Are we really
having this debate four years after the nation's worst financial crisis in
eighty years? After a near-catastrophic meltdown brought on by eight years of
Bush Administration-led tax cuts, deregulation and Wall Street recklessness?
Talk about the "fiscal cliff"; have we forgotten that America was on
the brink of financial ruin in the Fall of 2008?
During the past
several days the ghost of Ronald Reagan has reared its partisan head to
incessantly ask, "Are you better off now than you were four
years ago?" It's as if a memo went out Friday morning to every
conservative pundit, surrogate and politician requiring them to hammer home
this talking point ad nauseam. The answer to the question, of course, is yes.
But not surprisingly, Democrats seem to be tripping over their own feet trying
to answer without seeming insensitive to or dismissive of the continuing
struggles of the poor and middle-class.
But it's a
simple question to answer if, rather than spew partisan rhetoric, one compares
the key economic indicators of today vs. before President Obama took office.
These include unemployment and job creation, GDP, the credit market, consumer
confidence, foreclosures, the stock market, housing, manufacturing, the auto
industry and corporate profits, all of which have greatly improved since 2008
and 2009.
It's critical
that Obama and Democrats confidently head into their convention this week in
Charlotte prepared to effectively remind voters just how far they've come and
that yes, they're much better off than they were. The following message should
be incorporated into every single speech:
If you're poor, you're better off
If you're middle-class, you're
better off
If you were unemployed, you're
better off
If you have Medicare, you're better
off
If you're sick, you're better off
If you were without affordable,
accessible heath care, you're better off
If you're a female wage earner,
you're better off
If you're a college student, you're
better off
If you're gay, you're better off
If you're a homeowner, you're better
off
If you're looking to buy a home,
you're better off
If you're seeking credit, you're
better off
If you're invested in the stock
market, you're better off
If you're a corporate CEO, you're
better off
If you work on Wall Street, you're
better off
If you work in the auto industry,
you're better off
If you work in banking, you're
better off
If you work in retail, construction
or manufacturing, you're better off
If you're a consumer, you're more
confident and are better off
If you or your loved one was
fighting in Iraq, you're better off
If you or your loved one is fighting
in Afghanistan, you're better off
Osama bin Laden and Muammar Gaddafi
are not better off
But
Republicans, who seem to loathe facts and fact checkers, claim that
"many people" still don't believe the economy's
improved or that it's headed in the right direction. But it really doesn't
matter what "many people" think. Many
people still believe blacks should be riding in the back of buses, Mexicans should be fenced in their country, Jews should be kept out
of their neighborhoods and country clubs, women should be denied contraception and abortions, and that it's wrong for gays to marry.
"Many" doesn't make
"right."
Republicans may
not hold much regard for facts and the truth, but the truth is, the economy,
and Americans as a whole, are far better off than they
were four years ago.
1 comment:
I'm no fan of Romney or the Republicans... but Mr. Obama has continued in the footsteps of George W. Bush with respect to foreign policy, privatization of the 9-11 Resource Wars, given us new wars such as Libya and now Syria.
The poor are growing, not shrinking. The middle class is shrinking, not growing. Under Mr. Obama, the Rich-- the 1% have continued to prosper at the same or greater rates than they experienced under Bush-Cheney.
Veterans and active duty military are suiciding at record rates because they have been turned into death squads. Church groups and other charities continue to collect money for soldiers and soldiers' families so they can have things like food, socks, magazines and Christmas presents. They are treated so shabbily in our wars based on lies.
I was insulted how you compared "many people" -- the poor and unemployed and losing middle class and peoploe who've lost their businesses, homes, families as a result of financial crimes by the bankers that Mr. Obama has protected from prosecution-- how you compared these "many people" who don't believe things are headed in the right direction with bigots of various stripes.
Under Mr. Obama there has been a steady erosion of civil and human rights, making it an especially piquant joke when you try to wrap yourself in civil rights phrases like "back of the bus", abortions and gays.
If an abortion is a matter of privacy between a woman and her doctor, why is it now information that the government collects covertly? ALL privacy is gone, and President Obama has done nothing to call attention to it or safeguard our civil rights.
Please google the words (separately):
Trapwire
Tartan
Stellar Wind
I'm all done voting for the slightly lesser of two evils based on social issues promises NEVER kept.
Mr. Obama seems quite as likely as Mormon Mitt Romney to start World War Three for those religious nutters in Israel. If you don't like American religious fundamentalists and their stand on abortion and gays, it really won't make any difference when the nukes start flying over Israel's wars. Those American fundies all agree with Mr. Obama that we should start World War Three for Israel.
Good thing our military budgets are bigger than ever under President Obama, and more and more war is being privatized and made more secret from the American Public.
We are not better off, unless you want to count speech making. Obama makes a better speech than Bush.
Like Bush, like Romney, millionaire Mr. Obama is a puppet of the rich, for none else may be cast as players in our theater of "elections".
Wealth continues to concentrate in the hands of the elites, unabated.
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