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Election in 4 days - return control to Republicans
Other Topics, posted by anonymous, a resident of another community, on Oct 29, 2010 at 12:07 pm

Four questions I saw posted about how bad things have deteriorated under Obama, with answers. Fascinating how conventional wisdom and media hackery effect perception. Links added below.

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Questions:

1. What was the average monthly private sector job growth in 2008, the final year of the Bush presidency, and what has it been so far in 2010?

2. What was the Federal deficit for the last fiscal year of the Bush presidency, and what was it for the first full fiscal year of the Obama presidency?

3. What was the stock market at on the last day of the Bush presidency? What is it at today?

4. Which party's candidate for speaker will campaign this weekend with a Nazi reenactor who dressed up in a SS uniform?

Answers:

1. In 2008, we lost an average of 317,250 private sector jobs per month. In 2010, we have gained an average of 95,888 private sector jobs per month. (Source) That's a difference of nearly five million jobs between Bush's last year in office and President Obama's second year.

2. In FY2009, which began on September 1, 2008 and represents the Bush Administration's final budget, the budget deficit was $1.416 trillion. In FY2010, the first budget of the Obama Administration, the budget deficit was $1.291 trillion, a decline of $125 billion. (Source) Yes, that means President Obama has cut the deficit -- there's a long way to go, but we're in better shape now than we were under Bush and the GOP.

3. On Bush's final day in office, the Dow, NASDAQ, and S&P 500 closed at 7,949, 1,440, and 805, respectively. Today, as of 10:15AM Pacific, they are at 11,108, 2,512, and 1,183. That means since President Obama took office, the Dow, NASDAQ, and S&P 500 have increased 40%, 74%, and 47%, respectively.

4. The Republican Party, whose candidate for speaker, John Boehner, will campaign with Nazi re-enactor Rich Iott this weekend. If you need an explanation why this is offensive, you are a lost cause.

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Discuss.

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links:

jobs info at bls . gov: Web Link

deficit from non-partisan cbo . gov Web Link

stock data - see your local paper

Speaker of the House candidate: Web Link

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Posted by Caroline, a resident of the Menlo Park: Central Menlo Park neighborhood, on Oct 29, 2010 at 4:24 pm

Thank you.

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Posted by bravo, a resident of the Menlo Park: Central Menlo Park neighborhood, on Oct 29, 2010 at 5:16 pm

You really had me going with that headline, anonymous. Thanks for putting together the information. I wish more media sources were as concerned with giving people the information we need to vote intelligently rather than letting our votes be driven by fear and lies.

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Posted by POGO, a resident of the Woodside: other neighborhood, on Oct 29, 2010 at 6:50 pm

anonymous -

First, your link to the deficit reference doesn't take you to relevant page. Fortunately, it's easy to find deficit data.

If I apply your logic of attributing President Obama's first year deficit $1.48 trillion (a fact even acknowledged by the current White House) to President Bush, by the same logic the first year of the Clinton presidency when deficits were reversed should be rightfully credited to President Bush (Sr), shouldn't it? Similarly, the first year of the Bush (Jr) presidency, when Clinton's surplus was erased should be borne by Clinton, not Bush.

I'm not a fan of either party, but twisting data cuts both ways.

We should be willing to admit that Republicans spent way too much during the most recent Bush administration and that the Democrats under the current President accepted that challenge. Even the CBO that you cited as your reference has noted that the deficit under President Obama's first two year exceeds that of the entire 8 years of the Bush administration. www.cbo.gov

Failing to confront the problem perpetrated by both political parties dooms us to repeat it... as we'll demonstrate in a little less than one week.

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Posted by Tom, a resident of the Woodside: other neighborhood, on Oct 29, 2010 at 10:03 pm

I have to agree with POGO. Don't be a sheep and follow the two major parties and the ridiculous ideology.

Most Californians are socially liberal and fiscally conservative.

Vote Libertarian, and join the Libertarian party today.

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Posted by Another Menlo Voter, a resident of the Menlo Park: other neighborhood, on Oct 30, 2010 at 9:55 pm

Thank you for this post!

Linked below jobs creation/economy video by recently appointed White House Chairman on the Council of Economic Advisors, Austan Goolsbee, that explains job losses and gains over the last three years... in clear, concrete terms:

Web Link

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