wing populist from the
Depression? Talk about playing into the most extreme stereotype of your
party, that it is infested with socialists.

A while back I chatted with a University of Chicago professor who was a
frequent lunch companion of Obama's. This professor said that Obama was as
close to a full-out Marxist as anyone who has ever run for president of the
United States. Now, I tend to quickly dismiss that kind of talk as way over
the top. My working assumption is that Obama is firmly within the mainstream
of Democratic politics. But if he is as free with that sort of
redistributive philosophy in private as he was on the campaign trail this
week, I have no doubt that U of C professor really does figure him as a
radical. And after last night's debate, a few more Americans might think
that way, too. McCain's best line: "Now, of all times in America, we need to
cut people's taxes. We need to encourage business, create jobs, not spread
the wealth around."

And by the way, I just noticed that the IBD/TIPP poll, the most accurate in
2004, has McCain down by just 3 points. If the contest is perceived by the
voters as a contest between a wealth redistributor and a wealth creator,
then it could be a long night come Nov. 4. This is still a center-right
country, gang. Note this Gallup poll from June:

When given a choice about how government should address the numerous
economic difficulties facing today's consumer, Americans overwhelmingly-by
84% to 13%-prefer that the government focus on improving overall economic
conditions and the jobs situation in the United States as opposed to taking
steps to distribute wealth more evenly among Americans.

There you go.