Obama makes Jimmy Carter look good
By Don Assaid
Ed Weathers’ recent commentary (“Are you better off than you were three years ago?,” Aug. 25) was frighteningly ignorant, the more so when you consider that this man is a college professor who fills the heads of impressionable students with this mindless garbage.
He wants to make the case that the average American is better off now than three years ago. Mired in the midst of the worst housing crisis in American history. Gas prices nearly double what they were when President Obama took office. Unemployment above 8percent for the last three years and realistically, around 15 percent to 16 percent or more when you factor in those who have just given up looking for work. Soaring electricity and food prices.
Assaid is a financial professional and served on the Botetourt County Board of Supervisors for eight years.
September 12, 2012 - 6:12 AM
“Mindless garbage”? Mr. Assaid should not throw stones from his glass house.
The housing market, which collapsed under President Bush, is showing significant signs of recovery. Gas prices were so low when President Obama took office because we were in the midst of a global financial and economic crisis. Unemployment is high, but the nation has been adding jobs for more than 30 straight months. When Obama took office, we were losing hundreds of thousands of jobs every month.
Government workers and teachers “hardly even know we have a recession”? Actually, government has been the hardest-hit sector, losing more than 571,000 jobs since Obama took office. If not for those losses, the unemployment rate would be close to 7 percent. (In President Bush’s first term, for contrast, more than 900,000 public sector jobs were created – and he still ended his term with a net loss of 913,000 private-sector jobs.)
I wonder what the point of this sentence in Mr. Assaid’s commentary was: “I guess he forgot to mention that the same Dow Jones was above 14,000 before it plummeted to below 7,000 in 2008?” Has Mr. Assaid forgotten who was president in 2008? Hint: It was not Obama.
Mr. Assaid claims Obama has presided over the “biggest financial decline of any president in history.” Once more, it seems clear that Mr. Assaid has forgotten who was president in 2008, when the nation underwent its biggest financial decline in history, as opposed to the slow, steady recovery President Obama has overseen.
Mindless garbage, indeed.
Even if you discount everything Assaid wrote, Obama is still worse than Jimmy Carter.
If I could bring myself to waste the seconds it would take to read it, yes, I would “discount everything Assaid wrote”. Jimmy Carter was a decent, honorable man who served this nation in a time of crisis with dignity and humility. President Obama is as well. That some people are so blindly partisan as to blame both for situations beyond their control is truly telling, but not on Obama or Carter!
You folks wanting to blithely pass over the Bush/Cheney debacle are always going to lose, now and for all time. It is historical, documented fact that Bush was the President when we were attacked on 9/11 after repeated intelligence reports warned us. It is historical, documented fact that Bush was the President when the economy crashed and was hemorrhaging jobs. It is historical, documented fact that Bush was the President when the TARP and bailout nation went into overdrive. It is historical, documented fact that Bush started two wars that he did not pay for and two large tax cuts that he did not cut spending for and one of the largest taxpayer boons to insurance companies this nation has seen in modern time all of which left us with an already crippling debt and deficit. No one on earth could have fixed all of that mess and the 30 years previous bad governance and wealth protection in just 4 years!
Everything Assaid said is wrong, so it should be discounted. And, no, Obama is not worse than Jimmy Carter. Bush was worse than Jimmy Carter.
It amazes me that the right could defend a president like Bush, who actually brought the nation to the brink of economic collapse, while accusing Obama, who has done a good job of starting the hard work of fixing things, of bringing the nation to the brink of collapse.
Jimmy Carter is one of the most incredible humanitarians the U.S. has ever produced. He’s saved many lives and averted untold suffering. Right wingers can’t stand it.
I doubt seriously if facts would convince anyone on the right as to whether one is better or worse off than they were at the start of 2008…but I’ll offer up a few personal facts:
401K – doubled in value in one portfolio with no external contributions. Those with contributions have done equally as well.
Savings Acct – Saved enough to do complete bathroom remodel (not cheap by any means)
Home Value – appraised value (not tax value) has appreciated 27% since purchase in 09.
Looking at the raw numbers…I certainly can’t say that I’m worse off…I have to say better off now than 4 yrs ago.
For a “financial professional”, Mr. Assaid doesn’t display too much financial accumen. But considering that much of what he complains about was brought to us courtesy of “financial professionals”, I guess that’s no surprise. I mean, 2008? We all remember what happened in 2008, and it wasn’t under President Obama.
Just for kicks, Mr. Assaid…what should Obama do about food prices? Wave his wand and end the droughts? Nationalize the petroleum industry to surpress fuel costs? You have a litany of peeves without one single clue how to solve any of them. Neither does your candidate.
Unemployed on food stamps, yes thanks to Obama and no thanks to the GOP, those that lost their jobs from the Bush recession have been able to get food stamps. Had the GOP and Paul Ryan had their way, they would be begging in the streets.
Housing prices have dropped. Dropped from the bubble prices that the Bush economy set up. Yes its hard to accept housing prices being back to normal after Bush had run them out the cieling.
Out of a job, you bet, since Paul Ryan and his cronies cut State funding and have pushed for teacher, police, firemen, and other government layoffs. That by itself has slowed the economic recovery, caused many more foreclosures, damaged businesses, and put people on food stamps. What foolishness to cut spending during a recovery.
The cost of food and electricity? Try drought as the cost of food problem. Look for natural gas to keep dropping the cost of electricity. Gasoline costs, try bilateral support for Iran sanctions, hurricanes, refinery upgrades, and of course, Koch brother speculation.
I suppose I ought to defend myself against Mr. Assaid’s charges that my column was “frighteningly ignorant” and “mindless garbage,” but I will leave it to readers to decide whose column most reasonably and fairly discusses the facts, and which facts are most relevant. Several writers here have defended me nicely. I thank them. I will defend myself against one charge that Mr. Assaid makes, however: his claim that I “fill impressionable students’ heads” “with mindless garbage” in my college classes. Here are the facts: When I taught in the college classroom (I am now retired), I never, ever discussed my political positions during official class time, and I discussed my politics with students outside of class only when they asked me insistently about them. I never impose my politics on a captive audience. I would hope Mr. Assaid follows that same rule.
9. Ed Weathers – perhaps you should be teaching again, the schools need great instruction.
It really makes you wonder. If people like Assaid, think that professors and teachers are the “reason” people are liberal, Democrats, or just not right wingers, due to “indoctrination”, who is it that “fill impressionable students’ heads” to be those right wingers? He cannot credit any other way of making up your mind or learning so there has to be a right wing pipeline too…
Mr. Weathers, it is no doubt that you frightened him. The truth always does. Keep it coming!
I wonder why Assaid doesn’t mention that Repubs are also using the Mediscare tactic? Scratch head.
Yes, Carter is a nice man. He was however a lousy president. Hey, in the 70s I thought he was the answer. Since then I learned a whole lot about the demonized party he is associated with. What disgusted me to no end about Carter was when he went on TV and said the people who are against Obama have racial issues. I can’t stand Obama because his Chicago style politics don’t have any value in DC and he has never worked a day in his life. I’ll never understand why any person of color would re-elect such a lousy president just because he is black. The only answer for our country in regard to fixing the future for our youth is to have term limits and hang all lobbyists. Oh, and if someone needs a little welfare for a few months in a crisis, ok. But then get off your lazy ass and get a job. Whoops, sorry, the jobs all went overseas so Wall Street could get rich.
#1 Mr. Radmacher….just when in 2008 did the Dow crash? Just when did housing prices fall off the cliff? Just when did the employment numbers tumble?
Before or after it was apparent who the next president would be?
To assign blame is complex & multi-faceted. Something you ignore for political expediency.
when our nation looks back in 50 years Bush 2 will be recognized as the worst ever. about Carter one can at least say that he meant well and that he applied himself to the problems of the day with intellect, integrity, and industry. he did not start unnecessary wars under false pretense and then run away to play video games.
#14 you’re saying the housing bubble burst because Obama was leading in the polls? tea baggers just dont want to admit that Obama is cleaning up their mess, and if they hadnt obstructed most of the stimulus we’d be even farther along.
@Jim W #14“Before or after it was apparent who the next president would be?”
From May 2008 to January 21 2009 the DOW dropped ~38%. During this period from Sept 2008 to Oct 2008 (a month) it dropped ~25%. In May 2009 it was not apparent who the next president would be. It was apparent that Bush’s train wreck had gained a lot of momentum. Maybe on August 29, 2008 when McCain picked Sarah Palin it became apparent. The Repubs were crowing, “Oh, she’s got Executive experience.”
Other: Although Jimmy Carter was a real military officer I don’t think he would have paraded on the Abe Lincoln with the “Mission Accomplished” banner, or allowed the outing of Valerie Plame or the humiliation of Cindy Sheehan.
I have a pretty hefty 401K and have now taken 5 MRDs. Today the 401K exceeds its January 2009 value even with the withdrawn MRDs and obviously no contributions.
It was apparent that the Dem-controlled Congress’ train wreck had gained a lot of momentum.
There. FIFY.
17…Gary, although I disagree with your post, #14 was not me.
16…comedy is not your strong suit.
#20 Wow, great response. Just what I was hoping for.