The Obama administration does have a case to make on whether Americans are better off than 4 years ago. But that isn't the real question is: "Would you be better off with 4 more years of slow progress we've made, or would you be better off with 4 years of Romney/Ryan."
Most of Obama's 2008 campaign promises were based on the world as it was in 2007 and 2008. The entire World Economy changed with the Bush Economic Meltdown, so that objectives that were reasonable for either party in 2007 were totally unrealistic once the US Economy went off the cliff.
Jobs and unemployment are major issues, and should be for both parties. Consider the FACT that Obama added more 'private sector jobs' (non govt jobs) in his 3 1/2 years than GWB did in his entire 8 years as president, you could make the case that Obama has on that standard, out-preformed the Republicans who operated in a relatively good economy.
The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness. John Kenneth Galbraith
"Arguing with liberals is like playing chess with a pigeon; no matter how good I am at chess, the pigeon is just going to knock out the pieces, crap on the board, and strut around like it is victorious." - Author Unknown
Most of Obama's 2008 campaign promises were based on the world as it was in 2007 and 2008. The entire World Economy changed with the Bush Economic Meltdown, so that objectives that were reasonable for either party in 2007 were totally unrealistic once the US Economy went off the cliff.
Here we go, hedging bets. The stock market crashed a month before the election. Obama had plenty of time revise things, but he didn't, because it would have cost him votes. Part of being a good leader is acting, not reacting. Being able to to base your promises while taking in future possibilities is what I am looking for...otherwise, it's nothing more than promises for an election.
"Arguing with liberals is like playing chess with a pigeon; no matter how good I am at chess, the pigeon is just going to knock out the pieces, crap on the board, and strut around like it is victorious." - Author Unknown
The number Castro cites is an accurate description of the growth of private-sector jobs since January 2010, when the long, steep slide in employment finally hit bottom. But while a total of 4.5 million jobs sounds great, it's not the whole picture. Watch full speech of Julian Castro
Nonfarm private payrolls hit a post-recession low of 106.8 million that month, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The figure currently stands at 111.3 million as of July.
While that is indeed a gain of 4.5 million, it's only a net gain of 300,000 over the course of the Obama administration to date. The private jobs figure stood at 111 million in January 2009, the month Obama took office.
And total nonfarm payrolls, including government workers, are down from 133.6 million workers at the beginning of 2009 to 133.2 million in July 2012. There's been a net loss of nearly 1 million public-sector jobs since Obama took office, despite a surge in temporary hiring for the 2010 census.
Meanwhile, the jobs that have come back aren't the same ones that were lost.
According to a study released last week by the liberal-leaning National Employment Law Project, low-wage fields such as retail sales and food service are adding jobs nearly three times as fast as higher-paid occupations.
Conclusion:
The figure of 4.5 million jobs is accurate if you look at the most favorable period and category for the administration. But overall, there are still fewer people working now than when Obama took office at the height of the recession.
I'd vote for anyone who has real business experience over a person who has never even run a lemonade stand anyday.
I guess it depends on what you consider "real business experience". Jack Welch was a very successful businessman... he cut GE jobs by 1/3 and most went to Mexico or overseas. Kind of like Romney's business experience... good for profit... bad for America.
BTW, Romney has never held a CEO position, unless you consider Bain, which was a business eliminator, not a business that actually produced a thing other than profit.
The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness. John Kenneth Galbraith
"Obama is referring to the increase in private-sector jobs from February 2010 to May 2012. He uses February 2010 as the starting point, because that was the low point for private employment at 106,773,000 jobs. It’s been going up ever since. Right now, it’s at 111,040,000 — an increase of 4,267,000 jobs, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. So, the president is correct about the number of jobs created in the last 27 months."
So Obama did exactly what the Right has been promoting... he's (or states) have cut BIG GOVT jobs, and increased Private Sector Jobs. Isn't that exactly what the GOP has been advertising that they want to do? Obama cut BIG GOVT and increase Private Sector Jobs.
The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness. John Kenneth Galbraith
Nonfarm private payrolls hit a post-recession low of 106.8 million that month, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The figure currently stands at 111.3 million as of July.
While that is indeed a gain of 4.5 million, it's only a net gain of 300,000 over the course of the Obama administration to date. The private jobs figure stood at 111 million in January 2009, the month Obama took office.
And total nonfarm payrolls, including government workers, are down from 133.6 million workers at the beginning of 2009 to 133.2 million in July 2012. There's been a net loss of nearly 1 million public-sector jobs since Obama took office, despite a surge in temporary hiring for the 2010 census.
Meanwhile, the jobs that have come back aren't the same ones that were lost.
1.an emperor or king. 2.( often initial capital letter ) the former emperor of Russia. 3.an autocratic ruler or leader.
More than nine decades after czarist rule ended with the deaths of Nicholas II and his family, it is experiencing a rebirth under this president -- in America, not Russia.
Since taking office three years ago, the president has appointed a veritable army of czars -- between 38 and 45. Knowing precisely how many is a problem because such appointees are not being held accountable or made available to Congress despite leading major policy initiatives for the Administration.
Even if the lowest figure is used, that means this Administration has more czars than Imperial Russia had in its entire history. In other words, Abraham Lincoln's "government of the people, by the people, for the people" has given way to government by unelected bureaucrats who are often unaccountable to no one except the president.
Ironically, this is precisely what the president vowed he would put a stop to during his campaign.
"The biggest problems that we're facing right now have to do with George Bush trying to bring more and more power into the executive branch and not through Congress at all. And that's what I intend to reverse when I'm president of the United States," then-Sen. Barack Obama said in March 2008.
But in 2012, under this Administration, czars are proliferating like weeds. For example, we now have a Mideast policy czar, a Mideast peace czar, as well as Sudan, Afghanistan and Pakistan czars. There's also the terrorism czar and a WMD czar. On matters domestic, we have the Great Lakes czar, Asian carp czar and stimulus accountability czar. And we must not forget the diversity czar, energy czar, technology czar and urban affairs czar -- all of whom have crossed paths as well as swords on occasion -- just to name a few.
As duplicative, contentious and convoluted as that is, it is could get even worse. The reason is because there are even more czars in the planning stages: income redistribution czar, Internet czar, voter list czar, disinformation czar, behavioral czar, zoning czar and on and on, ad nauseam.
"Michelle Obama's DNC Speech Written at 7 Grade Levels Above Ann Romney's"
"The First Lady's speech Tuesday was written at a 12th grade level - the highest in history among the wives of presidential nominees and far above Ann Romney's lowest mark of a 5th grade level"
University of Minnesota/Humphrey School of Public Affairs
The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness. John Kenneth Galbraith
"Michelle Obama's DNC Speech Written at 7 Grade Levels Above Ann Romney's"
"The First Lady's speech Tuesday was written at a 12th grade level - the highest in history among the wives of presidential nominees and far above Ann Romney's lowest mark of a 5th grade level"
University of Minnesota/Humphrey School of Public Affairs
An opinion piece coming from liberal Academia in a liberal state... what a surprise! I didn't realize speaking from the heart required a literary review... Did Michelle write it? She did deliver it well, all the taxpayer funded education paid off, I guess. If it's possible for someone who "struggled" to attend both Princeton and Harvard, then our educational system can't be too bad.
"Arguing with liberals is like playing chess with a pigeon; no matter how good I am at chess, the pigeon is just going to knock out the pieces, crap on the board, and strut around like it is victorious." - Author Unknown
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness. John Kenneth Galbraith
Logged
