Barack Obama 2012 Containment Thread - Page 90 - Politics and Economics

Fine by me, but keep in mind that Republicans have historically increased the number of federal employees far more than the Democrats. I haven't done much research on this, but since Carter the Republican presidents have added considerably more federal employees than Democrats. So that covers about the last 45 years or so. Also, the Republicans have increased the federal deficit more over the entire duration of the US more than Democrats, and that's without adding in the cost of the Iraq war that should be attributed to the Bush, not Obama.

03-16-2012 , 05:37 PM

#2227

MrWookie

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Quote:

Originally Posted by seattlelou

Federal government employment has fallen by 2.6 percent? If so that is something Obama should mention more often.

The people who might care about this to any appreciable degree are never voting for Obama.

03-16-2012 , 05:41 PM

#2228

seattlelou

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Quote:

Originally Posted by MrWookie

The people who might care about this to any appreciable degree are never voting for Obama.

I think the debt is very much an independent voter issue and if it was true that federal employment was falling in would be a decent issue for Obama to mention. Sort of moot because federal employment isn't falling but to think only the right cares about the debt seems incorrect to me.
But if you are correct Obama wafflecrushes and WAAF.

03-16-2012 , 05:44 PM

#2229

Vecernicek

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Quote:

Originally Posted by seattlelou

But if you are correct Obama wafflecrushes and WAAF.

pretty sure you're not allowed to be a WAAFer if you're actively rooting for Rmoney.

03-16-2012 , 05:59 PM

#2230

MrWookie

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Quote:

Originally Posted by seattlelou

But caring about the debt is different than caring about the precise number of people employed by the government. Like, I don't have the numbers, but I would estimate that government payrolls account for less than 10% of government expenditure.

03-16-2012 , 06:04 PM

#2231

suzzer99

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Quote:

Originally Posted by sterlinguini

Yeah great record. Can't wait to see him bragging about the ndaa, patriot act, acta, killing juvenile americans convicted of no crime, crusading against whistle blowers and government transparency, and lets not forget the health care bill where he sold out his progressive base to the insurance industry, selling out the fda to monsanto, keeping GS in charge, etc. I'm expecting some really inspirational commercials on those topics

The funny thing is literally none of these will be campaign issues - as the vast majority of the general public doesn't care about most of them and the republicans are worse in every area.

03-16-2012 , 06:05 PM

#2232

Trolly McTrollson

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Quote:

Originally Posted by krmont22

What are people's top 5 Obama accomplishments?

1. Obamacare.
2. Kept us from spiraling into a 2nd Great Depression.
3. Dodd-Frank.
4. Handled the Libya uprising correctly.
5. Lifted the stem cell ban.

I don't give him as much credit for OBL, bc I think most presidents would have made the same decisions he did. Then again, he'd get the blame if the mission failed, a la Jimmy Carter.

03-16-2012 , 06:06 PM

#2233

ogallalabob

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Quote:

Originally Posted by seattlelou

I find it hard to believe. Quick google on the subject indicates that Federal employment is up a little over 1% from Bush. But it has droped since Reagan. I would guess that is more do to the computer age and workers productivity increases.

03-16-2012 , 06:09 PM

#2234

Trolly McTrollson

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We really need to distinguish between total# of federal workers and # of federal workers as a percentage of the total workforce.

03-16-2012 , 06:09 PM

#2235

Malefiicus

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Quote:

Originally Posted by MrWookie

In 2009 it was 85billion, so I assume it's around that number, which should be under 10% of gov expenditures. It was in the census data I was using to make that last post

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trolly McTrollson

We really need to distinguish between total# of federal workers and # of federal workers as a percentage of the total workforce.

Anything I've said is based on workers, not %. The population went up from 250mil back during Reagan to 330mil currently, while federal employees under Reagan ended at 3,100,000. Under Obama in 2010 we were at 3,000,000, but it's pretty well known that the number shrunk in 2011 by roughly 260,000. (I rounded in favor of Reagan.)

Last edited by Malefiicus; 03-16-2012 at 06:27 PM.

03-16-2012 , 06:32 PM

#2236

goofball

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Itt republicans don't understand macroeconomics

03-16-2012 , 06:34 PM

#2237

krmont22

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Top 5 Blunders of Obama?

03-16-2012 , 06:35 PM

#2238

goofball

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Also
1. Saved the economy
2. Obamacare
3. OBL
4. Dodd-frank
5. Combo dadt / ending the bush policy of torture / stem cell research

03-16-2012 , 06:41 PM

#2239

suzzer99

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Quote:

Originally Posted by seattlelou

I wonder if Obamacare is a net positive or negative for Obama. The R's seem to believe it is a liability.

Well they have managed to scare the crap out of people over it. My guess is Obamacare will be a liability among confused swing voters who currently have good insurance, and a positive for confused swing voters who currently have private insurance, no insurance, or really expensive small group insurance.

Obviously the republican base thinks Obamacare is a liability, but they think vacations to Hawaii is a liability.

03-16-2012 , 06:53 PM

#2240

seattlelou

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Quote:

Originally Posted by goofball

Itt republicans don't understand macroeconomics

Lol. You ought to read Bernanke's last testimony to Congress for a quick economics lesson.

03-16-2012 , 06:54 PM

#2241

seattlelou

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Quote:

Originally Posted by goofball

Also
1. Saved the economy
2. Obamacare
3. OBL
4. Dodd-frank
5. Combo dadt / ending the bush policy of torture / stem cell research

Double lol.

03-16-2012 , 07:03 PM

#2242

seattlelou

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Quote:

Originally Posted by MrWookie

Gotcha, cost control doesn't matter.

03-16-2012 , 07:11 PM

#2243

MrWookie

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Quote:

Originally Posted by seattlelou

Gotcha, cost control doesn't matter.

You know that's not my point. My point is that you'd be loling at Obama if he were proudly trumpeting cutting 2.6% * 10% = 0.26% of the federal budget.

03-16-2012 , 07:23 PM

#2244

seattlelou

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Quote:

Originally Posted by MrWookie

You know that's not my point. My point is that you'd be loling at Obama if he were proudly trumpeting cutting 2.6% * 10% = 0.26% of the federal budget.

Granted we can not cut federal employment to balance the budget. I said that I would be impressed if federal employment was down 2.6 percent and that Obama should mention it more often so I obviously would not be lol'ing.

03-16-2012 , 07:29 PM

#2245

MrWookie

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But it's incredibly small potatoes, it won't shut up anyone on the right, and it might not even be all that popular with his base or even moderates. Also, it shifts the dialogue back to "OBAMA HAS BALLOONED THE GUBMINT," which the right will believe no matter what the truth is. Strategically, Obama is going to try to control the debate by driving the conversation to his strengths rather than by making token pandering comments to feebly rebut angry right wingers.

03-16-2012 , 07:48 PM

#2246

seattlelou

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It is small potatoes but I will expand on why I would be impressed. Cutting the size of federal employment is largely (solely?) under the control of the President. It would be a strong signal that the President recognizes that our debt is a serious problem and is going to attack this problem on all fronts. I think that message would resonate with swing voters.

03-16-2012 , 09:30 PM

#2247

Low Key

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Gonna go out on a limb and say anyone that pays enough attention to politics to even know five things Obama has done isn't going to be deciding this election.

03-16-2012 , 09:46 PM

#2248

Sholar

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Quote:

Originally Posted by pvn

He's certainly assassinated more US citizens without due process than any other president.

I wonder if this is even true.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Case Closed

I've floated this around in my head a little since Blago went to jail. Maybe it's completely crazy. But any chance Obama pardons Blago at the end of his 2nd term?

Negligible. I don't see any reason that this would happen based on what I know about the case.

03-16-2012 , 09:53 PM

#2249

seattlelou

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Low Key

Gonna go out on a limb and say anyone that pays enough attention to politics to even know five things Obama has done isn't going to be deciding this election.

Excellent point LK.