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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region Forums"Are you better off now? You damn right you are!"
"4 years ago we were losing 750k jobs a month. Now we're not. We had 2 wars. Now we don't. We didn't know where Bin Laden was. Now we do. Health insurance rates were growing at a blistering pace. Now they're not. The DOW was at 6000. Now it's at 13,000. Are you better off now? You damn right you are!"Real comment under this Obama Campaign video featuring Harold and Kumar:
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chloes1
(88 posts)Bush was in office, so umm... hell yeah I'm better off!
I have confidence that should my health improve to allow me to work again I'll be able to buy health insurance, something I could not have done before.
I have hope that my son will continue to have the opportunities to go to college, and not beggar me in the process.
I see around me in my small little community the signs of economic recovery, there are some jobs coming around, well at least there were tourist season. We are a tourist town, and in the winter there isn't much to be had. This summer, for the first time in two years there were job openings.
Life is better now than it was then!
What about for you?
Surya Gayatri
(15,445 posts)linked to the zone crisis.
But, yes, I can say I'm at least as well off as four years ago. I've been able to retire on a pension that allows me to live decently.
I can still afford to live in one of the most beautiful cities in the world.
Not so takcy!
Surya Gayatri
(15,445 posts)Sherman A1
(38,958 posts)still_one
(92,454 posts)The administration is, but I am not sure about others
There was a post here a couple of days ago from a person who had been out of work for two years.
I suggest while things have improved, there are a lot of people still hurting
Surya Gayatri
(15,445 posts)Believe me, there will be genuine compassion on display in Charlotte--not the "faux" concern we saw in Tampa.
Live and Learn
(12,769 posts)Hell yes.
Surya Gayatri
(15,445 posts)Laura PourMeADrink
(42,770 posts)finally, finally, the Obama surrogates are on TV ticking off all that had improved.
It's almost like everyone said "hey, let's all get on the same page and come
up with a list of accomplishments." Sorry, this is a "duh" moment, but SO
glad it happened.
Surya Gayatri
(15,445 posts)the alarm bells at the station house, and the whole crew has come charging to the rescue.
Now, finally, they seem to be fighting fire with fire!
Laura PourMeADrink
(42,770 posts)splicing. He definitely had his act together on an answer last night though. Man, he is
the calmest politician I have ever seen. He kind of reminds me of a hypnotist putting
someone to sleep..."You are getting sleepy." :>
The whole thing almost makes me think someone would hesitate when asked about healthcare law. Surely,
there can be some list of pros that we all can repeat over and over. How about just the human aspect
of helping those who need help? My Dad's best friend had the exact same thing Reagan had - colon
cancer. Reagan survived that because he had the very best doctors. My Dad's friend complained to
his about continued pain, was ignored, and died.
Surya Gayatri
(15,445 posts)3 or 4 bumper sticker-size talking points.
fasttense
(17,301 posts)That's a tough question.
My husband and I got laid off in 2009 and we have found no jobs since then. We started a small business by working the farm and selling specialty farm products. My husband says it's a much better job. We are our own boss. We determine the goals. But it's a lot of work for a lot less money.
In 2008, we had 2 kids in college and we could buy just about anything we needed or wanted. Today, we are on a very tight budget and the kids are struggling to get through Grad School and college.
So financially we are much worse off. I think the RepubliCONS are trying to reach people like us with that better off meme. But we know who got us into this mess and it wasn't Obama. Obama and the Democratic Congress could have done a whole lot more to help the middle class and they could have done more to help unions and Democratic voters. But they didn't. They instead bailed out banks (as did the bushes), gave tax cuts to the uber rich (as did the bushes), and somewhat improved the health care situation (which the bushes couldn't care less about).
We are better off because we don't have to cringe every time our stupid president decides to open his mouth. We don't have to worry that another war for oil will be started so a politician can get reelected. We don't have to worry that another supreme court justice will be appointed who is taking bribes from corporations and wants to destroy the middle class. So, in some respects we are better off.
If a RepubliCON had been elected in 2008, we would have been even worse off. And if a RepubliCON gets elected into the White House or they takeover congress, we will be much worse off just like we were under bush.
Surya Gayatri
(15,445 posts)Sure, we all have issues with the way some things were done and not done.
But, the bottom line is definitely in the assets column--things are better.
gkhouston
(21,642 posts)Four years ago, we had a good steady household income and health insurance. Now, we have neither... but we blame Republicans. If they'd behaved as statesmen instead of the most venal type of politician, the jobs recovery would be much further along and we'd be better off. It's one thing to want your side to win--it's another to want it so badly that you don't care how much damage you do to the US and its people to "win".
Lesleymo
(236 posts)Are you better off now than you were 4 years ago? Do you *remember* 4 years ago?? We all need to go back and remember just how bad things were under the GWB administration. The country was sliding off a cliff, and now the right-wingers are pretending it all began in 2009. Let's talk about 4 years ago - or 6 years ago - or 8 years ago.
The Obama team should take this meme and run with it.
Surya Gayatri
(15,445 posts)reading from the same page.
wake.up.america
(3,334 posts)Surya Gayatri
(15,445 posts)seen America's image improve before my very own eyes.
No comparison! President Obama is genuinely loved.
cali
(114,904 posts)I am not. However, I shudder to think where I'll be if R/R is elected:
Totally fucked.
Surya Gayatri
(15,445 posts)oldsarge54
(582 posts)On the other hand, I don't blame the President. Prostate cancer and a heart attack tends to put a cramp on things. So, as I am on the sidelines, I watch instead. Well, I do some volunteer work in the prosthetics part of the wounded warrior center here. However, the popularity rating for Congress is well deserved, as they have done their darndest to prevent the President to keep his promises and wish list. My only disappointments in what the President wanted to do and did are small and personal. He did say he wanted to wave the penalties for dipping into your 503b, 401K due to economic stress. Shucky darn, couldn't get that past Congress. Wi-fi for everyone would have been nice, I live out in the country and I'm stuck with so called "fair use" carriers for the net. Business lobbyist killed that idea. Otherwise, I think he did a fair job given the opposition faced.
Surya Gayatri
(15,445 posts)sending you some positive healing vibes.
Thanks, too, for the fair assessment. You, sir, are a liberal worthy of the name.
You understand the idea of the "greater good for the greater number", putting aside merely personal concerns.
"My only disappointments in what the President wanted to do and did are small and personal."
FailureToCommunicate
(14,026 posts)(Winston Churchill) They also serve who only stand and wait. Or "watch"
Sounds like you are doing a lot from "the sidelines"
2pooped2pop
(5,420 posts)than I was 4 years ago. But my Country is. And I would be in a much worse position, muchmuchmuchworse, if McCain had won. Now if we had controlled the house and Senate as well, I would be much much much better off, and so would my Country.
Surya Gayatri
(15,445 posts)on the crest of this positive energy from Charlotte.
That landslide will help all Dems down ticket and with luck, give PBO a Congress he can work with!
liberal N proud
(60,347 posts)set forth by a republican administration.
Surya Gayatri
(15,445 posts)positive talking points out on the stump.
But, yes, you're right, of course. Now, to convince those "low-information" voters.
edit: typo
marmar
(77,097 posts)....... and though it might be true in some statistical measures, it's not a widespread perception -- and we know Americans don't handle nuance very well. A fairly recent poll showed that 54 percent of people think the economy is getting worse. And people probably aren't going to get to excited over an increase in the Dow Industrial Average - they'll see that as more feed for the 1% pigs at the trough.
Surya Gayatri
(15,445 posts)to see things from a broader, less ego-centric point of view.
The quotation in the OP isn't my writing, it's a comment from the Obama Campaign YouTube site.
The Obama surrogates who've been answering the "4 years ago" question are not using the Dow Jones argument, but are using the Bin Laden, 750k jobs, etc. points with success.
See DUer oldsarge's post as an example of how the debate must be framed:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10021264131#post19
DesertRat
(27,995 posts)renate
(13,776 posts)I hope one of Obama's surrogates answers the question with this.