"If you work and play by the rules, you shouldn't be poor" - Bill Clinton, 1992

[Proud2BAmurkin]

"If you work, you shouldn't be poor" was Clinton's main theme as a candidate and president.

Obama is using the quote now.

Shouldn't he be quoting the more "successful" president Reagan? ("Facts are stupid things")

http://wsjclassroomedition.com/archive/06oct/econ1_poverty.htm

[tekisui]

1. Grasping for staws?

The WSJ is becoming a yank rag for pukes.

[MH1]

9. Nah, I'm guessing he didn't like my thread.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x4115548

Notice my OP only quotes a recent Obama speech and does not denigrate other candidates.

I think I must've broken a DU rule.

edited for clarification.

[Frances]

2. Agree with Clinton's slogan

I don't mind if Obama uses it. I do mind that Obama didn't use FDR as a man who ushered in change for good.

[notadmblnd]

3. I worked, played by the rules and was not poor

then my husband died and my job went over seas. Now I'm poor. Did I somehow break the rules of the game?

[dajoki]

11. No you didn't break the rules...

First of all, sorry about your husband, and I don't mean to compare your situation to mine. I worked all my life,hard physical work, but made the mistake by having a serious accident on the job, then my wife's job was "shut down." Now we are in a fight to keep our home. Problem is that we can play by the "rules", but the insurance companies and corporations don't have to.

[MADem]

4. Clinton ran on the Holy Trinity

1. Change v. More of the Same
2. It's the Economy, Stupid
3. Don't Forget Health Care

That was pinned up by James Carville's desk.

Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose, I guess....

[MH1]

5. Perhaps you should link to Obama's statement, which is not a quote of Clinton

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x4115548

Friday night, Obama was scheduled to speak at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas campus. Even before he arrived, students were doing circus tricks, acrobatically spinning giant Obama placards like batons. One man drove a beat up pick up truck, on which was fastened a billboard with the name “Obama” spelled out in flashing Christmas lights.

The welcome was raucous, and Obama didn’t miss a beat. “All across the country what you hear are stories of struggle and of hardship,” he said to crowd of 500.

While most of his and other candidates’ suggestions have been for the middle class, Obama gave a nod to the lower rungs.

He said he would take tax breaks away from companies that ship American jobs overseas. And he would ensure that raise the minimum wage “every year” to keep pace with inflation.

“If you work in this country you should not be poor,” he said, to deafening cheers.

I did a search and didn't find Obama's name in the article you linked.

[MH1]

7. Btw, that statement by Obama is closer to being a quote from my brother.

Wait - more than one person can think that people who work shouldn't be poor in this country?

Oh, the horror!!!

[Proud2BAmurkin]

8. here

http://www.thestar.com/USElection/article/295594

[MH1]

10. Cool. and here I thought you just didn't like the thread I already posted on this article.

Where I highlighted that exact line.

My apologies.

It's a great line, btw.

[Cleita]

6. That could have been true before the Reagan years, however,

the ordinary citizens have so many things stacked up against them in achieving the American dream today, that hard work isn't enough. People need a level playing field and equal opportunity. That isn't available today like it was in my day.

[sam sarrha]

14. i was there before Reagan, sometimes, yes.. sometimes no, but there were lots of jobs to choose from

that made all the difference, you could go to a demonstration or Woodstock.. if they fired you there were other jobs.. there were signs in windiws.."Help Wanted".. and things were cheap, protected by tariffs that payed for everybody's free college education and voc rehab to help people as the economy shifted as robots took our jobs...

then Reagan came and was "Outraged" by students protesting his beliefs, he declared them.."Enemies of the State", so he ended the 'Common Wealth' educational system by ending the tariff system of protecting jobs, made people poor so they couldn't travel to protest..

and suddenly there were only minimum wage jobs, $44 weekly paychecks, and damn few of them, while banks were being built everywhere, so fast they had trailers on the building sights doing business while they were being built.

life was good and easy, then it quickly became iffy if you weren't well to do or rich, class distinction blossomed

[EmperorHasNoClothes]

12. Yeah, Clinton has that quote copyrighted!

Now Obama is going to have to pay him royalties. :eyes:

[Nailzberg]

13. Bill Clinton is accusing poor people of being lazy, rule breakers!

Just practicing my spin.

[meow2u3]

15. That depends on who's making up the rules

People are working hard and think they're playing by the rules, but are still poor because the powers that be are constantly changing the rules in the middle of the game, keeping the majority of Americans off balance and on their toes at the same time.

We ought to come up with a new "syndrome" causing the American worker to snap; Battered Citizen Syndrome. Multinationals and their toadies in the government are giving domestic violence a whole new meaning; We the People are the battered spouse.