As U.S. recession bites, Ohio hopes fade for Obama

[Joanne98]

Source: Reuters

TOLEDO, Ohio (Reuters) - Hope and jobs are in short supply in Ohio eight months after President Barack Obama won the recession-battered state in the 2008 election with promises of a better future.

"People were looking for a savior to get us out of this mess and that's why they voted for Obama," said Jeff Fravor, 55, a retired train conductor on his way to breakfast on the outskirts of Toledo.

"I've nothing against Obama personally, but he's new to the job and 'hope' won't fix this mess."

Candidate Obama delivered his message over and over again in Ohio, a politically diverse battleground state that often decides presidential elections. Obama went back to the state last week with an approval rating below 50 percent.

A Quinnipiac University opinion poll released on July 7 showed the Democratic president's popularity in America's seventh most populous state had fallen to 49 percent from 62 per cent in May. Even worse for Obama, 48 percent said they disapproved of his handling of the U.S. economy, with 46 percent approving.

The reason for the poll drop? Rising unemployment.

The downturn has pummeled Ohio's manufacturing base.

"As jobs have gone away, that has created a true focus here on job creation," said Andrew Doehrel, head of the Ohio Chamber of Commerce. "People look at what's been done on a federal level in terms of bailouts and stimulus and they see that this has not equated to anything more than lost jobs in Ohio.


Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSTRE56T0SU20090730

[onehandle]

1. "I've nothing against Obama personally, but he's new to the job and 'hope' won't fix this mess."

Anyone who repeats a Fox News mantra like attacking the word 'hope' has their own axe to grind.

[saigon68]

2. The Sheep who watch "FIXED NEWS" are beyond hope

And there are apparently a LOT of them out there

[closeupready]

4. We ignore these warning signs at our own peril.

n/t

[high density]

3. Ohio, the state that brought us the second Bush term

Do they expect Obama to open up some government factories to make some widgets? Then they'd be crying socialism. Oh wait, people are doing that already. I don't understand their demands or what Obama is supposed to do to fulfill them. It's just "Obama sucks, there are no jobs, and Obama didn't give me a job." The job story is the same in any state right now. Thank corporate America and their short-sighted goals for short term profits with cheap offshore labor.

[LeftinOH]

8. +1... Obama's not going to build factories. He's not gonna do your laundry, either.

[Romulox]

11. He *IS* going to appoint neo-libs to his economic team, though.

Ones who send trillions to their friends and colleagues in Wall Street while simultaneously preaching the "free market" for Ohio. :hi:

[LeftinOH]

5. Ohio has been hemorrhaging jobs for many years, especially in manufacturing-

Obama wasn't voted in to fill the role of "savior" (that's exclusively a right wing label); Mr Fravor obviously wasn't one of BO's supporters in the first place. Health care reform is part of the solution -people just don't get it.

[madrchsod]

6. people can not wait for the hope of jobs and medical care...

with in the last month my area has lost 350 well paying industrial jobs. that`s adding to the almost 5000 people who are unemployed or part time drawing employment. there`s hundreds of union members out of work because there is no "shovel ready jobs" or any commercial or housing constution.

jeff and andrew are telling the truth.

[OHdem10]

7. This is going to happen in many states.-- Obama, the Free Trader

Most rank and file Democrats voted for change.

We have gotten Republican Lite Policies. Health Care is
the Perfect Example.

I like Obama but he made a serious mistake by depending
on Congress (House and Senate) to write Legislation.

On the stimulus the perception is the House and Senate
just put a bunch of earmarks together paying back
Campaign Debts. No systematic Infrastructure Repair
to build jobs. States used the money to tidy up their
"books" instead of providing jobs.

The biggest mistake was not passionately explaining what
was going on.

Perception is reality. The Reality is the Dems on the Hill
screwed things up for Obama. The Reality is Obama will
take the hit for it.

Until the Democrats learn to use Television effectively
to sell their programs the GOP will win.

The Health Care is a GOP win.

[Mojorabbit]

13. "The Health Care is a GOP win"

I am agreeing here. When I read on my pressure cooking list that the new health plan is going to force ill people into an early death, I know we have lost the framing and information battle to the right wing.

[greengestalt]

9. Tariffs

A way to turn this around is the Tariff, followed by holding Obama up to his promise of ending tax breaks and subsidies to companies that outsource. I'm sure we all here know that despite death camp wages overseas, the "Savings" are eaten up by bribery, piracy, instability and the cost of fuel. The latter alone makes the difference.


In the past, people were allergic to these trade barriers, thanks to media propaganda and relatively good times. If anyone does any local activism, it's a good time now to start calling for these measures. Make it more expensive to produce something overseas, jobs will flood back here quick.

[Romulox]

10. I would've thought sending trillions to Wall Street and then waiting would've solved the problem?

As the above poster suggests, perhaps more Austan Goolsbee style "free trade" (subsidized with plenty of Treasury guarantees, of course) will solve our economic woes? :shrug:

[Berry Cool]

12. As a person from Ohio, allow me to report how I see it (no one talked to me for this article):

I think the media dearly want to write Ohio off for Obama right now--some of them. And YOU are swallowing it whole.

These are the same people who are saying that the COUNTRY in general is already tired of Obama because in just a few short months, he hasn't solved all our problems and given us a pony yet. You criticize and question them when they say that, but when they tell you that's how OHIO feels? Well, then, it's safe to ridicule us and assume we're all a bunch of dumbass Fox News watchers, isn't it?

Take it and stick it up your...assumptions.

OHIO is not tired of Obama. Ohio is tired of recession and a shitty economy. Yes, we did vote for Obama to help change it. But you know what? This crap wasn't built in a day, and most of us don't expect him or anyone else to solve it quickly. We have been in recession for YEARS. DECADES. If anyone expected Obama to wave a magic wand and make it go away, they were an idiot.

The problem is, the longer one has been down, the more quickly one needs help. This means that if you've been down for a long time and you ask someone to help you, and you don't see some sort of positive sign quickly for your situation after that, the discouragement and disillusionment (from having been beaten down and unhelped for so long) can come quickly, even if you know in your brain that change will take time.

Also, read the other quotes from Ohioans:

"Americans always want a quick fix to problems, but they are going to relearn patience this time round."

"Obama set expectations too high here and six months later, things haven't got better, so some people are losing hope...When people are out of work for a long time, they become very impatient."

"Everybody is having a hard time just existing right now...All businesses have been hit, so everybody's giving everybody a break right now...(Obama)'s trying to satisfy everyone at once and he's trying to rush everything through Congress. But if you rush like that, you're bound to make mistakes."

"This is a recession and we live in a manufacturing state. It's going to take time to turn it around."

"Obama is a smart man and he knows how important Ohio is."

Doesn't sound to me like a bunch of dumbass Fox-watchers.

So, please, before you open your mouth again about what Ohio or any other state you don't live in supposedly thinks...think. That's all I ask.

[Jazzgirl]

14. Thannk you for your very timely and spot on remarks Berry.

n/t