Obama Gets a Pass - What if Bush had done that?

[Coburn In 2012]

Josh Gerstein – Tue Oct 27, 6:02 am ET

A four-hour stop in New Orleans, on his way to a $3 million fundraiser.
Snubbing the Dalai Lama.

Signing off on a secret deal with drug makers.

Freezing out a TV network.

Doing more fundraisers than the last president. More golf, too.

President Barack Obama has done all of those things — and more.
What’s remarkable is what hasn’t happened. These episodes haven’t become metaphors for Obama’s personal and political character — or consuming controversies that sidetracked the rest of his agenda.
It’s a sign that the media’s echo chamber can be a funny thing, prone to the vagaries of news judgment, and an illustration that, in politics, context is everything.

Conservatives look on with a mix of indignation and amazement and ask: Imagine the fuss if George W. Bush had done these things?

And quickly add, with a hint of jealousy: How does Obama get away with it?

AH YES...THERE IS THE CHANGE WE CAN BELEIVE IN!!!!!!!!!

And how does he get away with it?  Gee I dont know.  Maybe because if any one critizes him they are labelled a racist or a white supremicist.  Which is ironic because if any one is racist it is obama and his pastor.

[Vepres]

Umm, Obama didn't take a month long vacation where he ignored a memo titled "Bin Laden determined to strike in US", with said vacation followed by a massive terrorist attack, which was then followed by a 91% approval rating. This thread is truly an epic fail.

Just like Obama's ignoring warnings about the deficit!:D

[Landslide Lyndon]

Umm, Obama didn't take a month long vacation where he ignored a memo titled "Bin Laden determined to strike in US", with said vacation followed by a massive terrorist attack, which was then followed by a 91% approval rating. This thread is truly an epic fail.

Just like Obama's ignoring warnings about the deficit!:D

I thought that Reagan proved that deficits don't matter.

[Psychic Octopus]

FYI, the post I made wasn't my opinion...

[Vepres]

Umm, Obama didn't take a month long vacation where he ignored a memo titled "Bin Laden determined to strike in US", with said vacation followed by a massive terrorist attack, which was then followed by a 91% approval rating. This thread is truly an epic fail.

Just like Obama's ignoring warnings about the deficit!

I thought that Reagan proved that deficits don't matter.

Reagan's domestic policies left a lot to be desired. His tax cuts were good, as was his foreign policy, but the deficits were a big negative, which is why he is not one of the "great" Presidents in my mind. I have no idealized image of Reagan, though he was better than most other politicians of the time.

I have a green avatar for a reason, I am open-minded (or try to be).

[Хahar 🤔]

Umm, Obama didn't take a month long vacation where he ignored a memo titled "Bin Laden determined to strike in US", with said vacation followed by a massive terrorist attack, which was then followed by a 91% approval rating. This thread is truly an epic fail.

Just like Obama's ignoring warnings about the deficit!

I thought that Reagan proved that deficits don't matter.

Reagan's domestic policies left a lot to be desired. His tax cuts were good, as was his foreign policy, but the deficits were a big negative, which is why he is not one of the "great" Presidents in my mind. I have no idealized image of Reagan, though he was better than most other politicians of the time.

I have a green avatar for a reason, I am open-minded (or try to be).

The deficits were a result of the tax cuts.

You can't have your cake and eat it too.

[paul718]

Umm, Obama didn't take a month long vacation where he ignored a memo titled "Bin Laden determined to strike in US", with said vacation followed by a massive terrorist attack, which was then followed by a 91% approval rating. This thread is truly an epic fail.

Just like Obama's ignoring warnings about the deficit!

I thought that Reagan proved that deficits don't matter.

Reagan's domestic policies left a lot to be desired. His tax cuts were good, as was his foreign policy, but the deficits were a big negative, which is why he is not one of the "great" Presidents in my mind. I have no idealized image of Reagan, though he was better than most other politicians of the time.

I have a green avatar for a reason, I am open-minded (or try to be).

The deficits were a result of the tax cuts.

You can't have your cake and eat it too.

Federal revenues increased after Reagan's tax cuts. 

[Jacobtm]

What if terrorist attacks occured on American soil on Obama's watch?
What if Obama started 2 wars that were to each last longer than US involvement in WWII?
What if Obama made nearly the whole world hate us, to the point that maniacs like Huge Chavez seemed like "good guys"?

Far from the disaster that Bush was.

[Landslide Lyndon]

Umm, Obama didn't take a month long vacation where he ignored a memo titled "Bin Laden determined to strike in US", with said vacation followed by a massive terrorist attack, which was then followed by a 91% approval rating. This thread is truly an epic fail.

Just like Obama's ignoring warnings about the deficit!

I thought that Reagan proved that deficits don't matter.

Reagan's domestic policies left a lot to be desired. His tax cuts were good, as was his foreign policy, but the deficits were a big negative, which is why he is not one of the "great" Presidents in my mind. I have no idealized image of Reagan, though he was better than most other politicians of the time.

I have a green avatar for a reason, I am open-minded (or try to be).

The deficits were a result of the tax cuts.

You can't have your cake and eat it too.

Federal revenues increased after Reagan's tax cuts. 

Yes, because the Democratic congress forced him to raise taxes.

[War on Want]

I will never understand the obsession some people have with the deficit. Going by historical and international standards our debt really is not at terrible levels yet. 76.5% of our GDP is debt. Yeah that's bad but losing your sh**t over that figure is stupid considering that the federal debt hit 109% of our GDP after World War 2. European countries have racked up even larger amounts of debt. Britain had over 200% of their GDP as debt right after World War 2 and no financial crisis occured. After World War 2 Britain started implementing their universal healthcare system and had strong years of growth.

The last time a country collapsed because of debt was in the early 1700's(The Netherlands). I don't think America has anything to worry about.

[paul718]

I will never understand the obsession some people have with the deficit. Going by historical and international standards our debt really is not at terrible levels yet. 76.5% of our GDP is debt. Yeah that's bad but losing your sh**t over that figure is stupid considering that the federal debt hit 109% of our GDP after World War 2. European countries have racked up even larger amounts of debt. Britain had over 200% of their GDP as debt right after World War 2 and no financial crisis occured. After World War 2 Britain started implementing their universal healthcare system and had strong years of growth.

The last time a country collapsed because of debt was in the early 1700's(The Netherlands). I don't think America has anything to worry about.

debt --> taxes

People are scared of higher taxes, rather than the deficit itself.

[Beet]

If the economy grows, then a larger debt can be paid off even without increasing tax rates. If the economy shrinks, then even a fixed level of debt that seems low at first can become crippling and painful.

So the important thing is that the money to spent towards investments that will help the United States economy in the long run. Can we look back in 25 to 30 years and say 'I'm glad we spent money on that'? Infrastructure, science, and education improvements all come to mind. Simply encouraging more consumer spending is not the answer.