Wealthy Obama Donor Not A Fan Of Class Warfare
Ted Leonsis, the Internet pioneer and owner of Washington sports teams, voted for President Obama and maxed out on personal donations to his re-election campaign. But he's not a fan of the president's class warfare campaign.
Explaining that his dad was a waiter and his mom a secretary, Leonsis says he has empathy for the lower and middle classes. He says he would have been proud to become a leader in the grocery store where he worked in his younger days but through good fortune and hard work his career was even more successful.
I say this as I read all of the rhetoric about Class Warfare, the rift that is being created between economic middle and lower class and as the President said “those millionaires and billionaires.”
The real rift in philosophy though is do you want the Government to create jobs and stimulate the economy or do you want America’s small business to be the engine of growth?
Economic Success has somehow become the new boogie man; some in the Democratic party are now casting about for enemies and business leaders and anyone who has achieved success in terms of rank or fiscal success is being cast as a bad guy in a black hat. This is counter to the American Dream and is really turning off so many people that love American and basically carry our country on their back by paying taxes and by employing people and creating GDP. ...
Why do we devalue success in the US when the rest of the world is trying to emulate what we have created as an economic system?
Leonsis points out that he lives modestly compared to President Obama and that the companies he owns or has large stakes in support 500 charities. He thinks President Obama should try a different rhetorical move:
Pick some business leaders that you work with and make them heroes. Don’t demonize them. Showcase them as great Americans that care and hire and employ people. Employment is the biggest issue you will face when re-election comes. If people aren’t working, they will blame you and your administration. And since you have never worked before in a real job for a real company, you need help from people who have been there. Don’t push them away!
Ouch. If this is how Obama's friends and donors are talking to him, what must the rest of the country be thinking?
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Comments :
Mar '11
Re: Wealthy Obama Donor Not A Fan Of Class Warfare
Laboring as an entrepreneur perhaps Mr. Leonsis before deciding that he was on Obama's side should have spent a moment to reflect on the question of whether or not Obama was on his.
Mar '11
Re: Wealthy Obama Donor Not A Fan Of Class Warfare
"Pick some business leaders that you work with and make them heroes. Don’t demonize them. Showcase them as great Americans that care and hire and employ people."
Warren Buffett, maybe?
Feb '11
Re: Wealthy Obama Donor Not A Fan Of Class Warfare
Ted Leonsis is a very smart guy (and a great speaker, btw, if you ever have a chance to hear him don't miss it) and he wrote an eloquent piece on the badness of O's class warfare policies...it's difficult to understand why he doesn't recognize **this is who Obama is**...not just some tactical move directed by some staff person.
Obama's whole life is about stirring up conflict among people, he is a win/lose person not a win/win person. There is no imaginable way he could have succeeded as an entrepreneur, neither could he have been a serious academic (despite all those pathetic professors who see him as one of themselves.) He is pure agitator and politician...nothing else.
Jul '10
Re: Wealthy Obama Donor Not A Fan Of Class Warfare
So Leonsis is supporting Obama's reelection despite his reservations about stirring up class warfare. What would it take for him to admit he made a mistake about the president? Or is he, like Jeffrey Immelt, a beneficiary of crony capitalism? It's fascinating how many billionaires and outright plutocrats are in President Zero's corner. Zola said behind every great fortune is a crime, so maybe we're seeing people working their guilt out.
Dec '10
Re: Wealthy Obama Donor Not A Fan Of Class Warfare
Poor man! How long has he been suffering schizophrenia?
May '11
Re: Wealthy Obama Donor Not A Fan Of Class Warfare
President Obama came to Seattle last weekend for a fundraiser, $38,500 per couple to attend. Including events in California, he was estimated to have raised $4 million over the weekend. "He's meeting with the Silicon Valley and Hollywood elite, including an event Sunday night in Atherton, Calif., at the home of Facebook chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg." "Jobs are a major concern in California, where unemployment stands at 12.1 percent, highest of any state except Nevada."
"Californians voted for him by 24 points in 2008 and the Democrats and nonpartisans were the backbone of his support and he's losing some of that now," DiCamillo said. "I think there's a lot of frustration in California about Washington. ... They're looking for Obama to do something."
But remember, he's for the working people...
Article linked here http://www.komonews.com/news/local/130528158.html
Re: Wealthy Obama Donor Not A Fan Of Class Warfare
EDIT: Sorry wrong topic. Please delete this post if possible. Thanks.
Edited on Sep 27, 2011 at 2:44pm