The Business of Obama
Super Tuesday didn’t decide it, but the Potomac primaries might have done. The scales of the Democratic presidential primaries seem to be tipping towards Barack Obama, with today’s key endorsement from Andy Stern and his Service Employees International Union and yesterday’s nod from civil rights leader John Lewis. For better or worse, Democratic stalwarts are deciding that Obama is the most impressive and electable candidate.
Which means it’s time for a roundup of what an Obama administration would mean for small business. Obama himself would like to know, according to the question he asked on the business networking site LinkedIn late last year: “how can the next President better help small business and entrepreneurs thrive?” He got close to 1,500Â responses, most of them boiling down to: fix our taxes, fix healthcare, build incubators, and get out of our way.
Obama seems to have listened to some of that, according to this interview: he wants to eliminate capital-gains tax on small business investment and spend $250 million a year on business incubators in disadvantaged communities. That’s hardly a whole chunk of government cash — what’s that, 15 minutes’ worth of war in Iraq? — but it’s not chicken feed. Here’s part of another question-and-answer he gave to the San Francisco Chronicle the day before Super Tuesday:
Q: I was a very liberal Democrat growing up during Nam, Civil Rights, etc. I became a Republican when I opened my own business and ran into the buzz saw of governmental “protections” of everyone except those that create jobs in small businesses. Based on a Baby Boomer’s experience such as my own, why should I vote for you?
 A: My administration will also seek to level the playing field for American businesses - particularly small business owners like yourself. Many small businesses are struggling with the cost of health insurance, and I have introduced a plan that will save businesses $140 billion annually in premiums. My health care plan will help small businesses that want to cover their employees by letting small firms buy into a new low-cost, high-quality national health plan similar to the one offered to members of Congress. And my plan will reimburse employer health plans for a portion of the catastrophic costs they incur above a threshold if they use the savings to reduce the cost of workers’ premiums … I will provide self-employed small business owners a $500 tax credit to offset their self-employed tax.
Lastly, there’s one thing FB would love to know: How much of Obama’s small business policy has been influenced by his friendship with Martin Nesbitt, owner of The Parking Spot and a former FSB cover boy? Stay tuned to see if Nesbitt gets called to the White House for late-night basketball sessions.
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DiggAfter Obama’s speech on race relations earlier this week, an awed Hollywood lined up behind him, pledging renewed support. The list of supporters read like an Oscar program. This is bad news for Mr. Obama, who needs the support of working class white men who don’t care who Sean Penn votes for. So let’s forget star-struck Hollywood; what has Mr. Obama done for red-meat Reagan Democrats? Has he worked on behalf of middle-class families worried about rising prices and falling incomes? Yes, but so has Hillary.
In what way, then, is Obama different? Because he speaks to an audience with a respect for their intelligence. He uses a frank and reasonable tone that causes a listener to actually pay attention to his words. Obama makes good use of that openness, not to harp on a narrow point, but rather, to reframe issues in a way that invites participation, that invites inclusively. For this reason, I believe that if he’s given an honest listen, even Reagan Democrats …. Oh, good grief I sound like one of them, don’t I? Is it possible to give up this Obama-worship once and for all? Yes we can. YES WE CAN!!
SO how much money would be saved if we stopped spending TRILLIONS a year on war and spent even 25% of that on our own infrastructure, healthcare, and small business.
once again stop bickering and realize health care is just a promise for a voter. it is a cost that wour economy will not be able to cover at current prices or based on the trend we are heading in. Obama and hellary are just giving a warm message about hope and pointing at all the evil coorporations that provide JOBS (=(tax Base)) to tax to funds this “hope” its all a vote gimmick. Eventualy the price of business in the U.S. will become greater than its returns and coorporations along with JOBS will leave but when we live like savages who needs health care
Whether it is Obama, Clinton or McCain, it is important to hear from the small business owners themselves on what their questions are. I just came back from the International Builders Trade show and we interviewed hundreds of people from the industry (construction, real estate, contracting and suppliers) who all have very interesting small business perspectives to ask the candidates. We will be posting them very soon on TheContractorShow.com linked to the YouTube YouChoose08 forum . We hope the Presidential candidates will listen to this 2million+ strong component of our economy. I wish I could go faster but we are indexing all the questions to make it easier for the candidates to review and respond (at least if they want their votes).
There is a saying - I’ll believe it when I see it. The problem is this…At that point, it will be too late. The jeanie will be out of the bottle and the liberals will be in charge of health care. Scary thought! Leave us alone and let small business do what we do best - be the American economic engine of the world but leave your filthy paws off of us.
Obama wants to help out the smaller businesses that don’t have the funds to give them clout in DC (and massive gov’t handouts). These huge companies make ridiculous business decisions and then go to the government demanding a bailout for their own stupidity (E.g the airline industry, mortgage industry, the list goes on and on). If I make those same bad decisions with my company, I guarantee you that I will get no sympathy/tax breaks/handouts from the government.
This comment is in reference to Tom. Lynwood… You’ve just stated (in your comment)that you are disadvantaged! Because you identify with a group of struggling “would be” small business owners, you too fall into that category as “disadvantaged” SBO whom would all benefit from Obama’s plan.
Disadvantaged does not at all imply race for someone for add that comment is just a reinforcement of the narrow-minded ideology obama’s candidacy is seeking to erase. Disadvantaged could be applicable to (whites) as well. To state that disadvantaged implies race is simply ignorant. Obama’s policy on small business will benefit the country as a whole not just a specific race.
So, where does the $140B come from? Define a small business-must be real small for $500 rebate to help.The Health Care plan for congress is “outsatnding”- we will not all get such a plan!!!!!
Obama’s help for small business seems to be restricted to the “disadvantaged” (black) small business owners. What about the rest of the population? Does he have a plan to help struggling “would be” small business owners that are not black?
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"Future Boy" is the nom de plume of Chris Taylor, award-winning journalist and futurist. Currently the West Coast Editor of Fortune Small Business, he previously served as San Francisco bureau chief of Time magazine, where he wrote the magazine's first stories on tech trends such as Google and the iPod. In 2005 he became "Future Editor" of Business 2.0, where he edited the "What's Next" section, and where the Future Boy column and blog were born. Chris was born in Liverpool, England and was educated at Oxford and Columbia Universities.
Obama”08″ means America can be great. No ill will to any other canidate, for their strength is an asset to this nation. A canidate like Obama will unite the American People, the American workforce further than anything Europe or China anticipated.
You’ve been trashed!!!
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