Matt1970
Lifer
- Mar 19, 2007
- 12,320
- 3
- 0
Life is a matter of (alternative) choices, assuming more than one choice even truly exists. Knowing the alternatives, Obama's record on the economy is unassailably stellar given the shit sandwich he inherited. We saw the direct results of the alternatives (Repubs running the shop) which more or less can be summed up with horrid oversight of brokers/TPO's/lenders that ignored federal underwriting standards between 2004-2007, oversaw the weakening of securities regs in the form of weakened SEC rules and a diminished budget for oversight, we saw insanely irresponsible (budget-wise) tax cuts (especially on capital gains) and of course disastrous foreign policy if we're talking purely in terms of dollars and cents (to say nothing of the worldwide damage it did).
So indeed, knowing the alternatives, which is Repubs running the place, (or worse, Tea Partiers) it's simply common sense that Obama's record is the best you can pretty much hope for given the economic circumstances inherited and the political realities of record filibusters in the Senate or basically nutters in the House. On substance, certainly the CFPB, Dodd-Frank and ACA go a hell of a long way toward preventing further hollowing out of the middle class, as without these reforms consumers have far fewer protections and recourse when unfair and/or fraudulent practices are committed. Banks are far less able to run wild with the reserve requirements that are now a prerequisite for banks large enough to qualify for in the stress tests.
Basically, Repubs don't stand as a reasonable alternative given their most recent record of rule (2001-2009), and certainly they'd done absolutely zero positive, noteworthy things since taking the House in 2010. Not one thing that the Obama administration didn't bless, that is, given the veto.
EDIT: syntax
So we have gone from Obama being the knight in shining armor who was going to ride in and save the economy, fix the government and make life worth living again, to Hey, it could have been worse. Gotcha.