Barack Obama Told Bill Simmons He’s Happy With a 4-Team Playoff, But an 8-Team Playoff Would be Better
Bill Simmons went to the White House this week and interviewed President Obama. They talked about sports. Obama’s best answer, not surprisingly, was college football-related:
Well, I’d rather see it eight teams, but four is a good place to start. I think that gets us on the right trend. Nothing is more frustrating than at the end of the season, nobody knows who won. And what, there is some poll? Coaches make a decision? Nobody knows what that means. Because part of what makes sports great, part of what makes March Madness great, the NFL playoffs great, is every once in a while something happens during the playoffs that shows the character of a team.
Look at the Giants this year. Nobody would have picked them. They wouldn’t have been crowned as champions if you had a coaches’ poll at the end of the year. But they made the plays when it counted.
Couldn’t agree more. [BS Report]
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213 Responses to “Barack Obama Told Bill Simmons He’s Happy With a 4-Team Playoff, But an 8-Team Playoff Would be Better”
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March 1st, 2012 at 9:02 AM
/nhoh
March 1st, 2012 at 9:11 AM
Young Jason coming full circle!
Nice pageview post here, though. Substantial stuff.
March 1st, 2012 at 9:13 AM
I love that Obama went “I was into that before you” twice in the first 10 minutes of the pod. Also the “Yeah I’ll see the Bulls at the White House sometime in the next 5 years” was epic.
March 1st, 2012 at 9:16 AM
Lovely.
March 1st, 2012 at 9:20 AM
Well, he also opposes gay marriage right now so he can’t get them all right.
March 1st, 2012 at 9:23 AM
why does obama do these interviews?
March 1st, 2012 at 9:24 AM
That “Hockey Players of the Week” sponsored post is fucking abysmal.
This thread will get out of hand quickly.
March 1st, 2012 at 9:27 AM
so he can get a post on “thebiglead.com’, obviously.
March 1st, 2012 at 9:28 AM
Why not? He’s trying to get re-elected. I assume he feels that if he can come off as likeable he can subtly influence some voters.
March 1st, 2012 at 9:28 AM
Didn’t know this was in person… thought it was going to be some 20 minute phone call podcast. Simmons couldn’t even throw on a tie for a sit down interview with the President?
/ties are stupid
//would still wear one if I was interviewing the President though
March 1st, 2012 at 9:30 AM
wanking motion
March 1st, 2012 at 9:32 AM
So I can get a sit down with the Prez but can’t get into the Duke/Carolina game. Maybe he should have asked Barack to ask Reggie Love to pull some strings.
March 1st, 2012 at 9:33 AM
Why not? He’s trying to get re-elected. I assume he feels that if he can come off as likeable he can subtly influence some voters.
a) he needs no help getting re-elected. he will win by a ton.
b) he is the president, just dont do this shit.
March 1st, 2012 at 9:34 AM
Agree with Obama that the NFL regular season is meaningless.
March 1st, 2012 at 9:36 AM
Gotcha’. These interviews and Oprah appearances are beneath the office of the president. I can agree with you on that.
March 1st, 2012 at 9:36 AM
why does obama do these interviews?
because something like half of America still thinks this guy is a rock star. And at least 34% of people think he’s doing a good job.
And 40% of people think he’s worse than forcible sodomy, and also that he is fully in favor of allowing unsuspecting white people to get forcibly sodomized by ethnics.
March 1st, 2012 at 9:36 AM
Kyle Williams plays for the Giants?
/STILL FUCKING BITTER’D
March 1st, 2012 at 9:38 AM
What was your sense of self satisfaction when hitting “Submit Comment” on this one? Through the roof?
March 1st, 2012 at 9:38 AM
These interviews and Oprah appearances are beneath the office of the president. I can agree with you on that.
True. But so are arguments over birth control. Hasn’t stopped the Presidential candidates from debating it non-stop.
March 1st, 2012 at 9:38 AM
I’ve got no problem with Baracka Flocka Flame nor any president doing these types of unconventional interviews – sports, Oprah, whatever. It’s in good fun and shows you the guy is at least trying to be in touch with the people (doesn’t mean he actually is). But it’s unlike 99% of politicians, who enjoy their power and wealth more than your well-being.
March 1st, 2012 at 9:38 AM
Gotcha’. These interviews and Oprah appearances are beneath the office of the president. I can agree with you on that.
he should get photographed going on bike rides with Lance Armstrong, and stuff like that. Like a real president.
March 1st, 2012 at 9:40 AM
I believe “ohheelyeah” is one of the resident right-wingers of The Big Lead dot com.
March 1st, 2012 at 9:40 AM
Get over it already
March 1st, 2012 at 9:41 AM
The first sports-related thing that Obama needs to do is learn how to throw a baseball like a man.
March 1st, 2012 at 9:42 AM
It’s in good fun and shows you the guy is at least trying to be in touch with the people (doesn’t mean he actually is).
i like that too, but he seems to do it ALL THE TIME. been that way since he got elected. just scale it back a bit.
March 1st, 2012 at 9:42 AM
I believe “ohheelyeah” is one of the resident right-wingers of The Big Lead dot com.
the ultra dismissives. There are 3 that spring immediately to mind, and two have already posted here. The other one, no doubt voiced his displeasure on twitter.
March 1st, 2012 at 9:43 AM
I can get behind this. Also I’m not keen on him being a Chicago White Sox fan. In fact, I hate him for it. But not in the way ohheelyeah or MikeNYC hate him.
March 1st, 2012 at 9:44 AM
Goddamnit. This is so stupid. Obama knows as much about college football as he sucks ass at golf.
March 1st, 2012 at 9:44 AM
i like that too, but he seems to do it ALL THE TIME.
really? I think a big deal gets made out of it (daily show, Oprah, this shit), but it’s 20 minutes and they came to him. It’s not like he spent half a day in Bill Simmons’ garage helping him with the speakers and such.
March 1st, 2012 at 9:44 AM
so the regular season doesn’t count…got it.
fucking christ.
March 1st, 2012 at 9:45 AM
Goddamnit. This is so stupid. Obama knows as much about college football as he sucks ass at golf.
Oh, I forgot the fourth of the ultra dismissive right wingers. My bad.
March 1st, 2012 at 9:45 AM
Did Simmons ask him if he planned on attending any games at Cominskey Field this season?
March 1st, 2012 at 9:46 AM
a) he needs no help getting re-elected. he will win by a ton.
also, I don’t think this is true. I think the worst republican candidate will still get 200 electoral votes. The best of the candidates they have would probably get no more than 160. But that’s their problem.
March 1st, 2012 at 9:46 AM
He deserves pity for this these days, we all do
March 1st, 2012 at 9:46 AM
The Pet Goat was a good book.
March 1st, 2012 at 9:47 AM
Agree that every President does this type of shit.
March 1st, 2012 at 9:47 AM
My perception is that the vast majority of posters here are left-wingers.
March 1st, 2012 at 9:47 AM
Did Simmons ask him if he planned on attending any games at Cominskey Field this season?
looks like Christmas came early for Mike. He gets to hammer both sides of this ridiculous publicity stunt.
March 1st, 2012 at 9:48 AM
full transcript could be posted in the USA today now
/just sayin’
March 1st, 2012 at 9:49 AM
This might draw a “splitting hairs” comment, but when I think of the term “wingers” after “left” or “right,” I think of the extremists in their viewpoints and perhaps actions. I haven’t encountered too many of those here.
March 1st, 2012 at 9:49 AM
/fixed for accuracy
/fock him
March 1st, 2012 at 9:49 AM
My perception is that the vast majority of posters here are left-wingers.
entirely true. And most of those do their taxes on form 1040EZ.
March 1st, 2012 at 9:50 AM
Notice how he didn’t say he wanted a 16-team shit show a la the Wetzel Catastrophe?
March 1st, 2012 at 9:51 AM
I think of the extremists in their viewpoints and perhaps actions. I haven’t encountered too many of those here.
I stand on the corner in my town with a “free abortions” sign, and I gay married my christmas tree.
March 1st, 2012 at 9:51 AM
fuck hockey.
March 1st, 2012 at 9:51 AM
Because taking 30 minutes out of your day to talk about something trivial is probably a good thing for a president.
March 1st, 2012 at 9:51 AM
you know it’s an election year when Obama’s giving interviews to a guy whose highest career accomplishment is “bartender”.
March 1st, 2012 at 9:52 AM
My perception is that the vast majority of posters here are left-wingers.
I’m an anarchist.
/pets Mikhail Bakunin statue
March 1st, 2012 at 9:52 AM
Yikes!!
March 1st, 2012 at 9:52 AM
you’re already getting into the 2 loss teams with an 8 team playoff, right? NO MORE THAN FOUR! NO MORE THAN FOUR! NO MORE THAN FOUR!
March 1st, 2012 at 9:52 AM
you know it’s an election year when Obama’s giving interviews to a guy whose highest career accomplishment is “bartender”.
that’s quality simmons hate right there.
March 1st, 2012 at 9:53 AM
I heard PurdueMatt switches membership between Hutaree and Westboro Baptist Church twice yearly, just to mix it up and reach different audiences.
March 1st, 2012 at 9:53 AM
oh, i dunno about that…seems like becoming wealthy and famous writing homer-y sports rants is a pretty big accomplishment. he’s living the dream of every sports fan stuck at a computer all day.
March 1st, 2012 at 9:53 AM
Looking forward to the annual rage when he fills out a March Madness bracket because those 15 minutes should be spent fixing the nation’s problems by himself or something…my only beef with it is that he always goes chalk
March 1st, 2012 at 9:53 AM
I could be a bartender folr $500,000 a year plus the occasional tv appearance.
March 1st, 2012 at 9:54 AM
I guess. Maybe I’m wrong but I doubt that HuskerDawg has ever voted for a Republican or PurdueMatt a Democrat, for example.
March 1st, 2012 at 9:54 AM
It looked pretty sexy in that skirt.
March 1st, 2012 at 9:55 AM
A four team playoff would be great, and an 8-team playoff where only the top-8 teams get in, no matter which league they belong to would be even better. The problem is that a 4-team or 8-team playoff will eventually lead to a bigger format.
/see the NCAA tournament and MLB playoffs for examples of bracket creep
March 1st, 2012 at 9:56 AM
So true. I’m not a big Simmons fan, but to say he’s not successful is just flat out stupid.
March 1st, 2012 at 9:57 AM
but seriously…obama sucks at golf.
March 1st, 2012 at 9:57 AM
Maybe I’m wrong but I doubt that HuskerDawg has ever voted for a Republican or PurdueMatt a Democrat, for example.
I have voted for a republican a few times in a local race, because I hate the lady who is pretending to be a democrat to get the easy win.
And I felt bad voting for Peter Welch the first time in 2006, because the republican candidate was a far better candidate. But I still did.
Now Welch runs unopposed for probably ever, until he moves into the senate eventually to replace Leahy. Unless he gets caught fucking a goat, I guess. And even then, the goat would face scrutiny, too.
March 1st, 2012 at 9:58 AM
I am very intrigued by the GOP’s “Modern women are whores” campaign and have wagered accordingly.
March 1st, 2012 at 9:58 AM
Wait, how am I “dismissive?”
March 1st, 2012 at 9:59 AM
/team whig
March 1st, 2012 at 9:59 AM
you’re already getting into the 2 loss teams with an 8 team playoff, right? NO MORE THAN FOUR! NO MORE THAN FOUR! NO MORE THAN FOUR!
LSU on line two.
March 1st, 2012 at 9:59 AM
My.
Pet.
Goat.
March 1st, 2012 at 10:00 AM
False. I’ve voted for a Rep twice in local elections as I knew the people and thought they were legit. I have never voted Rep for anything higher than local, though.
March 1st, 2012 at 10:00 AM
impossible…they could only dial half the number.
March 1st, 2012 at 10:00 AM
how often does that happen? And there wasn’t any 0 or 1 loss teams that got fucked over. Everyone had at least 2 losses.
March 1st, 2012 at 10:00 AM
Simmons is a millionaire 1%’er.
March 1st, 2012 at 10:00 AM
Pretty much this.
Can someone tell me if Simmons used “unemployment figures” and “Vegas Zone” in the same sentence? If so, that will help me determine whether or not I listen to this podcast or regard it like I do when Simmons talks about Reality TV.
March 1st, 2012 at 10:01 AM
Team Dixiecrat.
/ not really
March 1st, 2012 at 10:01 AM
Score.
March 1st, 2012 at 10:01 AM
I have no problem with Bush reading to some kids. I thought it was great. It was his response once informed that shit was going down that was the problem.
March 1st, 2012 at 10:01 AM
Erroneous. It’s “The.”
March 1st, 2012 at 10:01 AM
Husker is a huge Cynthia McKinney supporter.
March 1st, 2012 at 10:02 AM
The first sports-related thing that Obama needs to do is learn how to throw a baseball like a man.
Meh. It’s understandable. Black people don’t play baseball.
March 1st, 2012 at 10:02 AM
I can’t listen to this … I find both of these yahoos extremely annoying. Simmons may have the worst voice on radio.
March 1st, 2012 at 10:02 AM
/Team None of Your Fucking Parties
March 1st, 2012 at 10:03 AM
UGA would have beaten them that year, too. Fucking fuck ass shit.
March 1st, 2012 at 10:03 AM
Wait, how am I “dismissive?”
really? On some issues, you are the grand champion of dismissiveness. Your pet project is trying to refute every single claim of racism in the entire world, all the time. Remember that time you, after those kids in PA did that thing where they wore banana suits to taunt the black guy, and you linked the Chiquita banana lady to ‘refute’ that wearing a banana suit is racist?
That was dismissive.
March 1st, 2012 at 10:04 AM
I thought he was saying racism was rich in potassium.
March 1st, 2012 at 10:04 AM
hahaha … hilarious.
I’ve never met a supporter of hers but I’ve seen them on TV: hilarity reigns supreme
March 1st, 2012 at 10:04 AM
Gotcha.
March 1st, 2012 at 10:04 AM
Committed lefties:
Clown, Husker, Dirt, NDub, Mole, Duffy, ATL, Wilhelm, Sportsgal, etc.
And that’s just scratching the surface.
March 1st, 2012 at 10:04 AM
I have genuinely never understood this criticism. It was awkward for the several minutes he waited it out but the criticisms lobbed at him were as if he was going to carry that initial hesitation/uncertainty into the way he responded militarily, and we all know that wasn’t the case.
March 1st, 2012 at 10:05 AM
/team whig
Spencer I always had you pegged as a Bull Moose’r, a Populist Party member, or a Black Panther.
March 1st, 2012 at 10:06 AM
it was kinda the case in the way he handled the initial shit in afghanistan, but we don’t need to get into that.
March 1st, 2012 at 10:07 AM
Clown, Husker, Dirt, NDub, Mole, Duffy, ATL, Wilhelm, Sportsgal, etc.
And that’s just scratching the surface.
Hahahaha. I’ll admit I voted for Bush and McCain.
March 1st, 2012 at 10:07 AM
That’s high comedy. Making jokes about your right-wing wackiness doesn’t make me a leftie.
I voted for Daniels for Governor when I lived in Indiana, moved to Georgia and vote R for my district congressman and governor.
So you can go run it up the flagpole.
March 1st, 2012 at 10:08 AM
If anyone is going to blame anyone for that, it should be the Secret Service for not getting him out of there sooner.
/Mr. President, we are under attack. We must leave now.
March 1st, 2012 at 10:08 AM
Arkansas did, in BR, then turned around and got waxed by fucking Mizzou in the Cotton Bowl. that LSU team wasn’t that good.
March 1st, 2012 at 10:08 AM
The comments in this post are a microcosm for why I think anyone who runs for President must be crazy. You can’t sit down and talk sports for 26 minutes without someone hating you for it. Is the power you get for 4-8 years worth that shit in addition to the stress? I can’t think it is.
March 1st, 2012 at 10:08 AM
It’s stupid criticism. As is the criticism people are giving Obama for doing this.
Fucking jackasses on both sides like to make it out that the Executive Branch stops working when the President is doing a media thing. Republicans are also fucking terrified of the fundraising power Obama has.
March 1st, 2012 at 10:08 AM
/Team know nothing
March 1st, 2012 at 10:09 AM
Hmm, that’s a fair argument & assessment that I appreciate. Thanks.
I might call that defensive. I recall linking other banana related pictures that, on their face, aren’t racist. For me, where some people take a peek into an issue and see racism, I take a peek into an issue and see stupidity. And it is my opinion that sometimes stupidity is given credence by calling it something more serious…in this case, racism. I made a twitter comment to MikeNYC the other day and it applies always for me…I think it is a disservice to victims of apparent/actual racism when people strain to implant racism in cases where it may not belong. I could be totally wrong in some cases, the banana issue for example – those kids may have been doing it with the intent to be racist, but my initial reaction is to doubt, or on my best days, be a contrarian about certain issues.
March 1st, 2012 at 10:10 AM
Like I’ve said before, I’m committed to thinking all politicians are liars and most are scum. I’ll also admit to having the perception that Obama has less of those characteristics than every Republican nominee though.
March 1st, 2012 at 10:10 AM
I argued with a friend for years about this. I was fine with the reaction. He was all like “he should’ve held a press conference right there!” It was annoying.
March 1st, 2012 at 10:10 AM
I love that on this site you cannot say the word soc1al1st without the comment being eaten.
March 1st, 2012 at 10:10 AM
I feel disenfranchised by both parties.
/I hate the word ‘disenfranchised’
//deceived is a better word
///ass-fucked is even better
March 1st, 2012 at 10:10 AM
who fucking cares who you vote for? it’s shit like that why I would prefer to be in the company of my dogs most of the time rather than other people.
March 1st, 2012 at 10:11 AM
i was in the bull moose party until i clipped teddy during a friendly duel that turned sour when he dropped the last of his favorite steuben goblets.
March 1st, 2012 at 10:11 AM
This is pretty much the mindset I’ve grown over the past few years. I’m not even going to vote in November. I’m over it.
March 1st, 2012 at 10:12 AM
This means nothing to Mike, ATL. If you’ve ever said one negative thing about Bush or Wall Street to go along with one positive thing about Obama you’re clearly a soc1a1ist who should be imprisoned.
March 1st, 2012 at 10:12 AM
I agree. Or one of his handlers saying…kids, the president has an important phone call he’d like to take so as not to freak everyone out. W gave an interview to Matt Lauer or somebody where he addressed the scene with some level of poignance, as I recall.
March 1st, 2012 at 10:13 AM
/Team Democratic Soc1al1st
March 1st, 2012 at 10:13 AM
/I hate the word ‘disenfranchised’
//deceived is a better word
///ass-fucked is even better
+1
March 1st, 2012 at 10:13 AM
Compassionate progressive, please. Thanks.
March 1st, 2012 at 10:13 AM
While we’re talking Politics, Andrew Breitbart died.
/apologies if it was Duckworth’d
March 1st, 2012 at 10:14 AM
This is pretty much the mindset I’ve grown over the past few years. I’m not even going to vote in November. I’m over it.
Pretty much. Just thought it was funny I was called a committed lefty when I’ve yet to vote for a Democratic president. I lean fiscally conservative but very strongly socially liberal. Not that it matters. Our political system is just a clusterfuck that I don’t spend much time worrying/thinking about.
March 1st, 2012 at 10:14 AM
I believe he was briefed in another room then came back 30 minutes later and gave a speech/press conference in that same school’s gym.
March 1st, 2012 at 10:14 AM
Voting for president is just going to be choosing between the lesser of two evils for as long as we live. Buckle up.
March 1st, 2012 at 10:14 AM
So THAT’S why MikeNYC is all pissy today. His god died.
March 1st, 2012 at 10:14 AM
So…..that’s a vote against Romney?
March 1st, 2012 at 10:16 AM
“The All ighty ollar?”
Hahahahaha. I don’t get it.
March 1st, 2012 at 10:16 AM
Even though I trend more to the left, I’ll admit having voted for R’s in the past…hell even in 2000 I voted for Santorum. Maybe that wasn’t the best idea at the time though…2010 I voted for local Rs and for Corbett.
Kind of pissed on the Corbett one now since he has no intention of privatizing the PA liquor system.
March 1st, 2012 at 10:17 AM
Forty-three and natural causes just don’t seem to go together properly. That’s scary.
March 1st, 2012 at 10:17 AM
I feel like yelling at my Mother In Law for stating that she loves Santorum. That guy is a fucking lunatic and would wipe his ass with this constitution if it meant his religious views were to become laws.
March 1st, 2012 at 10:17 AM
Breitbart
March 1st, 2012 at 10:17 AM
really? I think a big deal gets made out of it (daily show, Oprah, this shit), but it’s 20 minutes and they came to him. It’s not like he spent half a day in Bill Simmons’ garage helping him with the speakers and such.
it may be 20 minutes, but he does it alot.
March 1st, 2012 at 10:18 AM
I thought the same thing. It’s very scary.
March 1st, 2012 at 10:19 AM
The nerve of him. He should really hate being interviewed like Tiger. Everyone appreciates that character trait.
March 1st, 2012 at 10:19 AM
it may be 20 minutes, but he does it alot.
and how many trips to Crawford did Bush make so he could go chop wood and hunt quail or whatever the fuck he did down there? This is such a silly think to get upset about. I’m sure he’s taken dumps longer than 20 minutes since he’s been at office, and yet WWIII hasn’t started yet. Amazing.
March 1st, 2012 at 10:19 AM
Or, you know, more importantly, has no interest in funding the state’s transit systems.
March 1st, 2012 at 10:19 AM
*thing
March 1st, 2012 at 10:20 AM
He was much much less crazy 12 years ago. Either that or I just didn’t know better.
But yeah, if you dropped him into 1210 or 1530, he would be the perfect candidate for the Pope.
March 1st, 2012 at 10:20 AM
and *in office
/fuck
//swigs coffee
///yearns for edit button
March 1st, 2012 at 10:21 AM
HA!
March 1st, 2012 at 10:23 AM
Exactly, though a better comparison is Obama going Hawaii, etc. all the time. They aren’t like you and me. When I go on vacation I get drunk and party and sit around on the beach all day. When those guys go to Crawford/wherever, there is still a team of thousands working on their behalf, as are they most of the time.
March 1st, 2012 at 10:23 AM
I can’t like Barry b/c I used to have a small business (consulting).
We had to essentially fire all of our employees and we’re now a loose network of consultants helping each other find gigs to match specialties.
Sometimes it’s actually better this way so maybe in an indirect way, he did us a favor.
March 1st, 2012 at 10:24 AM
That surprises me. I would have put you in the “committed lefties” camp.
March 1st, 2012 at 10:25 AM
I am in that camp. Just don’t always vote straight D. I was also 18 at the time and kind of just getting my feet wet in politics. It’s unfortunate I have to wait for next year to vote out that fat piece of shit Chris Christe.
March 1st, 2012 at 10:25 AM
Surely you can still like the person, though…right? I mean, Bush seems like a nice person to me and one that would be very likable, actually. I disagree with almost everything he did while in office, but I can still like him as a person.
March 1st, 2012 at 10:26 AM
This reminded me of when Homer dials Japan from the library.
/Team no party affiliation
March 1st, 2012 at 10:28 AM
and how many trips to Crawford did Bush make so he could go chop wood and hunt quail or whatever the fuck he did down there? This is such a silly think to get upset about. I’m sure he’s taken dumps longer than 20 minutes since he’s been at office, and yet WWIII hasn’t started yet. Amazing.
and wwIII didnt start when bush went to crawford, but you would have thought so with the shit he caught for it.
March 1st, 2012 at 10:29 AM
I can’t get completely behind this.
I like Bush’s aw shucks attitude so, yeah I’ll have a beer with him. (Al Czervik)
Obama just has this elitist, snooty attitude that rubs me wrong (Judge Elihu Smails)
March 1st, 2012 at 10:29 AM
I’m down with this line of logic. Would love to hang out with Clinton, for example. But I don’t think I’d like Obama at all on a personal level. Even on the golf course. Maybe especially on the golf course. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9m3GyDh6M8
March 1st, 2012 at 10:30 AM
Wow.
March 1st, 2012 at 10:30 AM
I’ve been through Crawford. Believe it or not, they have phones there. And Internet.
March 1st, 2012 at 10:30 AM
And all his talk lately about making everything “fair”.
What the fuck is fair? Who decides what’s fair? “Fair” is an opinion based on what you’re not willing to work for.
March 1st, 2012 at 10:31 AM
“I call upon all nations to do everything they can to stop these terrorist killers. Thank you. Now watch this drive.”
Greatest quote ever
March 1st, 2012 at 10:31 AM
Yeah…I mean, who would like a committed father and husband who likes sports and having a beer?
March 1st, 2012 at 10:32 AM
And all his talk lately about making everything “fair”.
What the fuck is fair? Who decides what’s fair? “Fair” is an opinion based on what you’re not willing to work for.
Uh Oh. I think I now have you pegged as a FoxNews viewer.
March 1st, 2012 at 10:33 AM
One of the best visual gags they’ve done.
March 1st, 2012 at 10:33 AM
that would be so awesome. the best part about it is, I wouldn’t talk politics with him for maybe more than a minute.
March 1st, 2012 at 10:33 AM
You cannot have a beer with Bush as he does not drink. Being too much of a retard to handle your booze certainly does not make him an ‘elitist’ though.
March 1st, 2012 at 10:34 AM
I’ve been through Crawford. Believe it or not, they have phones there. And Internet.
at baylor, we used to dove hunt at a lease that bordered w’s place. we drove too close to it one time, and 3 black suburbans came out of nowhere and told us we need to probably turn around.
March 1st, 2012 at 10:34 AM
I read his comment and just laughed. He and my step-mother/father would get along so well.
March 1st, 2012 at 10:35 AM
Someone kill me. Gross smoker phlegm cougher lady has been sitting at my desk the past hour making me going into excruciating detail about how to do this job. She announced she needed a short break to take a shit by standing up, showing me her newspaper and saying she’d be “back in awhile.”
March 1st, 2012 at 10:36 AM
Fair is having 10% of the country foot the bill for 71% of our federal income taxes, while 47% of the country contributes nothing.
Actually, that’s not right — in that scenario, the rich still aren’t paying their faire share.
/liberal economics
March 1st, 2012 at 10:37 AM
Or how every budget cut seems to start with college funding.
March 1st, 2012 at 10:37 AM
Which is why I dislike 95% of all politicians. Their reality is nothing like reality.
The reality is, he’s not like me.
March 1st, 2012 at 10:38 AM
This shit cracks me up.
“Hey asshole making $18,000 a year!! Fuck off you free loader. I mean, you pay Social Security and sales tax, but you aren’t doing shit. We need that extra $3,000 or we’re fucked.”
March 1st, 2012 at 10:38 AM
That’s just silly.
/son of an alcoholic
March 1st, 2012 at 10:38 AM
this thread. woof.
March 1st, 2012 at 10:39 AM
Are you kidding me? You don’t like him as a person because he’s worked in the public sector his whole life? Holy.Fucking.Shit.
March 1st, 2012 at 10:39 AM
Uh Oh. I think I now have you pegged as a FoxNews viewer.
Nope. The Regular Guys on 100.5.
March 1st, 2012 at 10:39 AM
I don’t know you but can say with almost absolute certainty someone like you should not be running the most powerful allegedly free country in the world. Nor should someone like me. Or anyone in this thread.
March 1st, 2012 at 10:40 AM
Oh is that all it takes to be my friend? No wonder I hate most of the people I hang out with.
March 1st, 2012 at 10:40 AM
You mean the 10% that control 2 thirds of America’s net worth? I feel for those guys, if only that owned 70 per cent. That would make everything better.
March 1st, 2012 at 10:40 AM
Social security, sales, payroll, medicare, local, state taxes. But yeah, fuck you, pay the government more of what’s left of your paltry salary. And good luck finding a job, we’ve shipped them all of to India & China. The rightwing is collectively braindead on taxation and any sense of economics.
March 1st, 2012 at 10:41 AM
I’d peg it more around $1,800 but yes, you’re on the right track.
March 1st, 2012 at 10:41 AM
Screw having a beer with a politician. Throw some tequilla and long island ice teas in the mix and see how they can really hang.
March 1st, 2012 at 10:42 AM
A classic red herring.
When Obama trots out his go-to “fair share” line — which has been focus-group tested to death, mind you — what tax is he referring to?
March 1st, 2012 at 10:42 AM
Working for the government makes you a bad person?
March 1st, 2012 at 10:42 AM
Wow.
March 1st, 2012 at 10:43 AM
I see these stats all the time. I don’t think it’s right AT ALL(if true) that 47% of people don’t pay federal income tax. What I want to know, and nobody has been able to tell me, is what percentage of income do those top 10 pct. make? I would like to judge for myself whether they are paying their “fair share”, at least in my opinion. Are they making 71%? 60%? 90%? For me, it’s a piece of data that is important in deciding whether it’s “fair” or now. Can you furnish that, or a link? I’m open-minded, or at least I like to think I am.
March 1st, 2012 at 10:43 AM
I recently switched my political affiliation so that no one would wonder why I was screaming and cursing like an asshole all the time. Now people just roll their eyes condescendingly.
March 1st, 2012 at 10:45 AM
weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
March 1st, 2012 at 10:46 AM
I believe he’s referring to overall taxes paid as a percentage of total income. For example, Mitt Romney paid 15% on his total income made this year while the President paid closer to 29%.
March 1st, 2012 at 10:46 AM
Please provide a better taxation plan that can provide 4-5% GDP growth while reducing the national deficit. The only times that happened were in the 50s and the 90s.
March 1st, 2012 at 10:47 AM
I don’t think the argument is that indigent people should pay income tax. I think the argument is that people who do pay income tax shouldn’t have to pay more income tax to cover rising costs of government waste, especially when some of it is going to be used to cover the costs of the people who don’t pay. At some point we have to say, well, we just can’t afford it.
March 1st, 2012 at 10:47 AM
Yes?
March 1st, 2012 at 10:48 AM
Please answer the question first as their appears to be some confusion (or obfuscation) re: the whole “fair share” canard.
March 1st, 2012 at 10:49 AM
@butters – I work for the Federal government and I’m a terrible person.
/small sample size
March 1st, 2012 at 10:49 AM
They are not paying their fair share.
And there is no trickle down effect.
March 1st, 2012 at 10:51 AM
I am enjoying philly and Mike got back and forth. Huzzah for poltical Thursdays.
March 1st, 2012 at 10:51 AM
People crying about the 47% will never answer this question, because its where their argument loses its luster. They don’t consider the two issues linked.
Who gives a shit executive pay is increasing at incredible rates while middle class and lower class wages are stagnant? They usually come back at you with, “find a better job”.
And round and round it goes.
March 1st, 2012 at 10:51 AM
If you make more money, you should pay more in taxes, simple as that.
March 1st, 2012 at 10:52 AM
Ah so this is where everyone is. Since you are in here, you might not be aware that there is a new post up about muscle-bound NBA players. Oh and there are shirtless pics too!
March 1st, 2012 at 10:52 AM
TurboTax told me last Saturday that my effective tax rate for 2011 was like 9.7%. Thank Tebow for itemized deductions!
March 1st, 2012 at 10:55 AM
God. Fox News idiots who mix in un-funny racist “comedy.”
/holy shit I need a drink after this thread
March 1st, 2012 at 10:55 AM
@Badger – I usually come back with “I need to become aan executive”
March 1st, 2012 at 10:56 AM
Are you suggesting that the federal government should now somehow be policing how much money a private employee is “allowed” to make?
Surely that’s not what you meant.
March 1st, 2012 at 10:57 AM
I agree with this 100%. It just doesn’t have much to do with the whole “fair share” non-starter.
March 1st, 2012 at 10:58 AM
Who wants to answer a tax question?
My refund went from big to zero this year (spare me the ‘you shouldn’t shoot for a big refund’ discussion, my wife likes it) with no substantial difference in income, withholdings, marital status, etc. Thoughts?
March 1st, 2012 at 10:58 AM
It is truly awful trying to comment on this website using a phone.
March 1st, 2012 at 10:58 AM
It’s a consumer economy and without consumers it collapses. Stagnant wages lead to over lending which creates bubbles. No matter how rich you are you are not going to consume enough to prop up the rest. As Warren Buffet said there is no reason why he should pay a lower tax rate than his secretary.
March 1st, 2012 at 10:59 AM
Clearly Obama needed to fund more back-alley abortions for black people and he took your money to do so.
March 1st, 2012 at 11:00 AM
It might not be relevant but the Earned Income Credit expired this year.
March 1st, 2012 at 11:00 AM
I think mine in 2010 was something like 14 pct. I remember it being slightly lower than Romney’s when everyone was making a fuss about his rate being so low.
March 1st, 2012 at 11:00 AM
It’s terrible and I refuse to do it anymore. I almost never even bother coming to this site on my phone as it’s a total joke. How they haven’t fixed this is a real god damn mystery to me.
March 1st, 2012 at 11:01 AM
President cant fill out a basketball bracket without some people getting all pissy.
Now Sheriff Joe Arpaio is coming out with more birth certificate findings. Let shit go.
March 1st, 2012 at 11:01 AM
Sonofabitch! I knew it!
Any real ideas?
March 1st, 2012 at 11:02 AM
Truest thing said in this thread
March 1st, 2012 at 11:03 AM
@Htown – without itemizing, me effective rate would have been 16%.
March 1st, 2012 at 11:04 AM
It’s magical. 2011 was the first year we were in our house for the full year, so this year was the first year we were able to itemize. Never had a return so large. Happy days.
March 1st, 2012 at 11:05 AM
A local Cleveland sports blog I read (Waiting for Next Year) can switch mobile formats multiple times but this place can’t even do it once. commenting here is hard but the load times, posts not loading at all etc is why annoys me the most
March 1st, 2012 at 11:10 AM
I’m suggesting people make as much money as they want, so long as the pay of the lowest level employee doesn’t fall below a certain percentage of whatever the person earning the highest amount is.
Maybe it’s not the right approach. All I know is the trend we’re currently on don’t bode well for the future.
March 1st, 2012 at 11:10 AM
TurboTax revealed an education credit for $2,500 I didn’t know existed so that was fun…I’m sure Santorum considers me a snob however for pursuing the master’s degree
March 1st, 2012 at 11:11 AM
We own a bunch of rental properties, but I’m going to be lazy and let him put all that stuff on his return and just take the standard deduction.
March 1st, 2012 at 11:15 AM
More like State UNfair.
March 1st, 2012 at 11:19 AM
What’s this? I just started MBA classes last year. What did you have to do to receive that credit?
March 1st, 2012 at 11:23 AM
It’s the American Opportunity Credit…I’m not entirely sure but I think you simply need to have paid a certain amount in tuition while having income less than $80K
Can take it for up to 4 years too so long as you’re going to school
March 1st, 2012 at 11:25 AM
Hef, thanks, but that’s definitely not it. I make too much for the EIC.
March 1st, 2012 at 11:33 AM
Glad to see that Obama allowed someone on this site to keep his job. Goddamn Obama.
March 1st, 2012 at 11:40 AM
Look At This Effing President Hipster. He was so aloof about the Podcast. He was on it so early that he cannot even remember what it was called anymore.
BTW – I knew about Jeremy Lin before all of you.
Oh, and BTW – I knew when Bin Laden was shot before you did.
March 1st, 2012 at 11:42 AM
Thanks Butters…I’m in a corporate reimbursement program so I’ll just assume I’m ineligible
March 1st, 2012 at 11:52 AM
Depends on how much they reimburse I’d imagine, my company paid for half and I still qualified for the credit
March 1st, 2012 at 12:13 PM
my only beef with it is that he always goes chalk
can’t wait to let the kids do a bracket again this year. 4 kids, 4 regions, wife does the final four
last year illinois beat can’t remember who like 123 to 67
March 1st, 2012 at 12:15 PM
It seemed scripted to me. It sounded very candid, but the content of the answers suspiciously mirrored a lot of stuff Bill Simmons says.
March 1st, 2012 at 1:05 PM
If there isn’t a Kang and Kodos reference in here, then I’ve lost faith in all of you.
March 2nd, 2012 at 3:27 AM
It seems even more scripted when you read the transcript.
Simmons is going to be even more insufferable now. And you know that prick is reading this thread.