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[dbucfan]

IBD EDITORIALS

With Election Over, Americans Find They Were Duped By Democrats And Obama

Posted 12/24/2012 06:36 PM ET
Politics 2012: It hasn't been two months since Barack Obama won re-election, but already we're finding out things that were kept from us during the campaign. Expect to hear more in the coming months.
lElections are clarifying events, we're told. But sometimes what they clarify is merely the gap between what we were told during the campaign and the reality on the ground. Often, the two don't match. That's certainly true with Obama.
How often in recent weeks have we learned that what we heard on the campaign trail from the Obama camp, and which were echoed by a cowed and subservient press, were either distortions or outright lies — enough to keep a majority of us fooled, and help win a second term for the incumbent?
Now, we're finding the reality to be something different. And to jog your recollection, here are just a few:
• Economy: "The economy's getting stronger ... confidence is growing." The media and Obama repeated these like a mantra. But as IBD reported earlier, real weekly earnings for American workers have fallen 3.5% since Obama took over, a declining trend that has continued post-election.
How about other signs of well-being? The Census Bureau reported after the election that the number of Americans in poverty grew by 712,000 people in 2011. A far-more bullish report issued in September said it had fallen by 96,000. Oh yes, and a record 47 million people today are on food stamps — up 47% since Obama took over.
Meanwhile, we also heard that consumer confidence was strengthening — and that would lead to a spurt of new economic activity in the new year. But in December, the Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan consumer sentiment index tumbled to 72.9, its lowest reading since June, from 82.7 in November.
Our own IBD/TIPP Economic Optimism Index fell 7.6% in December to 45.1, a pessimistic reading and the lowest since December 2011.
For small businesses, whom Obama regularly claimed to be helping while on the stump, the picture's no better. The National Federation of Independent Business' Small Business Optimism Index fell 5.6 points in December to 87.5 — one of its lowest readings ever.
"Between the looming 'fiscal cliff,' the promise of higher health care costs and the endless onslaught of new regulations, owners have found themselves in a state of pessimism," said NFIB Chief Economist Bill Dunkelberg. Remember: Small businesses create 80% to 85% of all jobs.
• Employment: Yes, unemployment has dropped to 7.7%. But only because hundreds of thousands of Americans have left the workforce. In September and October, nonpayroll farm jobs were reported as rising 148,000 and 171,000, respectively, solid gains. The mainstream media played it up as a major turnaround for the economy, giving Obama a boost.
In early December, a new government jobs report highlighted that job growth was a 146,000 in November, less than the 151,000 average since the start of the year. And it revised September and October job growth down by 49,000.
Yes, the total number of people with private-sector jobs has grown by 2 million over the last year, as the White House proudly trumpets — and did on the campaign trail. But what never gets reported is that 2.4 million people have left the workforce entirely over the same stretch — so there is no net real job growth.
• Regulations: President Obama stayed virtually mum on the topic of regulation during his campaign. Smart move. The EPA is set to release a tidal wave of new rules to slash CO2 that will close as many as 332 energy plants, while costing the U.S. economy $700 billion, according to the Manhattan Institute. The rules will hit Pennsylvania, Ohio and Virginia — states that voted for Obama — especially hard. Think they might have liked to know that before voting?
• Budget: Obama promised a "balanced" approach to taxes and spending. But data from the CBO and OMB show spending will surge 55% over the next 10 years under Obama — nearly $2 trillion in added spending — swamping Obama's promised "cuts" of $880 billion.
• Taxes: Remember how Obama and his Democratic surrogates taunted Republicans repeatedly, saying they wanted to raise taxes only on "millionaires and billionaires" while cutting taxes for the middle class?
When Republicans tried to do just that, Obama said no thanks. In fact, he has major tax hikes in store for middle-class Americans — starting with ObamaCare's 18 or so new taxes, and ending with the admission of key Democrats such as former presidential candidate Howard Dean that taxes on everyone must rise dramatically to pay for the Democrats' spending orgy.
• Benghazi: The White House described the early- September attack on our consulate in Benghazi, Libya, which killed Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans, as a reaction to an anti-Muslim film clip that appeared on the Internet.
In recent weeks, we've found that the film played no role at all — and that Obama and his national security staff did nothing to save the lives of those under attack, even though they knew the attack was ongoing.
• War On Terror: Obama claimed the war against al-Qaida was basically over. Now we find out that isn't true. Governments friendly to al-Qaida, if not its aims, have taken over in Libya and Egypt. Syria may be next.
For those who think the fight's done, think again. Quietly, Obama is sending troops back to Iraq to help stabilize the country. And he plans to send Army teams to as many as 35 countries in Africa to battle growing terrorist threats — mainly from al-Qaida.
So were Americans duped? Sure. They were told to believe one thing only to discover right after the election reality was something else.
But with another four years of hope and change, you can be sure of one thing: Americans have many more "surprises" in store.

[TheAman]

Wait, you mean that both candidates lie during campaigns?  NO WAY!

[dbucfan]

Oh yea, I know Politicians lie, it is when they use the governmental assets to create lies - you know - the employees of the Federal government - their lies are become more difficult to know what the truth is.  Get this odd feeling when folks whose salaries I pay lie to me - surely it doesn't bother everyone - but it bothers me. 

[Rusty]

Dave, I am SICK of congress and their collective political agendas. If they were in corporate America, these clowns would be working in the mail room. To think that we are in the financial situation we are in with the tax revenue we generate is criminal.I would love to see the voters oust ALL politicians and elect competent, proven business people who had to report financial progress to the nation on a quarterly basis using charts and graphs, just like any other business. The congress has a fiduciary responsibility to the citizens and we need to demand more transparency. Just look at Greece, Ireland, Spain, Portugal & Italy to see where we are headed. It's disgusting. I truly hope that our children & grandchildren can figure it out because we surely dropped the ball.

[wreck ship]

Oh yea, I know Politicians lie, it is when they use the governmental assets to create lies - you know - the employees of the Federal government - their lies are become more difficult to know what the truth is.  Get this odd feeling when folks whose salaries I pay lie to me - surely it doesn't bother everyone - but it bothers me.

I think it's bothersome in general but you'd be hard pressed to find folks who were motivated to get out and vote because Obama and the democrats promised them economic freedom. The reality that the right chooses to ignore is that most ppl voted Obama b/c he presented a more social moderate stance than the fearmongering right that suggest a raped womens body has the mechanics to abort a pregnancy...
The right gift wrapped the white house for Obama and it's articles like this that show how out of touch they still are with the majority of americans.

[Rusty]

wreck ship, I agree the Republicans are out of touch with the majority of Americans. I am a moderate. I am also a business consultant fwith over 30 years doing international turn arounds, so I have some idea about finances. To me it's pretty basic, in that the USA has a ton of tax revenues to work from. That said, those tax dollars are not optimized. IMHO, we can't just keep raising taxes to cover the sins of our leaders both Republican and Democrat, who just keep on spending and passing the tab onto the taxpayers. At some point it becomes a downward spiral and I have seen it in business many times. The company has tons of sales, gets lax with it's spending, keeps passing the costs onto their customes and one day, they realize the market has left them in the dust, they are up to their eyeballs in debt with creditors, vendors, bankers; margins are non existent and the internal politics placing blame are a cancer that eventually destroys the fabric of the company. Our politicians focus on getting reelected and party control at all levels, when the welfare of all Americans are at stake. The upper crust, older white 'haves' are now in trouble because the minority is now the majority (African Americans/Latinos/Asians/Women/Youth/Gay & Lesbian). That may be reality but the Democrats will eventually have the same task the Republicans have, appealing to ALL Americans, while ensuring the financial future and well being of our children and grand children. Those politicians that solely focus on getting reelected and party politics and posturing will hopefully get run out of office and a new breed of politician will come to the forefront.

[BucfanNC12]

Wait, you mean that both candidates lie during campaigns?  NO WAY!

I know....what surprises me is it surprises people everly election.

[Biggs3535]

To me it's pretty basic, in that the USA has a ton of tax revenues to work from. That said, those tax dollars are not optimized.

Understatement of the millennium for me, Rusty.

[spartan]

Oh yea, I know Politicians lie, it is when they use the governmental assets to create lies - you know - the employees of the Federal government - their lies are become more difficult to know what the truth is.  Get this odd feeling when folks whose salaries I pay lie to me - surely it doesn't bother everyone - but it bothers me.

I think it's bothersome in general but you'd be hard pressed to find folks who were motivated to get out and vote because Obama and the democrats promised them economic freedom. The reality that the right chooses to ignore is that most ppl voted Obama b/c he presented a more social moderate stance than the fearmongering right that suggest a raped womens body has the mechanics to abort a pregnancy...
The right gift wrapped the white house for Obama and it's articles like this that show how out of touch they still are with the majority of americans.

First, if people believed the stuff from that article in the first place, they got what they deserved. Second, if people voted for a Presidential candidate because of what a dumbassed SENATE candidate blurted out, again, it doesn't say much for the deductive powers of your average Democratic voter.

[Rusty]

To me it's pretty basic, in that the USA has a ton of tax revenues to work from. That said, those tax dollars are not optimized.

Understatement of the millennium for me, Rusty.

I'm telling you, it's criminal. If Google, Apple, Facebook, GM, GE, you name it were run like this, those executives would be rode out of town on a rail and be selling pencils on street corners for scraps. $3 trillion dollars in tax revenues and we have to borrow $3 billion form China every day? Jesus H Christ, that is just unbelievable. And only 550 congressmen control 310 million people. Sickening.

[wreck ship]

Oh yea, I know Politicians lie, it is when they use the governmental assets to create lies - you know - the employees of the Federal government - their lies are become more difficult to know what the truth is.  Get this odd feeling when folks whose salaries I pay lie to me - surely it doesn't bother everyone - but it bothers me.

I think it's bothersome in general but you'd be hard pressed to find folks who were motivated to get out and vote because Obama and the democrats promised them economic freedom. The reality that the right chooses to ignore is that most ppl voted Obama b/c he presented a more social moderate stance than the fearmongering right that suggest a raped womens body has the mechanics to abort a pregnancy...
The right gift wrapped the white house for Obama and it's articles like this that show how out of touch they still are with the majority of americans.

First, if people believed the stuff from that article in the first place, they got what they deserved. Second, if people voted for a Presidential candidate because of what a dumbassed SENATE candidate blurted out, again, it doesn't say much for the deductive powers of your average Democratic voter.

lol, I'm just stating for the record that the right gift wrapped the white house for Obama and they have no one to blame but themselves. Not democratic voters who think Obama is an economic wizard.

[wreck ship]

wreck ship, I agree the Republicans are out of touch with the majority of Americans. I am a moderate. I am also a business consultant fwith over 30 years doing international turn arounds, so I have some idea about finances. To me it's pretty basic, in that the USA has a ton of tax revenues to work from. That said, those tax dollars are not optimized. IMHO, we can't just keep raising taxes to cover the sins of our leaders both Republican and Democrat, who just keep on spending and passing the tab onto the taxpayers. At some point it becomes a downward spiral and I have seen it in business many times. The company has tons of sales, gets lax with it's spending, keeps passing the costs onto their customes and one day, they realize the market has left them in the dust, they are up to their eyeballs in debt with creditors, vendors, bankers; margins are non existent and the internal politics placing blame are a cancer that eventually destroys the fabric of the company. Our politicians focus on getting reelected and party control at all levels, when the welfare of all Americans are at stake. The upper crust, older white 'haves' are now in trouble because the minority is now the majority (African Americans/Latinos/Asians/Women/Youth/Gay & Lesbian). That may be reality but the Democrats will eventually have the same task the Republicans have, appealing to ALL Americans, while ensuring the financial future and well being of our children and grand children. Those politicians that solely focus on getting reelected and party politics and posturing will hopefully get run out of office and a new breed of politician will come to the forefront.

yea you obviously know more than me about economics and finances and I wont pretend to know squat about it but should anyone be surprised that a democratic president is raising taxes? The average person spends more on gas per month than they do on taxes per month. Why aren't we up in arms and boycotting gas stations? Its b/c the media thinks that if they say fiscal cliff enough times the average person will direct their anger at politicians and not at themselves. Looks like its working.

[Rusty]

wreckship, I wasn't trying to show you how much I know based on my career. On the contrary, I agree with you. In fact, I just posted how the hell can we have to raise taxes with $3 trillion in tax revenues at the NATIONAL level, forget state, municipal, county, city, sales, taxes, etc. I saw a chart a few months ago that showed that every president from Eisenhower forwarde has raised the previous budget/taxes, then exceeded their budgets (save Clinton where he raised the budget but ended up with a surplus. That's like you making $100,000 and spending $150,000, then next year setting the budget at $175,000 and exceeeding that, and so on and so on. They are ALL culpable both Republicans and Democrats. It's been going on for generations. We are the new European Union. Friggin brutal.

[mwk]

The people who voted for Obama got what they deserved, including those in the coal areas of PA, VA and the others. Most if not all of this information was available to folks on the internet before the election. If you did not know that Obama was going to impose more regulations and wage his war on fossil fuels, or your taxes would go up due in large part to Obamacare, or that job numbers didn't include those that gave up looking and were routinely adjusted down, then you're a complete moron. I don't think the majority cared, as long as they kept getting their govt. handouts. But they will be sorry.

mwk

[Durango 95]

Part of it is the intrinsic nature of the type of person that is drawn towards high office.. Their priorities are not serving the electorate first but political expediency, self-interest and the corporate party establishment they are beholden to.

Perhaps once in a blue moon you get a candidate like a R. Paul that isn't motivated by those factors but that type of person/candidate is obviously very rare.