Barack Obama’s Hashtag Army Lobbying Congress on Fiscal Cliff

[DonViejo]

by Howard Kurtz Dec 3, 2012 4:45 AM EST

Can the president’s Twitter followers strengthen his hand on the fiscal cliff? Howard Kurtz on whether Obama for America’s social media prowess can fire up the grassroots with the presidential campaign won.

It was a startling moment, but almost no one realized that a sea change had occurred. The president of the United States was urging the great American public to rise up and demand change through social media.

Urging voters to pressure Congress to accept his financial plan, Obama said last week: “I want you to call, I want you to send an email, I want you to post on their Facebook wall. If you tweet then use a hashtag we’re calling #My2K. Not Y2K. My2K. because it’s about your 2K in your pocket. We’re trying to burn that into people’s mind here.”

Heading for the fiscal cliff? No problem. Just start tweeting! In fact, the president himself is answering questions on Twitter at 2 p.m. on Monday, to make the case in 140-character bursts. Twitter can indeed be a potent weapon. And the fact that the White House is now trafficking in hashtags shows how technology has changed the art of persuasion.

The hashtag, a way of searching Twitter for like-minded posts, is the new bumper sticker. My2K invokes the White House argument that the average middle-class family will pay $2,200 more in taxes if Congress fails to act by year’s end and the country slides off the fiscal cliff.

more:
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/12/03/barack-obama-s-hashtag-army-lobbying-congress-on-fiscal-cliff.html

[Filibuster Harry]

1. The increase is actually $ 2,274.-. The $ 2,200 increase that the president refers to

is the increase in social security taxes that will be paid. Currently at 4.2% but if nothing happens it goes back to the 6.2%. 2012 social security wage base is $ 110,100 but it is suppose to increase to $ 113,700 in 2013. So the increase is $ 113,700 x 2% increase = $ 2,274.-

I think they should let this go back to 6.2% since that money is going to social security.

Go back to a working pay credit. The last one was a 2% credit on the first $ 20,000 of wages. You were allowed $ 400 (single) and $ 800 (joint) however the joint even applied to a married couple even if only one had earned income -- unfair.
Also, high income earners could not qualify for it but they do save $ 2,274 if the social security rate is reduced to 2%.

Expand the working pay credit to $ 50,000 (single) and $ 100,000 (joint) which would give them $ 1000 and $2000 respectively back on their 2013 tax returns. I know this will not pass.

[Hekate]

2. I love this guy.

[Cha]

3. I seem to remember this isn't the first time Pres Obama has

gone to Twitter to ask the American People to participate in Democracy..

[font size=21pt] [font color=blue]YES WE CAN![/font] [/font]

Thanks DonViejo