President Obama doesn't get enough credit for his domestic achievements.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

The nation is in infinitely better shape than the one he inherited.

[RKP5637]

1. It definitely is !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! n/t

[LyndaG]

2. Absolutely

I like the way he's been more open about the improvements lately.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

3. The world is chaotic but he isn't the world's sheriff nor can he be expected to be./NT

[Matterate]

4. We are a better nation because of President Obama.

I can't think of anyone at this point in time who could have done a better job.

He strikes the right balance between realism and idealism. And going forward, he is the standard I will use when voting in the primaries.

[MBS]

6. " " " " n/t

[Johonny]

5. Well, this country can't have a discusion about the real Obama and his policies

we are always arguing about Strawman Obama and policies he doesn't support, isn't doing, isn't on the Democratic platform. If we ever talked about Obama's real presidency then we'd have to admit his successes and note most of his failures are due to staying the course on conservative ideas... but once again we only hear about Strawman Obama in the press.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

7. He rescued the United States from the greatest economic crisis in eighty years./NT

[1StrongBlackMan]

11. And ...

Strawman Obama Argument:

No he didn't. The 1% got all the wealth and I still know people that are un/under-employed!

[Johonny]

14. I don't think we even get that deep

How does Obama get credit for the economy when the press spent the past 4 years telling everyone the economy was the worst it has ever been, it was Obama's fault (or maybe Clinton), and wouldn't recover unless we cut food stamps and elected Republicans. Now that the economic gains are fucking obvious... no one dare talk about the economy. Its 24/7 bomb Iran and ISIS might be under your bed. We spend all our time calling him a socialist, keep your hands off my medicare, death panels, Benghazi, tax and spend, lost in diplomacy losing Iraq... as I said yesterday about Cheney. Unless Cheney is a fucking idiot then the man's investments, and thus most of his net worth, probably at least doubled since Obama took office. WTF is Cheney complaining about? But the lazy media never focuses on what Obama actually does. Obama has one of the most under reported Presidencies in the last 100 years, but we sure know a shit lot about all the crap Obama didn't do, like death panels. Then people wonder why Obama doesn't get credit. I tire of the media's policy debates between the Conservative view and the Strawman Obama's view. Just once it would be nice to actually see the democratic party's opinion and position actually debated. Did Obama's tax hike actually lower the budget deficit (it sure fucking did), did it cripple the economy as predicted by every Republican (it sure fucking didn't).... but we won't hear that or about policy and the consequences until IDK Obama's presidency is 20 or 30 years in the rear view mirror.

[F4lconF16]

17. Sorry, but it's true.

I agree that we are far better off in some ways, but in many other ways, we're really not. In a lot of ways, we're worse off (and a lot, at that).

http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2015/01/28/3616308/income-inequality-2013/
http://billmoyers.com/2014/09/29/smart-charts-economic-recovery-1-percent/
http://blogs.wsj.com/economics/2013/09/10/some-95-of-2009-2012-income-gains-went-to-wealthiest-1/

This is the study linked from the wsj article above:
http://eml.berkeley.edu/~saez/saez-UStopincomes-2012.pdf

From that study:


A quick note, though: Obama isn't terrible. He inherited an economy with massive problems, and overall I'm pretty satisfied with him. He's done some good things, and some bad. He's done about as much as I would expect a corporate president would, and as long as we're still in a capitalist system, I don't really think he's going to be able to change much. I just don't like when people claim that he's somehow saving the US, when in reality he's just another establishment president. Reality is harsh for the vast majority of people out there. Let's not deceive ourselves into believing our economic situation has changed in any meaningful way.

[1StrongBlackMan]

19. I know the growth numbers ...

but would suggest (to a suspected loud DU protest) that the growth in income numbers does not reflect what many think it does.

The fact is, the 1%'s income comes from different places than the rest of the population. I suspect if one were to compare the W-2 income growth of the 1% vs. the W-2 income growth of the rest of the population ... the numbers would be much closer.

IOWs, going from unemployed to full-time employment (as many have during the recovery) is/was a part of the recovery that affected far more people, and far more dramatically, than going from a -20 to a 5% return on one's investment income; but, the investment return increase (in its aggregate) will always result in a higher dollar value/share of any recovery.

[F4lconF16]

20. Point taken, and I agree that the numbers can be misleading.

But I'd also say the same for unemployment stats, etc.. I still disagree that this recovery has been successful for the majority of people, and I think the poverty stats reflect that, as well as a number of other statistics.

Thanks for your polite response.

[1StrongBlackMan]

21. And, I hate to quibble; but ...

the recovery HAS, in fact, benefited a majority of people (been successful? ... well, I guess that depends on how one defines that), as reflected by the BLS.

Additionally, no poverty stats that I have seen control for (the character of) population growth. For example, as the Boomers fall out of the labor market, at an increasing rate, due to retirement (with after losing/never having pensions) and/or for health reasons, one would expect (sadly) an up-tick in poverty indicators (e.g., income numbers, increases in supportive services, etc.); but, these are a segment of the population that would be, largely, unaffected by any recovery ... i.e., they would still be have aged out of or exited the labor market due to age-related health reasons.

{I know many see this as "excuse making"/"putting lip-stick on the pig" ... but, getting a/the complete picture is/should not be seen as either.}

[F4lconF16]

23. Hey, quibbling is half the fun of DU.

It's most of what we do

You make a good point about controlling for population growth. Going to have to keep that in mind in the future.

[1StrongBlackMan]

24. I'm agreed your are so open ...

the danger of so much "internet-information" is it's simplistic confirmation bias ... "I hear/read something that supports my point (pre-conceived notion) and that is the end of the inquiry."

Sadly, my academic and professional training won't let me do that.

[Skittles]

27. did you even read the reponse you replied to, past the subject line

just curious

[azurnoir]

8. True enough

but admitting to Obama's successes is also admitting to 'others' failures, which is why we don't see enough of it

[riqster]

9. Dingdingding! We have a winner!

[Maedhros]

10. Perhaps.

But Obama doesn't get nearly enough criticism for his reckless war-making, his prosecution of whistle blowers, his criminalization of investigative journalism, his erosion of civil liberties and his support for the TPP. THIS SHIT HURTS PEOPLE - LOTS OF PEOPLE!

These things are more than sufficiently bad enough to offset modest gains on the domestic front, if we're judging his Presidency on the whole and not cherry-picking.

[mopinko]

13. except we arent.

and he does get a lot of criticism, especially here at du.

so, yeah, i guess the op was talking to you.

[Enthusiast]

18. PLUS ONE, a whole bunch!

[1StrongBlackMan]

25. Perhaps you can speak more to this ...

reckless war-making, his prosecution of whistle blowers, his criminalization of investigative journalism, his erosion of civil liberties and his support for the TPP. THIS SHIT HURTS PEOPLE - LOTS OF PEOPLE!

Because you are anti-war, doesn't make it "reckless" ... most of the world doesn't agree with you. Likewise, there remains debate as to the propriety of the prosecution of "whistle-blowers" and the "criminalization of 'investigative journalism'." Still further, what are these, often referred to, erosion of civil liberties? Finally, his support of something that has not happened, nor do we know what it looks like ... doesn't hurt anyone.

[mcar]

12. He really doesn't DSB

We spend so much time tearing him and each other down we've lost sight of what has been accomplished - and how hard it was in the face of such opposition.

[great white snark]

15. Their disregardance proves just how much they've become blinded by hatred.

Shill? Salesman? His achievements are saving fucking lives:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=6383868

His credit will be given when the haters move on and the unbiased chronicle.

[blkmusclmachine]

16. Meh.

[spanone]

22. history will reflect it.

[1StrongBlackMan]

26. And many here will ...

tell their grand-kids how proud they were of his Presidency ... just as most of white America marched with Dr. King (to hear them tell it)!

I just hope DU caches aren't operable/retrievable then.

[napkinz]

28. "The nation is in infinitely better shape than the one he inherited."