Obama reelection 2012

[Moonlight J]

Good & bad economic news for Obama

http://www.gallup.com/poll/152624/Economic-Confidence-Best-Year.aspx

U.S. economic confidence continues to improve, consistent with January's modest improvement in unemployment and job creation. Wall Street as well as Main Street seems to feel that the overall economy is improving, if slowly. Even investors' fears about the European financial crisis seem to be moderating to some degree. As a result, economic confidence seems poised to potentially break its four-year ceiling to reach its highest level in the weeks ahead.

Still, the U.S. Federal Reserve continues to talk about a moderate recovery -- so moderate that it plans to keep interest rates low for several years. More significantly, gas prices are at their highest level ever for this time of year, and are continuing to increase. Soaring gas prices have tempered consumer optimism on many occasions in the past. Additionally, Gallup finds unemployment ticking higher in recent days, making it possible the U.S. government will not report another decrease in the unemployment rate for February.

Usually, consumer perceptions of the economy tend to improve and drive increased consumer spending and overall economic recovery. In turn, increased consumer spending drives improvement in hiring and jobs -- as well as in the lagging indicator of unemployment. This time around, it appears improving job market conditions are making consumers feel better about the economy

[GwynnInTheHall]

Obama's approval rating up to 50%. Dow approaching 13000. Santorum in the lead to be the GOP Nominee.

Can't get any better for the Democrats.

Unless Trump runs as an Independent

[B-Fly]

Way to early for Obama supporters like myself to get overconfident. Yes, it's a good news week. But there are a whole lot of weeks to go.

[revo]

in 2008, the leader for the Republican nomination went from Giuliani to McCain, and that was that.

In 2012, the leader for the Republican nomination has gone from Romney to Perry to Romney to Cain to Romney to Gingrich to Romney to Gingrich to Romney to Santorum. That's not a joke, and clearly very telling that the GOP can't find anyone to comfortably get behind.

[Bob Kohm]

Way to early for Obama supporters like myself to get overconfident. Yes, it's a good news week. But there are a whole lot of weeks to go.

As a Democrat I have confidence that the Democratic Party can screw even this one up. In a rational world we'd be looking at an increasing possibility of a full sweep with retention of the Senate and the recapture of the House to go with the Presidency. Unfortunately the DNC and rational election outcomes aren't always hand in hand concepts

[Moonlight J]

Way to early for Obama supporters like myself to get overconfident. Yes, it's a good news week. But there are a whole lot of weeks to go.

Without a doubt....this is the DNC we're talking about. They could have 1st and goal and end up punting

[Don Quixote]

"I'm not a member of any organized political party. I'm a Democrat."--Will Rogers

He said it over 80 years ago, and it's still true.

[chancellor]

Unfortunately the DNC and rational election outcomes aren't always hand in hand concepts

LOL...that's one political thing we can agree on, and I'd readily agree the GOP leadership is little, if any, better. Though, much to my shock, Priebus is doing an OK job.

[onejayhawk]

Unfortunately the DNC and rational aren't always hand in hand concepts

Its also true of the RNC, so dont feel bad.

J

[Judge Jude]

Why does this keep happening? are his people dumb, or disingenuous?

http://factcheck.org/2012/02/obamas-trillion-dollar-exaggeration/

"But we were puzzled by Obama’s repeated claim that the U.S. “right now” is “poised” to spend “nearly $1 trillion more” on the Bush tax cuts. The fact is that when Obama and Congress negotiated a two-year extension of the Bush tax cuts for all taxpayers, the nonpartisan Joint Committee on Taxation estimated it would cost $363.5 billion through Dec. 31, 2012. That’s not close to “nearly $1 trillion” and that was the cost for all taxpayers, not just the wealthy.

We asked the White House to explain the president’s claim. In an email exchange with us, the White House pointed us to Table S-9 on page 236 of the budget summary tables. The White House said that the federal government would realize a “combined savings” of $968 billion by allowing the income tax cuts to expire for high-income taxpayers and returning the estate tax to 2009 rates.

But saving money is not the same thing as spending money if the payments are automatically scheduled to stop. By the president’s logic, a car owner is scheduled to spend $36,000 in car payments over the next 10 years, even though the $300 monthly car payments are due to end on Dec. 31, 2012. Unless, of course, the car owner goes out and buys a new car. Likewise, the only way the tax cut can be extended beyond 2012 is if Obama signs a law extending it, or if Congress overrides his veto — or if Obama loses reelection and the next president retroactively reinstates the tax cut.

It’s true that Republicans would like to extend the Bush tax cuts, and there is legislation that proposes to make them permanent. But right now the Bush tax cuts are due to expire, so claiming the U.S. is “scheduled” or “poised” to pay “another trillion” is just wrong."

.............

Here's a talking point issue that probably 70 pct of Americans would support him on, in principle. So why go this route?

Sometimes I wonder if the current campaign leadership ever saw the 2008 campaign speeches about changing the way things are done in Washington.

I doubt any of the Republican candidates are smart enough to do this, but taking clips from those transformational speeches and then asking, "So, did he deliver what he promised?" from a philosophical standpoint wouldn't do Obama any favors.

[Kevin Seitzer]

Why does this keep happening? are his people dumb, or disingenuous?

I thought the Fallows article I linked on the previous page had some good answers to this. Among those answers was that he has staffed up with a lot of Clinton-era staff that are re-fighting old battles with the Republicans. But he had other good insights, too.

[Judge Jude]

Clinton had a very different - and effective - pitch to independents for re-election, I thought.

Pragmatist vs Idealist.
Indys like both, but Clinton had delivered on his own pitch come re-election time, it seemed to me (welfare reform, for example).

[OaklandA's]

It’s true that Republicans would like to extend the Bush tax cuts, and there is legislation that proposes to make them permanent. But right now the Bush tax cuts are due to expire, so claiming the U.S. is “scheduled” or “poised” to pay “another trillion” is just wrong."

I think it is obvious that a vote for the Republicans is implicitly a vote to extend the Bush tax cuts. Every Republican candidate has made that a key point in their platform. Meanwhile, the Democrats have been trying to let the tax cuts expire for those with incomes over $250K.

[Kevin Seitzer]

Fallows did not argue that Obama was trying to be Clinton. I think the Fallows article would be well worth your time to read. At least I found it well worth my time. It's by far the best summary of Obama's presidency that I've read and best explanation for his successes and failures. I'm sure Fallows is not right on all points, but he took a middle road between "Obama is an incompetent fool" and "Obama is a visionary who has only been stopped by the evil intransigence of the Republicans" and offered some insightful (to me) critiques of Obama's approach.

[onejayhawk]

Fallows did not argue that Obama was trying to be Clinton. I think the Fallows article would be well worth your time to read. At least I found it well worth my time. It's by far the best summary of Obama's presidency that I've read and best explanation for his successes and failures. I'm sure Fallows is not right on all points, but he took a middle road between "Obama is an incompetent fool" and "Obama is a visionary who has only been stopped by the evil intransigence of the Republicans" and offered some insightful (to me) critiques of Obama's approach.

Miyagi: Now, ready?
Daniel: Yeah, I guess so.
Miyagi: [sighs] Daniel-san, must talk.
[they both kneel]
Miyagi: Walk on road, hm? Walk left side, safe. Walk right side, safe. Walk middle, sooner or later
[makes squish gesture]
Miyagi: get squish just like grape.

J