Has Barack Obama’s presidency already failed?

[haydnguy]

In a word, no.

[DavidW]

I don't understand why we're not hearing this message from the Democrats now, hammering it into everyone's consciousness the way the Republicans say the same things overandoverandoverandover. All it would take is "We've just lived through eight years of tax cuts and war, and look where those failed policies have gotten us." Democrats just don't have the hate in them, or something.

Because the congress is more at fault than the president, they would be fools to criticize decisions that they voted for.

[DavidW]

Contrary to what some may believe, we don't have to solve this by next week.

Completely agreed.

[drogulus]

I don't understand why we're not hearing this message from the Democrats now, hammering it into everyone's consciousness the way the Republicans say the same things overandoverandoverandover. All it would take is "We've just lived through eight years of tax cuts and war, and look where those failed policies have gotten us." Democrats just don't have the hate in them, or something.

     Because the Dems won, and Iraq and the economy belong to them now. The words "failed policy" have a different meaning. Sometimes the party out of power makes an accusation of failure that's more or less true. This may be accidental, because the accusation will be made anyway.
     
    Take the "temporary" tax cuts (please!) the oh-so-clever Repubs saddled us with. Not only were they destructive as policy, the form they took set some kind of record for malicious mischief. There was almost zero constituency for these cuts outside the inbred circle of party apparatchiki. Yet many of the Dems voted for the cuts. It's too late now, any tax increase would be idiotic. It would be like leaving Iraq because being there is "wrong".

[Coopmv]

Only time will tell ...  Will Obama be like Ronald Reagan who pulled us out of what Jimmy Carter got us into?  I don't know ...

[DavidRoss]

Only time will tell ...  Will Obama be like Ronald Reagan who pulled us out of what Jimmy Carter got us into?  I don't know ...

What do you think Carter got us into?

[Coopmv]

What do you think Carter got us into?

The hyper-inflation and the crushing military defeat at the hands of the Iranians.  The western Europeans hated him then as much as they hated W since Carter vacillated in his foreign policies ...

[Bulldog]

The hyper-inflation and the crushing military defeat at the hands of the Iranians. 

I wouldn't call a failed attempt to rescue hostages a crushing military defeat.  That said, Carter was as poor a president as I'd ever seen until the junior Bush had his turn.

[DavidRoss]

The hyper-inflation and the crushing military defeat at the hands of the Iranians.  The western Europeans hated him then as much as they hated W since Carter vacillated in his foreign policies ...

Carter inherited the inflation.  It was a consequence of massive deficits financing the war in Vietnam (for which both major parties bore responsibility--my,how history repeats itself for those who fail to learn!) which Gerald Ford had already identified as a major issue long before Carter's election.

Crushing military defeat at the hands of the Iranians?  Did you just pop in from an alternate universe?  Nothing remotely like that ever happened in our world.

[drogulus]

    Carter wasn't very good but he started the defense buildup credited to Reagan. They should share the credit. Also he appointed Paul Volcker to the Fed (saddling Reagan with him). Hmm...if only Carter would disappear long enough for me to have good thoughts about him...

[Coopmv]

Crushing military defeat at the hands of the Iranians?  Did you just pop in from an alternate universe?  Nothing remotely like that ever happened in our world.

It is the perception that matters.  People are not going to analyze to the nth degree why the military helicopters crashed, which ultimately led to the failed rescue operation.  You have the then Democratic mayor of NYC, Ed Koch, who labeled the four trusted advisers of Carter as the Gang of Four (nicknamed after the four henchmen for Chairman Mao) ...

[Bulldog]

    Carter wasn't very good but he started the defense buildup credited to Reagan. They should share the credit. Also he appointed Paul Volcker to the Fed (saddling Reagan with him). Hmm...if only Carter would disappear long enough for me to have good thoughts about him...

But Carter never disappears.  Given his failed presidency, one would think he would have silently departed to a private life.  But no, the Dreamer continues to give us his wisdom.

[Coopmv]

    Carter wasn't very good but he started the defense buildup credited to Reagan. They should share the credit. Also he appointed Paul Volcker to the Fed (saddling Reagan with him). Hmm...if only Carter would disappear long enough for me to have good thoughts about him...

The best decision made by Jimmy Carter was the appointment of Paul Volcker, who broke the back of the spiraling-out-of-control inflation.  In hind sight, the worst decision made by Ronald Reagan was the appointment of Alan Greenspan, who has gotten us into this mess.

[drogulus]

The best decision made by Jimmy Carter was the appointment of Paul Volcker, who broke the back of the spiraling-out-of-control inflation.  In hind sight, the worst decision made by Ronald Reagan was the appointment of Alan Greenspan, who has gotten us into this mess.

    Carter does some horrible thing with his eyebrows that destroys his Presidency for me. Also, what does "nu-keeyer" mean?

[Coopmv]

But Carter never disappears.  Given his failed presidency, one would think he would have silently departed to a private life.  But no, the Dreamer continues to give us his wisdom.

Unfortunately, I wish Jimmy Carter has completely departed to a quiet private life but he has not.  His and W's presidencies were both failure, lets be fair about this.

[Guido]

There's generation X optimism right there!

Greg's way too young to be a generation Xer:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generation_X
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generation_Y

[Coopmv]

Greg's way too young to be a generation Xer:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generation_X
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generation_Y

Unfortunately, the future looks quite bleak for Gen-X and Gen-Y ...

[Sarastro]

Either way, my future is screwed.

Your future mostly depends on you, oh superior one.

[Daverz]

The subject line is just beltway blather.  Obama is still hugely popular, and he'll sign the stimulus bill on Monday.

[Coopmv]

The subject line is just beltway blather.  Obama is still hugely popular, and he'll sign the stimulus bill on Monday.

Is it beltway blather or European blather?  Europeans have been much more assertive and critical of the US for the past twenty years or so.  I thought I saw the Financial Times raising a question similar to this subject line a few days ago ...