From The Road
August 5, 2008 12:40 PM

At Obama Event in Youngstown, Age Becomes Topic of Conversation

By
Michelle Levi
Topics
Barack Obama
From CBS News' Michelle Levi:

(YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO) - Barack Obama intended to focus on energy today at his town hall meeting here, however, in addition to the matter at hand, others in attendance wanted to talk about age.

Gov. Ted Strickland, D-Ohio, who introduced Obama, called him "young" not once, but twice during his remarks, which lasted 35 seconds.

"We will put our heart and soul into every day between now and November 4th –to make sure, to make sure, that this bright, young, energized, compassionate, intelligent, committed, young man by the name of Barack Obama becomes our next president," Strickland said.

Perhaps in an effort to stress that he's not so young, Obama followed by saying that even though he and Strickland both celebrated their birthdays yesterday, "I think I have more gray hair than Ted, though." Obama has referenced his graying hair on multiple occasions.

Later, during the question-and-answer portion of the event, Obama was asked how he feels about term limits and Members of Congress who are "80- or 85-years-old" and still serving.

"It's kind of a tricky question for me," Obama responded, specifically avoiding mention of his 71-year-old opponent, John McCain.

"I've got colleagues in the Senate who are doing just outstanding work and they're well into their 70s and they've got incredible energy. I mean one of my dearest friends in the Senate is [76-year-old] Ted Kennedy." He added that term limits may increase the power of lobbyists and that elections are the one form of term limits he supports.

Finally, the last question of the event was from a 75-year-old woman who wanted to know "who is spreading that vicious rumor that women my age, white haired and all, don't support you?"

Obama laughed and said, "That's true it's a vicious rumor! It's a vicious rumor and it's not true! It's not true. It is a vicious rumor. Well listen, I am grateful for your support."

Add a Comment See all 18 Comments
by lgarcia85 August 8, 2008 1:40 PM EDT
FIRST STATE. I understand how you are able to say that the income tax for Oboma would decrease the middle class income tax. Looking at the summary of each candidates tax plan Obomas system appears to decrease the middle class income tax. If you read literature by people who are well educated in the tax system and economies you will find out that after the first 5 years of being in place the Oboma tax plan will actually increase the income tax for the middle class. Also if you take into account all of the other tax areas that Oboma is increasing taxes such as dividend tax, capital gains tax, inheritance tax then YOU WILL EVENTUALLY END UP PAYING MORE IN TAXES. I understand that not everyone will have a 401 k or will sale their house for a profit or etc. But if you choose to invest your money and plan for the future like most responsible people you should not be penalized twice the normal rate for doing so and Oboma for whatever reason feels like you should. COME ON 40 % dividends tax ARE YOU KIDDING ME???? If you would like that feel free to vote for Oboma and his SOCIALISTIC viewpoints if you think there are rumors and uncertainties that exist now just wait until he is president and shows his true colors. I for some reason don%u2019t think those colors are RED WHITE AND BLUE !!!! God bless America !
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by mattcat25 August 6, 2008 1:10 PM EDT
John McCain is TOO OLD to pay any income tax...he''s exempt.

Plus, he''s disabled also....
Reply to this comment
by firststate August 6, 2008 12:07 AM EDT
lgarcia85
You carefully avoided the actual figures Obama''s tax plan would entail. Middle class taxpayers would pay less income tax, period. The double-talk express has struck again. Telling a lie repeatedly doesn''t make it true, even a carefully parsed lie. Obama''s plan isn''t just the repeal of the bush cuts, he would extend and increase tax breaks for most taxpayers. Very few of us would have to pay more income tax, the ones of us who can best afford it. There are people to whom a few thousand a year is a life-changing amount of money and it''s lousy to mislead them about the candidates'' tax policies.
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by firststate August 5, 2008 11:48 PM EDT
bswalker12
When was it exactly, that God appointed you His/Her spokesperson?

You might try Christianity, Jesus was all about our loving and forgiving God and not judging others. Mostly, Christians are more concerned with maintaining their own relationship with God and the state of their own souls than with trying to manage other people''s souls and relationship with God. Those more interested in condemning others are usually in need of seriously examining their own relationship with God. The often show confusion about their place in the universe and in God''s plans.

As confused and forgetful as mcbush is about foreign policy, his so-called "area of expertise," how would we know if he were to become senile?
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by lgarcia85 August 5, 2008 8:18 PM EDT
NEW TAXES BEING PROPOSED BY OBAMA
* New government taxes proposed on homes that are more than 2400 square ft.
*New gasoline taxes (as if gas weren''t high enough already !)
*New taxes on natural resources consumption (heating gas, water, electricity)
*New taxes on retirement accounts and last but not least....
*New taxes to pay for socialized medicine so we can receive the same level of medical care as other third-world countries!!!






Reply to this comment
by lgarcia85 August 5, 2008 8:17 PM EDT
CONTINUED PROPOSED TAX PLANS

INCOME TAX

MCCAIN = (no changes)

Single making 30K - tax $4,500
Single making 50K - tax $12,500
Single making 75K - tax $18,750
Married making 60K- tax $9,000
Married making 75K - tax $18,750
Married making 125K - tax $31,250

OBAMA (reversion to pre-Bush tax cuts)

Single making 30K - tax $8,400
Single making 50K - tax $14,000
Single making 75K - tax $23,250
Married making 60K - tax $16,800
Married making 75K - tax $21,000
Married making 125K - tax $38,750 Under Obama your taxes will more than double!

How does this affect you? No explanation needed. This is pretty straight forward.

INHERITANCE TAX
MCCAIN: 0% (No change, Bush repealed this tax)

OBAMA : Restore the inheritance tax
How does this affect you? Before the tax was repealed many families have lost businesses, farms and ranches, and homes that have been in their families for generations because they could not afford the inheritance tax. Those willing their assets to loved ones will not only lose them to these taxes....read on...

Reply to this comment
by lgarcia85 August 5, 2008 8:15 PM EDT

SUMMARY OF PROPOSED TAX PLANS FOR BOTH CANDIDATES...

This is something you should be aware of so you don''t get blind sided. This is really going to catch a lot of families off guard. It should make you worry. Proposed changes in taxes after 2008 General election:

CAPITAL GAINS TAX

MCCAIN = 0% on home sales up to $500,000 per home (couples) McCain does not propose any change in existing home sales income tax.

OBAMA = 28% on profit from ALL home sales. How does this affect you? If you sell your home and make a profit, you will pay 28% of your gain on taxes. If you are heading toward retirement and would like to down-size your home or move into a retirement community, 28% of the money you make from your home will go to taxes. This proposal will adversely affect the elderly who are counting on the income from their homes as part of their retirement income.

DIVIDEND TAX

MCCAIN = 15% (no change)

OBAMA = 39.6%
How will this affect you? If you have any money invested in stock market, IRA, mutual funds, college funds, life insurance, retirement accounts, or anything that pays or reinvests dividends, you will now be paying nearly 40% of the money earned on taxes if Obama become president. The experts predict that ''Higher tax rates on dividends and capital gains would crash the stock market yet do absolutely nothing to cut the deficit.''

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by carsonvallee August 5, 2008 7:03 PM EDT
bs walker, why do some poor white folk support Republicans? The Republicans do nothing for the poor. Maybe it''s the gun thing. It certainly can''t be the "family values" thing anymore, not after all the Republican *** scandals. Sick b*st*rds!
Reply to this comment
by riteon August 5, 2008 6:32 PM EDT
Obama & his energy plan. If the posters would look back, McCain reversed himself on offshore drilling, recommended alternative sources of energy. Now Obama jumped on the bandwagon & echoed McCain''s statements. Obama couldn''t come up with an original thought if he tried. Unless he has a teleprompter, prepared speech he''s lost. As for age, look no further than Robert Byrd & Teddy the Chappaquidic chauffeur Kennedy.

As for Obama, the latest description is.- he''s like a weather vane in a heavy windstorm. He keeps spinning round & round but you can''t determine from which direction the wind is coming from.
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by jwritesel August 5, 2008 6:21 PM EDT
I like the fact that he saw the efforts of 10 senators reaching a compromise that balances the offshore drilling with support for alternatives that he supports and decided to go with it. It was the same thing that happened in the energy bill of 2005. There was a lot of stuff Obama did not like in the bill but there was also a lot he did like with alternative energy and other similar provisions.

I also like the fact he has been honest about Social Security while McCain continues to weasel around this important issue. As far as Colin Powell goes he sank into oblivion and lost all credibility when he allowed himself to be Bush''s stooge on the Iraq war and its lies about WMDs and other lies as well on the situation in Iraq.
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