ARE YOU BETTER OFF?

Posted on by Tom Callaghan

I'm surprised at how tongue-tied many Obama supporters seem when asked, "Are you better off now than you were when Obama took office?"

Taken in the context of his time, the answer is a resounding, unapologetic yes.

  1. Obama kept us safe. Bush didn't.
  2. Obama got Osama Bin Laden. Bush didn't.
  3. Obama didn't start a stupid war. Bush did. Plus, Obama ended Bush's stupid war.
  4. Obama does not, "Apologize for America." Anyone who says he does or did should be asked to take out their computer and produce the video. They can't. Sean Hannity of Fox had Colin Powell on as a guest recently, and made the "Apology Tour" charge. Powell interrupted him and said, "It's untrue." Hannity changed the subject. There's no there there. Period.
  5. When George Bush came into office January 20, 2001, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was 10,578. When he left office January 20, 2009, the Dow was 7,949. Investors lost 25% of their money in 8 years under Bush.
  6. When Barack Obama took office on January 20, 2009, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was 7,949. It closed September 4, 2012 at 13,035. Investors have received a positive return of approximately 65%.
  7. Under George Bush, the value of the US Dollar versus the world's major currencies declined by one third. Under Obama, it has held steady.
  8. At the end of the Bush years, the economy was hemorrhaging jobs. In 2008, Bush's last full year, 2.6 million jobs were lost. Under Obama, there have been 29 consecutive months of job gains.
  9. In the last months of the Bush administration, the banking system was so fragile that the prevailing joke on Wall Street went like this:  A guy walks into the bank and says, "I want to talk to someone about a loan." The banker smiles and says, "Great! How much do you want to lend us?" Obama acted to stabilize the banking industry.
  10. Obama has maintained the strategic relationship with Israel at the highest level. Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak has stated that the level of security cooperation is, "The best [he has] seen in his lifetime."

It's not even a close call. We are a lot better off than we were at the end of the Bush administration.

Make the case, and don't give an inch.