So I was thinking this morning about what has changed since Obama took office. How it has affected my life, etc.

So tell me, what has changed around you and for you since Obama took office.

Am I better or worse off since 01/2009? Pretty much the same.
Obama's fault? meh.

Local area better or worse? Worse and in a death spiral.
Obama's fault? No, but he hasn't done anything to help it either.

State better or worse? See Local area to the 4th or 5th power.
Obama's fault? Nah. Liberal policies gone horribly awry, but not directly Obama's fault.

USA better or worse? Worse!
Obama's fault? He has accelerated the problems that we had coming out of the Bush era. Race relations seem to be getting worse. Politics are more partisan than ever. National debt is out of control.

World better or worse? Worse!
Obama's fault? Things have really taken a turn for the worse in the middle east. Obama supported regime change that is not going to go well for the US's interest in Libya or Egypt. Euorope is in a financial pickle, but that is not Obama's fault.

Obama's accomplishments? The only legislative thing that I can think of right off hand is Obamacare, and I think it is going to ruin the healthcare system in the US. He did get OBL which was one of Bush's biggest failures (that and Iraq)!

What are your thoughts?

I don't think I'm better off than I was 4 years ago. But Obama came in promising to fix everything so being relatively the same as I was 4 years ago means that 4 years went by with no progress what so ever. Over the long run, he increased our debt which means my great grand kids are already in the hole.

[quote='GrayBeard' pid='7917059' dateline='1337629361']
So I was thinking this morning about what has changed since Obama took office. How it has affected my life, etc.

So tell me, what has changed around you and for you since Obama took office.

Am I better or worse off since 01/2009? Worse off. My family's businesses are struggling. Farming has always been and up and down business so I can't blame that on Obama. The trucking side of the business is in the can. Part of that deals in that we specialize in high end powerboat transportation and boat sales are way off, about 50% of 2006-2007 levels. People made the choice between the mortgage and the boat, and I can't blame them for choosing the mortgage. As Wall St suffered so did my business, literally. A majority of my work was in the Hampton Bays area of Long Island.
Obama's fault? Yes and no. His left-wing ideological ideals probably prevented a quick economic recovery, yet theres no way to know. Too much money wasted on 'green energy' and such. I had always been taught that you invest in new technologies when times are good and fall back on tried and true measures when times are bad. The attacks on Wall St have definately had a direct impact on many of my clients though.

Local area better or worse? Worse and in a death spiral.Agreed. Greenville is in the shitter. Crime is outrageous, housing is dead, andeconomic growth has to be near zero as well.
Obama's fault? A product of a poor economy and being in a relatively poor area. Hard times are harder here, especially on the most poor who often become the most desparate.

State better or worse? A wash.
Obama's fault? Our own democratic Gov is more responsible in my opinion. Thankfully she knew enough to throw in the towel.


USA better or worse? Worse!
Obama's fault? Yes. Leftest policies and an undeniable attempt to turn the US into some quasi-socialist European state have set the US back 30 years. Capitalism is on the ropes because Obama has declared it the enemy with almost every domestic policy initative he has pushed. US image in the can as Obama bows and apologizes, returns gifts of state, and gives traditional allies the cold shoulder.
World better or worse? Worse!
Obama's fault? Yes. Arab Spring will cause trouble in the middle east for decades, and Obama actively encouraged it. Govts that while once fairly neutral have taken a advisarial stance to the US and peace policies.

Obama's accomplishments? Good ones for the US? ABSOLUTELY NONE. For his own goals... Many.
What are your thoughts?

Hopefully the country will still be in bad enough shape come November that he can't pull out a win by appealing to another group of young college kids in spite of a terrible record. Hopefully come November his Chicago-style politics won't have discouraged anyone from standing up to him for fear of having their life and the lives of their families ruined with smear campaigns.
What happens if you put a frog into a pot of boiling water? He jumps out. What happens if you put him in a pot of water and gradually increase the temperature? He boils... Right now the US is slowly boiling. Four more years of Obama and his policies will do unimaginable damage to the US ecomony, medical system, and sphere of influence in the world.

you guys are funny

EDIT: Though I'll give credit to Greybeard that while I don't agree with his opinions regarding Obamas policy (fail to see how it would ruin the already ruined HC system), he didn't unfairly blame Obama for aspects of his life that really can't be attributed to him.

(05-21-2012 03:57 PM)UCF08 Wrote:  you guys are funny

EDIT: Though I'll give credit to Greybeard that while I don't agree with his opinions regarding Obamas policy (fail to see how it would ruin the already ruined HC system), he didn't unfairly blame Obama for aspects of his life that really can't be attributed to him.

"If we couldn't laugh, we would all go insane." JB

Personally better off? Yes. Wife now has a job which allowed us to catch up on things and actually save some money.

Local area better? Can't really say...only lived in my new city for almost year. I do see many places hiring though.

State better? Yes. Michigan has rebounded. Unemployment is down and the state now has a surplus. Auto recovery has a lot to do with this and Obama likely gets some of that credit...not sure how much though.

USA Better? Probably not on the whole since Obama took office, but I would say it is since we hit bottom at the start of his presidency when we were still losing millions of jobs a month.

World Better? Financially I would say no, but I would say it is on the terror end. And no, we are not seen as the pariah we were when W was in charge. You guys are just flat out wrong on that.

I see a lot of blame from you guys on Obama policies but very few specifics on what policies are so bad and what they are actually doing poorly.

I'm also curious as to how much blame you place onto congress, if any, for all these policies, etc.

And don't you guys have to give him credit for extending the Bush tax cuts? Or are you guys against those?

(05-21-2012 03:57 PM)UCF08 Wrote:  you guys are funny

EDIT: Though I'll give credit to Greybeard that while I don't agree with his opinions regarding Obamas policy (fail to see how it would ruin the already ruined HC system), he didn't unfairly blame Obama for aspects of his life that really can't be attributed to him.

Feel free to give your answers.

(05-21-2012 04:09 PM)Redwingtom Wrote:  I see a lot of blame from you guys on Obama policies but very few specifics on what policies are so bad and what they are actually doing poorly.

First and foremost Obamacare. The US healthcare system wasn't perfect, but it is generally considered the best overall healtcare in the world. Costs may be high, but advances in technology and procedures draw patients from all over the world.
Stimulus was pushed through with the promise of "shovel-ready jobs." Wasn't it just this past State of the Union address that Obama himself sheepishly admitted there was "no such thing as shovel ready jobs"?
Green energy loans (mostly part of the stimulus I think) have yeilded embarassingly low returns. Bankrupt firms, firms moving overseas, firms receiving loans that never intended to produce a product or employee people in the US (Fisker Karma car) far outweigh the economic and enviromental benefits so far. Combine that with the notion that gasoline should reach the same levels as in Europe (Obama energy chief Chu), and "energy prices will necessarily skyrocket" (Obama himself), and its pretty easy to see that Obama has no regard to the financial burden that his energy policies will put on the American public. Not to mention shooting down the Keystone pipeline a month before the deadline on the premise he didn't have enough time to make an educated decision. Lets say no to Canada selling us oil and instead let OPEC dictate the price and continue buying from people who have essentially sworn to destroy the US.
Foreign policy. Weak on Iran, doesn't speak up initially when people are being brutally punished for protesting, yet actively encourages revolt in Egypt. While Mubarak wasn't exactly a good guy, for the most part Egypt was a fairly stable country in a very unstable region. Now the Muslim Brotherhood is on the verge of taking control. Stated Isreal should go back to the pre '67 borders that are virtually indefensable.
Shuns long-term allies. Skips out on planned dinners, returns gifts of state.
Weak on Pakistan after discovering Bin Laden living within 500 yards of a Pakistani military instillation.

(05-21-2012 04:09 PM)Redwingtom Wrote:  I'm also curious as to how much blame you place onto congress, if any, for all these policies, etc.

Congress deserves a fair share of blame as well. The president is supposed to find a way to work with both sides, yet Obama hardly reaches out to Congress at all. Republicans and Democrats alike are too hard headed and stubborn. The Tea Party is doing exactly what they were elected by the constituents to do, put their foot down. It's not the most beneficial way to go about business, but I think it has slowed some of the damage that could have been done without them. The Speaker isn't able to bring both sides together, and both parties seem to be willing to shuffle their feet until the election and see how things pan out. Personally, I'd rather them do nothing then continue to pass bad legislation.

(05-21-2012 04:09 PM)Redwingtom Wrote:  And don't you guys have to give him credit for extending the Bush tax cuts? Or are you guys against those?

His hands were tied by the dire economic conditions. I seriously doubt that had the nation recovered faster, or the recession had been less severe, that Obama would have extended them. I'm more interested to see what happens at the end of this year. Congress is fully aware of what happens if they expired cuts aren't renewed and the American public is woefully unaware.

Am I better or worse off since 01/2009? Worse! Obama gives me heartburn every damn day!
Obama's fault? Hell yeah!

Local area better or worse? Worse. Nobody is buying any homes in my neighborhood.
Obama's fault? Obama ain't selling any homes so YES.

State better or worse? State has gone to crap.
Obama's fault? Probably.

USA better or worse? Worse!
Obama's fault? Yes.


World better or worse? Worse!
Obama's fault? We are the laughing stock of the world!

Obama's accomplishments? Bringing Muslim socialism to America and giving me heartburn.

I'm doing a hell of a lot better than I was 3.5 years ago. As the economy improves, so does my situation. As it gets worse, so does my situation. 2000-2008 were tough years. It's gotten much better since then.

Local area: Better. Mostly due to a change in Mayor.

State: Worse. Republicans are trying to push an agenda so far to the right that it would make Reagan look like a flaming liberal.

USA: Better. The economy is improving. Our status in the world is improving. The only ones bitching are Republicans and idiots who bought FB stock.

I'm doing better than I was in 2009. That was a tough year.

I own my business. In 2009, I had 2 employees. Today, I had 6.5.
The business is on pace to make 3x what it made in 2009.

My local area is better. Unemployment was 12.5% in 2009. Now it is 8.2% locally. The next county over has an unemployment rate of 6.3%. Housing took a big hit in my area. It's stabilizing.

My state is getting better: we had huge drop in the value of housing and an oil spill. I think overall the state is better but some areas are still doing poorly.

Some parts of the nation are doing better and others are the same. I don't think it's worse anywhere.
We are out of Iraq. That's all I wanted out of Obama.


The world's economy is worse but I think they are lagging behind what we just went through.

Obama got dealt a tough hand. His government has been competent and he is trying to make much needed major changes. I don't want another bubble to get us out of this. If it takes a little longer to make things better for an economy that isn't about bubbles and gimmicky policies, then I think it's worth it. For me being out of Iraq, getting OBL and stabilizing the economy was all that I cared about.

I got a raise last month, but I still have a crappy job.

Not Obama's fault that I got a raise, but I believe his policies (alone with Congress' ineptitude) have made it difficult for me to find a quality position since the common entry level positions are filled with more experienced people taking less $. It'll turn around though, despite Obama and Congress. I have faith in that.

Am I better or worse off since 01/2009? Personally speaking, I'm better off. Monetarily speaking, I'm far worse but that's not really an accurate indicator as a year ago I chose to quit my relatively well-paying big boy job to go back to school to do something I was really passionate about. As for school, Obama has actually made my process significantly more difficult as there have been changes to the ability to get federal student loans, along with a rise in their rates, that have affected my path to grad school + career. Still, our system as a whole is helpful and allowed me the ability to do this, so I can live with it.

Obama's fault? Again, I'm an awful indicator in this because of how much has changed personally in my life since 2009, all of which is unrelated to the president entirely.

One recommendation though, why not structure student loans in a manner in which rates can differ depending on a students projecting major/career? We should provide incentives towards those schools which we need or are projecting to need in the future, make them as attractive as possible. I just find it odd that an Biomedical Sciences major like me will likely have the same interest rate on their student loans as an art history or communications major, but that's not really pertinent to this thread.

Local area better or worse? About the same really, at least it seems to me. The unemployment numbers are probably slightly better and they've been going down fairly steadily, so I'd say as a whole the community is about as well off as we were in 2009 when people were starting to get laid off en masse and it looked like the sky was falling. Home prices have seemed to stabilize, and from 3-4 friends who have recently bought homes, they aren't staying on the market long unless they're in the wrong areas so that's a good sign on two fronts (there is money to loan, and people are confident enough to buy again).

Obama's fault? I don't really think any of it can be faulted on Obama, but I don't give him a large amount of credit either. Brazil + England both kept the tourist areas of our city thriving, which was a function of our dropping currency, but I will say that I think our real estate situation could have been much, *MUCH* worse, and that would have devastated our economy even more than we were. I guess I'll give Obama a little credit for that, but I think he did what any president in the office at the time would have done honestly.

State better or worse? About the same as above, though our last gubernatorial elections was the most depressing choice I've ever had the displeasure of making.

Obama's fault? Well, our awful governor was elected IMO partly as a backlash by tea partiers so partly, I suppose. Either way, I think in most regards to anything that had a significant affect on the state, he simply did the same things that any other president would have done so...eh


USA Better? No, but we seem to be heading back that way.

Obama's fault? Not his fault, but I will say he does get a little credit here. Not too much though, again it comes down to him just doing what any president would have done. He didn't impress me with the amount he chose to bend over to those who had no interest in him succeeding though.

World Better? Eh, hard to answer that honestly. I don't think it's significant either way.

Obama's fault? I think our image, at least for the time being, is still significantly improved from him being president. Right or wrong, after our international relations with Bush took the hit that they did, electing someone who looked like Obama helped us. I'm personally not that impressed with what he's done though, I do like him making a move to get out of iraq but he took so long to do it that he loses a lot of points for me.

Worse.

Getting on an airplane is now only allowed with the permission of the Federal government.

Government thugs are seizing wood and guitars at gunpoint from musicians and manufacturers.

People are being fined hundreds of thousands of dollars for putting songs on the Internet.

Amish farmers are being harassed for selling milk.

Property owners across the nation are having their property essentially confiscated because they are "wetlands".

The federal government is being sued by the Catholic Church. The reason doesn't matter. The mere fact that is happening says it all.

The Patriot Act.

Scores of Chrysler dealers have their franchises revoked with no compensation by government puppets.

I am worse off because my FREEDOM is under attack from all sides. I have high hopes for this election. It will mark a turning point on way or another.

Relative to McCain? Push.
Relative to Barr? Worse.
Relative to Paul? Disastrously worse.

30% less income
reduction of civil liberties
housing value reduction
higher costs of goods due to inflation and fuel costs
family members still in the ME in war zone

Not all is Obama fault...but I see him doing very little to turn any of this around. I give him a D at best as grade.

I am worse off, and so are you, because our FREEDOM is being attacked by our government.

Just watching conservatives go bat$hit crazy the last 3.5 years - priceless

Americans are nearly twice as likely to say they've gotten worse off as better off under Barack Obama's presidency.

Only 16 percent of Americans in the latest ABC News/Washington Post poll say their financial situation has improved since Obama took office, while 30 percent say they're worse off. It's one reason the public disapproves of the president's handling of the economy by 55-42 percent.

ABC News/Washington Post poll pdf

(05-22-2012 07:07 AM)TOGC Wrote:  Just watching conservatives go bat$hit crazy the last 3.5 years - priceless

Nobody is going "bat$**** crazy". Conservatives are generally working hard, smarter, cutting back on unnecessary spending, and putting off having children and retiring due to tough economic times and aren't happy about it. Change comes in November.