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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsObama.... objectively comparing to Bush
Comparing Obama against "Ideal Liberal President" is always going to result in him coming up short. But compare Obama to his predecessor, and he has been a resounding success, especially when you look at the big picture items.
- Obama got bin Laden.... Bush let him get away at Tora Bora.
- Obama took an economy in recession and presided over its return to growth. Bush took a booming economy and took it to the worst recession in 80 years.
- Obama took a DJIA that was at 7900 and presided over its rise to 16500. Bush took a DJIA that was at 10500 and presided over its fall to 7900.
- Bush took a budget surplus and turned it into a 1.4 trillion annual deficit. Obama took a 1.4 trillion annual deficit and turned it into a 0.5 annual deficit (and dropping).
- Bush took us into two wars that cost 5,000 American lives. Obama got us out of those wars.
- Bush was willing to let the American Auto Industry die, offering up a measly aid package that would've only forestalled the inevitable. Obama save the American Auto Industry.... and with it, 1.2 million good-paying jobs..... for what turned out to be a price tag of about $10 billion (the amount the government lost after divesting of GM and Chrysler shares). That's less than $1000 per job saved. Well worth it.
By every measure possible.... Obama, as compared to Bush, has been a resounding success.
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NYC_SKP
(68,644 posts)
dionysus
(26,467 posts)
JoePhilly
(27,787 posts)passed the largest stimulus ever, stopped a 2nd great depression, ended DADT, oversaw end of DOMA (will happen), ended Afgan war (will happen), passed major health care legislation that has already given millions access to care they need ...
... they'd be carving his face on Mt. Rushmore already.
1StrongBlackMan
(31,849 posts)well ... {Insert imaginary Uber-progressive here} could'a/would'a done better!
pansypoo53219
(23,034 posts)where's our pony?
AAO
(3,300 posts)
underpants
(196,493 posts)
Hekate
(100,133 posts)
Jamaal510
(10,893 posts)in order for a (Democratic) President to have an "ideal liberal" agenda, he or she must have a cooperative Congress. Both FDR and LBJ did. Obama, however, does not. In the beginning of his first term, Democrats briefly held a Senate supermajority in addition to a House majority until Ted Kennedy passed away. Ever since then, it has been an uphill climb, and gerrymandering certainly has not helped matters.
VWolf
(3,944 posts)comparing ANYTHING to the Bush administration is setting the bar very, very low!
1StrongBlackMan
(31,849 posts)compare him to Clinton, or LBJ, or FDR (controlling for the congressional environment).
VWolf
(3,944 posts)We are Democrats - we have higher standards. 
1StrongBlackMan
(31,849 posts)the non-existing "Ideal Liberal President."
okaawhatever
(9,565 posts)hope and change? They're not paying attention. If you look at all the smaller things Obama has accomplished there is a lot of change there. The BLM stand off is directly tied to major changes in the environment, land management and designation of federal lands Obama and his admin have been working on for 5 years. This fall will see a lot of the changes put into place. Bush auctioned off the rights to drill on the land. (halted by Obama 2 wks into his 1st term and later found illegal by a federal court).
Here is a report titled "Turning Point for the Bureau of Land Management" by the Center for American Progress from December 2013, long before the Bundy standoff. People don't hear about these things because the MSM refuses to cover a lot of the successes with the environment.
http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/green/report/2013/12/18/81291/a-turning-point-for-the-bureau-of-land-management/
VWolf
(3,944 posts)that we need to set the bar a bit higher and compare President Obama with the likes of Clinton, LBJ, JFK and FDR, as 1SBM mentioned above.
We're Democrats, after all.
And on those terms, I give our president decent marks.
okaawhatever
(9,565 posts)about the ACA not being single-payer, but he never ran on single-payer so I don't think we should criticize that. Some other campaign promises he still has to work on (like immigration reform)
1StrongBlackMan
(31,849 posts)wait ... that was before he was running. Never-mind.
okaawhatever
(9,565 posts)it's not clear that he was saying he would implement it. I know you were joking in your response, but i'm putting this out there for people who refuse to read Snopes. Every other time he said he liked single-payer but didn't think it would work with the system we currently have.
We don't do a good job of looking at campaign promises and where they are on those. I don't think it's as important if he's a FDR Democrat or a LBJ Democrat, is he the Democrat he advertised? If he isn't, is there a good reason?
1StrongBlackMan
(31,849 posts)you keep taking stuff in context; rather than, parsing out just the parts that support your point (but only if you cut out the other half that was said).
okaawhatever
(9,565 posts)AAO
(3,300 posts)He never had a BJ in the oval orifice.
He never quit when times looked tough.
He didn't have sex with Marilyn Monroe
He never had an open marriage.
Damn, he's a freaking Saint! 
1StrongBlackMan
(31,849 posts)had FDR or LBJ had the current congress, they would not have accomplish nearly as much as they did. Clinton's congress came close; but he did not have an entire wing of his caucus willing to defect on his initiatives at the drop of a gop ad/talking point.
okaawhatever
(9,565 posts)A lot was accomplished when Obama had a congress who was majority Democratic.
1StrongBlackMan
(31,849 posts)legendary "Ranch Treatments." But to not acknowledge the difference in the times, especially with respect to the legislators' timber, is to be historically delinquent.
Could you imagine, in this time of smart-phones and whiny politicians willing to use them and a voyeuristic media willing to give it play, LBJ trying to strong-arm a legislator? Now add to that, make LBJ Black, and trying to strong-arm a legislator.
The video would be out, and the press conference called, before the legislator left the ranch.
okaawhatever
(9,565 posts)Scuba
(53,475 posts)
Enthusiast
(50,983 posts)
That's why we have such piss poor Republicans.
So we can always say, "But look how much better he is than the Republican."
woo me with science
(32,139 posts)hyping any atrocity in North Korea and mocking claims from North Korea that our standard of living is poor.
Well, DUH. I am more interested in comparisons with Finland, Sweden, Australia....countries we should be comparing ourselves to. Countries that have social and economic systems that are more humane and respectful of human dignity than ours.
We are constantly urged to compare what we have with some of the worst hellholes on earth, and to compare our politicians to Bush. I guess that makes it a lot easier to sell complacency about the corrupt and predatory status quo in the good old USA.
DFW
(60,182 posts)Otherwise known as Justice "This Is Terrible."
She could have let the 2000 election be decided by the voters. Instead, she decided it herself.
Cheney running the country led to 9/11, Iraq and, worst of all for America, Roberts and Alito on the Supreme Court.
Roberts and Alito on the Court led to the Kochs, Adelson etc. pouring hundreds of millions in dirty money into the campaigns of 2010. The Election of 2010 led to the gridlock in Congress we now have, plus further gerrymandering, the advances by the religious ignorant, and the partial dismantling of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. And just wait until a test for Roe v. Wade comes up before a 5-4 solidly Catholic majority owned by the extremist right.
It was just too much to ask of history to allow Al Gore to become President of the United States in 2001. What a different place our country would have been. What a different place the world would have been.
Enthusiast
(50,983 posts)
wyldwolf
(43,891 posts)okaawhatever
(9,565 posts)Lily Ledbetter Act
Opening up military jobs to women
The DREAM Act
Obama also doubled funding for the Manufacturing Extension Partnership which is designed to improve manufacturing efficiency.
Obama signed and fought for the Helping Families Save Their Homes Act, expanding on the Making Home Affordable Program to help millions of Americans avoid preventable foreclosures. The bill also provided $2.2 billion to help combat homelessness, and to stabilize the housing market.
Worker, Home Ownership, and Business Assistance Act of 2009, Obama and Congressional Democrats provided tax credits to first-time home buyers, which helped the U.S. housing market recovery
He created a $60 billion bank to fund infrastructure improvements such as roads and bridges
Through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, Obama saved at least 300,000 education jobs, such as teachers, principals, librarians, and counselors that would have otherwise been lost.
Made higher fuel efficiency standards part of the Auto Bailout
Obama dismantled the Minerals Management Service, thereby moving forward to cut ties between energy companies and the government.
FATCA-Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act
He made a deal with Swiss banks that permits the US government to gain access to the records of criminals and tax evaders. He has also recovered over 1.5 Billion in fines from the banks and unknown amounts of tax dollars
Took the student loan program back from the banks. Prior to Obama the American taxpayers were responsible for defaulted student loans but the banks received all the profits. Now, the gov't "owns" the loans and the banks are paid a percentage to process the loans. This has resulted in billions being taken from the banks and put back into the education system (Yes, so far Obama has taken all the surplus and reinvested back into education).
He extended benefits to same-sex partners of federal employees.
He issued a Presidential Memorandum reaffirming the rights of gay couples to make medical decisions for each other
Obama has appointed more openly gay officials than anyone in history.
Obama wrote and signed an Executive Order establishing a White House Council on Women and Girls to ensure that all Cabinet and Cabinet-level agencies evaluate the effect of their policies and programs on women and families.
He expanded funding for the Violence Against Women Act
He authorized a $1.4 billion reduction in Star Wars program in 2010
I could go on.....
heaven05
(18,124 posts)
okaawhatever
(9,565 posts)Recognized the Dangers of Carbon Dioxide: In 2009, EPA declared carbon dioxide a pollutant, allowing the agency to regulate its production.
Provided Payment to Wronged Minority Farmers: In 2009, signed Claims Resolution Act, which provided $4.6 billion in funding for a legal settlement with black and Native American farmers who the government cheated out of loans and natural resource royalties in years past.
Invested Heavily in Renewable Technology: As part of the 2009 stimulus, invested $90 billion, more than any previous administration, in research on smart grids, energy efficiency, electric cars, renewable electricity generation, cleaner coal, and biofuels.
Expanded National Service: Signed Serve America Act in 2009, which authorized a tripling of the size of AmeriCorps. Program grew 13 percent to 85,000 members across the country by 2012, when new House GOP majority refused to appropriate more funds for further expansion.
Achieved New START Treaty: Signed with Russia (2010) and won ratification in Congress (2011) of treaty that limits each country to 1,550 strategic warheads (down from 2,200) and 700 launchers (down from more than 1,400), and reestablished and strengthened a monitoring and transparency program that had lapsed in 2009, through which each country can monitor the other.
Reversed Bush Torture Policies: Two days after taking office, nullified Bush-era rulings that had allowed detainees in U.S. custody to undergo certain “enhanced” interrogation techniques considered inhumane under the Geneva Conventions. Also released the secret Bush legal rulings supporting the use of these techniques.
Expanded Health Coverage for Children: Signed 2009 Children’s Health Insurance Authorization Act, which allows the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) to cover health care for 4 million more children, paid for by a tax increase on tobacco products.
heaven05
(18,124 posts)that has quietly tried to address some serious issues facing ALL americans. Thanks for that. With all the smoke and mirrors on here and elsewhere about what a terrible POTUS he is, a reminder, that he has done more in six years than all the recent RW holders/thieves, since and including Ronnie, is refreshing. 
wryter2000
(47,940 posts)According to DU, there's no difference between Bush and Obama except for the issues where Obama is worse than Bush.
okaawhatever
(9,565 posts)
FSogol
(47,623 posts)
m-lekktor
(3,675 posts)
AAO
(3,300 posts)Bush took a DJIA that was at 10500 and presided over its fall to 7900. (I believe the highest DJIA during the Bush admin was over 14,000 at least). He really screwed the pooch.
scheming daemons
(25,487 posts)AAO
(3,300 posts)The biggest failure of a president since Ford. OMG - I take that back. The biggest failure since Ronald Reagan.