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Originally posted by Rockdisjoint
Obama has my vote no matter what! You can bash him all you want, but he's a great man.
some people just say the dumbest things on ATS and this has got to be right at the top of the list. Way before Obama took office Christians....
The economy.
•The Great Recession, which began in 2007, ended in June 2009, just five months after Obama was sworn into office.
•Since June 2009, real Gross Domestic Product has grown in every quarter, at an average annual rate of 2.8%. In the preceding eight years, from 2000 to 2008 (4th quarter to 4th quarter), average growth was only 1.7% per year. Real GDP is now at an all-time high.
•Over the last 14 months, over two million private sector jobs were added to the economy. Over that same period, over 300,000 government jobs were cut.
•The stock market is up over 60% since Obama was inaugurated. It is now at levels not seen since June 2008, or before Bush bailed out Fannie and Freddie and gave us TARP.
Taxes.
•There has been no tax increase since Obama entered office. In fact, he cut taxes.
•The tax rates enacted under President Bush were extended. We are now paying at the same tax rates we were in 2007 and 2008, if not less.
•The stimulus was about one third tax cuts and tax credits.
•As part of the legislation extending the Bush tax rates, Obama added billions more in tax cuts and credits.
•A big reason that the federal deficit is so large is that federal receipts are 4.1% of GDP lower in 2011 than in 2007. (OMB Table 1.2)
Spending.
•It is true that the federal government is spending 4.6% of GDP more in 2011 than it did in 2008, but 67% of that is due to built-in increases in the mandatory programs, primarily Social Security and Medicare, and interest on the debt. Another 15% of that increase is due to increased Defense spending. (OMB Table 8.4)
•Non-defense discretionary spending increased only 0.7% of GDP from 2008 to 2011. That is, 85% of the increase in spending was either outside the President's control or was due to increased Defense spending.
The War On Terror.
•Osama bin Laden was killed by US forces. His computers, notebooks and other materials were taken into custody in one of the greatest anti-terror intelligence finds ever.
•The troop drawdown in Iraq essentially followed the plans of President Bush. When Obama was inaugurated, there were 142,000 US troops in Iraq. One year later there were still 110,000 US troops there. Even now, almost 2 ½ years into Obama's term, 46,000 US troops remain in Iraq.
•In Afghanistan, Obama more than tripled the number of US troops there: from about 33,000 to 100,000. He essentially gave his generals, such as Petraeus, everything they asked for.
•Obama has ordered more drone attacks than Bush ever did.
•Gitmo is still open and in business with about 160 jihadis in cells there. Military tribunals continue.
•The Patriot Act was extended.
•On February 22, Sarah Palin said, "NATO and our allies should look at establishing a no-fly zone so Libyan air forces cannot continue slaughtering the Libyan people." Within weeks, by March 17, the UN approved such a no-fly zone and by March 19, US forces and NATO allies were part of the coalition enforcing that no-fly zone.
•Obama retained George W. Bush's Secretary of Defense, Robert Gates.
Immigration.
•In 2005, the Republican-led Congress mandated that 652 miles of fence be built along the US-Mexican border. That fence is now 649 miles long, or 99.5% complete.
•There are almost 20% more border agents now than when Obama took office, bringing the number to an historical high.
•More illegal aliens are being deported than ever before, especially criminal aliens.
•Comparing 2010 to 2008: 31% more criminal aliens were apprehended; 38% more criminal aliens were processed for removal; 93% more criminal aliens were ordered removed; and 40% fewer re-entered the US.
Compared to other advanced economies.
•According to IMF figures, the US economy grew 2.9% (inflation-adjusted) from 2007 to 2011 - the Great Recession years. That is more than 20 of the 34 countries classified as "advanced economies." Specifically, that is a better growth rate than Denmark (-2.4%), the UK (-2.2%), Spain (-2.2%), France (0.6%), the Netherlands (1.1%), Germany (1.9%), and Norway (2.7%).
•In 2011, net government debt in the US was 72.4% of GDP. While high, 8 of 26 advanced economies had higher: Belgium, France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Portugal and the UK, ranging from 75% of GDP (UK) to 152% (Greece).
Compared to Republicans.
•The bailout of banks? Bush started that.
•The bailout of auto companies? Bush started that.
•Government take-over of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and 90% of the home mortgage business that went with them? Bush did that.
•Adding a new entitlement? Bush did that (Medicare Part D), to the tune of almost $8 trillion in unfunded government liabilities, more than the entire unfunded liability of Social Security.
•Ethanol subsidies? Pushed by many Republicans and expanded by Bush.
•Outlawing light bulbs? Bush did that.
•Mandating individual health insurance? Mitt Romney did that.
•"Comprehensive" immigration reform? Both Bush and McCain pushed that.
•Campaign Finance Reform? McCain pushed that and Bush signed it into law.
•No Child Left Behind? Ted Kennedy and George W. Bush pushed that, and Bush signed it into law.
•Earl Warren, Harry Blackmun and David Souter? All appointed to the Supreme Court by Republican Presidents.
•Do you want a vigorous attack against waterboarding? Just ask John McCain.
•Concerned about Climate Change? So are John McCain and Newt Gingrich.
•In favor of "Democrat" wars like Yugoslavia and Libya? So were most Republicans, McCain in particular.
You promised that your administration would be "transparent." Is that why the very first thing you did upon taking office was to seal all of your college records; your scholarly articles from the Harvard Law Review and University of Chicago for instance. Are you ashamed of what you wrote? Have you got something to hide? Why are your passport records under Executive lock and key? Have you been somewhere you don't want the American people to know about?
Barry, you have to realize that as the President of the United States, the citizens of this country have a right to know about who is in charge. You gave up your right to privacy when you decided to seek public office just like any other celebrity. You had the entire country enthralled with your Cult of Personality during your campaign. I have to hand it to you, you are a master at delivering a speech - off a teleprompter - and getting people to believe in things like "hope," and "change" - but you're a bit short on the follow through aren't ya?
Continuing with the theme of transparency for a moment I'd like to ask about Obama bi - excuse me - OSAMA bin-Laden. Why all the secrecy? Why no photos proving the death of the most hated man in America? Why no trial? He was unarmed yet he was shot in the face when he could have easily been captured and brought back to face charges right alongside Khalid Sheik Mohammad. Don't you think the American people deserved to see justice done, in an American courtroom, and THEN see him executed? Or would his trial have brought out uncomfortable questions more easily answered with a bullet to the face?
There are so many things that you promised you would do they are too numerous to list here, but let's just look at a couple of biggies ok? "I'm going to close Guantanamo Bay." Mmmmm, no. Ummm, I'm pretty sure we're still in Iraq; and Afghanistan.
The "Stimulus Package" that wasn't was published by Nazi Pelosi at 11 p.m. on a Thursday night and forced to a vote by noon on Friday. Then when the Senate and House versions were finally reconciled and the bill landed on your desk on February 14th 2009 you signed it on the 17th: How exactly does that fit in with your promise to have pending legislation open to view on the Internet for 5 days before you signed it into law?
You said you were going to cut spending, yet since you've taken office your administration has spent more than TWICE that of every administration from George Washington to George W. Bush spent - COMBINED.
The price of gas has doubled under your watch.
You've claimed the authority to assassinate American citizens without benefit of a trial.
Oh Barry, I could go on all day. Your entire Presidency has been riddled with lies, secrecy, coverups, and outright fraud.
Why should we vote for you again?
Originally posted by usernameconspiracy
Don't want Obama re-elected? Well, someone better hurry up and find something other than the circus side show of players the GOP has trotted out so far. Ron Paul has no legitimate shot and will not get the Republican nomination, so you've got Romney and that's about it.
I don't get your point. I obviously won a transparency award, so I am obviously transparent. I may not be as transparent as you would like, but I am transparent enough to win a transparency award, therefor I am transparent.
First off it is the American government that is perpetrating these acts and the public has been betrayed into thinking this is right. Thanks to removing God (whoever he or she might be) from society allowing them to keep this going.
Originally posted by TheyRHere913
reply to post by Caji316
some people just say the dumbest things on ATS and this has got to be right at the top of the list. Way before Obama took office Christians have been stealing(Native Americans), killing(Iraq,Pakistan.Afghanistan,Native Americans, and destroying people and nations w/o any help from anyone. So I guess my question is why are you blaming Obama for continuing the American tradition that YOU Christians have been living for centuries?! Can you say HYPOCRITES!!! None of you are the true Christians you claim to be! Try reading your bible again! I think it says something like thou shalt not kill! But yet when Osama was killed we were partying in the streets at his death?! Yeah Im sure Jesus would be real proud of you Christians!! Not to mention the 1,000,000 Iraqis the US killed because they had WMD. Wonder how many Christians backed that?!
Originally posted by Rockdisjoint
Obama has my vote no matter what! You can bash him all you want, but he's a great man.
Originally posted by crimvelvet
reply to post by Rockdisjoint
I don't get your point. I obviously won a transparency award, so I am obviously transparent. I may not be as transparent as you would like, but I am transparent enough to win a transparency award, therefor I am transparent.
Is that the no-bull, excuse me, the no-bell piece prize or the pullet surprise?