Obama is in Elkhart, Indiana today touting his stimulus. I am told by a native that this harried place was once a center of RV manufacture. Big old honking gas-guzzlers made to be driven on long trips down dusty highways and thundering interstates. But that industry has been declining for some time, and this Great Recession has routed it further.
So Obama comes to this place and promises that his program will stimulate its economy. At the same time, of course, his party and his administration are pushing a project to inaugurate a vast elaborate system of taxation design to enforce economic decline on industries which do things like — well, like make big old honking gas-guzzlers that drive on long trips down dusty highways and thundering interstates.
In other words one of the industries that will be beggared by cap and trade, is the very industry from which Elkhart draws its economic sustenance.
So at the same time that Obama is claiming to be working for these people, he is pushing a bill that could deliver the death blow to their livelihood.
Perhaps we can for a moment consider these facts in light of the favored Marxian formulas of many on the Left, like a certain columnist at, of all places, The Wall Street Journal. Perhaps we should ask the dread question, What’s the matter with Elkhart? Many of these poor fools voted for this man. They embrace their own economic doom. How have so many of them been persuaded to vote against their social interest?
Well, that would be having some fun at the expense of bad columnists, when this is deadly serious business. The best business of Elkhart is slated for destruction. The same is being prepared for many more towns and communities; and this hard of the heels of the hardship wrought by the Recession, which our countrymen already endure with admirable stoicism, even as their pleas and remonstrations in town hall meetings across the country are jeered and dismissed, and they are compared by the President and his party to a rabblerousing mob who are somehow being paid for the privilege of being angry at their Congressmen.
For a number of complicated reasons, Obama did much better in Indiana than many people expected when the general election campaign began. Whatever might be said about the lofty rhetoric of Obama’s campaign, the actions of his administration have spoken clearly to places like Elkhart, Indiana. They will not be blinded again.
Moe Lane
Steve Maley
Dan McLaughlin
Neil Stevens
Daniel Horowitz
I'm From Elkhart County, Indiana
ObamaNo Wednesday, August 5th at 8:10PM EST (link)I was raised in Elkhart County, Indiana but have not lived there for 12 years. My son still lives there. He just graduated from college. He says it is depressing to be living there. He is planning on leaving Elkhart even though he was born there.
The RV industry will not be coming back to Elkhart and an electric battery plant will not thrive there.
It was sad watching Indiana go for Obama.
NeoKong (Diary) Wednesday, August 5th at 8:10PM EST (link)That state was the reddest of the reds. On election night when they called Ohio I knew it was over.
But Indiana…?
That was like a kick in the ribs as I lay on the ground.
Do you like The Who Leon…?
They won’t get fooled again.
Follow me on Twitter.
Indiana?
harlan Wednesday, August 5th at 9:13PM EST (link)In ’08, a bright and shining example of willfull blindness.
Are you all awake yet? Or do you still follow the false messiah?
Obama won Indiana and North Carolina by slight margin. They will flip back to RED fer shure.. nt
Rod_Patrick (Diary) Thursday, August 6th at 4:40AM EST (link)Being from MA and not having one Republican
The_Rebel (Diary) Wednesday, August 5th at 9:14PM EST (link)in the Congress from this state, I can only say that the people of Indiana get the government that they deserve. People here complain every day, week, month, and year about the higher taxes, fees, tolls, corruption, etc., yet they keep putting the same people back in the Congress (and the State House, too).
The majority of the people of Indiana, for whatever their reasons, decided they wanted Obama as their President. Elections have consequences, so those people who were fooled by him will have to wait another 3+ years to rectify their mistake. The good news is that a bit more thought will go into their vote in 2012. Unlike the people from MA.
Do not condemn all of IN
Pomme (Diary) Thursday, August 6th at 1:06AM EST (link)I know several people who did not vote for Obama.
Broad generalizations tend to have adverse effects. Just saying.
Proud citizen of NW IN.
“Liberals claim to want to give a hearing to other views, but then are shocked and offended to discover that there are other views” William F Buckley Jr.
Not condemning all of IN...
The_Rebel (Diary) Thursday, August 6th at 9:08AM EST (link)I said a majority voted for Obama. That leaves a lot who didn’t.
My husband is from South Bend
marshmom (Diary) Wednesday, August 5th at 10:08PM EST (link)right outside of Elkhart and his mom still lives there. She didn’t vote for Obama but knew lots of people who did.
When he spoke to his mom this morning, she had no clue about anything that was in the health care takeover bill.
Of course he had to spend about 15 minutes explaining it all, but there are lots of people out there like her who don’t watch lots of television and are oblivious to what is at stake.
My husband was just as shocked as anyone else about Obama taking Indiana. It made him glad to live in Alabama.
God Bless
seesalrun (Diary) Thursday, August 6th at 12:23AM EST (link)Alabama
actually
seesalrun (Diary) Thursday, August 6th at 12:32AM EST (link)The first time I was in Elkhart was with my boss enroute to destination undisclosed. He is from the UK. but I kept insisting, boss, this is a famous town. I asked ONE RANDOM GUY from the parking lot where we picked up a coffee what the town was famous for, as I couldn’t recall and he gave us a 5 minute HISTORY of the accomplishments of Elkhart, IN, without a hesitation and a GLEAM in his eye.
I doubt my UK counterpart will ever forget it, neither will I.
Enough said.
Patriot.
ahhh Elkhart
seesalrun (Diary) Thursday, August 6th at 12:22AM EST (link)I’ve been many times off the Interstate from Chicago to points undisclosed.
Don’t be too hard on them.
Empower yourselves. And don’t make your City and County a poster child for bailout.
I see / saw your ALL AMERICAN SPIRIT.
Walk with it, talk with it and make it work.
Shudder at the thought of a Federal handout. Please.
All Good and God Bless. You have a BEAUTIFUL COMMUNITY.
What Elkhart (and the US in general) needs
Leroy Thursday, August 6th at 11:40AM EST (link)I live in Elkhart. What Elkhart, and the US in general, needs to reinvigorate business is: tax cuts, cut regulations, and increased drilling of domestic oil and natural gas.
Obama’s government dominated policies are ineffective. Tax cuts, cut regulations, and increased drilling would be the real “stimuls” for the US economy.
What Elkhart (and the US in general) needs
Leroy Thursday, August 6th at 11:40AM EST (link)I live in Elkhart. What Elkhart, and the US in general, needs to reinvigorate business is: tax cuts, cut regulations, and increased drilling of domestic oil and natural gas.
Obama’s government dominated policies are ineffective. Tax cuts, cut regulations, and increased drilling would be the real “stimuls” for the US economy.