The Checklist.
Steve Benen analyzes the possible political fall out from VBL Day:
What I’m imagining is Obama and his supporters offering voters a list of accomplishments from his first term, and it’s going to be a doozy: ended the Great Recession, health care reform, Wall Street reform student loan reform, “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” repeal, New START, the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, the biggest overhaul of our food-safety laws in 70 years, new regulation of the credit card industry, new regulation of the tobacco industry, a national service bill, expanded stem-cell research, the Hate Crimes Prevention Act, net neutrality, the most sweeping land-protection act in 15 years, health care for 9/11 rescue workers, and the confirmation of two Supreme Court justices.
Oh, and he killed Osama bin Laden.
That is a healthy list that people on the progressive side on the aisle need to brush up on once and a while, too.
Most importantly, no upper income individuals’ taxes were raised to pay for any of this.
It is difficult to put health care in the accomplishment column. An individual mandate with no public option and no serious cost control requires a big slug of kool-aid to list as an accomplishment. Plus it most likely cost us the House and thus HCR will be responsible for whatever compromises we give away to Republicans for the rest of the term.
But you are correct. the list will play well with swing voters. The rest of us will be taken for granted.
There is a big hole in your logic DD. Voting is an emotional, not an intellectual exercise. If elections were won and lost based on competence and accomplishments, no Republican could ever win an election.
True.
Obama is living proof that competence and accomplishments have little bearing on the ability to win an election. Regardless of whether (you) love him or (I) hate him, he certainly didn’t bring much more than a winning smile to the table when he ran. 100% emotionally-driven voter turnout.
Most of those accomplishments are not something to brag about. It shows how out of touch you are. He extended the downturn, forced through an unconstitutional health care boondoggle, undermined the order and discipline of the military with a radical social agenda during time of war, pushed through anti-business regulations then wonders why unemployment is stuck sky high, abandoned what started as a sensible energy policy for insane price hikeing strategies, undermined our dollar, and he abandoned his pledge to defend traditional marriage. He has blown the debt out of control and is seen unfavorably by the majority of the electorate.
I think he deserves some credit though. He turned around Afganistan. Kept Gitmo. Got Bin Laden. He restored confidence and ended the recession by agreeing with Republicans to extend the Bush tax cuts. Like all Presidents, he does good and bad. Next year the electorate will decide which side of the ledger has the greatest value.
Ended the great recession? Umm….. I know it’s not an “official recession”, but the unemployment rate is still 8.8%. When Obama entered office in January 2009, it was 7.8%. In fact, the unemployment rate for every month of his presidency was higher than the maximum unemployment rate during the Bush presidency.
And frankly Republican David, Obama did not “turn around Afghanistan”, because hundreds of American soldiers died there and there is still no viable government and Obama should get electorally punished for keeping Gitmo.
Net neutrality? Did I miss something?
I’ll give him the 2 supremes for sure, almost solely based on what the other side could have given us. But, I’m still waiting to see what kind of fruit this bears a few years from now.
I’ll also give him the FDA stuff and the Tobacco stuff. Obvious wins, but wins none the less.
Credit Card regulation? That’s funny…
Did he really end the great recession? I can’t believe I’m saying this but he and Bush did right? Aren’t like a million more homes going to be foreclosed? Like the rest of them, haven’t the numbers been massaged pretty badly?
health care reform? I’m no Well Point CEO so, I’m wondering and waiting to see where/how this actually helps anyone. Including the Debt we are supposedly worried about. All it was to me was a back door voucher system that the health care companies reap the benefits of.
Isn’t it sad when the seemingly “no brainers” are being attributed to great successes?
Still not voting for Obama. Emotion aside, this country is still fucked and controlled by the same people it was prior to OBL being dumped in the sea.
Don’t forget the Auto Industry rescue (which I didn’t support, but then then Chrysler is planning to start their paybacks), the Data.gov initiative (which may go away due to funding cuts)and troops on track to leave Iraq at the end of this year (combat operations are done and those troops withdrawn).
Because DL (and others) knows that everything stops on a dime and resumes its proper course the exact very moment a new POTUS is sworn in.
Some people’s lack of understanding of economic dynamics is amusing.
“Did he really end the great recession?” It is factual to say that he stopped the Bush recession from becoming a full scale depression replete with global economic meltdown.
The problem is, though factual, most idiot voters would not be able to follow the logic.
Because DL (and others) knows that everything stops on a dime and resumes its proper course the exact very moment a new POTUS is sworn in.
Some people’s lack of understanding of economic dynamics is amusing.
Some things do turn on a dime. Clinton and GWB both passed their economic plans at the beginning of their presidencies.
DE Libertarian’s point was, obviously, that Obama’s to blame for the high unemployment rate and that any effect Bu$hCo had miraculously ended on that day in January 2009.
Wonder what the U-rate would’ve been if McCain won?
Obama got his economic plan passed in his first term too — his needed to provide support to a badly cratering economy.
Actually Von Cracker,
I was not expecting everything to stop on a dime and reverse it’s course in 2009, but it’s already been two and a half years. Plus, Obama’s own advisors only predicted that unemployment would rise to only 8%, max, after we passed the “stimulus” bill: http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1910208,00.html
And was that the bill he wanted or was it stripped immensely by the right?
Actual economists said the stimulus should have been larger. But something’s better than nuttin and I guess we’ll never know.
well, we kinda do know, we are living it
It shows how out of touch you are. He extended the downturn, forced through an unconstitutional health care boondoggle,
coming from the guy that stands up and quotes the bible in the Delaware State Capital I don’t see how you are qualified to say anyone is out of touch
Do know what it would’ve been like if the original amount was given for the stimulus, DV?
That’s what I meant. Didn’t mean to confuse….
right, that’s what I mean too, if we had gotten what we needed I don’t feel we would be where we are at right now. I’m with you man bro
Werd
any effect Bu$hCo had miraculously ended on that day in January 2009.
Except for killing bin Laden, right wingnuts?
Not a shabby resume at all, but when unemployment is officially at 9% (higher, including the people who are now classified as chronically unemployed) the public will be reluctant to buy the idea that he ended the great recession. (And so will I.)
“Comment by Republican David on 2 May 2011 at 2:40 pm:
Most of those accomplishments are not something to brag about. It shows how out of touch you are”
this from the clown that supported COD and Urquhart in 2010? Oh, that’s rich.
I suppose Donald Trump, Michelle Bachmann and Paul Ryan are IN TOUCH? with the American people? David -ummm not if the recent Town Halls are any measure
or the recent election of Seigler and Lavelle to the DEGOP either – Bodenweiser’s sussex possee of Ayotte and nut job Protack – are they in touch David
Republican David, I’m really curious about this: forced through an unconstitutional health care boondoggle,
On what basis do you believe healthcare reform is unconstitutional?
Oh Lord PLEASE hereagain, do not get that idiot started on the commerce clause………… 😉
PLEASE, I cannot stand it!