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Short memories may serve president
Saturday, Feb. 11, 2012 | 2 a.m.
Should President Barack Obama be fortunate enough to win re-election in November, he can thank the voters of 2010 for creating the divided government that put an end to the president’s initiatives intended to fundamentally transform the nation.
Sadly, the citizenry has a short memory and gets used to the current state of affairs pretty quickly. The memory of the Dodd-Frank financial legislation has faded even before the demands on the private sector are realized. The epic battle of the yet-to-take-effect health care legislation is well in the rearview mirror along with the ill-fated stimulus efforts. The nasty employment numbers are getting better (at the expense of fewer workers trying to get work), and unless directly affected, the rest of us have adjusted to the new normal. So, the president will be able to forget about the toxic legislation he and his party initiated, and so the public has few recent negative memories of the years preceding the election.
If the president can avoid the pitfalls that loom in the Middle East, he may well coast to re-election. If the divided government is maintained in 2012, he might enjoy his second term — unless of course, the critics are right about the effects of his first two years’ work.
Discussion: 18 comments so far…
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Short memories have nothing to do with it.
We are in a "us vs. them" world now and nothing the President does will turn a Democrat against him or bring a Republican to him. Neither party will put rational thought over party loyalty now.
One has only to read the comments by some of the more dedicated members of either party on the Sun to see this.
"The nasty employment numbers are getting better (at the expense of fewer workers trying to get work)".
The White House announced yesterday that its unemployment projections included in the budget will be 8.9% in 2012 and 8.6% in 2013. The CBO last week projected unemployment to be 8.9% at the end of this year and remain above 8% through 2014. I know people who have been out of work since 2008. A former boss of mine at the director level is now under-employed delivering auto parts to dealerships and repair shops. The employment-population ratio is down from 63% in the early 2000's to 58.5%, a drop of approximately 14 million people from the workforce. The longer our unemployment situation continues the more likely those with means to spend will start holding on to their money for fear they will lose their job as well. I want to see a jobs plan from the President and the Presidential candidates this year that promotes job growth in the private sector. A stable federal tax and spend policy along with tax reform that closes tax loopholes would go a long way towards bringing a stable environment for businesses to invest and consumers to spend.
http://data.bls.gov/pdq/SurveyOutputServ...
Without a doubt it is an uphill battle for a conservative to beat an entitlement Persident who bought with taxpayer money the votes of half the people.
True the payola Stimulus, inept Obamacare, and to big to fail Dodd-Frank have all failed America.
Premiums are going up from Obamacare - Obama is now mandating the use of free abortion pill. This government intrusion will impose population control.
Yes it is true the entitlement pigs will vote for their own free lunch. The 2010 congress has started to reduce the increase in spending with the deficit at $1 trillion this year. We need more help.
Don't sell the American voters short. The latest Catholic controversy served to remind us what the President and his minnows really stand for and want to do. We'll get another reminder in July 2012 when the US Preemies strike down Obamacare on Constitutional grounds. Voters have good memories and they will use them on Nov 6, 2012.
BTW, the famous Obama 2008 girl decided not to vote for him in 2012. Is leaning GOP now. Smart and good looking. Fool me once shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.
Carmine A. DiFazio
one look at the republican candidates and the average voter has to be shaking his head. no wonder voter turnout is below predictions. Obama isnt perfect and his opposition has said from day 1 that they will make him a one term president. after the clusterf*ck of the bush/cheney administration, we are slowly climbing out of the abyss the republicans created.
Entitlements is the Obama red meat for his voting block. Yes it is hard to fight against free abortion pills and sterilization for everyone.
ignorance is bliss, yoyo, it was YOUR man bush that created this mess.
FS says "Ola - Americans are happy now"
LOL
Tell that to the 20% under employed after the payola stimulus failed
Tell that to the million who house is underwater after 8 different housing plans
Tell that to the small businessman who cannot borrow money under Dodd-Frank
Sure liberals are happy with the increase control that Obama has over us
Sure liberals are happy with vote buying red meat Obama is throwing out like open borders, population control, the reject of religious freedom. Yea liberals are happy now.
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The big CPAC circle jerk is taking place this week and all the GOP presidential candidates have given their speeches (Romney:"I was a severely conservative governor" ... huh?)
But one major republican who won't attend and whose name must not be uttered is George W. Bush. Those of us on the left still remember W's two terms in office ... but somehow, maybe due to some Twilight Zone-like freak accident that's causes collective amnesia, every single CPAC republican has lost any recollection of Bush's smirking mug -- much like when Bush forgot about 9/11 mastermind Osama bin Laden to go chasing after imaginary mushroom clouds and nonexistent WMD.
Republicans may not remember President Obama's GOP predecessor but a vast majority of voters will never shake the horrible nightmare of his eight years in office.
.
Comment removed by moderator. - -
Those on the left claim that everything will be fine if more D's are elected and President Obama is re-elected. Those on the right claim everything will be fine if more R's are elected and and R is elected President.
I think the next few years are going to prove just how wrong both views are. If you notice, there is a terrifying lack of discussion about what the government is going to do about the debt and deficit. The reason is simple, but sad.
Most Americans live in a comfortable 'personal' world and pay little attention to anything outside that world. They live their lives, go to work, take vacations, etc and as long as their 'personal' world remains intact, they are happy and mostly unconcerned about anything else. Even with about 20 to 25 % real unemployment and underemployment, that leaves 75 % or more of Americans living just fine in their 'personal' world.
Our leaders (R and D) know this fact: 1) In this environment, if they 'level' with us about the threat of the debt and deficits, and propose the ugly and painful steps needed to address it, they cannot be elected or re-elected.
I don't believe any President (R or D) is going to be willing to take these necessay steps because they are too unpopular.
Until enough Americans are bumped out of their comfortable 'personal' world and start to panic, they will not support any of these tough menasures and therefore, our leaders will not advocate for them. We are headed to the tipping point, but we are not there yet. Unfortunately, we are going to have to go there before we address these issues.
Michael
joe; you left out ' ann coulter in drag.'
gogo, do you remember George W. Bush? He was president recently but left office with the worst economy since the Great Depression and two mismanaged wars. Does any of that ring a bell?
Reading the last few posts it seems that GoGo has put FACTS on his post and Dipstick and Last throes use nothing to support an argument in thier defense. Again as usual the Libs lose.
By the way Dip get a calculator and a history book please and Last Throes you should sit in that same classroom.
GoGO you can teach the children.
chuck; sorry, i wasnt paying attention. what facts are those?
Looking forward to the debates between President Obama and whichever clown wins the GOP nomination.
If Romney is the choice then that takes the president's healthcare issue off the table since the plan was modeled after Romneycare.
And if the economy continues to improve that issue is off the table.
And since bin Laden is dead and General Motors is alive, well, let's just say Romney is running out of flip-flop options.
So what does that leave? Not much. But maybe Romney could show us the proper technique used to strap the family dog to the roof of a car before going on a 600-mile drive to Canada. That's definately something we could all learn from Flip Flop Mitt.
Dennis you prove my point. GoGo presented facts. You chose, as most Libs do to not educate yourself with them. Obviously your loss. This is why people that vote usually don't have a clue what they are voting for.
chuck; like yourself and lady gaga?
Actually, if Obama gets re-elected, it will be the clown-car R nominating process that accomplishes it. "None of the above" is not a viable candidate except for the purpose of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.
And, Joe, before your next load of bombast on Keystone XL you might want to read the inspector general's report on the State Department's (mis)handling of the process. A URL to it follows:
http://www.sanders.senate.gov/imo/media/...
That is the full report. I'm sure there is another URL, that will get you to it, but that is the one I came across first. (And it is a pdf, so neither Bernie nor his staff messed with the original)
As a Senator ruling Congress with Reid and Pelosi; and running for President in 2008 - Obama castrated the 2007 debt and deficit ($160 billion) situation.
On July 3, 2008, Obama called President Bush "Irresponsible and Unpatriotic. And conservatives were bitter Americans cling to their religion.
So Obama's FY-2013 Budget is out. Here what we know. The deficit will go up from $1.0 trillion this year to $1.33 trillion in 2013. Obama has Income tax rates increased, capital formation tax rates increasing, and business taxes going up. Tax increase totalling $1.5 trillion. Military cost are cut, war cost are half, Obama's man on Mars is cutout. Yet Obama is increasing the deficit by $300 billion over this year.
Say again we have the Obamacare faux savings, the war is declared over, we increased taxes on the rich, the economy has recovered - yet Obama is increasing the 2013 deficit $300 billion. Really? No lie!
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Wow. What a hostile, toxic forum. I think some folks need to eat more prunes.
Read the whole thing, Joe -- not just the first few pages of the executive summary.
These are tough times for Republicans and other right wing politically oriented types , faced with the fact there very own right wing freindly rassmussen polling has your best candidate (Romney ) down by 10% to president Obama. Reality starts to set in that beating a beatable Democratic president is slipping through there radical fingers.
@truthiness...
"Wow. What a hostile, toxic forum. I think some folks need to eat more prunes."
Yeah, when ONE GUY has 16 out of 44 of the comments, (not an unusual ratio for this guy) and they're all 'toxic', that's what happens.
The problem is, this same guy gets 'comments removed by staff' day after day after day, multiple times on many stories, and bullies everyone around like he owns the place, and yet...and yet...
Another day, another poll showing President Obama putting a beatdown on whichever loser the GOP nominates.
But all you teabaggers can hold out hope that the election turns out like the Sen. Reid vs Crazy Angle senate race. Polling for that election (Rasmussen and Mason/Dixon -- GOP outfits) had 2nd Amendment Remedy Sharron ahead by 5% - 8% a week before the vote. But as we all know, the Senate majority leader sent the crazy hag back to Reno where she runs a roadside kool-aid stand.
So yes, it's possible a GOP candidate could pull it out. On the other hand, it's also possible Willard Romney will get his own Mormon planet to rule when he dies, as his faith teaches.
Possible yes, but highly doubtful.
Bernanke is the latest to throw the Dems and President Obama under the bus with their soaring budgets and budget deficits. This comes on the heels of the CBO doing the same just last week.
President and his hand picked leaders, like Biden, Pelosi and Reid, are saying things are looking better every day.
So we have it. It's a standoff. Who do you believe? A President looking for reelection or a Fed Chair and CBO who aren't?
Throw in a crop of very qualified, by Obama 2008 standards, GOP candidates who rail at the skyrocketing budgets, gov't giveaways, and big gov't intrusion into all aspects of private life. Who's looking better?
Take time. We have 8 months to answer. This time we have to get it right. There won't be any more second chances for another 4 years. Quite possibly too late!
Carmine A. DiFazio
Not only is Romney down 10% points to Obama. The Obama administration has presided over a job creation record of 3.7 million jobs, compared to George W Bush's job creation record the worst since the Hoover administration of 1.1 million jobs created in 8 years has completely destroyed the Republican strategy of claiming they are the job creators. Obama also now has destroyed the usual republican advantage of national security. The real killer for the Republican party is Romney he can't even inspire his own supposed base. As I said before the Republican partys chance of beating a beatable Democrat is slipping through there radical fingers again. No wonder all you will get from this sites radical right wing basket case is a montage of insults and other less then honorable behavior.
People (and all of you know who you are,) please avoid "trolling" when making your otherwise acceptable points.
Over several decades I've driven thousands of miles on American roads, both in the city and in the countryside, but never have I seen a live animal strapped to the roof of a car during that time.
Bottom line, Willard Romney is a weird person. To him, corporations are people, but not the very poor kind of people he's not concerned about. And besides saying weird things Weird Willard also does weird things. Like extending his let's-shake-on-it hand in the middle of a debate on national TV, challenging Rick Perry to a small $10,000 wager.
In his defense, since Romney makes $57,000 a day for not working (and pays a 14% Bush trickledown tax rate on whatever part of that amount that isn't stashed away in an offshore tax shelter), a measly $10,000 is what he "earns" in an hour or two. And speaking of income disparity, this proves that a multi-millionaires small bet is equal to the annual income of some folks.
But everybody knows Willard is weird. That makes him the ideal candidate for GOP, which is populated with weirdos just like Romney. In fact, maybe the dog that Willard strapped to the car roof was too normal and just wasn't weird enough to ride inside with the family.
YES gogo, Americans are smart.
Americans won't vote for a man stupid enough to
strap his family dog to the roof of their car and
drive several hundred miles.
That's the craziest thing I ever heard of.
And this man wants to lead the free world?
Not a chance.
President Obama will win by a landslide.
Frank, where is your proof the Navy Seals have this great admiration for Kenyan Barack? This WSJ piece written by a former Navy Seal suggest otherwise..
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424...
If your grandama is paying 33% taxes then she is quite well off, and probably should pay more, right? Maybe has to give up the expensive cigarettes..I hope she pays her own health insurance, her medical bills are going to get very high in the future and will cost the government a lot of money. Is she collecting SS with that high income as well?
You do know out of the Keating Five that only ones who received formal reprimand were Democrats and Senators Glenn and McCain were cleared of having acted improperly ? Every time you bring this up it makes your party look bad, as does the Mexican Mitt comments, sounds racist, I thought Kenyan Barack had no ill will towards other races and ethnic groups like people of Mexican descent? I wonder how those people feel when they read your comments? I know the people of Kenya are proud.
Ed.......more anti-Obama rubbish.
You heartless republicans continue to live in a
sea of denial.
The toxic programs that you mention are the
republican programs that caused the
BUSH DEPRESSION.
NO, Americans did not forget.
President Obama's programs saved GM and Chrysler,
got Bin Laden, created millions of American jobs,
got better health care for millions of Americans
and is making our economy better again.
Until you heartless republicans start helping
average Americans and the poor, don't expect to
get back into the White House for many, many
years, if ever.
We're keeping our great President Obama.
LIVE BETTER/WORK UNION!
Eastwood is a Republican and Catholic.
He's not voting for Obama.
Carmine A. DiFazio
President Obama and his fans claim they saved the auto industry but in the next breath they condemn oil and gas. Tauting green energy non-nonsense and the $25K taxpayer subsidized GM Volts. That doesn't help Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania and states Obama needs to win. They depend on gas/oil and shale for their growth and well-being.
It's going to be a close presidential election. Right now 53 percent Obama and 47 percent GOP. Not a huge margin to gain/lose by Nov 6, 2012.
Carmine A. DiFazio
Currently, we live in a world full of Americans that can be described as the "sound byte generation." Even lessons in our schools are basically taught in "sound bytes" due to the fleeting memory and distractions of learners.
Joseph Schilmoeller framed it well here with, "...but your hero and his administration let the big banks off the hook with this mortgage deal. Bank of America stock went right up - Warren Buffett thanks you, Barack - after the "pennies on the dollar" settlement was reached."
That is ONE POINT which most Americans, who are now suffering, WILL most certainly REMEMBER!!! Any politician who is a part of the problem, rather than a part of the cure, will get voted out. Those who have held office for eons will be viewed as being a part of the problem, and will face confrontation by their constituents and ammending their wicked ways, or be voted OUT.
Voting for "NONE of the above" may well be a change no one expected this coming election cycle.
Voters are at a point of not believing the hype, they have now wised up, and are highly suspicious of the motives and support behind decisions made by politicians these days. Now whether they can do much of anything about it, is a whole different thing.
Blessings and Peace,
Star
Carmine.....
So Eastwood is going to vote for a Mormon, who
threw GM and Chrysler under the bus and tied his
dog to the roof of his car?
Not a chance.
Eastwood will vote for President Obama or he will
stay home and not vote at all.
Get used to four more years of our great
President Obama.
No, Eastwood votes for the GOP Presidential candidate whoever and whatever religion. Not Obama.
Like I said and you read, Obama has the odds in his favor right now: 53 to 47. Like Eastwood says, it's halftime and America is coming back. By Nov 2012, I expect the odds to be even and/or the GOP ahead of Obama whoever the GOP candidate is and regardless of religion.
Carmine A. DiFazio
You're living in lala land, Carmine.
Not going to happen.
Funny, I was thinking the same about you and Eastwood. How does a Partisan died in the wool Obama Democrat believe that an 80 plus year old GOP Catholic ever would vote dem.
BTW, even the Obama hottie girl from 2008 says the hope and change guy has got to go.
Carmine A. DiFazio
They have time for following every dropped word anyone is asked for daily of their career requirements. Have time. You start your day with family desires, go to school of children dreaming of better world, run with minutes of home care; first room served, second room served, third room served, kitchen served, living room made of national pride and how is it wiht personal health care ? Education ? Parents feeling of soap opera smiles, outlook of privacy on demand; next.
Parents updated.