In 3 wks, we’ll hear many overdetermined explanations of a GOP sweep that can be summed up in 3 words: The. Economy. Sucks. #boldpredictions
In 3 wks, we’ll hear many overdetermined explanations of a GOP sweep that can be summed up in 3 words: The. Economy. Sucks. #boldpredictions
You’re missing five words at the end: “Cuz.The.Democrats.Killed.It.”
AML, you are missing two words at the end. “We Think” … actually, it’s more like, “we think because we are completely stupid and have no idea how the economy works.” So really 15 more words at the end there…
dcl – it is refreshing to see someone admit that the Dems “have no idea how the economy works” …
Oh Al, thanks for demonstrating that you have no idea what’s going on. Those that think the present economy is the fault of the democrats have no idea how the economy works. Which you don’t so I’m not surprised.
Absolutely the current economy is the fault of the Democrats, dcl. 2008 and 2009 they could blame on Bush and/or the real estate bubble popping, but by 2010, when the recovery was supposed to hit, their policies are much to blame for the malaise we are experiencing.
So you think that Democrats should have been able in a years time to completely turn around a global recession with an obstructionist Republican congressional delegation in place? You really DO think Obama was supposed to be a miracle worker don’t you?
The way to fix the economy, btw would be a massive public works campagin, ala FDR. I’m guessing you would have vehemently opposed the Democrats proposing that so what have you got to offer? What should they ahve done? Let the economy collpase with no bailouts and stimulus at all? Let Wall Street continue to go unchecked?
AML, The soonest one can rationally expect to see substantive results from the Democrats being in power in next year some time, and probably more like the year after. Baring major events, that generally only ever have a negative impact on the economy, the lead time for federal regulatory changes having any substantive economic impact is generally 2 to 3 years. You do know that right? In other words the disaster in 2008 was the results of actions Bush took two years before it happened in so much as they were the result of Government actions at all.
While we are on the topic, Government action regulatory, tax, monetary, generally have a limited and kludgy impact on the economy. Government spending has a more direct impact on the economy. Had we not pissed away trillions of dollars on irrelevant wars the economy would be in much better shape than it is now. And that sure as shit isn’t Obama’s fault.
dcl #8 – good to see you finally realising that the 2007-2008 Congress actually bears a lot of the responsibility for the economic downturn …
David K #7 – do you *really* want to see this recession turned into Great Depression II ? Cuz that’s what federal spending did during FDR – created and maintained and prolonged the first Great Dcepression …
Had we not pissed away trillions of dollars on irrelevant wars the economy would be in much better shape than it is now. And that sure as shit isn’t Obama’s fault.
dcl is wrong on a number of levels. For one thing, you cannot prove that the economy would be in any better shape had we not gone into Iraq and Afghanistan. Second, you forget that while Bush was in office, Obama and the Dems were full-throated supporters of the “good” war in Afghanistan, which the U.S. was “distracted” from by the “bad” war in Iraq. Granted, the Dems were completely full of shit when they pretended to support the war in Afghanistan back then — support for that war was just a convenient way to score cheap political points against Bush on Iraq — but Obama et al. sure as shit “own” Afghanistan just as much as the GOP. Third, the “stimulus” bill cost more than then entire Iraq war to date. At least the latter has something to show for it.
Irrelevant wars? Yeah because the Iraq sanctions / Saddam / Osama / Taliban were totally irrelevant to global relations and the economy.
As far as the global recession and the Democrats’ failed Keynesian response, Did you somehow miss seeing the G20 leaders do their diplomatic best to poopoo Giethner and his push for further stimulus in response to global economic conditions? Merkel shat all over the idea and pushed for spending cuts instead, and lo and behold, the countries that have followed Germany’s response have fared far better than has the U.S. Not to mention, while card-check and cap-and-trade never quite got across the finish line, they certainly succeeded in putting a damper on companies’ willingness to take risk, hire new employees, and allocate capital. And now this week, I get to attend a Webex to hear how my company is going to slash my health benefits to avoid the Obamacare “Cadillac tax”. Brilliant economic plan there, prez!
I almost forgot how Obama and the Dems have done zilch to extend the Bush tax cuts, except to grandstand and try to turn it into a class warfare election wedge issue, further putting companies and individuals into a “wait-and-see” approach. That is NOT how you jumpstart an economy. If the Dems wanted to get the economy moving, they should have made permanent tax cuts to the corporate income tax and marginal tax rates, and met that fiscal challenge with discretionary spending reductions and entitlement reform.