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President Obama cites Steve Jobs as the “American dream”

Jeffrey Van Camp By

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During a White House press conference yesterday, President Obama brought up Apple CEO Steve Jobs by name as a representation of the American dream.

Though one might point to Bill Gates as an example of the American dream, President Obama gave a different answer during a press conference yesterday, pointing to Apple CEO Steve Jobs as a symbol of an American we’d expect to be rich, reports CNET. The statement came as Obama was answering questions about the rich and accusations that he wants to “spread the wealth.”

First he spoke broadly: “What is a fact is that people in the top 1 percent, people in the top one-tenth of 1 percent, or one-hundredth of 1 percent have a larger share of income and wealth than any time since the 1920s,” said President Obama. “Those are just facts. That’s not a feeling on the part of Democrats. Those are facts.”

He continued, this time bringing up the American dream and Steve Jobs. “And something that’s always been the greatest strength of America is a thriving, booming middle class, where everybody has got a shot at the American dream. And that should be our goal. That should be what we’re focused on. How are we creating opportunity for everybody? So that we celebrate wealth. We celebrate somebody like a Steve Jobs, who has created two or three different revolutionary products. We expect that person to be rich, and that’s a good thing. We want that incentive. That’s part of the free market.”

An odd choice

While he has likely angered Apple fanboys by limiting The Jobs to only two or three revolutionary products, picking him is odd in the first place. While Jobs has definitely changed the tech space a few times, he’s an odd pick to represent of the American dream. While Microsoft alumni Bill Gates has changed tech several times, he also is spending the billions he’s earned giving back to communities and science through the Gates Foundation. Jobs is only worth $6.1 billion, far less than Gates, but hasn’t publicly donated even a million dollars to any organization or cause. It is possible that he is throwing billions at causes anonymously, but most individuals make their donations public.

What do you think? Is Steve Jobs a good pick for a representative of the “American dream?” Perhaps we’re over-analyzing Obama’s words?

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Showing 22 comments

  1. Web Teevee at 8:39pm 24th December 2010 Nice outlook. Just think if there were not so many unnecessary rules and regulations caused by people like Mr. Jobs (elitists) than there would actually be a free market rather than a gang bang market. View available Davao properties for sale! visit --> www.clickdavao.com/realestate
  2. Mirek Sopek at 10:40pm 23rd December 2010 Jeffrey, Let me express my "outsider" opinion. I spent only few years in States, and most of my life in Europe. I also am not fun of Apple, and the reason is that their technology and most of inventions are going against open standards (vide the distribution of software for iPhone/iPad). But, if you look from the different or, to say so, higher perspective - yes, Steve Jobs deserves to be a paragon of American Dream. In addition to all the innovations that are now globally recognized and sometimes change the paradigm of the use of computers, Jobs holds more than 200 patents and made the innovation the true and winning strategy for Apple. That's worth the call !!!
  3. Kamran at 5:12pm 23rd December 2010 Yea right. This is nothing but more crApple propaganda. Steve Jobs has numerous iFriends and iMoles...who are shall we say, well connected to certain rich New Yorkers and certain rich Hollywood and media people who have direct connections to jewrnalists as well as Obama. This is nothing new, the Clinton crime family was also very "friendly" and aware of Jobs' "accomplishments". Apple has run out of gas and that is why the iMoles from inside of the company are Removing Apple from their resumes and landing positions in Google, Nokia and nVidia to steal techology which they have never been able to develop on their own (you need Engineers to develop technology...either that or iMoles as in crApple's case).
    1. Sum1smarterthanU at 7:59am 27th December 2010 Not to mention buying companies to add to their database of patents and technology to hide from the free market.
  4. Jerry Ketel at 1:31pm 23rd December 2010 Your argument has nothing to do with what I stated. And until you are willing to put your real name on here you are nothing more than an anonymous hater.
    1. Trevor at 7:57am 27th December 2010 I am anyhting but a hater. Im a grandson of a 3rd gen farmer, I innovate things every time I repair them without the use of "cheap" labor, or ousting my colleagues if they have a difference of opinion. I've workes harder than you ever have probably. I've been doing yard work before I was 8 and picking crops by 5 yrs old. I can build a shed run electric, plumbing, fix a car, feed my family, get paid sh** money, grow produce, hunt, fish, play any sport immaginable, I work hard and play harder. I don't know anything about innovation. This all smells like a marketing ploy utilizing lobbyists, Obama's weight, and the new WSJ report praising Job's holiness.
  5. Elwin Pomeroy at 12:26pm 23rd December 2010 Wall Street guys convinced Obama that siding with the middle class losers was a waste of time.
  6. Brian Elwin Pomeroy at 12:16pm 23rd December 2010 Nope. Jobs sells lame, limited products to the shallow wealthy. Google and the rest made more by giving most people free stuff and allowing more to participate on the internet. Apple pads seem to hide people from the world at a time when information is getting more exciting every day.
  7. Jerry Ketel at 12:15pm 23rd December 2010 Steve Jobs as a person represents innovation better than nearly anyone else. That is the subtext. Innovation is necessary to reclaim international prominence.
    1. Sum1smarterthanU at 2:10pm 23rd December 2010 Wow adolf, nice outlook. He represents the stereotypical exec of a corporation not the american dream, what ever happened to a white picket fence and a family, not world domination. The american dream turned into a hallucinogenic trip from the 70's. Any farmer who works to take care of his family is 100x the man Steve Jobs could ever wish he was. Guess Obama wants to start the 4th reicht. Way to make us feed into the glamor and glitter of "wealth"
  8. Sum1smarterthanU at 10:40am 23rd December 2010 FYI- To all those who joined this once great nation after the revolution, the true American Dream is to live without persecution, the right to be free without the tyrrany of gov't and other aristocratic mobsters...Like Steve Jobs Just think if there were not so many unnecessary rules and regulations caused by people like Mr. Jobs (elitists) than there would actually be a free market rather than a gang bang market. Look at what Sony did to 3M in the video industry... Sony let 3M make videotape and Sony modified the specs so the 3M tape would not work in the Sony cameras. Yea Osama lets praise those who do not deserve any of the american pie...they've had enough.
  9. Sum1smarterthanU at 10:40am 23rd December 2010 Steve Jobs is known to force a change in career to others(i.e. ousted) any competition. If screwing everyone else over is the "American Dream" than America is doomed for failure. Omar- Apple buys companies to in a sense "steal" ideas and put them together, he is a manipulator. A good one at that. Not to mention that no leaf blows without wind. I bet my last breath that there is a Apple lobbyist behind this speech. What Osama...I mean Obama is trying to say is, do not donate to charity and proverbaly(spelling?) demolish any who get in your path and you can have a chance at the american dream.
  10. Erik at 7:25am 23rd December 2010 I can't see Steve Jobs having anything to do with the American Dream. He is far to stuck up, and is one of the people who are actively hurting the future of the US with is products. The idea of giving up freedoms to get peace of mind, or ease of use is one of the worst ideas ever. They will take those freedoms and never give them back. One of the freedoms of the US is being able to make create and sell a product even if its not the best or someone dosent agree with it but of course Steve Jobs dosen't think that should be US. Just thinking of people wanting to be like Steve Jobs.. gives me the creeps.
  11. Omar Zafra at 6:32am 23rd December 2010 Steve Jobs is an excellent example of the American Dream. He was adopted as a child and later became one of the world's greatest technology innovators the world has ever seen. He made Apple, Pixar, and NeXT (NeXTSTEP OS) from nothing/scratch along with their amazing innovations and industry firsts. This is not mere coincidences, this is the deliberate work and determination from a highly intelligent and yes, ambitious person making a profitable business model from scratch, and that personifies the American Dream! As for philanthropic donations, I can very well see Steve Jobs making donations, but anonymously, since he tries to separate his private life from Apple's image, which is the right thing to do. So yes, he is the American Dream, not Bill Gates or his old company, Microsoft, which hasn't innovated anything other than steal/copy ideas from others; that is not the American Dream!
  12. Sam at 6:32am 23rd December 2010 I think he chose Jobs because he appeals to the public more. He's created products that are easy to use, stylish, and generally just pretty to look at. For example, the iPod and iTunes have changed how people will listen to music forever. He has products that utterly dominate the MP3 and Tablet markets, and the Mac is rapidly increasing. The ratio of Macs to PCs on my campus (PSU Main) is EASILY 5:1 or greater. The image of creating "cool", well-built, and fun-to-use products itself is part of the American Dream. Rich, famous, cool. While Bill Gates and Microsoft have created some revolutionary and very powerful tools, their image isn't quite as dazzling as Apple's. Windows (even though it works "most" of the time) has a reputation for being glitchy, prone to viruses/malware/spyware/etc., and crashing. That coupled with massive product failures such as the Zune and Vista don't make it any better. Something like 80% of launch Xbox 360s failed within the first few months of use. Microsoft really only makes money from Windows and MS Office. Most of their other branches actually lose money, and I believe the Xbox just recently crossed over into the black (all the way from the launch of the original Xbox). So to the public, Bill Gates started a company known for product failures, shaky quality, and monopolistic-like growth. Even if there are a few gems in there, it's obscured by everything else. That's definitely not what most people would consider to be the "American Dream".
  13. NoseOnYourFace at 5:56am 23rd December 2010 Bill Gates is a crook....if you think he's something other than that then you're an idiot.
    1. micky at 6:17am 23rd December 2010 Bill gates was a greaty businessman and is a great philanthropist now. Please tell me what percentage of your earnings do you donate to chritable causes or welfare of underpriveleged. What did you innovate in your lifetime. I think who things that anyone who disagrees with him/her is idiot is in reality, the greatest fool in the world himself. You are a waste of resources of this planet.
      1. Sum1smarterthanU at 1:02pm 23rd December 2010 Nose face doesnt know anything, probably heard it somewhere and wants to feel smart.
  14. Mark at 5:42am 23rd December 2010 I fully disagree with this, becuase the American Dream should not just be an example of success and innovation. It should be mostly about character with success and innovation. Jobs is known for "it's his way, or the...." type of mentality. Yes, the guy created some stellar product lines. Recently though, Jobs snobish attitude has hurt apple very much. Yes, they had record breaking sales, but that won't continue to happen if his crazy ideas continue to be implemented. Furthermore, let's not forget how the "American Dream" was created. It was created at a time where men had extreme pressure to success at work and "climb the coroporate ladder" Women were expected to provide a perfectly clean home with perfect children that never make any noise. What was the result? The highest push of opium products to fight depression in women and cutthroat noncolaborative business in men. Yes, I want that
  15. Tony LaRocca at 5:25am 23rd December 2010 The president misread his cue cards. He was supposed to say that HAVING a job is the American dream...
  16. Jesper Bove-Nielsen at 5:15am 23rd December 2010 As I understand it Steve Jobs does not come from a particular wealthy or powerful family, as does Bill Gates. Maybe that is Obamas motivation. However Bill & Steve are surely some of the most brilliant business leaders ever - and set examples in their own ways. Steve apparently isnt finished innovating technology yet - where Bill has signed technology off. Bill and his foundation is now the worlds leading driving force in development, health and learning.
    1. Kamran at 5:22pm 23rd December 2010 Yea right. This is nothing but more crApple propaganda. Steve Jobs has numerous iFriends and iMoles...who are shall we say, well connected to certain rich New Yorkers and certain rich Hollywood and media people who have direct connections to jewrnalists as well as Obama. This is nothing new, the Clinton crime family was also very "friendly" and aware of Jobs' "accomplishments". Apple has run out of gas (ie. they need to steal more ideas and technology again) and that is why the Steve's iMoles from inside of the company are Removing Apple from their resumes and landing positions in Google, Nokia and nVidia to steal techology which they have never been able to develop on their own (you need Engineers to develop technology...either that or iMoles as in crApple's case). Key Words: Peter Graffagnino, David Springer, Ralph Brunner, Andrew Barnes, Scott Foreskin
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