Recent polls show that more than two in three Americans — Republicans, independents and, yes, even Democrats — are dissatisfied with Obama’s handling of the economy.
In an August Gallup poll, a whopping 71 percent said they disapproved of Obama’s actions about the economy, and a September Bloomberg poll put his economic disapproval rating at 67 percent.
While many conditions, such as recessions and technological changes, are beyond the influence of a president, presidents can create conducive or destructive economic climates by their tax policies, economic policy decisions and rhetoric.
History will record that Barack Obama has been one of the most anti-business, anti-job-creation presidents of the past century.
When he’s not telling people to stay away from Las Vegas vacations or bashing companies with corporate jets, he’s burdening businesses with back-breaking health care mandates; planning nearly $1.5 trillion in new taxes for 2013, largely aimed at small businesses; and overseeing an administration that sends numerous federal agents to bully America’s premier guitar manufacturer. Gibson Guitar’s CEO said he was told, “Your problems would go away if you used Madagascar labor instead of our labor.” That’s a great idea — create jobs in Madagascar.
Earlier this summer, businessman Steve Wynn said that the Obama administration has been “the greatest wet blanket to business and progress and job creation in my lifetime.” For the record, Wynn is a Democrat.
When Investors Business Daily asked Home Depot founder Bernie Marcus, “What’s the single biggest impediment to job growth today?” he replied, “The U.S. government.”
John Mariotti is an internationally known business executive. His assessment: “There will be no significant recovery in the United States of America while Barack Obama is president. The evidence is overwhelming: Everything Obama has tried to fuel a recovery has failed.”
These gentlemen are businessmen. They know how to start companies, and they know how to create jobs — and they say one of the nation’s largest economic problems is one man: Barack Obama.
Over the past 15 years, small businesses have created nearly two-thirds of the net new jobs in the U.S. economy. So why aren’t small-business owners
adding new employees? They contend that one of their largest problems is ObamaCare.
A July U.S. Chamber of Commerce survey of small-business owners
found that 33 percent of them said that the ObamaCare health care law was the greatest or second-greatest hurdle to new hiring. In other words, hundreds of thousands of businesses aren’t hiring new employees because of ObamaCare.
The president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, Dennis Lockhart, agrees, noting, “We’ve frequently heard strong comments to the effect of ‘My company won’t hire a single additional worker until we know what health insurance costs are going to be.’”
As if the constant threat of new taxes and ObamaCare aren’t enough, the Obama administration has been one of the most regulatory-happy governments on record.
During his first 26 months in office, Obama’s administration imposed 75 new major regulations, with an estimated cost to the private sector exceeding $40 billion. That’s more than any comparable period on record.
Since 1890, the only U.S. president with a worse record than Obama in job creation in his first 2½ years in office, measured in terms of percentage change, according to the National Bureau of Economic Research, was Herbert Hoover, who presided over the emergence of the Great Depression.
The statistics abound. The housing crisis that began in 2006 and has recently entered a double dip is now worse than in the Great Depression. About 6.2 million Americans, 45.1 percent of all unemployed workers in this nation, have been jobless for more than six months, a higher percentage than during than the Great Depression.
Obama himself has said, “…That after three years, if the economy wasn’t fixed, he should be a one-term president.”
On that count, Mr. Obama was right — he deserves to be a one-term president.
• A Tracy resident, Steve Wampler holds a master’s degree in political science from the University of Kent in Canterbury, England.
"O’Reilly your claim that Obama’s $800 billion stimulus, of which $280 billion was tax cuts, didn’t work has no bases in facts."
In fact it did work. It lowered unemployment by 1/10 of %1. By that measure, if we threw $10 trillion dollars at it [not including interest or for that matter, finding a lender] we could lower unemployment by 1% or or or how about $90 trillion [without the vig] would give us zero unemployment.
Jimmy Carter... famous for his Malaise speech, beating off an attack rabbit [like in the Monty Python movie, "The Holy Grail"], kissing terrorist behind and having a more interesting person in his family, brother Billy.
"Obama record is 18 straight months of private sector job growth."
Now that is fantasyland credibility. You'd have much more if you stated 18 months of Federal Job growth [and yes I know that's not true either] [It was spectacular Fed job growth.]
"its funny to see dcose go mum once again, he can dish it out but he can't take it in the face of facts against republicans! cowards!"
Does this constitute your best? You're a High school freshman, yes?
bookhater66 further whines »
"lionfig I fear your voice is going to be lost on republican ears, they live in denial, they are so hell bent on running Obama over that they don't realize he is not the author of the disaster we are in today, it is their hero Bush and villain Cheney, both of whom should be tried for crimes against humanity."
Obama didn't sign Stimulus and didn't want more money wasted on a jobs bill his own party will not support?
Who would have know.
"The fact is Bush lied."
How original.
"In 2007 he made a speech... When President Bush signed the stimulus package he finally acknowledged what the rest of us already knew: The economy is in real trouble."
Would I rather have Bush's economy or Obama's? Tough decision. TARP, useless but hey let's follow that fail with more/better & larger fail.
"Obama is trying to clean up a colossal mess." & "He did not make the mess."
Cleaning up a mess he didn't make by wasting more money & in staggeringly record amounts? That should do it. Porkulas worked so well how about another round.
How about stop overspending. Any kid running a lemonade stand has a better handle on economics than President UndeRoos.
"If it had been a republican with the same numbers now, they would be singing a different tune."
Wishing does not make it so.
"It's a shame this country can't look above petty politics and work toward a common goal."
Lib, "I'll work with you but, you've got to come around to my point of view
People like DCose are divisive, hateful, negative, and insufferable. You can call me a leftist, but being a rightist doesn't make you right.
No one hates like a leftist.
Job creation is a different matter. In 1936, when be were in Depression, law was passed to create the standard 40 hour work week. Before that we were using 19th century work standard with 20th century technology. Technology reduce the hour available to be worked. Today we are slipping back to 19th century work week standard with 21st century technology. People in China are working under 19th century work standards while using 21st century technology. With 21st century technology their isn’t enough meaningful work hours for people to slave under 20th century labor standard let alone 19th century labor standards. For our economy and the world economy to work we need to have 21st century labor standards to go along with our 21st century technology. Our unemployment is around 10%, a 21st century labor standard maybe 36 hr. work week and double time for all overtime not time and a half.
Obama record is 18 straight months of private sector job growth. There hasn’t been much in the way of net job growth because the Bush recession has decreased tax revenues to state and local government requiring massive layoffs public sector workers.
-5.0% (Fox claims recession over in June?), 3rd qtr. -3.7%, 4th qtr. -0.5%, 2010 1st qtr. 2.2% (recession over), 2nd qtr. 3.3%, 3rd qtr. 3.5%, 4th qtr. 3.1%. FED rates can’t go lower than zero.
Lets compare that to the Carter-Reagan era. GDP growth rate 1980 1st qtr. 1.4%, 2nd qtr. -0.8%, 3rd qtr. -1.6% (FED funds rate mid-Sept. 12.0%), 4th qtr. -0.1% (FED rate Dec. 18% to 20%), 1981 1st. qtr. 1.6% (FED rates mid-Jan 20%-Reagan becomes president end of Jan. economy not in recession), 2nd qtr. 2.9% (FED rates mid-April 16%, May 20% ), 3rd qtr. 4.4%, 4th qtr. 1.2% (FED rate 12%), 1982 1st qtr. -2.5% (Reagan recession starts after one year in office-FED rate 12% to 15%), 2nd qtr. -1.2% (FED rate 13%), 3rd qtr. -2.7% (FED rate early Sept. 10%), 4th qtr. -1.4% (FED rate 8.5%), 1983 1st qtr. 1.5% (FED rate 8.5% thru late May).
First let me commend you for your moniker. Befitting of a leftist.
"calling somebody impotent simply because he proved your facts were fiction is typical of you republicans...."
typical lib claiming facts not in evidence. Your failure to offer any rebuttal to my facts speaks to your inability to defend your claim of fiction.
"if cheney and bush are your heros no wonder you find obama incomparable, how can you compare fascists to humanitarians?"
With more people receiving government aid than ever [about 42 million] Obama as a humanitarian is farce at best. His idea that government will be all has failed.
A fascist is a socialist is a leftist. At least educate yourself... look it up.
And, during an interview on BBC today, a candid Trader told viewers that there is going to be another crash because government is not in control.
I think Solyndra was just another mistake in a string of bad choices. I truly wish it would get better, but I don't think the potus is doing a good job and I have since lost confidence in where we are headed.
I don't think many other people feel confidence in what is going on either. There are some people who will not be able to find such candor palatable, though.
But I will say that I did not feel that half a billion dollars was a bright idea from the beginning. But then again, nobody in Washington bothered to ask me first. If they had, I would have said, "No!".
"Go ahead vote republican, your going to be real unhappy at what happens when they do take over again..."
Please, don't throw me in the Briar patch...
Thank you for allowing us that your impotence.
“I don't rewrite history, I just live thru ... As for proof…Republican flip flopping on issues”
and the winner is, “I was for the Iraq war before I was against it.” by Senator John Kerry D-MA
“Looks like your best candidate may be Cain… The confusion it would cause in the Midwest and South would be hysterical to historical proportions...”
Todays Southern and Midwestern Democrats tend to be a little more accepting than their 60’s and Civil War ancestors, no?
“I am at a lost to understand why you never made an issue of Reagan and GWB burning through more cash then all the other American Presidents combined.”
Either your reading comprehension is deficient or you’ve not followed my comments about castigating W for signing the Liberal spending bills.
Regan worked without angering all but the hardcore.
“I guess since the republicans chose a token Michael Steel I can't call you a racist...
“WRONG, Arnie jacked it [sales taxes] up, Brown lowered it.”
“Heck you probably one of the Glen Beck Groupies that think that closet Nazi is funny. I don't.”
You’ve made excellent straw men arguments. That you were able to knock them down speaks volumes to your character.
Which racist said, “White man’s greed runs a world in need”? Hint: Bø
“go ahead and vote for the dummy Perry and Texas will buy what remains of Calif and your… rates will continue to go thru the roof.”
Aren’t the liberals in charge of price increases?