Patterico's Pontifications

4/13/2015

Why Hillary! Is Both Wrong and a Giant Hypocrite for Criticizing High CEO Pay

Filed under: Economics,General — Patterico @ 6:48 pm



Here we go:

Hillary Clinton, under pressure from the left wing of her Democratic Party to aggressively campaign against income inequality, voiced concern about the hefty paychecks of some corporate executives in an email to supporters.

Striking a populist note, Clinton, who announced on Sunday she was running for president in 2016, said American families were still facing financial hardship at a time “when the average CEO makes about 300 times what the average worker makes.”

There is both a punchy way to respond to this and a thoughtful and analytical way to respond. Nobody really cares about the thoughtful and analytical way to respond, so I’ll concentrate on the punchy way.

First, Hillary makes a pretty penny herself, does she not? I seem to recall “dead broke” Hillary making $300,000 a speech (the “special university rate”) while demanding travel in private jets and staying in hotels’ “presidential suites.”

Second, will anyone ask Hillary if she thinks Oprah is overpaid? Oprah is worth $3 billion, and makes $77 million in a bad year and $290 million in a good year. How dare she? Why, that’s more than 300 times what the average worker makes! $77 million is, in fact, almost 3000 times the medium annual salary in the United States.

If you don’t like Oprah as an example, pick your favorite Friend of Hillary and ask her that question. Any highly paid person in Hollywood will do.

Now for the more thoughtful analysis, which nobody really cares about, so I’ll put it beneath the fold:

(more…)

Marco Rubio Is In

Filed under: General — Dana @ 5:30 pm



[guest post by Dana]

Stealing a bit of *Hillary’s thunder, Marco Rubio officially launched his campaign today.

Excerpts from his speech:

My parents achieved what came to be known as the American Dream. But now, too many Americans are starting to doubt whether achieving that dream is still possible:

Hard working families living paycheck to paycheck, one unexpected expense away from disaster…

Young Americans, unable to start a career, a business or a family, because they owe thousands in student loans for degrees that did not lead to jobs…

And small business owners, left to struggle under the weight of more taxes, more regulations and more government.

Why is this happening in a country that for over two centuries has been defined by equality of opportunity?

Because while our people and economy are pushing the boundaries of the 21st century, too many of our leaders and their ideas are stuck in the twentieth century.

They are busy looking backward, so they do not see how jobs and prosperity today depend on our ability to compete in a global economy. So our leaders put us at a disadvantage by taxing, borrowing and regulating like it’s 1999.

They look for solutions in yesterday, so they don’t see that good-paying modern jobs require different skills and more education than the past. They blindly support an outdated higher education system that is too expensive and inaccessible to those who need it most.

And they have forgotten that when America fails to lead, global chaos inevitably follows, so they appease our enemies, betray our allies and weaken our military.

Now, the time has come for our generation to lead the way toward a new American Century.

If we reform our tax code, reduce regulations, control spending, modernize our immigration laws and repeal and replace ObamaCare, the American people will create millions of better-paying modern jobs.

If we create a 21st century system of higher education that provides working Americans the chance to acquire the skills they need, that no longer graduates students with mountains of debt and degrees that do not lead to jobs, and that graduates more students from high school ready to work, then our people will be prepared to seize their opportunities in the new economy.

If we remember that family – not government – is the most important institution in society, that all life deserves protection, and that all parents deserve to choose the education that’s right for their children, then we will have a strong people and a strong nation.

And if America accepts the mantle of global leadership, by abandoning this administration’s dangerous concessions to Iran, and its hostility to Israel; by reversing the hollowing out of our military; by giving our men and women in uniform the resources, care and gratitude they deserve; by no longer being passive in the face of Chinese and Russian aggression; and by ending the near total disregard for the erosion of democracy and human rights around the world; then our nation will be safer, the world more stable, and our people more prosperous.

*Poor Hillary, even in her ubiquitous pantsuit, no one recognized her when she stopped in at a Chipotle for lunch on her campaign’s first day of travel in the “Scooby” van.

–Dana

Jonathan Chait: Hillary Isn’t That Unpopular

Filed under: General — Patterico @ 7:28 am



Jonathan Chait has a column titled Why Hillary Clinton Is Probably Going to Win the 2016 Election. Chait lists 6 reasons that he believes Hillary! will win. Do they center around the appeal of Hillary? Um, not hardly. Chait’s argument, summarized, is that demographics will save Democrats from the fact that she is a lackluster candidate. Here are the reasons listed by Chait:

1. The Emerging Democratic Majority is real.

2. No, youngsters are not turning Republican.

3. Clinton isn’t that unpopular.

I hear that one said in the voice of Eeyore. Can’t you just feel the enthusiasm?

4. Obama is trending up.

5. Is it time for a change? [Re: “voter exhaustion.”]

6. There’s no alternative.

That last one sounds better if you say it with heavy German accent: zerr ees no alTERnateev.

In truth, this election will be a good test of Chait’s basic thesis, which is that the Democrats have a majority locked in so tightly, they can win even with the least appealing candidate in memory.

I think there’s a chance they might. In fact, I’d like to add a couple more to Chait’s list:

7. The leftist media bump.

Big Media is always willing to shill for the leftist, burying the stories against the Democrat and making up/exaggerating the stories against the Republican. You know it and I know it, and it’s worth a lot of votes. And finally:

8. Hillary is a woman.

People like being a part of history, and voting for Hillary is a chance to participate in bringing the world the first woman U.S. president. I believe shallow reasoning such as this played a significant role in Obama’s margin of victory, and it will happen again in 2016. It will not matter that she is a continuation of dynastic politics; a liar; shrill; an opportunist; unaccomplished; you name it. Say it with me: First Woman President!


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