Report Card Time Regarding President Obama's Second Term Thus Far

1. 84

   gmwilliamsposted 11 years ago

   
   What grade would YOU give President Obama for the things he has done for this country in his second term so far?

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   1. 83

      Don Wposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      In fairness I think this should be two questions: what grade would you give the President for the things he has TRIED to do for the country? And what grade would you give Congress for what has actually been DONE for the country? (in terms of the legislature). Although the President steers the legislative agenda, he does not have supreme power (which is a good thing). 
      
      In answer to those two questions, respectively I'd say B (I like what the President has tried to do, though some of it like Obamacare etc. could have been done better), and F (Congress continues to fail the people they represent).

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   2. 58

      retief2000posted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I would give him an A+.  The criteria on which a grade is based determines the grade. 
      
      Obama said he wanted to fundamentally change America and in that he has been a screaming success. 
      
      What little vestiges remained of our Constitutionally protected liberties have been further eroded, to the point of being mere shadows and that erosion passionately defended by Democrats and liberals.  The rule of law has been replaced by the rule of men and exceptions, waivers, special cases command where those things did not before.  Those who produce wealth are now the villains while those who confiscate and redistribute wealth are to be praised, admired and defended.  This barely scratches the surface of Obama's success.
      
      Wait for Obamacare to accomplish its full goal for the economy.
      
      If there was a grade higher than A+ I would give it.  Obama has fulfilled his potential and the potential of his party.  What more could one ask.

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      1. 69

         Cody Hodge5posted 11 years agoin reply to this

         Lol so many talking points...
         
         What would conservatives think without Fox News?

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         1. 58

            retief2000posted 11 years agoin reply to this

            What would liberals do without the ever present illusions that they alone are moral and intelligent and that conservatives are mindless drones merely regurgitating Fox News.  Not to worry,once the transformation, begun so many years ago by the redistributionist, materialist liberals, is complete it will be illegal to be conservative.  The first indicators of that final stage are evident in recent events.
            
            I am not being sarcastic when I say Obama deserves an A+, he is the most transformative president this country has had since Abraham Lincoln.

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            1. 69

               Cody Hodge5posted 11 years agoin reply to this

               I see...
               
               So you prove your point with an angry and stereotype-filled rant?

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2. 68

   AJReissigposted 11 years ago

   I think this is a loaded question, as much of this has too do with a person's political beliefs.  I am a libertarian, and believe the government that governs the best is the one that governs the least.  From my perspective, President Obama is a total failure.  Under his watch, we have continued down the path to a nanny state.  When he was first elected, I did have hopes for a few changes.  While I did not vote for him, as a Senator he was highly critical on our debt, our spending and the unpatriotic "Patriot Act".  Unfortunately, as soon as he was elected it because evident that he was only critical of Bush because Bush was of a different political party.  President Obama is worse on debt, worse on spending, and worse on individual liberty when compared to his predecessor.
   
   This is not to say that Romney would have been a stellar choice for President, as I consider him to be only marginally better on the issues that our current President.  But at least he did know a little about economics.

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3. 75

   Mighty Momposted 11 years ago

   I would give him a C-.
   I continue to defend him against ridiculous, malicious accusations, yes.
   But I feel like Term 2 is very unfocused and off balance.
   Where I personally am disappointed:
   OBAMACARE.
   It's not like he doesn't know how to excite and mobilize people. Obamacare is
   HIS baby. Still no one understands it. The only info we get is smears.
   The right is spending massive dollars to turn public opinion against it.
   Is he just going to roll over and let it deflate?
   
   LEGISLATION
   Specific to the second term, I don't see any evidence of any forward motion on any important legislation (although I recognize that legislation is Congress's job, it is under the president's watch. He is the one who gets the legacy -- or not. Not Congress).
   
   PLUSES
   He gets a few points for exercising restraint (thusfar) in not dragging us into Syria.
   Perhaps this current meeting with Chinese president will bear some fruit.
   He is managing not to get embroiled into the scandal mongering distractions.
   He handled Code Pink heckler very well.
   If he does manage to close Gitmo -- hooray.

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   1. 79

      Seth Winterposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      So you'd giving the President a passing grade without actually stating a single positive thing besides his ability to keep his hands to himself and not start a war with Syria?
      
      Does Obama get a bunch of bonus points because he's black? Because a white President would of been giving an F and impeached by now.

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4. 60

   Superkevposted 11 years ago

   Let's see:
   
   IRS Targeting groups who disagree with him
   Benghazi
   Fast and Furious
   NSA Spying
   Tapped AP Reporters Phones
   Tapped Fox News Reporters phones, emails and relatives
   5 Trillion in new debt
   48 million Americans on food stamps
   Unemployment STILL above 7.5% (worse if you count those who have stopped looking)
   Gas prices $3.70 US avg.
   Taken at least 4 vacations already this year
   Cancelled White House Tours (still had his private concerts though)
   Told his people to make sure the Sequester "hurt as much as possible". (Denied it was his idea)
   
   Think I'm gonna give him a big, fat F

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   1. 75

      Mighty Momposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Still with the blaming gas prices on the president.
      

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      1. 60

         Superkevposted 11 years agoin reply to this

         Just like Nancy
         
         “The price of oil is at the doorstep. Four dollars plus per gallon for oil is attributed to two oil men in the White House.”
         
         -Nancy Pelosi 2008

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      2. 61

         bBereanposted 11 years agoin reply to this

         Based on one of the most liberal posters only being able to pick "gas prices" possibly not being Obama's fault, to defend when faced with a baker's dozen list of damning failures, I guess an "F" is pretty obvious. 

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         1. 75

            Mighty Momposted 11 years agoin reply to this

            Let's be honest. Your F grade would have been an F regardless of
            what he did or didn't do.
            Your rationale has been debated ad nauseum.
            Most of it has been debunked.
            What's to discuss or defend?
            I gave my C- and that's that.

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            1. 61

               bBereanposted 11 years agoin reply to this

               Yes, let's be honest.  It would take an "F" performance to get you to budge off an "A" for a politician who is so in line, at least on paper, with your ideology.  Yes, we clearly both have biases, with my default being the F unless he could really perform and yours being A unless he really failed.

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            2. 60

               Superkevposted 11 years agoin reply to this

               Arguing with a true Obamabot is like trying to play chess with a rooster. No matter how many legitimate moves you make they just knock all the pieces over, crap on the board and then claim victory.

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               1. 61

                  bBereanposted 11 years agoin reply to this

                  Are you saying they, like their idol, are "cocky"?

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               2. 69

                  Cody Hodge5posted 11 years agoin reply to this

                  That would have been witty had it not been plastered all over the Internet already.....
                  
                  Now please (without talking points) what else could Obama have done in this political climate?

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                  1. 60

                     Superkevposted 11 years agoin reply to this

                     Had a modicum of competence??

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               3. 61

                  Josakposted 11 years agoin reply to this

                  So someone who gave Obama a C- is an Obamabot? Riiiiight

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   2. 69

      Cody Hodge5posted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Considering that no one from the right was critiquing Bush for doing the exact same things or even worse, I don't think those can be used against him with a straight face.
      
      That's of course assuming that most of these things are even scandals/the fault of the President

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      1. 69

         Cody Hodge5posted 11 years agoin reply to this

         And by the way, I'd look up the definition of "tapped" phone lines. I don't think anyone was listening to anything being said.

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         1. 60

            Superkevposted 11 years agoin reply to this

            And I think they were. This was not sifting through meta-data, this was targeted and specific in the case of both James Rosen and the AP.
            
            And as a veteran of 18 years in Law Enforcement, yes, I DO know how these things work.

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      2. 61

         bBereanposted 11 years agoin reply to this

         My disagreement aside, are we grading on a curve?

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      3. 79

         Seth Winterposted 11 years agoin reply to this

         Sorry Cody that's not how this works. I'd like to see you argue to a college professor about how you should get a better grade because the person who sat next to you scored worse on the test. This is Obama's report card, not Bush's.

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         1. 69

            Cody Hodge5posted 11 years agoin reply to this

            Uh....if I scored better than the person next to me I'd already have the better grade?
            
            And I can't believe you're going to feign outrage about Obama's "scandals" when Bush did the same thing.
            
            Again, this is why no one takes the GOP and their voters seriously

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            1. 60

               Superkevposted 11 years agoin reply to this

               So because you think Bush was bad, Obama, in your mind, is immune from scandal and criticism, right? We should just all shut up and let Obama do what he wants because Bush was so bad. Or is it because he's 1/2 black?
               
               Let me tell you something Cody, Obama is not immune, and his house of cards is beginning to crumble in a big way and all the name calling and "what about Bush?" childishness is not going to change that.
               
               Obama is incompetent, immoral and is woefully out of his depth as POTUS, has been since day one. You can't defend anything I pointed to above so you naturally revert to "What about Bush?"
               
               That's what you say when you have no reasonable defense for this utter failure of a chief executive.

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               1. 75

                  Mighty Momposted 11 years agoin reply to this

                  Woefully out of his depth at POTUS? Has been since day one?
                  Apparently the majority of Americans don't agree with you on that,
                  as they voted him in for a second term.

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                  1. 60

                     Superkevposted 11 years agoin reply to this

                     That just shows that a slim majority of Americans are ill informed, low-information voters. He won by what? 3%? Hardly a Reaganesque landslide.
                     
                     In a nation full of children it's hard to beat Santa Claus.
                     
                     But, by all means, please, let me hear the pro 7.6% unemployment argument. Or tell me how great it is that 48 million Americans are on food stamps, please, tell me why that;s such a great accomplishment for 'Ol Barry.

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                     1. 69

                        Cody Hodge5posted 11 years agoin reply to this

                        Why are people unemployed?
                        
                        Probably because businesses won't hire them.....
                        
                        Why are people on food stamps?
                        
                        The ones with jobs don't get paid enough to support their families without them...
                        
                        (I should put those on Popsicle sticks)

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                           Superkevposted 11 years agoin reply to this

                           That's not the question Cody.
                           
                           Why are so many STILL unemployed?
                           
                           Why are so many MORE now on food stamps?
                           
                           Those are the questions that fall right in Obama's lap.
                           
                           
                           
                           
                           
                           

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                           1. 69

                              Cody Hodge5posted 11 years agoin reply to this

                              And again......
                              
                              
                              Businesses won't hire them.
                              
                              That's not Barack's fault.
                              
                              Remember...
                              
                              "If you don't have a job, that's your own fault"-Herman Cain

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                        2. 61

                           bBereanposted 11 years agoin reply to this

                           That's not where you got them?

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                     2. 75

                        Mighty Momposted 11 years agoin reply to this

                        You really should get some of your own lines.
                        Don't you realize that Rush Limbaugh is a comedian?

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                        1. 0

                           Brenda Durhamposted 11 years agoin reply to this

                           Do you realize that Marla Gibbs isn't?
                           At least not a good one.  Her bias and hatred overshadows any talent she formerly exhibited.

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                  2. 0

                     Brenda Durhamposted 11 years agoin reply to this

                     We're not even sure the majority voted for him.
                     But whatever.   Just because the majority does something doesn't mean it's the correct thing to do.
                     
                     Obama gets an H.
                     Yep.  Two points below an F, even.
                     H is for horrible.
                     I'm sure he's proud of it.
                     He earned it.

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                     1. 69

                        Cody Hodge5posted 11 years agoin reply to this

                        That's funny because I can guarantee you that the majority never voted for Bush either.....

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                           Mighty Momposted 11 years agoin reply to this

                           Hell. We're not even sure he's American, are we?
                           

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                              Superkevposted 11 years agoin reply to this

                              Nope

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                  3. 50

                     Lie Detectorposted 11 years agoin reply to this

                     A majority of Americans did not vote for him!
                     
                     A majority of those Americans who voted voted for him.

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                     1. 61

                        Josakposted 11 years agoin reply to this

                        Yup and if everyone had voted demographically he would have won by even more since it's ethnic minorities and the young who vote least and they are strong democratic bases.

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                     2. 60

                        Zelkiiroposted 11 years agoin reply to this

                        And if the Conservatives hadn't blocked minorities, women, and the elderly from voting in several states, he would have won by a lot more.
                        
                        So much for my vote for Batman.

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                        1. 75

                           Mighty Momposted 11 years agoin reply to this

                           How many people had to stand in line for 8 hours to vote for Romney?
                           Zero.

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                           1. 60

                              Superkevposted 11 years agoin reply to this

                              You don't even realize how ridiculous that comment is, do you?

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                              1. 61

                                 Josakposted 11 years agoin reply to this

                                 Polls found 18% of democrats waited more than half an hour to vote, only 9% of Republicans did.

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                                 1. 58

                                    retief2000posted 11 years agoin reply to this

                                    Could this be a function of factors entirely unrelated to direct political affiliation, such as urban versus rural/suburban?  Perhaps the democrat districts had longer lines because there were fewer poll workers?  Considering urban areas are dominated by Democrats could it be that Democrats are just poor administrators?  Hard to blame Republicans for election problems in Philadelphia, Detroit, Boston, Chicago or other Democrat strong holds where the entire election process is controlled top to bottom by democrat functionaries. 
                                    
                                    If 18% of Democrats had to wait in line while only 9% of Republicans had to do so - in the same voting precincts than it must be a function of wizardry since ones political affiliation is invisible.  If it is Republican precincts were more efficient or Republicans had their voter ID lined up and ready than it must be that Democrats are less efficient and less able to prepare themselves to vote.  Maybe Democrats can do what is done in stock holder meetings and abdicate their voting responsibility and award their vote to somebody smart and ready, like George Soros.
                                    
                                    How long before Democrats vote by proxy?

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                                    1. 60

                                       Zelkiiroposted 11 years agoin reply to this

                                       Because, you know, having more people in the line doesn't make the wait longer or anything. No, no, must be inefficiency, because that would make your party line not look like the Stone Age barbarians that they are.

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                                       1. 58

                                          retief2000posted 11 years agoin reply to this

                                          So you are saying that 100% of the people in the long lines were Democrats, remarkably simple when one puts one's mind to it, I suppose.

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                                          1. 60

                                             Zelkiiroposted 11 years agoin reply to this

                                             The only thing simple about it is that there were many, many people with enough common sense to be terrified of Mitt Romney. Just as they were rightly terrified of Sarah Palin 4 years prior.

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                                             1. 58

                                                retief2000posted 11 years agoin reply to this

                                                Missing the point, entirely, once again.  Statistical events must confuse you.  Mitt Romney may have been the most decent individual to ever run for President and Obama's machine painted him a monster.  The election swung not on grand confidence in Obama, since he received millions fewer votes than in 2008, but rather Obama machine scaremongering, evangelical hand sitting and Romney goody-two-shoes-ism.
                                                
                                                Sorry, pretty sure that was wasted on you.  My voice doesn't carry to your fantasy realm.

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                                                1. 60

                                                   Zelkiiroposted 11 years agoin reply to this

                                                   ...I believe we're done here.
                                                   
                                                   

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                                                   1. 58

                                                      retief2000posted 11 years agoin reply to this

                                                      There was no here to be done with.  You and I do not occupy the same reality.  There is absolutely no common ground between conservative and liberal.  I understand this, others do not yet insist that communication is possible - it is not.  The moral certainty liberals enjoy makes any conversation with them useless.  But hitting a ball with a bat is mostly useless - unless you are so proficient at it as to command a good salary.  It is more about entertainment than anything else.
                                                      
                                                      Thanks for the laughs.

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                                                      1. 75

                                                         Mighty Momposted 11 years agoin reply to this

                                                         No one expected Obama to top or even come close to his historic landslide victory in 2008. I suppose he should have run then on despair and repair instead of hope and change, right? Because that's the set of circumstances he got handed over from Bush.
                                                         The worst economic downturn since the Great Depression.
                                                         
                                                         What a shock. Obama didn't bring the ecomony fully back in 3 years. In 2012 there was (and still is) more work to do to get people working. I will not comment on Congress's
                                                         role, especially since 2010.
                                                         Regardless, being the supposed FINANCIALLY ADULT party, the GOP had a real
                                                         shot at 2012.
                                                         Their primary process picked, by a process eerily similar to American Idol, the least crazy of the contenders. A man who had made a career out of running for president since 2006.
                                                         
                                                         Mitt Romney.
                                                         Romney's job in this election was to scoop out the Independent voters and those
                                                         Democrats who were and are legitimately underwhelmed with or disenchanted with Obama's performance in his first term.
                                                         A not impossible task, by any stretch.
                                                         But he failed. And he failed big. And now it's 6 months later.
                                                         I could post link after link after link of the post-election analysis.
                                                         Choose your news outlet. Choose your pundit. EVERYONE dissected what happened.
                                                         Including Romney's own party.
                                                         
                                                         So I will confine by comments here to your claim that Mitt Romney was the most "decent individual ever to run for president."
                                                         In his personal life, Romney is (or appears to be) a very decent family man active in his church.
                                                         As the potential leader of the United States, Romney did not show himself to be any kind of goody two-shoes.
                                                         He showed himself to be a sellout to the hardcore right wing -(the price he had to to
                                                         pay to get the nomination in the first place, no doubt).
                                                         So out of the gate he turned his back on himself.
                                                         Next was his choice of Ryan as his VP. Lyin' Ryan. Fully documented.
                                                         
                                                         Hard to blame Romney's 47% speech (more damning things in that video were said but they did not become the meme) on Obama. But if anyone can do it, I'm sure you will find a way.
                                                         
                                                         Romney's "47%" comments solidified many of the voters he sought to pull over
                                                         against him.
                                                         The constant Etcha-sketching hurt him too.
                                                         Romney showed he would say ANYTHING to get elected.
                                                         His report of his inspection of China factory -- really, Mitt?
                                                         He distanced himself from his own crowning legislative achievement as Massachusetts
                                                         governor.
                                                         He painted himself as a business savior with Bain. Perhaps. The thousands
                                                         of workers who lost their jobs while he and his cronies made millions they then
                                                         hid out of the US obviously didn't see it that way.
                                                         He went on a PR tour of Europe and managed to insult England. Who does that???
                                                         
                                                         From there he made a series of boneheaded comments and gaffes throughout his campaign that alienated women and Hispanics (orange face on Univision? Binders of women?)
                                                         Ryan was shown to be a big liar on things that didn't even need to be lied about.
                                                         And then, in the clutch, doubling down on his ads about Obama moving Jeep
                                                         production to China. You might remember those. Right before the election.
                                                         Got workers in Ohio so upset they called their factories to ask if they were losing
                                                         their jobs.
                                                         The ones that the head of Chrysler himself publicly decried as UNTRUE.
                                                         The ones that earned Romney the "Pants on Fire of the Year" award of the campaign season.
                                                         
                                                         I agree with Zelkiiro on this.
                                                         Romney revealed -- perhaps inadvertently -- his true colors in the campaign.
                                                         Being terrified of him is a rational reaction.

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                                       Cody Hodge5posted 11 years agoin reply to this

                                       Well, considering that the GOP will be irrelevant in a few years, it might not matter...

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                                          retief2000posted 11 years agoin reply to this

                                          The IRS, Justice Department and NSA agree with you. Oh Yes So Does Hilarity - I mean Hillary.  Isn't that her campaign slogan for 2016 "What difference does it make!  Hillarity for Pres. 2016"  ooops, sorry did it again - Hillary.

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               2. 69

                  Cody Hodge5posted 11 years agoin reply to this

                  Well let me tell you brother!
                  
                  There are so many ways that most conservatives assertions about Obama have been proven wrong, taken out of context or just talking points that conservatives can't get out of their system.
                  
                  The reason why I compare Obama's scandals to what Bush did is to prove that if it wasn't a scandal when it happened under the watch of Bush, it isn't a scandal under Obama.
                  
                  You can't have it both ways.

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                  1. 60

                     Superkevposted 11 years agoin reply to this

                     So, tell me, how has the IRS scandal been debunked or taken out of context?
                     
                     Or fast and Furious
                     
                     Or the AP wiretaps
                     
                     Or the James Rosen wire taps
                     
                     Or Benghazi
                     
                     Go ahead, how are any of those 'out of context'? LOL
                     
                     He's going down Cody, nothing can stop that now, when a Special Prosecutor is named that will be all over except for the crying.

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                     1. 0

                        Brenda Durhamposted 11 years agoin reply to this

                        If common sense, patriotism, and justice prevails, yes indeed he will go down.
                        Your comment phrases are newly refreshing compared to the liberals' way of talking.
                        All over except for the crying..........well, it would be refreshing to see Holder or Obama or any of them in that group...actually show some emotion besides revenge, anger, hatred, and false compassion.   'Twould be good for their souls.  But especially good for this Country.

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                        Seth Winterposted 11 years agoin reply to this

                        Well I've heard various liberals claim that Fast and Furious was started under Bush. (Program Started in 09)

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                     3. 69

                        Cody Hodge5posted 11 years agoin reply to this

                        Benghazi? You mean an embassy attack.....how many of those happened under Bush, Clinton, heck any other president?
                        
                        The IRS scandal......ummm, you do know that liberal groups faced the same "scrutiny" under George Bush right? Where was Darrell McCarthy then?
                        
                        As for the wiretapping? There is a new shield law being drafted by Congress to make sure something like this never happens again when a journalist has sensitive information. Also, I'll point to when Dubya threw a guy in jail for not revealing his sources.
                        
                        So yea....keep trying...

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                        1. 60

                           Superkevposted 11 years agoin reply to this

                           Really? And yet not one congressional hearing on the matter even when Democrats controlled both houses of congress and the White House?
                           
                           Surely you have some proof of this, yes?

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                              Cody Hodge5posted 11 years agoin reply to this

                              Not sure how to use Google all of a sudden?

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                           Superkevposted 11 years agoin reply to this

                           And PS- No other attack resulted in the death of our ambassador or our people being abandoned by the sitting president to die.
                           
                           I guess Obama needed to be rested before he went to hob-nob with the rich and famous in Las Vegas, gotta have priorities you know?

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                              Cody Hodge5posted 11 years agoin reply to this

                              Hahah your "best" rebuttal had to end with a talking point...

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                                 Superkevposted 11 years agoin reply to this

                                 So, I guess your answer is no, you have absolutely nothing to back up your ridiculous claim.
                                 
                                 Thought so.
                                 
                                 Keep blaming Bush. I wonder when Obama will actually become president. Maybe someday.

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                                 1. 69

                                    Cody Hodge5posted 11 years agoin reply to this

                                    Good one....
                                    
                                    I guess the concept of yelling about one guy does while staying silent when the other does it doesn't come across as hypocritical?

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                                       Superkevposted 11 years agoin reply to this

                                       So the answer is still no huh?

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                                          Cody Hodge5posted 11 years agoin reply to this

                                          Still not getting through to you?

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                                    Superkevposted 11 years agoin reply to this

                                    So, still no, right?

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                                    1. 69

                                       Cody Hodge5posted 11 years agoin reply to this

                                       Its all there.......
                                       
                                       Its kind of sad that you either are unaware of Dubya doing the same thing to liberals, or you just didn't care about it when the tables were turned.

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                        Cody Hodge5posted 11 years agoin reply to this

                        Lol he's going down...
                        
                        As one of the better presidents of the era

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                        1. 60

                           Superkevposted 11 years agoin reply to this

                           We will see if you are still so confident after a Special Prosecutor is named.
                           
                           If Obama did nothing else his whole term he would still go down as one of the most incompetent presidents in history.

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                           1. 69

                              Cody Hodge5posted 11 years agoin reply to this

                              Well, there isn't going to be, so have fun with that.
                              
                              And most objective scholars rate him well head of Bush, just beneath Clinton and for some reason below Reagan.
                              
                              Ya know, the one who was actively involved in selling weapons to Iran even though it was expressly illegal to do so.....

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   3. 73

      Quilligrapherposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Hi there, Superkev. You have chosen to go way beyond the scope of the OP statement. Most of your claims pre-date President Obama’s current term. However, if Ms. Williams will excuse me, I will attempt to address some of your mis-statements.
      
      Sadly, you have been misinformed big time. No evidence has surfaced to indicate DOJ has tapped the phones of either AP or Fox News personnel. Even House Speaker John Boehner misrepresented the truth when he said, “You’ve got the Justice Department tapping the phones of those in the media.” Unfortunately, both you and he are wrong. {1} The lesson is clear: reliable sources are crucial to knowing what is happening in Washington.
      
      Superkev wrote:
      “Gas prices $3.70 US avg.”
      
      Another example of ill-informed regurgitated false talking points. During the Bush II years, the average price of gasoline nearly tripled to a peak of $4.09 in July 2008. After President Bush left office, gasoline prices fell and they have never reached the $4.09 price level again. {2}
      
      Superkev wrote:
      “48 million Americans on food stamps.”
      
      A minimal amount of research reveals the number of SNAP recipients in America (15.2%) as of February 2013 is roughly the same percentage as American workers affected by unemployment or underemployment (14.3 percent) according to the US Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics U-6 Measure. In addition, SNAP contributes to local economies. “Based on USDA research, it is estimated that each one dollar in federally funded SNAP benefits generates $1.79 in economic activity.” {3} I am sure there are many who would prefer to see the unemployed eat cake. As jobs continue to grow, the need for food stamps will decline. “Of those receiving unemployment insurance benefits, many are also in anti-poverty programs,” observes realclearpolicy.com. {4}
      
      Superkev wrote:
      “Unemployment STILL above 7.5%.”
      
      In response to this criticism, I say, “Thank you, Mr. President.” The unemployment rate was 7.6 % when President Obama entered the oval office in Jan 2009. Some folks find it hard to admit some things have actually improved under this administration. {5} Furthermore, the U-6 rate today is 13.8%. In January 2009 it was 14.2%. {6} Thank you again, Mr. President.
      
      Now, when it comes to grading the first four months of President Obama’s second term, here are a few Obama “test scores” you have chosen to ignore:
      
      The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose from 7,949 to 15,248 between Jan 20, 2009 and today’s closing. Therefore, investors’ equity and pension holdings, both in the private and the public sectors, have appreciated nearly 92% during the years of President Obama’s administration. The anemic economy inherited from President Bush II is healing under the current administration. Anyone who cannot see this surely needs to expand his or her news sources.
      
      In addition, President Obama continues to confront North Korea with isolation and reprisals because of their nuclear weapons and missile technology programs. The president rightly demands they take verifiable steps toward denuclearization or face increasing isolation and costs from the United States and the international community. This is called diplomacy. It is an art form seldom seen in this country between 2001 to 2008.
      
      I hope that you noticed, Kev, that the President signed the extension of the Violence Against Women Act after it passed the House with unanimous support from Democratic representatives.
      
      Wait, there is more. Between February 22 and May 13, 2013, President Obama has held meeting in the White House with… 
      Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan,
      Prime Minister Lee Hsein Loong of Singapore,
      United Nation's Secretary General Ban Ki-moon,
      Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Zyed of the UAE,
      Prime Minister Abe of Japan (twice),
      Jordan's King Abdullah II,
      Park Seunhye of the Republic of Korea, and
      Prime Minister David Cameron of the United Kingdom.
      
      Leaving the comfort zone of the Oval Office, President Obama has traveled to Israel to meet with President Shimon Peres and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The following day he met with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and, later in the day spoke at the Jerusalem International Convention Center. He met the next day with King Abdullah II of Jordan.
      
      In the same short time span, President Obama has been to Mexico to confer with President Enrique Pena Nieto and to Costa Rica to huddle with President Chinchilla.
      
      Therefore, Kev, I will give President Obama a C+. It would have been a B- had he been able to get past the GOP stonewalling in the Congress.
      
      My thanks to you for sharing with us. I have learned a lot.
      
      {1} http://www.bizjournals.com/bizjournals/ … versy.html
      {2}http://data.bls.gov/cgi-bin/surveymost?ap  sellect “Gasoline, Unleaded Regular”
      {3} http://frac.org/reports-and-resources/s … tion-data/
      {4} http://www.realclearpolicy.com/blog/201 … s_470.html
      {5} http://www.davemanuel.com/historical-un … states.php
      {6} http://portalseven.com/employment/unemp … ate_u6.jsp

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         gmwilliamsposted 11 years agoin reply to this

         Go ahead Quilligrapher, I always anticipate and welcome your gentlemanly wisdom on the forums.

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            Quilligrapherposted 11 years agoin reply to this

            Thank you, Ms. Williams.
            

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         retief2000posted 11 years agoin reply to this

         You are a thorough fellow - research is undervalued.  I am heartened that such skills are still alive and well.

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            Quilligrapherposted 11 years agoin reply to this

            I sincerely appreciate your kind words.
            

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   Mighty Momposted 11 years ago

   Interesting historical perspective of unemployment rates by year.
   Last time unemployment was over 9 percent was under ... Reagan.
   
   http://data.bls.gov/timeseries/LNU04000 … =all_years

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      Superkevposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      So those months of +10% under Obama don't count somehow??
      
      How does that work? You just don't want it to be true?

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         Mighty Momposted 11 years agoin reply to this

         Of COURSE they count.
         But what did you expect? Obama to wave his magic wand (same one he
         apparently has to lower gas prices) and *poof* unemployment's back down to 5%?
         
         Did you somehow miss the GREAT RECESSION? Whether conservatives
         like to admit it or not, was set up under Bush and hit in 2008.
         
         Why is unemployment still as high as it is?
         I dunno.
         Good question to ask John Boehner, tho.

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            Superkevposted 11 years agoin reply to this

            Remember when Obama promised MILLIONS of Green Energy Jobs and Nancy Pelosi said that passing Obama care would result in 400,000 jobs "almost immediately"?
            
            Good times

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   innersmiffposted 11 years ago

   How come all Presidents are worse than the one before him?
   
   Let's see:
   More wars of aggression
   Continued police-state-ism
   Continued economic folly
   Continuation of the war on drugs
   More government intervention in healthcare and education, inevitably making them worse and more expensive.
   
   Does an F do it justice?

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      retief2000posted 11 years agoin reply to this

      If his goal is to accomplish all those things you take issue with than he has been rather successful.  If success at achieving one's goals is the measure I maintain he deserves an A+.  He said he would transform America and he is succeeding brilliantly in its transformation.

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   AJReissigposted 11 years ago

   Let's face it, it has been a long time since we had a mediocre President, and a very long time sine we had a great one.  And if you looking for a stellar one... well, don't bother looking at any of the ones from the 20th century.
   But seriously, look at the badgering back and forth between 2 parties that are more similar than different.  The Repubs are the party of big government and big oil. The dems are the party of welfare state economics and lawyers. Neither care about individual liberty.  This whole discussion is nothing but mudslinging at the two dirtiest pigs on the farm.

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