Will Obama explicitly argue GOP blocked recovery for political reasons?

[H.E. VOLODYMYR ZELENKSYY]

Some people think that the president can do nothing about a bad or good economy. 
Obviously that is wrong, presidents have enormous sway over economic issues and through legislation. 

Its easy for liberals to blame the Republican congress instead of Obama for economic malaise. 

However, the actual picture is what is happening in the real world.  If liberals were actually small business owners instead of unemployed english majors, then they would realize that small business owners are specifically choosing to not hire anyone now because they don't want to pay increased taxes on things like "Universal Health Care"

So, its not the republican congress preventing unemployment, its this 3 year old enormous "Universal health care plan" that is increasing taxes on small businesses.  Its easy to blame corporations for all the evils in the world and blaming the one percent, but these corporations are employing the rest of the 99% of us.  Unless we all become hippie commune farmers, there's no way to escape this capitalist system. 

The economy won't recover unless the supreme court strikes down "universal health care" and if the health care law is approved, then expect 8% unemployment to be the norm for the next 4 years. 

Are you insane?!

1. The president can't get anything meaningful done without Congress. That's called the system of checks and balances.

2. It's not universal health care, it's universal health care's lamer brother.

3. "Unemployed english majors"? Really?

4. Congratulations, you've just entered the Official Alfred F. Jones Ignore List!

[hopper]

Probably he will in debates with Romney but it will make him look incompetent. As far as ObamaCare is concerned Pelosi mostly pushed that through for him.  He didn't push it through and use the bully pulpit of the presidency to do that.

I think the "big deal" to cut 4 trillion dollars off  the defecit he had with Boehner he should have taken it. It was probably a good deal for both sides of the aisle. "Simpson Bowles" he should have used the bully pulpit of the presidency to push that through. Those 2 things will make Obama look more incompetent than a mediocre economy I think.

[H.E. VOLODYMYR ZELENKSYY]

Probably he will in debates with Romney but it will make him look incompetent. As far as ObamaCare is concerned Pelosi mostly pushed that through for him.  He didn't push it through and use the bully pulpit of the presidency to do that.

I think the "big deal" to cut 4 trillion dollars off  the defecit he had with Boehner he should have taken it. It was probably a good deal for both sides of the aisle. "Simpson Bowles" he should have used the bully pulpit of the presidency to push that through. Those 2 things will make Obama look more incompetent than a mediocre economy I think.

So a president who's trying to be nice in the face of an opposition committed solely to ruining him should be considered mediocre because he can't get anything done? Are you blaming the Democrats, too, for not marching in lockstep back when Obama had exactly 60 Democratic Senators and needed every one of them? Also, remember that he only had 1 year or so before Scott Brown was elected.

[pbrower2a]

He can't blame others for his own failures.

He can blame others for difficulties.

There is no easy way out of the "Lesser Depression". Keynesian economics has its limitation -- but everything else either isn't available (a speculative boom) or is worthless. Tax cuts for the super-rich will stimulate neither spending (except on right-wing propaganda) or investment (except in the political process).

[Purch]

Probably he will in debates with Romney but it will make him look incompetent. As far as ObamaCare is concerned Pelosi mostly pushed that through for him.  He didn't push it through and use the bully pulpit of the presidency to do that.

I think the "big deal" to cut 4 trillion dollars off  the defecit he had with Boehner he should have taken it. It was probably a good deal for both sides of the aisle. "Simpson Bowles" he should have used the bully pulpit of the presidency to push that through. Those 2 things will make Obama look more incompetent than a mediocre economy I think.

So a president who's trying to be nice in the face of an opposition committed solely to ruining him should be considered mediocre because he can't get anything done? Are you blaming the Democrats, too, for not marching in lockstep back when Obama had exactly 60 Democratic Senators and needed every one of them? Also, remember that he only had 1 year or so before Scott Brown was elected.

Yes. What part of being nice and playing hard ball politics go together? To get things done in office you have to be strong whiles willing to compromise.  

On the final days of Newt's government shutdown he rejected every budget offer Clinton gave him trying to force him into the big cuts to medicare. What did Clinton do? He shook Newt's hand and he said Newt, there's nothing else I can do because this isn't a line I'm willing to cross. Guess what happened? He won. Hard ball politics is a mental game of toughness, certain politicians have it and certain politicians lack it. (BTW if you can't tell Clinton's one of my favorite presidents despite his faults)

 How does Chris Christie get things down in a democratic legislature? He's tough and is willing to compromise whiles making the lines he won't cross clear.

Why did Hilary Clinton get so many compliments when she was a senator? Because she's tough and worked to get things done.


I'm African American and I'll say the same thing I said in 08 you guys nominated the wrong candidate. Fortunately for you guys the Republicans nominated  a weak candidate also, both in 2008 and now.

I have zero sympathy for politicians.. Either you can handle it or get out. However, I do think Obama will be much better at getting things done in a second term because I think he's learning from his mistakes.

[Bull Moose Base]

Probably he will in debates with Romney but it will make him look incompetent. As far as ObamaCare is concerned Pelosi mostly pushed that through for him.  He didn't push it through and use the bully pulpit of the presidency to do that.

I think the "big deal" to cut 4 trillion dollars off  the defecit he had with Boehner he should have taken it. It was probably a good deal for both sides of the aisle. "Simpson Bowles" he should have used the bully pulpit of the presidency to push that through. Those 2 things will make Obama look more incompetent than a mediocre economy I think.

So a president who's trying to be nice in the face of an opposition committed solely to ruining him should be considered mediocre because he can't get anything done? Are you blaming the Democrats, too, for not marching in lockstep back when Obama had exactly 60 Democratic Senators and needed every one of them? Also, remember that he only had 1 year or so before Scott Brown was elected.

Yes. What part of being nice and playing hard ball politics go together? To get things done in office you have to be strong whiles willing to compromise.  

On the final days of Newt's government shutdown he rejected every budget offer Clinton gave him trying to force him into the big cuts to medicare. What did Clinton do? He shook Newt's hand and he said Newt, there's nothing else I can do because this isn't a line I'm willing to cross. Guess what happened? He won. Hard ball politics is a mental game of toughness, certain politicians have it and certain politicians lack it. (BTW if you can't tell Clinton's one of my favorite presidents despite his faults)

In this example, "toughness" is largely a willingness to stay in a game of chicken longer.  Obama's problem was that it was often apparent to both sides that no matter how much he could attempt to pretend otherwise, he would pay the worse political damage from a deal falling through.  Both sides understood the president will get simplistic blame or credit for the economy.  Maybe, with the 14th Amendment option to blow past debt ceiling (which Clinton suggested he use), Obama had a stronger hand than he seemed to think.  If Obama had done so, we all know public would now blame for the slowdown regardless of any actual connection.  But he probably should have rejected any connection between ceiling and debt deal from go and dared GOP to tank the economy.  When Obama had clear leverage, like payroll tax holiday extension end of 2011, he forced GOP to cut taxes.  Only deal Obama surely botched was not extracting more from GOP (like debt ceiling lift) when Bush cuts for wealthy were expiring end of 2010.

So a president who's trying to be nice in the face of an opposition committed solely to ruining him should be considered mediocre because he can't get anything done? Are you blaming the Democrats, too, for not marching in lockstep back when Obama had exactly 60 Democratic Senators and needed every one of them? Also, remember that he only had 1 year or so before Scott Brown was elected.

Also, Franken wasn't seated until July and Kennedy died in August.  Obama had about 3 months of super majority (in which he still needed the unreliable votes of Lieberman, Ben Nelson, Blanche Lincoln).  Other than that, he needed Republican votes (owing to record-breaking obstruction), which is why the stimulus (while still successful) was weaker than it needed to be.

[milhouse24]

Some people think that the president can do nothing about a bad or good economy. 
Obviously that is wrong, presidents have enormous sway over economic issues and through legislation. 

Its easy for liberals to blame the Republican congress instead of Obama for economic malaise. 

However, the actual picture is what is happening in the real world.  If liberals were actually small business owners instead of unemployed english majors, then they would realize that small business owners are specifically choosing to not hire anyone now because they don't want to pay increased taxes on things like "Universal Health Care"

So, its not the republican congress preventing unemployment, its this 3 year old enormous "Universal health care plan" that is increasing taxes on small businesses.  Its easy to blame corporations for all the evils in the world and blaming the one percent, but these corporations are employing the rest of the 99% of us.  Unless we all become hippie commune farmers, there's no way to escape this capitalist system. 

The economy won't recover unless the supreme court strikes down "universal health care" and if the health care law is approved, then expect 8% unemployment to be the norm for the next 4 years. 

Are you insane?!

1. The president can't get anything meaningful done without Congress. That's called the system of checks and balances.

2. It's not universal health care, it's universal health care's lamer brother.

3. "Unemployed english majors"? Really?

4. Congratulations, you've just entered the Official Alfred F. Jones Ignore List!

You know why Reagan actually got unemployment to drop faster, because he lowered taxes and created business confidence that government will not impose massive future taxes to cripple investment and hiring.  Businesses are hoarding cash right now because they are expecting a hefty tax bill when universal health care is approved.  Think about it, if businesses stopped hoarding cash and spent it on hiring workers, then unemployment will drop to 7.5%. 

But the new normal is 8% unemployment, congrats everyone.