Are you better off than 4 years ago

[Clinton 2016]

(:

[fezzyfestoon]

Objectively, no effing way. Subjectively, absolutely.

[argentarius]

Yes from Ireland, although I'm definitely in the minority for that question.

[I Can't Get That Sound You Make, Out Of My Head]

Don't know financially (I don't think I'm worse off though), but I'm in a better state of mind.

[IDS Legislator Alfred F. Jones]

Sure. I mean, I've met you guys, and that's definitely a good thing.

[Old Europe]

As a matter of fact, I am.

[Formerly Californian Tony]

Yes, for reasons that have nothing to do with politics.

[cope1989]

It's a different situation for everyone, and millions of Americans are still out of work- I know many of them.

But for me as a college student, it's different. Neither of my parents lost their jobs during the recession (my dad runs his own law practice and my mom is a special ed teacher) so I can't really go by that.

I can only go by my mindset. In January 2009, I was worried. We were losing hundreds of thousands of jobs every month and it seems like we were always hitting a new low, basically the bottom fell out. People were talking about 10-15-20 percent unemployment. I was afraid that our household income would dry up and I'd have to drop out of college, and my parents weren't really easing my fears, because they didn't know what was going to happen either.

For me, things are so much better. We still have high unemployment, but it appears that things are moving in the right direction. The unemployment rate has steadily fallen in the past few months, and we're now adding hundreds of thousands of jobs each month. I feel like the worst has long since passed us and things are looking better every day. And as someone who is about to graduate, this is welcome news.

This is just my perspective, polls show that most Americans still think our country is on the wrong track, but I think in the end we're better off than we were four years ago.

[OC]

No but for obama we averted a depression and we are growing jobs otherwise.

[Frodo]

Considering four years ago we were in the midst of an economic free-fall that threatened to turn into our Second Great Depression, yes, we are very much better off than we were four years ago by miles.  There is plenty of room for improvement, for sure, but I would rather be where we are now than where we were then.  

[Pacific Councillor Big Wiggly Style]

Politically speaking? No.
Psychologically speaking? Yes.

[Frodo]

Politically speaking? No.
Psychologically speaking? Yes.

What do you mean, exactly?

[Minnesota Mike]

Myself personally much better off. My 401K is about double what it was 4 years ago (well 3 1/2 years ago anyway). My House may be worth less but in my rural area the housing bubble never rose as high so it did not have as far to come down. I was able to refinance at record low interest rates. Inflation is virtually non existent. We ended one war and are drawing down forces in another. I don't have to worry about not having access to health care insurance if I were to lose my job. Things for me are far from perfect but they are much better than they were 4 years ago.

[Pacific Councillor Big Wiggly Style]

Politically speaking? No.
Psychologically speaking? Yes.

What do you mean, exactly?

When I say politically speaking, I mean my confidence in the Government to do good is lower now than it was 4 years ago.

When I say psychologically speaking, I'm in a better state of mind now than I was 4 years ago.

[Cobbler]

It's a different situation for everyone, and millions of Americans are still out of work- I know many of them.

But for me as a college student, it's different. Neither of my parents lost their jobs during the recession (my dad runs his own law practice and my mom is a special ed teacher) so I can't really go by that.

I can only go by my mindset. In January 2009, I was worried. We were losing hundreds of thousands of jobs every month and it seems like we were always hitting a new low, basically the bottom fell out. People were talking about 10-15-20 percent unemployment. I was afraid that our household income would dry up and I'd have to drop out of college, and my parents weren't really easing my fears, because they didn't know what was going to happen either.

For me, things are so much better. We still have high unemployment, but it appears that things are moving in the right direction. The unemployment rate has steadily fallen in the past few months, and we're now adding hundreds of thousands of jobs each month. I feel like the worst has long since passed us and things are looking better every day. And as someone who is about to graduate, this is welcome news.

This is just my perspective, polls show that most Americans still think our country is on the wrong track, but I think in the end we're better off than we were four years ago.

This.
I definitely feel like overall things are better now than they were on the economic front as well is on the psychological front. Things aren't completely better, but at least the fear of an economic collapse and a lot of the more extreme rhetoric that we saw in 2010 has dwindled.

[Reaganfan]

It's difficult to analyze.

When Barack Obama became President, I was enlisting in the U.S. Air Force with a career job in sight. My family was in better shape, economically and emotionally than it is now. My sister's were both single, my mother was recently re-married and working hard at her job. My father was newly retired.

Today, I find my Air Force dreams shattered after a short four months in due to a benign medical condition. (The saddest part is that I actually have more military experience than our two candidates for President)

My sisters are both married with children, but times are tough, especially economically. My father's retirement is now cut short as he has been forced to return to part-time work just to help make middle class ends meet.

It's difficult to say.

[Badger]

Myself personally much better off. My 401K is about double what it was 4 years ago (well 3 1/2 years ago anyway). My House may be worth less but in my rural area the housing bubble never rose as high so it did not have as far to come down. I was able to refinance at record low interest rates. Inflation is virtually non existent. We ended one war and are drawing down forces in another. I don't have to worry about not having access to health care insurance if I were to lose my job. Things for me are far from perfect but they are much better than they were 4 years ago.

Good summary for me too.

[Torie]

What do you think? 

[FloridaRepublican]

Worse. My mom had a much, much better job selling homes when Obama became president, now she's at an hourly wage job. That's not right. We've had to give up so much, gas prices have skyrocketed, etc.

[patrick1]

What do you think? 

Torie, you've alluded that you lost weight and got fit. If you don't mind me asking, how much did you lose?  (sorry for tangent)

I decided to change careers, got my Masters but haven't gotten back to my previous salary yet. I'm happier though.   None of this has anything to do with Obama.

[Torie]

What do you think? 

Torie, you've alluded that you lost weight and got fit. If you don't mind me asking, how much did you lose?  (sorry for tangent)

I decided to change careers, got my Masters but haven't gotten back to my previous salary yet. I'm happier though.   None of this has anything to do with Obama.

65 pounds at the rate of 10 pounds a month. After that, I started ragging on BushOklahoma, and became rather insufferable about it.

[patrick1]

What do you think? 

Torie, you've alluded that you lost weight and got fit. If you don't mind me asking, how much did you lose?  (sorry for tangent)

I decided to change careers, got my Masters but haven't gotten back to my previous salary yet. I'm happier though.   None of this has anything to do with Obama.

65 pounds at the rate of 10 pounds a month. After that, I started ragging on BushOklahoma, and became rather insufferable about it.

Huh, I've also lost 65 so far and looking to drop more.  It is incongruous of me as a fat boy but I've also dropped in to lecture Bushie.  I guess there is no zealot like the recently converted:)

I also quit smoking a few months ago so it has been a productive administration. Maybe in the next one I'll finally achieve teetotal status but that may take a miracle of President Paul proportions. 

[nhmagic]

No - My family and I are barely hanging on by a thread economically.  My mom works in the mortgage business - she has ok months and terrible months.  She recently, along with her boyfriend, had to downsize from a house to a condo.  Her boyfriend develops homes.  There has been no pickup in his business and people are not building new homes.  My brother is working 6+ days a week.  I am living off of loans while working - there are months where there's a downturn in ones week to week finances and one of us has to sacrifice to support the other.  We've each had a turn at this.  My aunt is close to being homeless because of money spent to take care of my grandma before she passed.  Even minor events effect our financial situation and a major event could put us all out on the street.

I have hope though that the career path Ive chosen will lead to me being able to provide security and protection for my family and get us back on track.  It won't be because of the president though.  He...I have no words for how much pain he has deliberately caused along with Bush.  And that's that.

[Badger]

No - My family and I are barely hanging on by a thread economically.  My mom works in the mortgage business - she has ok months and terrible months.  She recently, along with her boyfriend, had to downsize from a house to a condo.  Her boyfriend develops homes.  There has been no pickup in his business and people are not building new homes.  My brother is working 6+ days a week.  I am living off of loans while working - there are months where there's a downturn in ones week to week finances and one of us has to sacrifice to support the other.  We've each had a turn at this.  My aunt is close to being homeless because of money spent to take care of my grandma before she passed.  Even minor events effect our financial situation and a major event could put us all out on the street.

I have hope though that the career path Ive chosen will lead to me being able to provide security and protection for my family and get us back on track.  It won't be because of the president though.  He...I have no words for how much pain he has deliberately caused along with Bush.  And that's that.

"Deliberately caused"?

[nhmagic]

No - My family and I are barely hanging on by a thread economically.  My mom works in the mortgage business - she has ok months and terrible months.  She recently, along with her boyfriend, had to downsize from a house to a condo.  Her boyfriend develops homes.  There has been no pickup in his business and people are not building new homes.  My brother is working 6+ days a week.  I am living off of loans while working - there are months where there's a downturn in ones week to week finances and one of us has to sacrifice to support the other.  We've each had a turn at this.  My aunt is close to being homeless because of money spent to take care of my grandma before she passed.  Even minor events effect our financial situation and a major event could put us all out on the street.

I have hope though that the career path Ive chosen will lead to me being able to provide security and protection for my family and get us back on track.  It won't be because of the president though.  He...I have no words for how much pain he has deliberately caused along with Bush.  And that's that.

"Deliberately caused"?

Not going there Badger...that leads to a board meltdown and then personal attacks on my intelligence, neither of which I am in the mood for tonight.