Presidential Debate #3: 9 PM ET, 10/15/08

[fourteenandoh]

Originally Posted by billmac91

I'm rewatching the debate....if McCain could have kept his momentum from the first 15 minutes he would have steamrolled this debate. I really thought McCain made the best points on Economy. And the sad thing is, is he could have done better. That is the worst part about this election...the economic policies should have been a singular debate.

if mccain was able to sell like obama can this would have been over months ago. that's been my biggest beef with his campaign since june or july.

[billmac91]

Originally Posted by 'BusNative

I can assure you that moving jobs from the U.S. to Mexico, other places in Central America, India, SE Asia, China, etc., is completely about the cost of labor (which includes wages and benefits). I hear you on your theory, but greater profit would likely lead to greater dividends, not increasing costs via labor.

I know I'll never convince you, but I think there'd have been a lot of jobs saved.

I think there are LOTS of businesses out there cutting jobs to off-set poor bottom lines. A tax break would definately save jobs....I think how many is debateable.

['BusNative]

Originally Posted by billmac91

I know I'll never convince you, but I think there'd have been a lot of jobs saved.

I think there are LOTS of businesses out there cutting jobs to off-set poor bottom lines. A tax break would definately save jobs....I think how many is debateable.

We can agree to disagree, and that's fine. I have worked very closely with alot of the decision makers in buyout processes, and it's never once been a labor/tax trade off. It's profitability. Maximum profitability.

[billmac91]

Originally Posted by 'BusNative

We can agree to disagree, and that's fine. I have worked very closely with alot of the decision makers in buyout processes, and it's never once been a labor/tax trade off. It's profitability. Maximum profitability.

Aren't you more profitable is less taxed countries?

['BusNative]

Originally Posted by billmac91

Aren't you more profitable is less taxed countries?

Yes, as you are when your labor costs less. Even better if you can achieve both. No one responsible to shareholders and/or LPs would make a profit neutral tradeoff (like labor cost for taxes) when an accretive decision can be made.

[OSUsushichic]

Originally Posted by fourteenandoh

if mccain was able to sell like obama can this would have been over months ago. that's been my biggest beef with his campaign since june or july.

Not buying it. He's too old, his VP sucks, and people really do want change.

[DaytonBuck]

Originally Posted by OSUsushichic

Not buying it. He's too old, his VP sucks, and people really do want change.

They wanted it in Cuba too but Batista looked pretty good in comparison afterwards

[Tresselbeliever]

Originally Posted by DaytonBuck

They wanted it in Cuba too but Batista looked pretty good in comparison afterwards

are you saying McCain is a corrupt dictator?

[billmac91]

Originally Posted by 'BusNative

Yes, as you are when your labor costs less. Even better if you can achieve both. No one responsible to shareholders and/or LPs would make a profit neutral tradeoff (like labor cost for taxes) when an accretive decision can be made.

I guess my point is, is the company could have gone to Mexico years ago, but chose to keep the plants in the United States. It would have been more profitable years ago to do it, but they kept the jobs here. At a certain point, you're backed into a corner, and forced to do things to make the balance sheet look pretty.

My issue with Obama's plan, is that I think companies will look to cut expenses to make up for the tax increases. And like fourteenandoh stated, there is no guarantee the tax breaks middle-class families will see, wll go immediately back into the economy. How many families are behind on mortgage, rent, utilities, etc.?

['BusNative]

Originally Posted by billmac91

the tax increases.

What tax increases?

[fourteenandoh]

Originally Posted by OSUsushichic

Not buying it. He's too old, his VP sucks, and people really do want change.

been to ohio lately? those statements may ring true in massachusetts, but i was in ohio two weeks ago and the undecideds were begging for a reason to vote for mccain. he just hasn't delivered.

[OSUsushichic]

Originally Posted by fourteenandoh

been to ohio lately? those statements may ring true in massachusetts, but i was in ohio two weeks ago and the undecideds were begging for a reason to vote for mccain. he just hasn't delivered.

Not according to my friends and family in Ohio. My mother's biggest complaint about McCain is that he is out of touch with the middle class. She knows how many houses and cars he has (and she watches Fox News every day). Obama is resonating with more and more of middle America. If my mother can talk for 20 minutes straight on the phone about everything she doesn't like about McCain, then he's in trouble. My mother hardly ever talks politics with me!

[scooter1369]

I agree that McCain started strong and finished very weak. If he had just stuck to the merits of the policies he wants to implement, he would have gone all Tampa Bay Ray on Obama's ass. Point out the policies Obama wants to implement have failed in the past, and will fail again. McCain has had a hanging breaking ball pitched to him every debate, and he continues to whiff.

[fourteenandoh]

Originally Posted by scooter1369

McCain has had a hanging breaking ball pitched to him every debate, and he continues to whiff.

i told some people i was watching with that i could have beaten obama tonight. you laid out the playbook perfectly. why mccain continues to whiff is beyond me.

[jimotis4heisman]

Originally Posted by MuckFich06

Sales are a far bigger concern than tax rates for these companies. Besides, laying off an employee wouldn't necessarily lower the tax rate as the employer would lose all the write off expenses associated with said employee.

maybe, maybe not. but sales are not related directly to taxes. ford and gm have plenty of sales, combined they pay $0 in federal taxes as corporations. their employees pay billions. also, those companies were bailed out-again this fall with a 25b deal.