More facts to piss off your republican friends

[RecycleMichael]

I'd pick something better to crow about if I were you.  Maintaining an unemployment rate of above 9% for most of his presidency is nothing to point to as an achievement.  It's only been below 9% for four months of his presidency.  He's dropped from the high number under his watch a whopping 1%.  That's embarrassing.  

In comparison, unemployment was at or below 6% for 85 months under President Bush and at or below 5% for 43 months of his presidency.
President Bush turned around a high u/e number of 6.3 in 2003 to a low of 4.4, nearly two points lower.  

Unemployment rates almost doubled when Bush was President, but you want to focus on the middle years when it was stagnant and claim victory? Yet you say that Obama's unemployment going up 25% is embarassing?

Again, you like to use goal posts of the beginning and end of the Bush administration so you can ignore facts like these as well as the massive gains and record high made on the Dow during the Bush years.

Massive gains during the Bush administration? When Bush took office the Dow was at 10,900 and when he left office it was at 8,000. When Clinton took office the Dow was at 3,300 and went up over 300%. Under Obama the Dow has gone from 8,000 to 11,300 for a 40% gain. How can you focus on the highs of 14,000 under Bush and then ignore that it dropped so low?

But I guess when your guy stinks as bad as this one does, you can always resort to trying to blame the previous guy or ignore certain facts to try and make your guy look better.

Right back at ya.[/i]

[Red Arrow]

If there's one thing you can't manipulate, it's statistics.

What planet do you live on?

[Red Arrow]

God forbid there are actually people in this country who have decided not to work. 

If I can afford it, I will decide not to work in about another 6 or so years.  If I don't like the Prez, I'll claim to be looking for work.

[Conan71]

RM- you cherry picked two snap-shots in time eight years apart to illustrate a fallacious point that the economy suffered the entire time Bush was in office.  That's simply bogus.  Yes, you are correct, the unemployment rate was higher the day Bush left office than the day he was sworn in.  Conveniently you've left out the point that average unemployment was 5.3% for both his terms versus the 5.2% under Clinton.  Again, had it not been for the advent of the internet, explosion in communication technology and bio-tech, the Clinton years could have turned out a whole lot different.  Bush managed to turn the 2001 recession around and the economy prospered with no dramatic increases in innovation to benefit from.

Unemployment nearly doubled, going to a high of 10.1 from the Bush average of 5.3 under President Obama.

Now, here's the good news as it relates to the current president: It took roughly 2 1/2 years for the tide to turn from the '01 recession and unemployment was stagnant for quite a few months following that.  I'm looking at the trends for President Obama and perhaps we are close to a steady drop in u/e.  That would be great news for all if that were to happen.

Anyone who didn't make money on the way up with Bush is a total moron.  Anyone who stayed in the market beyond 13 to 13.5K was a chump.  It was obvious there was a huge bubble about to burst.

Next time don't bring a rock to a gun battle.

[RecycleMichael]

Why do you think it is fair to only use the "average" unemployment rate for a President of 96 months to compare to an average unemployment rate for a President of 30 months? Tell that to the millions of Americans who became unemployed under Bush that "average unemployment" was better.

Do you really believe that having the unemployment rate almost double is better than having it go up 25% because on average it was lower?

It is laughable that you accuse me of cherry-picking stats.

[JeffM]

RM, don't argue with a fool, onlookers may not be able to tell the difference... 

Don't flatter yourself Conan.... if government sat there and did nothing in a time of economic crisis in 2009, then thousands and thousands of college students would have had to quit school, the only domestic car company would be Ford, we'd have millions more uninsured than we already have due to the cost of COBRA, and we'd still have double digit unemployment.... but hey, the Bush bailout saved Wall Street....

When I say "partisan hack chattering class," I mean people who are so dogmatic in their anti-gubmint zeal, they can't see the forest for the trees.... like yourself....

Even more facts to piss off dogmatic, partisan hack, republican cult members...

http://www.truthout.org/goodbye-all-reflections-gop-operative-who-left-cult/1314907779

[RecycleMichael]

Anyone who didn't make money on the way up with Bush is a total moron.  Anyone who stayed in the market beyond 13 to 13.5K was a chump.  It was obvious there was a huge bubble about to burst.

Next time don't bring a rock to a gun battle.

So the tens of millions of Americans who have their retirement invested in the stock market are chumps?

How can you possibly believe that having the stock market plummet almost 2,800 points during Bush years term better than having it rise 2,800 points during Obama?

Next time bring a squirt gun because you need to blame something on the wet spot in your pants.

[Conan71]

So the tens of millions of Americans who have their retirement invested in the stock market are chumps?

How can you possibly believe that having the stock market plummet almost 2,800 points during Bush years term better than having it rise 2,800 points during Obama?

Next time bring a squirt gun because you need to blame something on the wet spot in your pants.

The Dow went up roughly 4000 points during the Bush years.  If people aren't educated enough to spread their risk around, and observe the markets, that's hardly the fault of a president.  What will your excuse be if the market plummets again prior to Obama leaving office?

It's amazing how you will completely divorce yourself from reality in order to blame a previous leader just to bolster the image of a failing leader whom you supported.  How is a period of average unemployment not "fair"?  If Obama gets 96 months in office, he can be judged by the same yardstick and I hope his average comes out in the same neighborhood.  You see, I care far more about the well-being of our country rather than being a political tool for my party.

[Gaspar]

"Jane you ignorant s!ut."

[Teatownclown]

Conan, quit it already....those wars cost money. They went to war on a complete fabrication.... a lie. That is the main reason our economy is in the doldrums. That, and the lack of over sight and control of the SEC propagated by everyone from Reagan on down to get home ownership to grow our economy. Now, we need a new vehicle. It's so obvious.

[Teatownclown]

God forbid there are actually people in this country who have decided not to work.  

When there are folks who can decide that making $20,000 per year on unemployment bennies as opposed to making $15,000 on minimum wage their decision is to not work. Perhaps, lower unemployment benefits and raise the minimum rage?

[nathanm]

If Obama gets 96 months in office, he can be judged by the same yardstick and I hope his average comes out in the same neighborhood.

Given his better-than-most average job creation numbers, that seems likely. Presuming McConnell fails at his stated effort to keep the economy in the toilet until after the election so as to prevent Obama from being elected to another term.

[Gaspar]

Given his better-than-most average job creation numbers, that seems likely. Presuming McConnell fails at his stated effort to keep the economy in the toilet until after the election so as to prevent Obama from being elected to another term.

Cough!

You love him a lot, don't you?

[nathanm]

Cough!

You love him a lot, don't you?

No. If I had my druthers he'd be primaried, but that's not going to happen. He is better than the Republican alternatives, or at least the ones likely to win the nomination. The fact of the matter is that Bush left office with fewer people employed than when he took office. Obama has done better than that, so far.

[Gaspar]

No. If I had my druthers he'd be primaried, but that's not going to happen. He is better than the Republican alternatives, or at least the ones likely to win the nomination. The fact of the matter is that Bush left office with fewer people employed than when he took office. Obama has done better than that, so far.

Give him a chance, he's only 3 years into this thing, and he's already broken so many records.