Time: From man of the year to Mr. Unpopular in a year and a half.

[Carmen813]

I know we're freakin' covered up and I just today received the last of my back paychecks - I'm up to date! Honestly I don't know how we would get the work done had we laid off anyone when work was short. Fees are down, collections suck, and I know lots of architects (and a few engineers and designers) still unemployed, but we're pretty busy. (None of which is stimulus money projects BTW.) Right now the two things holding back AEC work are the general uncertainty of the business climate - large companies are not hiring because they don't know what Obamacare, higher taxes, more regulation, and cap-n-tax are going to do to their bottom line - and lack of available loan money for new capital projects. We've had a number of projects either stillborn or aborted because profitable companies can't get more than about 50% financing, and because of the uncertainty noted above they need to hold on to their cash (not being large enough to get bailed out with taxpayer money.)

I think if the Pubbies take even just the House, thereby killing the Obama agenda of a big government centrally planned economy, then the economy and employment will spring back. The only caveat I'd put on that is how much of his agenda Obama will enact through executive action.

A lot of efforts to jump start small businesses (which is where the real unemployment assistance will come from) has been blocked in the Senate by the GOP. In particular, efforts to address just what you mentioned: lack of capital.

 

[Carmen813]

Really?

So Bush or McCain would have passed a lousy ass universal healthcare bill just so they could stand up and claim victory?

And what happened to Bush's $700 billion stimulus package? And don't try claim it was the TARP program because TARP was loans that have mostly been paid back.

McCain did campaign a bit on healthcare, but it's unlikely he would have pursued reform at all. Comes down to a case if you believed the system needed change or not, and a majority of Americans did, at least when the reform debates started...but it wasn't central to McCain's campaign so I doubt he would have pursued it.

Republicans proposed an alternate stimulus bill, so I have no doubts that they would have passed their own version. In fact the hilarity is that it was basically the exact same thing as the Democrat stimulus bill, but instead of being around 33% tax cuts, it was closer to 50%. http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/02/02/stimulus/

 

[ericlp]

Don't get your panties all in a knot PJ...

Obama will have another 4 years to get it right. I highly doubt that the repubs are gonna find anyone better then Obama. We'll see..

 

[Jaskalas]

Don't get your panties all in a knot PJ...

Obama will have another 4 years to get it right. I highly doubt that the repubs are gonna find anyone better then Obama. We'll see..

It's not about who is "better". It's a freaking popularity contest. See American Idol for details.

 

[Pens1566]

Bump for same gallup poll cited in OP being dead even ...

 

[Acanthus]

You are aware that healthcare is wildly unpopular, right? Staved off a great depression...according to who?






He voted against the winning strategy in Iraq, now you are saying he won the war because that strategy was successful?

lol what?






If unemployment was 95% you would still be making the same silly arguemnt. "Could be worse, could be 100%!".

Fact is we were promised unemployment wouldn't top 8% with the stimulus, now we are at 9.5%. It was a failure. And this Summer Recovery Tour that Biden is on is a massive failure. This is NOT a summer of recovery whatsoever, economic growth is falling.

Nick: OMG ECONOMY.

Reality: We are still experiencing growth despite the high unemployment rates. Employment is the last thing to return when you come out of a recession. The S&P 500 is doing alright and corporate profits are up. The need for more labor will kick in for the holidays.

 

[dguy6789]

Wonder how many "I told you so"s are going through peoples heads right now. lol It's so funny how so many didn't see it coming, yet the few that did saw it so clearly. You did it to yourself America. Enjoy.

Someone says this every single time without exception any president(or any elected person) is ever voted into office.

 

[Zebo]

I give it to Allah for Victimizers Playing the Victim.

 

[Linflas]

Don't get your panties all in a knot PJ...

Obama will have another 4 years to get it right. I highly doubt that the repubs are gonna find anyone better then Obama. We'll see..

At this point in Bush's second term there was no clear Democrat front runner and the assumption was that it would likely be Hillary Clinton's to lose. Barry was just a junior senator from Illinois who gave a good speech at the last convention and not even in consideration as a prospect for President in 2008.

 

[zephyrprime]

Really?

So Bush or McCain would have passed a lousy ass universal healthcare bill just so they could stand up and claim victory?

And what happened to Bush's $700 billion stimulus package? And don't try claim it was the TARP program because TARP was loans that have mostly been paid back.

Bush would not have passed a universal healthcare bill but you're kidding yourself if you think Bush is some sort of laissez faire market saint. This is the guy who passed Medicare reform which greatly expanded the scope of medicare. Also, he passed a much smaller stimulous plan during his watch as well.

 

[Fern]

Don't get your panties all in a knot PJ...

Obama will have another 4 years to get it right. I highly doubt that the repubs are gonna find anyone better then Obama. We'll see..

Somebody's math is off, unless the Presidential term has been extended to 6 years while I wasn't looking.

Fern

 

[Pens1566]

Somebody's math is off, unless the Presidential term has been extended to 6 years while I wasn't looking.

Fern

Just a hunch, but I believe his use of "4 years" was referring to a 2nd term.