DescentBB

I saw a interesting stat today that started me wondering. I always hear how the Republican party is the party of the rich and how the Democrats are for the working stiff. well I saw on the news today what the top 4 candidates are worth.

Bush is worth 15 million
Cheney is worth 50 million
Edwards is worth 70 million
Kerry is worth 1 billion

this makes me wonder understanding that these men are all millionaires how can the Democrats straight faced say that its the GOP thats for the rich??
just wonder what everyone elses take is on this

Heh, and Kerry rakes in 175 million for his campaign. I guess we don't have to feel sorry for the Dems anymore.

Not that I really have a say on the matter, but as I take it, it's not about the personal wealth of the candidates, but rather the political agenda they pursue (who gets tax cuts etc).

I'll give you a cookie if you go to the trouble of calculating the wealth of all Seantors, Representatives, Members of the Cabinet, Justices of the Supreme Court, Governors of each State, and all of the Presidents top advisors.

That would be a facinating fact sheet.

Mind you Vader, that is a state to state issue not a federal issue.

15 million? Bush is an oil magnate, his family is multi-billionare.

Exactly Testi, that's like saying Bin Laden is only worth 200 mil. His family is full of billions of dollars.

All politicians are like that. My uncle is a state rep from Illinois, he lives in an 850K mansion, not bad for his salary

Can I borrow $2k? Seriously.

My family has a little money but their worth can't be tacked on to my worth. It's their money, not mine.
The fact that Bush's family has ba-zillions doesn't mean that Jr. does.

B-

Kerry's wife is loaded because her family are the Heinz people...but his wife's family is Republican so Kerry essentially can't count that money. And Bush/Cheney are ridiculously wealthy. Don't give me that BS about their worth being in the millions...its in the billions. I've seen Fahrenheit 9/11...I KNOW WHAT YOU REPUBLICANS ARE UP TO!

oh jk about that part^^

Fusion pimp wrote:The fact that Bush's family has ba-zillions doesn't mean that Jr. does.

But it doesn't change the fact that he knows and is influenced by people with massive amounts of wealth.

Vader wrote:I'll give you a cookie if you go to the trouble of calculating the wealth of all Seantors, Representatives, Members of the Cabinet, Justices of the Supreme Court, Governors of each State, and all of the Presidents top advisors.

That would be a facinating fact sheet.

I think somebody did and found out the Dems had Gazillion more bucks than the Reps. did.

Find that factsheet and if its current, I'll give you the cookie then

I would, but I'm too busy with stuff to do any real research.

But it doesn't change the fact that he knows and is influenced by people with massive amounts of wealth.

As nearly all politicians are, don't fool yourself into thinking Kerry isn't as well.

Anyway, I agree that the argument has to do with their policies, not how much wealth they have. Their association with wealth doesn't automatically discredit them. And I'm speaking from more of a neutral viewpoint here, I'm neither republican nor democrat.

But it doesn't change the fact that he knows and is influenced by people with massive amounts of wealth.

Can you name a politician that isn't wealthy or backed by wealth? How about a politician that came from a poor family? The playing field is essentially level, Tetrad.

Conservatives have had to shoulder the negative stereotype pushed by liberals of the cigar-chomping fat cats and now it's sorta amusing to see them squirm when their own people are far fatter. But I agree, success--especially in America--shouldn't be a disqualifying factor nor an embarrassment. I find it more interesting that the presidential race is pitting two businessmen against two lawyers. Granted, they're all politicians now, but it's interesting to note how each accumulated their wealth.

Fusion pimp wrote:

But it doesn't change the fact that he knows and is influenced by people with massive amounts of wealth.

Can you name a politician that isn't wealthy or backed by wealth? How about a politician that came from a poor family? The playing field is essentially level, Tetrad.

That's the point I was getting at. That pointing out the differences in personal wealth is kind of silly.