At best, the bleeding has stopped over the past four years. 

How much of that can be attributed to Obama's policies, how much can be attributed to policies that were started by Bush immediately after the market crash and carried on by Obama, and how much was just the effect of the economy self-correcting and stabilizing, can be debated ad-nauseum.

What really cannot be debated is the fact that this country has made no significant steps forward over the past four years.  Four years of stagnation accompanied by "look at what I inherited!" from Obama just doesn't cut it, especially when we're looking at the prospect of four more years of the same.

We got a lot of unfulfilled promises in 2008.  Fool me once, shame on you.  Fool me twice . . .

Congrats on starting the 163rd American political thread saying the same thing as the previous one in a different way.

Posted by MikeT23 on 10/23/2012 2:40:00 PM (view original):
A "peak" month, when we know people have just stopped looking, 23m unemployed or underemployed isn't an indicator of better times.  

We know where the current administration has taken us over the last 4 years.   Is that good enough?

Or do we need someone with a successful track record in business?   I'm even willing to concede that Romney's foreign policy looks like it was constructed by child with scissors and colored paper.   But I think the man will be fantastic for the economy.

Why would he be fantastic for the economy? A track record in business doesn't mean much. A CEO runs a company much differently than a President runs a country.

We know he plans on raising taxes on people making less than $200,000 a year. What specific things would Romney do that would help the economy?

Isn't the Brookings Institute a liberal organization?  If so, I think we can throw that out. 

Much like Obama wanted to "make his mark" with Obamacare, Romney is running for Prez to make his mark in the economy.   I think he'll make the right decisions to get the "bottom line" sorted out.   I don't think his plan is to tax anyone more.   His plan is to tax 12m more people by putting them to work.   He's going to make some tough budget cuts, sorry Big Bird, and he intends to do away with some regulations that he believes is styming businesss growth.   Will he be the "green" President?  No.   Will he be the humanitarian President?  No.  

Although, in all fairness, that's all talk of good intentions.   Obama had good intentions.   It hasn't worked.   But, if I have a kid cutting my grass poorly for 4 years, I'm not giving him another 4 years to do it right.   Especially if he says "I only need 4 years to make this right."

Posted by MikeT23 on 10/23/2012 4:11:00 PM (view original):
Isn't the Brookings Institute a liberal organization?  If so, I think we can throw that out. 

Much like Obama wanted to "make his mark" with Obamacare, Romney is running for Prez to make his mark in the economy.   I think he'll make the right decisions to get the "bottom line" sorted out.   I don't think his plan is to tax anyone more.   His plan is to tax 12m more people by putting them to work.   He's going to make some tough budget cuts, sorry Big Bird, and he intends to do away with some regulations that he believes is styming businesss growth.   Will he be the "green" President?  No.   Will he be the humanitarian President?  No.  

Although, in all fairness, that's all talk of good intentions.   Obama had good intentions.   It hasn't worked.   But, if I have a kid cutting my grass poorly for 4 years, I'm not giving him another 4 years to do it right.   Especially if he says "I only need 4 years to make this right."

Um, no. The Brookings Institute is a liberal think tank but that was a paper by the Tax Policy Center, a joint venture between Brookings and the Urban Institute that is non-partisan.

You have REALLY fallen hard for the talking points. Romney's 12 million jobs plan is absurd. 


EDIT: additional info on TPC:  In 2002, tax experts who had served in the Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, and Bill Clinton administrations established the Tax Policy Center to provide unbiased analysis of tax issues. The following year TPC developed a comprehensive tax simulation model to analyze the federal income tax and proposals to change it. That model has evolved to incorporate new and additional data, changes in federal tax law, and other aspects of the tax system and the economy.

Posted by tecwrg on 10/23/2012 3:39:00 PM (view original):
At best, the bleeding has stopped over the past four years. 

How much of that can be attributed to Obama's policies, how much can be attributed to policies that were started by Bush immediately after the market crash and carried on by Obama, and how much was just the effect of the economy self-correcting and stabilizing, can be debated ad-nauseum.

What really cannot be debated is the fact that this country has made no significant steps forward over the past four years.  Four years of stagnation accompanied by "look at what I inherited!" from Obama just doesn't cut it, especially when we're looking at the prospect of four more years of the same.

We got a lot of unfulfilled promises in 2008.  Fool me once, shame on you.  Fool me twice . . .

You're clearly missing the point.

Who's to say that stopping the bleeding wasn't a heck of a job?  Who's to say that not sinking deeper wasn't the equivalent of several steps forward?  Just saying "four years of stagnation" doesn't tell the whole story.  You're not happy with where you are?  Fine, I get it.  But some of us looked at the economic disaster from four years ago and are happy that the situation didn't end up worse and that things are better now.  Do I think Obama did a great job?  No.  He wasted time, resources, and political capital pushing through a compromise healthcare bill that still caters to the health care companies too much.  But, I'd still rather our current path than going back to trickle down.

So "didn't make things worse" is considered an accomplishment worthy of reelection?  That's great.  Way to set expectations.

I can imagine my kid coming home with a report card full of D's and telling him "That's great, son!  You didn't flunk any classes!  Awesome job!"

Posted by bad_luck on 10/23/2012 4:42:00 PM (view original):

Posted by MikeT23 on 10/23/2012 4:11:00 PM (view original):
Isn't the Brookings Institute a liberal organization?  If so, I think we can throw that out. 

Much like Obama wanted to "make his mark" with Obamacare, Romney is running for Prez to make his mark in the economy.   I think he'll make the right decisions to get the "bottom line" sorted out.   I don't think his plan is to tax anyone more.   His plan is to tax 12m more people by putting them to work.   He's going to make some tough budget cuts, sorry Big Bird, and he intends to do away with some regulations that he believes is styming businesss growth.   Will he be the "green" President?  No.   Will he be the humanitarian President?  No.  

Although, in all fairness, that's all talk of good intentions.   Obama had good intentions.   It hasn't worked.   But, if I have a kid cutting my grass poorly for 4 years, I'm not giving him another 4 years to do it right.   Especially if he says "I only need 4 years to make this right."

Um, no. The Brookings Institute is a liberal think tank but that was a paper by the Tax Policy Center, a joint venture between Brookings and the Urban Institute that is non-partisan.

You have REALLY fallen hard for the talking points. Romney's 12 million jobs plan is absurd. 


EDIT: additional info on TPC:  In 2002, tax experts who had served in the Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, and Bill Clinton administrations established the Tax Policy Center to provide unbiased analysis of tax issues. The following year TPC developed a comprehensive tax simulation model to analyze the federal income tax and proposals to change it. That model has evolved to incorporate new and additional data, changes in federal tax law, and other aspects of the tax system and the economy.

So the Brooking organization is a liberal organization?   "The Brookings Institute is a liberal think tank......"   Seriously, don't say "No" and then disagree with yourself.    A liberal organization and a non-partisan organization work together on a paper.   What way to you think it leans?

I haven't fallen for the talking points.   Romney is as vague on his jobs promise as Obama is on Libya.   

However, Obama has done nothing that makes me think he has a plan that will work.        As I said:  "Although, in all fairness, that's all talk of good intentions.   Obama had good intentions.   It hasn't worked.   But, if I have a kid cutting my grass poorly for 4 years, I'm not giving him another 4 years to do it right.   Especially if he says "I only need 4 years to make this right."

Posted by tecwrg on 10/23/2012 5:04:00 PM (view original):
So "didn't make things worse" is considered an accomplishment worthy of reelection?  That's great.  Way to set expectations.

I can imagine my kid coming home with a report card full of D's and telling him "That's great, son!  You didn't flunk any classes!  Awesome job!"

So now running the country is the same as your kid going to school?  Pretty narrow view.  No wonder you're being snowed by Romney.

Well, I guess we'll get to see, right? Polling coming in before Romney sh!t the bed last night had Obama at a 70% chance of reelection.

Posted by MikeT23 on 10/23/2012 5:08:00 PM (view original):

Posted by bad_luck on 10/23/2012 4:42:00 PM (view original):

Posted by MikeT23 on 10/23/2012 4:11:00 PM (view original):
Isn't the Brookings Institute a liberal organization?  If so, I think we can throw that out. 

Much like Obama wanted to "make his mark" with Obamacare, Romney is running for Prez to make his mark in the economy.   I think he'll make the right decisions to get the "bottom line" sorted out.   I don't think his plan is to tax anyone more.   His plan is to tax 12m more people by putting them to work.   He's going to make some tough budget cuts, sorry Big Bird, and he intends to do away with some regulations that he believes is styming businesss growth.   Will he be the "green" President?  No.   Will he be the humanitarian President?  No.  

Although, in all fairness, that's all talk of good intentions.   Obama had good intentions.   It hasn't worked.   But, if I have a kid cutting my grass poorly for 4 years, I'm not giving him another 4 years to do it right.   Especially if he says "I only need 4 years to make this right."

Um, no. The Brookings Institute is a liberal think tank but that was a paper by the Tax Policy Center, a joint venture between Brookings and the Urban Institute that is non-partisan.

You have REALLY fallen hard for the talking points. Romney's 12 million jobs plan is absurd. 


EDIT: additional info on TPC:  In 2002, tax experts who had served in the Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, and Bill Clinton administrations established the Tax Policy Center to provide unbiased analysis of tax issues. The following year TPC developed a comprehensive tax simulation model to analyze the federal income tax and proposals to change it. That model has evolved to incorporate new and additional data, changes in federal tax law, and other aspects of the tax system and the economy.

So the Brooking organization is a liberal organization?   "The Brookings Institute is a liberal think tank......"   Seriously, don't say "No" and then disagree with yourself.    A liberal organization and a non-partisan organization work together on a paper.   What way to you think it leans?

I haven't fallen for the talking points.   Romney is as vague on his jobs promise as Obama is on Libya.   

However, Obama has done nothing that makes me think he has a plan that will work.        As I said:  "Although, in all fairness, that's all talk of good intentions.   Obama had good intentions.   It hasn't worked.   But, if I have a kid cutting my grass poorly for 4 years, I'm not giving him another 4 years to do it right.   Especially if he says "I only need 4 years to make this right."

Brookings is liberal. TPC is non-partisan.

Fixing your analogy for you, your previous landscaper lit your yard on fire, jack hammered your driveway, and crashed his truck into your car. You replaced him with a new landscaper and then immediately started b!tching when the grass didn't grow back fast enough.