Obama General Discussion II

[PhilsFan]

Was it debt as a percentage of GDP? That's always fun. The best is when he refuses to look at the eight year trend of Bush and instead looks at the average of the eight years, which allows Bush to look much better since his process of fucking everything up was long and drawn out.

 

[Irvine511]

he even uses 2009 numbers to blame Obama. hilarious!

 

[financeguy]

Surely you guys are aware that Obama caused the global recession?

 

[Strongbow]

it didn't even have much to do with what i posted, and in fact he supported my thesis, which is that deficits go up when Republicans are in charge and even when they are presiding over periods of economic grown and expansion. the only Republican he could find where that didn't happen was EISENHOWER, who's now a big old liberal by today's standards.

don't worry, we all debunked the credibility of "debt as a percentage of GDP" long ago.

.

I simply corected, with facts, some totally inaccurate statements that you made. You stated that the national debt exploded under George Bush and the Republican congress from 2001 to 2006. I simply showed the actual figures and proved your statement to be false! A 12% increase over 6 years is not an EXPLOSION.

You said there had never been a Republican that reduced the deficit and the national debt. Thats false and I showed you one example. The debt under Nixon while not really decreasing did not really go up either. Spending was cut under Nixon as well. Again, all I'm doing is showing that your statement above was incorrect.

don't worry, we all debunked the credibility of "debt as a percentage of GDP" long ago.

No credible politician, economist or citizen interested in assessing accurately the level of burden has on the country would ignore "debt as a percentage of GDP". Nearly every military or political think tank around the world uses debt as a percentage of GDP when assessing the burden it has on that country. On a personal level, the burden a certain debt has on an individual can only be accurately assessed if you compare to that persons wealth. GDP is a measure of the countries wealth which is why debt as a percentage of GDP, defense spending as percentage of GDP, Health Care spending as a percentage of GDP in assessing the burden that certain types of spending, all spending, or the national debt has on the country.

the point remains: Republicans cut taxes, not deficits

Well, if that were true, no Republican would have ever cut the deficit and that is of course false. Republicans have also raised taxes too. Ronald Reagan raised certain taxes multiple times.

 

[Strongbow]

he even uses 2009 numbers to blame Obama. hilarious!

I didn't blame Obama for anything! I simply listed what debt as a percentage of GDP was in his time in office up to this point! Not understanding that basic fact is what is hilarious.

 

[Strongbow]

Was it debt as a percentage of GDP? That's always fun. The best is when he refuses to look at the eight year trend of Bush and instead looks at the average of the eight years, which allows Bush to look much better since his process of fucking everything up was long and drawn out.

I've never refused to look at any trend or any fact or data. Your the one that refuses to acknowledge any basic fact that might put Bush in a good light.

 

[Strongbow]

Surely you guys are aware that Obama caused the global recession?

Simply pointing out the fact that the debt did not EXPLODE while Bush had a republican congress from 2001 to 2006 and that there have been Republicans that reduced the deficit is in no way a suggestion of Obama being responsible for or causing anything.

 

[INDY500]

Balanced budgets only occurred in the Clinton years after the arrival of Newt.

And while I agree about Bush he looks almost miserly compared to Obama and Co. who have Bikini Atolled the deficit 45% in just 2 years. No wonder the Democrats are avoiding their constitutional duty to pass a budget. Even some of them are embarrassed.

Oh, oh. Bordering close to hate speech here so I better shut up.

 

[Irvine511]

do you remember *why* the Democrats spent so much money? do you remember *why* the Bush administration did the whole TARP thing?

it all started in September of 2008.

 

[anitram]

And while I agree about Bush he looks almost miserly compared to Obama and Co. who have Bikini Atolled the deficit 45% in just 2 years.

Fucking Obama had to deregulate the financial industry and start a kajillion dollar war out in the Middle East based on lies.

 

[Strongbow]

it all started in September of 2008.

Will that be Obama's 2012 campaign slogan?

 

[Strongbow]

Fucking Obama had to deregulate the financial industry and start a kajillion dollar war out in the Middle East based on lies.

Obama started a war in the middle east?

 

[Diemen]

...Aaaand the point goes sailing overhead.

Getting a little too combative in here folks...

The ignore list usually works best if you don't use the threads to discuss why you're ignoring someone.

 

[Bluer White]

do you remember *why* the Democrats spent so much money? do you remember *why* the Bush administration did the whole TARP thing?

it all started in September of 2008.

Seems to me that Sept 2008 was the end result, not the beginning:

1. Clinton and Republican Congress repeal Glass-Steagal with bipartisan support
2. 9/11 happens, economy tanks, long-serving Fed chairman keeps rates too low for too long
3. Congress whistles past the Fannie/Freddie graveyard
4. Bubble bursts, let the blame game begin!

 

[Irvine511]

Seems to me that Sept 2008 was the end result, not the beginning:

1. Clinton and Republican Congress repeal Glass-Steagal with bipartisan support
2. 9/11 happens, economy tanks, long-serving Fed chairman keeps rates too low for too long
3. Congress whistles past the Fannie/Freddie graveyard
4. Bubble bursts, let the blame game begin!

and thus, it's the Democrats who spend and explode the deficit, not Republicans.

 

[Irvine511]

well, shucks. who knew?

Dems take generic ballot lead
By: Andy Barr
July 20, 2010 07:44 AM EDT

Democrats this week have jumped into a 6-percentage-point generic-ballot edge for November’s election, according to a new Gallup poll.

Forty-nine percent of the 1,535 adults surveyed nationwide said they would prefer to vote for a Democrat to represent their congressional district. Forty-three percent are more likely to vote for a Republican.

Just more than a month ago, Republicans held a 6-point edge on Democrats in the poll.

Though the two parties have gone back in forth in Gallup’s generic ballot since the spring, Republicans have held a lead for most of the last three months.

The 6-point edge Democrats currently enjoy is the largest they have seen in months.

Democrats have yet to catch Republicans among independent voters, however, but are closing the gap.

Republicans hold a 4 percentage point edge among independents in this week's poll, 43-39 percent. Just a week before, Republicans led by 14 percentage points. In mid-June, Republicans led 52 percent to 31 percent among independents.

In her analysis, Gallup’s Lydia Saad speculated that the generic ballot bump for Democrats this past week could be due to the passage of financial reform.

“The financial reform bill is the second-biggest piece of legislation to get through Congress this year, after healthcare reform, and it enjoyed majority support,” Saad wrote. “According to a USA Today/Gallup poll in June, 55% of Americans were in favor of legislation expanding government regulation of financial institutions — including 72% of Democrats and 56% of independents. Only Republicans were generally opposed.”

Dems take generic ballot lead - POLITICO.com Print View

i wonder if passing substantive reform on both the wildly unpopular health care private insurance industry as well as regulating the people on Wall Street who essentially destroyed the world economy might actually be getting through to the American voters? perhaps people are starting to realize that this is exactly what they elected the Democrats to do, that Obama has been shockingly effective at actually fulfilling his campaign promises?

i know, i know ... you're thinking, "well, sure, Americans say they like roads and schools and fire departments and hospitals, but deep down, all they really want is a tax cut so they can buy more shit at Target so vote Republican yay," but maybe not?

 

[deep]

I think they may screw the pooch, here is CA with Prop 19.

 

[diamond]

well, shucks. who knew?

maybe not?

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/other/generic_congressional_vote-901.html
*yawn*

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[Irvine511]

RealClearPolitics - Election Other - Generic Congressional Vote
*yawn*

<>

yeah, that's a couple days old, sweet pea.

go back to sleep, daddy. will join you soon.

 

[deep]

I suppose being mean about the unemployment may have taken a few points

but, in a couple of weeks it will be forgotten, and it has been funded through Dec.

 

[INDY500]

I suppose being mean about the unemployment may have taken a few points

but, in a couple of weeks it will be forgotten, and it has been funded through Dec.

Yes, unemployment benefits are now funded through Obama's Summer & Autumn of Recovery.

Jeez.

 

[Irvine511]

Yes, unemployment benefits are now funded through Obama's Summer & Autumn of Recovery.

Jeez.

what's funding the Bush tax cuts?

 

[BVS]

what's funding the Bush tax cuts?

Tea bags?

 

[deep]

yes, I know it is a long time until 2012
and a lot can happen

but right now, I say the likely contest will be: Obama vs Romney

and it will be a competitive contest.

Thursday, July 15, 2010
Pretty Bad 2012 numbers for Obama

With his approval numbers hitting new lows it's no surprise that Barack Obama's numbers in our monthly look ahead to the 2012 Presidential race are their worst ever this month. He trails Mitt Romney 46-43, Mike Huckabee 47-45, Newt Gingrich 46-45, and is even tied with Sarah Palin at 46. The only person tested he leads is Jan Brewer, who doesn't have particularly high name recognition on the national level at this point.

It's not that any of the Republican candidates are particularly well liked. Only Huckabee has positive favorability numbers at 37/28. Romney's at 32/33, Gingrich at 32/42, Palin at 37/52, and Brewer at 17/20. But with a majority of Americans now disapproving of Obama it's no surprise that a large chunk of them would replace him as President if they had that choice today.

There are two things driving these strong poll numbers for the Republican candidates. The first is a lead with independents in every match up. Romney leads 48-35 with them, Gingrich is up 50-39, Huckabee has a 46-40 advantage, Palin's up 47-42, and even Brewer has a 38-37 edge.

The other thing causing the Republicans to do so well is that their party is unified around them to an equal or even greater extent than Democrats are around Obama. Huckabee's getting 85% of the Republican vote to Obama's 82% of the Democrats, Romney's at 82% in his party to Obama's 80%, Gingrich and Obama are each getting 83% of their party vote, and Palin and Obama are each getting 81% of theirs.

Obviously 2012 is a long ways off and the immediate relevance of these numbers is limited. It's possible we'll look back on polls like this 28 months from now after Obama's been reelected and laugh. But it's also possible that we'll look back on the summer of 2010 after he's been defeated and see it as the time when his prospects for reelection really took a turn for the worse. For now there's really no way to tell.

 

[BVS]

yes, I know it is a long time until 2012
and a lot can happen

but right now, I say the likely contest will be: Obama vs Romney

and it will be a competitive contest.

Well anything can happen but I think this is a very likely scenario.

And as much as the angry tea partiers look to be a threat, I think many will just stay home if it's Romney.

 

[Irvine511]

what happens when Romney beats up on Queen Sarah? will he be mean to poor little Trigg just to win the nomination? and how will the Momma Grizzlies react when poor Sarah comes under mean, mean attack for not knowing anything and unable to formulate a coherent talking point without a sympathetic Fox News host walking her through her answer with their preceding question?

 

[deep]

he will offer a job in the cabinet, that seems to be the pattern

perhaps, Health Czar.

 

[MrsSpringsteen]

So now he's going to vacation next month on the Florida Gulf coast, don't know if that's in addition to MV or instead of MV. Now it just looks like he's doing that in response to criticism

Oh, it's just for a weekend-Aug 14th, then 2 weeks in MV

 

[diamond]

Things aren't looking good for "Steve" or his sycophants.
The trend continues:

RealClearPolitics - Election Other - President Obama Job Approval


Sorry Boo-boo:

RealClearPolitics - Election Other - Generic Congressional Vote

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[Bluer White]

McChrystal to retire with 4 stars - Navy News, news from Iraq - Navy Times

A nice touch by the administration and the Army.