Is the US better off now than in 2008? What has Obama done?

[cybercoma]

According to The New Yorker's endorsement of Barack Obama it certainly seems to be. They describe the legacy of George W. Bush and what Obama inherited as he entered office:

Obama succeeded George W. Bush, a two-term President whose misbegotten legacy, measured in the money it squandered and the misery it inflicted, has become only more evident with time. Bush left behind an America in dire condition and with a degraded reputation. On Inauguration Day, the United States was in a downward financial spiral brought on by predatory lending, legally sanctioned greed and pyramid schemes, an economic policy geared to the priorities and the comforts of what soon came to be called “the one per cent,” and deregulation that began before the Bush Presidency. In 2008 alone, more than two and a half million jobs were lost—up to three-quarters of a million jobs a month. The gross domestic product was shrinking at a rate of nine per cent. Housing prices collapsed. Credit markets collapsed. The stock market collapsed—and, with it, the retirement prospects of millions. Foreclosures and evictions were ubiquitous; whole neighborhoods and towns emptied. The automobile industry appeared to be headed for bankruptcy. Banks as large as Lehman Brothers were dead, and other banks were foundering. It was a crisis of historic dimensions and global ramifications. However skillful the management in Washington, the slump was bound to last longer than any since the Great Depression.

At the same time, the United States was in the midst of the grinding and unnecessary war in Iraq, which killed a hundred thousand Iraqis and four thousand Americans, and depleted the federal coffers. The political and moral damage of Bush’s duplicitous rush to war rivalled the conflict’s price in blood and treasure. America’s standing in the world was further compromised by the torture of prisoners and by illegal surveillance at home. Al Qaeda, which, on September 11, 2001, killed three thousand people on American soil, was still strong. Its leader, Osama bin Laden, was, despite a global manhunt, living securely in Abbottabad, a verdant retreat near Islamabad.

So what is Obama's record? Has he done absolutely nothing as the GOP talking points and their echo boxes on this forum claim? The New Yorker outlines Obama's accomplishments on the above issues that were handed to him by the GOP in 2008 and more.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009—the $787-billion stimulus package—was well short of what some economists, including Joseph Stiglitz and Paul Krugman, thought the crisis demanded. But it was larger in real dollars than any one of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal measures. It reversed the job-loss trend—according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, as many as 3.6 million private-sector jobs have been created since June, 2009—and helped reset the course of the economy. It also represented the largest public investment in infrastructure since President Eisenhower’s interstate-highway program.

The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, which Obama signed into law in July, 2010, tightened capital requirements on banks, restricted predatory lending, and, in general, sought to prevent abuses of the sort that led to the crash of 2008.

Obama’s most significant legislative achievement was a vast reform of the national health-care system. Five Presidents since the end of the Second World War have tried to pass legislation that would insure universal access to medical care, but all were defeated by deeply entrenched opposition. Obama—bolstered by the political cunning of the House Speaker, Nancy Pelosi—succeeded. Some critics urged the President to press for a single-payer system—Medicare for all. Despite its ample merits, such a system had no chance of winning congressional backing. Obama achieved the achievable. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is the single greatest expansion of the social safety net since the advent of Medicaid and Medicare, in 1965. Not one Republican voted in favor of it.

The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act ... protects women, minorities, and the disabled against unfair wage discrimination. By ending the military’s ban on the service of those who are openly gay, and by endorsing marriage equality, Obama, more than any previous President, has been a strong advocate of the civil rights of gay men and lesbians

And...

Obama appointed to the Supreme Court two highly competent women, Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor, the Court’s first Hispanic. Kagan and Sotomayor are skilled and liberal-minded Justices who, abjuring dogmatism, represent a sober and sensible set of jurisprudential values.

(Read The New Yorker's endorsement HERE.)

Is the United States better off in 2012 than in 2008? Not to those suffering from Romnesia, but when you look back on the state of America on Inauguration Day and see all that Obama has accomplished amidst some of the worst legislative stonewalling from the GOP in the nation's history, it seems pretty dishonest to say that he has accomplished "nothing" in 4 years.

[sharkman]

Obama had 2 years of majorities in both houses before republican stonewalling, which by the way is exactly the treatment Bush got with the Dems previously.

Whatever the claims of Obama's accomplishments, they are tainted by his big failure on the economy and continued deficits and debt issues. That was job one, except Obama didn't treat it that way, and he might well pay on election day for it.

[punked]

Obama had 2 years of majorities in both houses before republican stonewalling, which by the way is exactly the treatment Bush got with the Dems previously.

Whatever the claims of Obama's accomplishments, they are tainted by his big failure on the economy and continued deficits and debt issues. That was job one, except Obama didn't treat it that way, and he might well pay on election day for it.

Nope he had 6 months after republican stonewalling before Republican stonewalling. Want to tell me the day Franken state as the 60 Senator? In that time two Democrats went into the hospitable and were on their death beds. So he had 6 months but when he needed to pass something he had to have two guys wheeled in hoping it wouldn't kill them.

History escapes you. Better go back and read a book.

[Shady]

OMG, I'm shocked, shocked that The New Yorker endorsed Obama. Somebody help me off the floor.

Seriously, this is a forum topic???

[Shady]

Whatever the claims of Obama's accomplishments, they are tainted by his big failure on the economy and continued deficits and debt issues. That was job one, except Obama didn't treat it that way, and he might well pay on election day for it.

Exactly. American's are suppose to re-elect the current economic illiterate-in-chief because of two women justices and lilly ledbetter. /facepalm

[Shady]

Let's look at the Orlando Sentinel endorsement of Romney. They endorsed Obama four years ago.

Economic growth, three years into the recovery, is anemic. Family incomes are down, poverty is up. Obama's Republican challenger, Mitt Romney, highlighted these and other hard truths in this week's second debate.

Even the September jobless numbers deserve an asterisk, because more than 4 million Americans have given up looking for work since January 2009.

And while the nation's economy is still sputtering nearly four years after Obama took office, the federal government is more than $5 trillion deeper in debt. It just racked up its fourth straight 13-figure shortfall.

We have little confidence that Obama would be more successful managing the economy and the budget in the next four years. For that reason, though we endorsed him in 2008, we are recommending Romney in this race.

http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2012-10-19/opinion/os-ed-endorsement-president-mitt-romney-101912-20121018_1_trillion-deficit-reduction-plan-mitt-romney-obama-s-republican

[sharkman]

Nope he had 6 months after republican stonewalling before Republican stonewalling. Want to tell me the day Franken state as the 60 Senator? In that time two Democrats went into the hospitable and were on their death beds. So he had 6 months but when he needed to pass something he had to have two guys wheeled in hoping it wouldn't kill them.

History escapes you. Better go back and read a book.

Are you talking about a super majority or a majority? At any rate, that's politics and the system that both sides stonewall each other with. His inability to deal with majorities in both houses for 2 years is his own fault.

Edited October 27, 2012 by sharkman

[punked]

Lets look at the San Antonio News 4 years ago they endorsed McCain.

The results: a stock market that has risen more than 60 percent since Obama took office, housing starts in September up 38 percent from one year ago and 31 consecutive months of job growth.

In the international sphere, Obama completed the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq last year and has established a timetable for an American exit from Afghanistan in 2014. Building on programs developed under the last administration, Obama has directed attacks that have severely weakened the leadership of al-Qaida, including the mission that killed Osama bin Laden.

Beyond dealing with complex issues he inherited, President Obama has taken initiatives to create a better, fairer society. He ended the deportation of young immigrants who, through no fault of their own, were brought to this country illegally as children. He ended the ban on gays serving openly in the military. And he pushed through the Affordable Care Act that will extend health care coverage to 30 million Americans who, shamefully in this day and age, still lack access to decent medical care.

These shortcomings, however, don't justify a change in leadership, particularly when many of Mitt Romney's proposals — such as an across-the-board 20 percent cut in taxes and the elimination of unspecified itemized deductions — invite skepticism. So does his goal of repealing the Affordable Care Act without offering any meaningful replacement. In addition, the video of him behind closed doors dismissing 47 percent of the population as government-dependent slackers was disheartening and possibly disqualifying for anyone seeking the presidency.

No candidate has all the right policies — that includes Barack Obama. But having weathered the challenges of the last four years, we believe he is in a better position to guide the nation over the next four years — and has earned from voters the privilege to do so

.http://www.mysanantonio.com/opinion/editorials/article/Obama-has-earned-a-second-term-3965052.php

[punked]

Are you talking about a super majority or a majority?

If we are talking about a Majority we can just look at Bush's 6 years to see how a Republican can ruin a country.

[Sleipnir]

The country is definitely doing better under Obama than during the Bush regime.

Their economy is starting to rebound, they finally have something of a healthcare system (people protesting it is absolutely normal), international image have improve to an extent (Latin America, Europe and some degree to Middle East).

[bush_cheney2004]

The country is definitely doing better under Obama than during the Bush regime.

Depends on which metrics one chooses to measure. Clearly the economy has not recovered to the peak performance under the "Bush regime", unemployment remains high, budget deficits are at record levels doubling Bush's, wars have continued. President Obama now carries the same incumbent burden(s) not faced by candidate Obama.

Their economy is starting to rebound, they finally have something of a healthcare system (people protesting it is absolutely normal), international image have improve to an extent (Latin America, Europe and some degree to Middle East).

They always had a healthcare system. In fact, several Canadian provinces make use of it to make up for shortfalls in capacity and capabilities (e.g. neo-natal care, bariatric surgery, and diagnostic imaging).

Edited October 27, 2012 by bush_cheney2004

[cybercoma]

OMG, I'm shocked, shocked that The New Yorker endorsed Obama. Somebody help me off the floor.

Seriously, this is a forum topic???

I guess if reading comprehension escapes you so much that you think the point of the thread is that The New Yorker endorsed Obama, then yeah... the thread is kind of pointless.

[cybercoma]

Why would anyone use the disastrous housing bubble as the metric for a successful economy, bc?

[punked]

Why would anyone use the disastrous housing bubble as the metric for a successful economy, bc?

If the Republicans would stimulate the economy it could not only get back to where it was the engine would drive it way past it. America has lost 3 years because people wont read book or look at the evidence for what needs to happen right now.

[Shady]

Why would anyone use the disastrous housing bubble as the metric for a successful economy, bc?

You mean the housing bubble Obama helped create?

[Sleipnir]

They always had a healthcare system. In fact, several Canadian provinces make use of it to make up for shortfalls in capacity and capabilities (e.g. neo-natal care, bariatric surgery, and diagnostic imaging).

Ok how about public healthcare?

[Shady]

If the Republicans would stimulate the economy it could not only get back to where it was the engine would drive it way past it. America has lost 3 years because people wont read book or look at the evidence for what needs to happen right now.

Nope, stimulus spending won't counter bad economic policy that reduces job creation. Take Obamacare. It's a massive new cost, especially to small businesses. Stimulus won't solve that problem until Obamacare is repealed or reformed. Stimulus also won't make up for radical environmental policy putting people out of work in the Midwest, especially in the coal industry. Stimulus also won't do anything about the massive tax increase headed everyone's way on January 1st, thanks to Obama kicking the can down the road. Just another issue he's ducked from during his first 4 years in office. He could of dealt with it during his first couple years when he had super majorities, but decided it wasn't important enough. He's a joke.

[Shady]

Ok how about public healthcare?

You mean like Medicare? And Medicaid? And the Children's Health Insurance Program? Like those?

[Sleipnir]

You mean like Medicare? And Medicaid? And the Children's Health Insurance Program? Like those?

Ok third time the charm.

Federal Healthcare law

[Smallc]

Nope, stimulus spending won't counter bad economic policy that reduces job creation. Take Obamacare.

Talking points got distributed today, I see.

[Shady]

Talking points got distributed today, I see.

Are you just unaware of the increase in costs to business because of Obamacare? Seriously? You think that's a talking point? /facepalm

[Shady]

Ok third time the charm.

Federal Healthcare law

Um, Medicare and CHIP are federal programs. Medicaid gets federal funding, and people not being turned away from emergency rooms is federal law. What don't you understand?

[bush_cheney2004]

Um, Medicare and CHIP are federal programs. Medicaid gets federal funding, and people not being turned away from emergency rooms is federal law. What don't you understand?

Yes, and we can add the Veterans Administration to that list of "federal health care".

[Sleipnir]

What don't you understand?

I don't understand why republicans are against healthcare. Are republicans upset because the democrat was able to implement it first?

[Smallc]

With their plan, even.