He defends his record every time I hear him speak. I think his record is very easy to defend. Think about a trip to Chicago. If I leave my house to drive to Chicago I'm disappointed if Im not there in five hours. If I leave from Miami, I have to evaluate my progress in much different terms. When President Obama took office, the economy was in Miami and headed to Key West. We may not be in Chicago yet, but we are passing through Nashville.

 

When we get to Chicago will we get shot up? And will our children be able to go to school?

 

 

 

 

j/k. I get what your saying. Its a long road. I think what all of this comes down to is who can get us back to "Chicago" quicker.

He defends his record every time I hear him speak. I think his record is very easy to defend. Think about a trip to Chicago. If I leave my house to drive to Chicago I'm disappointed if Im not there in five hours. If I leave from Miami, I have to evaluate my progress in much different terms. When President Obama took office, the economy was in Miami and headed to Key West. We may not be in Chicago yet, but we are passing through Nashville.

 

From what I gather you feel the situation Obama inherited was far worse than other situations, is that correct? And do you feel that his policies are helping? Or helping as much as they should? Anyone please feel free to answer.

^ This is my answer to the original question.

 

I believe these are the two worst general election opponents in my lifetime.

 

I would have to say the W and Kerry were actually worse!

From what I gather you feel the situation Obama inherited was far worse than other situations, is that correct? And do you feel that his policies are helping? Or helping as much as they should? Anyone please feel free to answer.

 

I do think that his policies have helped and continue to help, but more should be done. I would start with the jobs act that is bottled up in the House. I would address the fiscal cliff issues now rather than after the election. That isn't possible. I hope that whichever side wins the presidency in November, the other side will take that as the will of the people and go along with the fiscal cliff fixes that are needed before the end of the year. With regard to past policies, I think that the stimulus bill, the TARP program (started under President Bush) and the auto bailout kept the economy from going over a cliff. I think that the ACA took the first small steps toward restricting the rate of growth in healthcare costs. Over the long haul, that may be the most important. I think that the ACA will prove to be a godsend to small businesses. So yes, I think his policies have helped and have us on the right path.

He defends his record every time I hear him speak. I think his record is very easy to defend. Think about a trip to Chicago. If I leave my house to drive to Chicago I'm disappointed if Im not there in five hours. If I leave from Miami, I have to evaluate my progress in much different terms. When President Obama took office, the economy was in Miami and headed to Key West. We may not be in Chicago yet, but we are passing through Nashville.

 

The economy after much stimulus made it to Tallahassee, but is headed to Orlando. If left alone, that would have happened anyway. The bailout gave the government too much influence. AND, look around at all the closed small businesses. Banks cleaned out their portfolios at the taxpayer's and small businesses' expense whereas many of these businesses could have survived. There are a lot of people who are going to be rich because they are able to buy properties at rock bottom prices. Good to be a buyer with cash!

The bailouts were unpopular but very much needed and most importantly successful.

 

http://www.latimes.com/business/money/la-fi-mo-aig-bailout-treasury-profit-20120910,0,6421410.story

 

-- The government's sale of about $18 billion shares of stock in rescued insurance giant American International Group locks in a minimum $12.4-billion profit for taxpayers on one of the most controversial bailouts of the financial crisis, the Treasury Department said late Monday.

 

The sale, which priced Monday at $32.50 a share and will be completed this week, will reduce the government's remaining stake in AIG to 21.5% from 53.4%, Treasury said.

 

Taxpayers will no longer be majority shareholders of the company. But the sale also will reduce to about $5.3 billion the amount owed by AIG to the government from the approximately $130 billion it received in bailout money.

 

Combined with the $17.7-billion profit made by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York after it closed out its part of the complex bailout last month, that means taxpayers will earn at least a $12.4-billion profit on a rescue that many analysts had predicted would never come close to being repaid, Treasury said.

What are you Obama supporters going to say when this country is 25 trillion in debt by the time he goes out of office if re-elected? We can't continue to operate our government like a credit card that no payments are ever made. We can't keep spending more than we bring home. It doesn't work very well with individual homes to have an unending credit card, and of wont work with the government either.

 

crickets...

crickets...

 

Not crickets, a hypothetical that is not going to happen.

I do think that his policies have helped and continue to help, but more should be done. I would start with the jobs act that is bottled up in the House. I would address the fiscal cliff issues now rather than after the election. That isn't possible. I hope that whichever side wins the presidency in November, the other side will take that as the will of the people and go along with the fiscal cliff fixes that are needed before the end of the year. With regard to past policies, I think that the stimulus bill, the TARP program (started under President Bush) and the auto bailout kept the economy from going over a cliff. I think that the ACA took the first small steps toward restricting the rate of growth in healthcare costs. Over the long haul, that may be the most important. I think that the ACA will prove to be a godsend to small businesses. So yes, I think his policies have helped and have us on the right path.

 

Your examples actually show that Bush policies before he left office had the most positive impact.

Not crickets, a hypothetical that is not going to happen.

 

The key word. China is banking on it.

The economy in 2009 was poor but it has been in equal or worse shape before and rebounded much quicker. Poor policies = poor recoveries.

The economy in 2009 was poor but it has been in equal or worse shape before and rebounded much quicker. Poor policies = poor recoveries.

 

Worse shape before? You mean other than 1929?

Worse shape before? You mean other than 1929?

 

Recession of 80-82 was pretty bad but I don't know if it was worse. Had some pretty serious unemployment, inflation and interest rates.

Recession of 80-82 was pretty bad but I don't know if it was worse. Had some pretty serious unemployment, inflation and interest rates.

 

Unemployment peaked at 10.8%. Double digit inflation and interest rate. Oil prices spike as well as energy prices. "Real" household income was lower in 1983 than it was in 1969. Adjusted for inflation the S&P fell back to where it was in the early 1950's. Pension funds were in deep trouble.

 

Plus, the bank crisis was arguably worse than in 2008. The entire S&L industry had negative capital, oil and farm loan losses were massive. Defaults from Latin America impaired large bank capital just as much or more than the subprime crisis. What saved the banks then was no mark to market accounting but many banks were technically insolvent.

 

The big difference? Policy makers acted much differently, I would say they did the opposite of the current administration.

I think a lot of poor and out of work Americans have a hard time giving a millionaire a job.