When Barack Obama moved into the Oval Office in January of 2009 the unemployment rate in America was 7.3% (Bureau of Labor Statistics); 143.3 million Americans had jobs (BLS); the average household had annual income of $52,546 (Census Bureau); 13.2% of Americans were classified as living in poverty (Census); and outstanding federal debt was $9.97 trillion (Bureau of Economic Analysis), which was 69% of GDP (BEA). Today the unemployment rate is 7.8% (up .5%, and likely to be revised back above 8% next month); 143 million Americans have jobs (down 300,000); average household income has fallen nearly 5% to $50,054; 15.0% of Americans are living in poverty (up 1.8%); and by the end of this year federal debt will have grown more than 60% in four years to over $16 trillion, amounting to more than 100% of Gross Domestic Product.
Since Obama has been in office the economy (as measured by GDP) has grown at an average rate of 1.5% (BEA), well below the long term average of 3.4%; the federal budget deficit has averaged 9% of GDP (Office of Management and Budget), 50% higher than the 6% peak recorded in any one year since World War Two; and federal spending has averaged 25.1% of GDP (OMB), 25% higher than the long term average of around 20%. These numbers reflect an economy that is going nowhere, while creating debts that will impoverish our children and grandchildren. Of course why would anyone expect Obama to be able to create jobs and pursue policies that stimulate economic growth when he has never had any experience or education in economics. He is clueless and always will be.
During Obama's time in office the US has lost influence in every country in the world. International terrorists continue to plot attacks against America. Iran continues to develop nuclear weapons and long range delivery systems. The Muslim Brotherhood is becoming stronger throughout the Middle East. Latin American leaders openly work against American interests. Russia and China are flexing their muscles, building up their military capabilities, and becoming more belligerent. Under Obama's watch the world has become a much more dangerous place.
The idea that Barack Obama could be re-elected, given his record both domestic and foreign, truly challenges comprehension. It just provides more evidence that a good salesman who can convincingly lie about his substandard product while disparaging his competitors can sell anything to a gullible public that doesn't do its homework and believes in fairy tales. Maybe Americans don't want to know because they can't handle the truth.
It might be instructive for Obama supporters to take off their blinders and see what group has thrived during the Obama years - those at the bottom or those at the top. They may notice the rich have gotten richer while the poor are worse off, even though the rich guys and politicians were the ones who caused all of our current problems in the first place. Democrats traditional rhetoric of looking out for the little guy has always been a bunch of crap, as evidenced by the last four years of bailing out the rich with government support for the financial industry through record low interest rates that punish the incomes and savings of the middle and lower classes. How long can Democratic Party voters be blind to the evidence and continue to fall for the bullshit?
Finally, one has to ask those who support Obama if they have children. If they do, they must really hate them. Why would anyone want to exponentially increase the financial burden on their children to support those who were not prudent enough to provide for their own retirement years? The vast majority of those over 65 will take substantially more out of social security and Medicare than they ever put in. We can't borrow money forever to make up this difference. Foreign investors have already stopped buying our government debt, with our own Federal Reserve now funding nearly the entire gap by printing money. Have we gone from the Greatest Generation to the most selfish in just one generation, or have liberal policies and multi-culturalism led to the loss of the traditional morals and principles that made America great? We will find out in about a week.
