I am an American so cannot vote, is he better than Bush I have to say yes to that but only barely. He has not changed much from the previous administration, other than the EPA has gone crazy. They actually tried to put a rule in place that farmers could not raise dust while farming. It lasted all of ten seconds but is just an example. He was smart enough to hasten our withdrawal from Iraq a bit, but his healthcare plan basically handed us to the insurance companies. Instead of getting creative by funding Medical education, reforming malpractice law, and allowing at the minimum health maintenance without the absurd costs now being handed too us by insurance companies.
Withdrawing from Iraq was a bad idea. It was a popular action, but its not actually good strategy. It leaves Iraq open to Iranian ambition. Ditching Afghanistan would have been more pertinent.
He talks a good game but he is every much a captive of the system as any President we have had since Reagan. Between Bush Borrow and Spend and now Obama borrow and spend we have expanded our national debt by what 10 trillion. People whine about the cost of gas but in commodity terms it is not that expensive, the Dollar is simply in the tank. The inflation (a lagging economic indicator) that is going to hit us soon will be the worse than the seventies.
Exactly. Our money is inflating rapidly. Everything's going up, up, up and the fundamentals of the economy aren't really there. It has to look like it's getting better before a double dip. 2013 will be a fun year.
I just wonder who the poor idiot is going to be thats in office when inflation does come knocking, last time it was Carter, (that inflation was largely driven Johnson and Nixon) the only president we have had that actually cut the Federal payroll and reduced spending through harsh austerity measures. Reagan killed him in that election. Bush Sr. raised taxes and supported the Feds move to higher interest rates to defuse the inflation brought on by Reagan spending. Yep same thing he lost too Clinton. Clinton rode the tech bubble to success, kept most of Bush Sr's policies and then did something that no one will ever understand got in bed with Wall Street and repealed Glass-Steagel. For 60 years American Presidents Republican and Democrat alike viewed Wall St. as that sneaky Uncle you had to watch for. Then again Clinton was the first non-depression era President so perhaps he can be forgiven.
I think Bush-Reagan would have been a much better ticket in terms of results. The cult of Reagan is misguided. Great debater and speaker, very likable, but Bush was a far better president.
Moral is if you try to be a sincere economic president and inject a little pain in the sytem now to avoid worse pain down the road the American voter blithely shows you the door welcomes the next snake oil salesman. Obama has done nothing serious about our long term issues, neither do any of the Republicans they may actually be worse hypocrites but not by much. They all know that serious economic policies and forethought and you will not get a second term.
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