Did you watch the news conference? Yeah, he was long winded at times. But isn’t that better than short, meaningless sound bites we usually get from politicians? Ignoring how he said it, what did you think about what he said? Do you agree with him? Still glad you voted for him (or didn’t)?
Agree or disagree, like or dislike, at least we have back in the White House someone who is smarter than a fifth grader. Refreshing!
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Dallas said “Obama really hit home that the republicans in Congress are just speed bumps to progress.”
Even speed bumps serve a purpose. They force you to slow down and look around. Sometimes thats all it takes to keep from doing something really dangerious or stupid…
#22: Here are some thoughts about “infrastructure neglect” (try Googling the phrase, it’s not just bridges):
Infrastructure, meaning things that government normally takes care of such as roads, sewer systems, bridges, levees (Katrina and severe flooding come to mind), government buildings, and similar things, have been woefully neglected for about 30 years. With the exception of toll roads and bridges, infrastructure needs work (see the I-35 bridge collapse in MN). This neglect is because new infrastructure is “flashier” than repairing the older stuff.
Repairing or replacing infrastructure is a good idea, as it puts people to work and extends the life of these structures. Good long term maintenance plans after the structures are modernized would help as well.
#33, Named,
Good points.
If the taxpayers don’t build the stadium, the owners just pack up and leave.
Aahh, the power of addictions.
#33, Case in point, every single instance of your examples would never be undertaken by a for-profit enterprise since the return on investment would be way too long. Just look at sports stadiums. If the taxpayers don’t build the stadium, the owners just pack up and leave.
And your point is? If I knew the government would build me a stadium if I said I wouldn’t, you can bet I would say that.
#29, Loser,
From your link.
What Can We Learn from Japanese Crisis?
* Cutting interest rates and higher government spending are not guaranteed to kickstart an economy if structural problems remain.
Interesting. So it would appear that Obama investing in infrastructure is the correct move.
However, in my humble opinion, cutting interest rates and increasing government spending will not necessarily ever kickstart an economy if the basic tenets of the financial engine are broken. In our case, there is so much money tied up in bad debt and fraud and those running the financial sector are only thinking of themselves instead of the good of the country. We need to fix that engine.
All of our business philosophy has to stop thinking about “maximum return to the shareholder” and start thinking about what we will be making tomorrow.
37,
My point is this:
Private enterprise puts their money into instant gratification projects with high returns and little to no risk. Example… BOA got billions in taxbucks and what did they do? They bought a toll-road in Spain. They didn’t give the money to risky entrepreneurs in the US of A.
So, when the economy failed because of private enterprise, government has to step in and give the common person a chance to make solid money to put back into the economy.
Amazing how quickly Obama caved and changed ‘Hope and Change’ to ‘Fear and Loathing’
http://bit.ly/1BHf7d
Check out the striking Presidential leadership differences between FDR and BHO.
http://bit.ly/w97T
#38, Poison Twin,
Interesting. So it would appear that Obama investing in infrastructure is the correct move.
They weren’t talking hardware. They were talking the structure of the financial system.
All of our business philosophy has to stop thinking about “maximum return to the shareholder” and start thinking about what we will be making tomorrow.
I agree with you to a certain extent.
Government support for ailing firms often only prolongs the agony.
Part of your before-mentioned thinking should be to let the weak die off or be absorbed.
#20… Much like your modern American medical system! Aren’t we all accustomed to getting some drugs to mask the symptoms yet not fix the underlying problem???
In a magical twist of irony today, CNN is running a story on how illegal immigrants claim that they can’t even make it in the US any longer.
#39,
So, when the economy failed because of private enterprise, government has to step in and give the common person a chance to make solid money to put back into the economy.
The economy failed because the Fed kept the interest rates low while the federal government pushed banks to give out risky loans.
The only way to make solid money is to produce something.
Too many big words. My head hurts.
Regarding the 5th grader comment, Do you know that George Bush is at 90-95th percentile in intelligence? His SAT score was 1200, equivalent to about 1280(out of 1600) today.
Then again, I guess you consider 90% of the public to be below average.
Looks like Obama admitted Biden is a blathering idiot.
47,
Bush isn’t stupid, he just doesn’t care enough to learn. (Although I’d love to see a link to his SAT scores, I got a 1270 myself back in ’80.)
As for his public speaking, Obama speaks at a level THREE GRADES higher than Bush. Someone did the analysis, and you can, too!
This country is far better off with Bush gone, and the GOP is just a bunch of one-trick (cut taxes) ponies who are too stupid to learn new ones.
Well, it passed the senate and the Dow drops more than 350 pts. So much for confidence.
Here’s an interesting snippet from the WSJ concerning this quarter’s stim pack:
The centerpiece of their plan is $1.1 billion of the $825 billion stimulus package for studies to compare different drugs and devices to “save money and lives.” Report language accompanying the House stimulus bill says that “more expensive” medical products “will no longer be prescribed.” The House bill also suggests that the new research should be used to create “guidelines” to direct doctors’ treatment of difficult, high-cost medical problems….
…Mr. Daschle argues that the only way to reduce spending is by allocating medical products based on “cost effectiveness.”…
Private companies should take the lead in conducting these studies. Yet they have little incentive to do so, since the Food and Drug Administration prevents firms from publicizing most of their findings, even to groups that pay for health care. The FDA should create a safe harbor for claims that medical companies make to expert purchasers (including Medicare) based on the results of comparative studies….
Bills should be no longer than 2 paragraphs. 600 pages is too much room to hide crap like this.
# 44 LibertyLover said, “The only way to make solid money is to produce something.”
And violation of the concept you stated is the root cause of 99.99% of our economic problems. Wonder why Obama, with his Harvard Law degree, doesn’t realize this?
seemed to me as soon as the scripted speech was off the teleprompter, he was all thumbs.
the ONLY difference, between the obama and bush administrations is that obama’s will be “open and transparent” about robbing the country and tax payers blind.
like my father used to say.. “hide it in plain sight”
-nice to see they added provisions in the bill for the coming food and water shortages this fall and summer. :s
-s
i’m going over the senate version now..
hey can anyone point/show me an *easy way* to
a consolidated source of where all the Bills/Acts are?
the senate bill references many other bills/acts and its making it difficult to get a grasp what is being described w/out constantly hunting down references…
is there a place (other than govtrac) that has the senate bill and all the other bills it makes reference to in one spot or download?
thanks,
-s
( i cant possibly see how all those who voted
on this bill had time to go over and read it.
the house version was 400+ pages, the senate looks to be 700+ -not including referenced bills/acts)
to
#47, Lyin’ Mike,
Let me understand this. Are you saying that someone who runs several companies into the ground, runs a professional baseball team into the ground, runs two wars into the ground and then nearly ruins a whole effen country is really just a smart guy?
The way you put it we might just be better off with a Fifth Grader.
Cow-Patty,
# 44 LibertyLover said, “The only way to make solid money is to produce something.”
And violation of the concept you stated is the root cause of 99.99% of our economic problems. Wonder why Obama, with his Harvard Law degree, doesn’t realize this?
Maybe because he is smarter than you and Loser.
I’m sure glad they don’t have Leibertarians and poopcycle salesmen running the Treasury. we would remain in the mess we are in for ages.
2 Comments regarding Bush’s intelligence:
1. Intelligence is just a tool. Like a dump truck. If you use your dump truck to carry horseshit from place to place, it doesn’t matter much how big it is.
2. Intelligence correlates to empathy. In such regard, whatever Bush’s dump truck is full of, and however large it is, and where ever its is going, the correlation is violated in Bush’s case.
That happens with the rich and the LIEBERTARIANS quite often.
Haha, I think everyone should now just post their SAT scores and whoever has the highest wins the argument.
I’m with whoever said “Hope” has switched to “Fear”. What a way to drive the economy – have the president tell us we’re screwed!
“We” voted for change
Another word for “Chsnge” is
REVOLUTION
Wow. I decided to read these posts with the hope that the majority of the intelligent people who read John’s blog would be supportive of a young, smart, progressive President. What a shame to see so many negative, closed-minded people. There isn’t much “Hope” for this country if even half of our people have this sort of negativity. Maybe because John has the persona of the Cranky Geek he tends to attract people who look for bad in everything or like to pick things apart.
Please don’t waste time replying to this post for my benefit. I can’t bring myself to look at these comments again, it just makes me lose faith in America. I may stop listening to John because obviously I don’t share much in common with his audience.
Well maybe red state hillbillies didn’t listen to Obama, but at least the blue staters and the liberal elite press actually bothered to.
That means thoughtful analysis and discussion with a healthy dose of debate amongst the smarter of us.
Meanwhile at Fox News: Cover yer ears martha! Its words, big words! Mean old Black man make me feel stoopid! must not listen!
So now you say he ruined the Texas Rangers too?
They were in first place when he left.
Obama looked scared and he conveyed fear. Not presidential, not calming. As much as anything, economics is psychology and confidence. The President needs to reassure and he did not. And Geithner today looked too young and had no plan. It is no wonder that the market tanked today. These guys better get up to speed soon.
Why I vote Republican
The Recovery Plan