No, life is definitely worse. And it is the presidents responsibility to mitigate those events by making policy. Bush did nothing because it did not profit him to do anything. Bush and Chaney are both oil men and were both profiting out our...or at least my expense.
I would agree that Bush has shown himself to be lacking in leadership. I would agree that the Congressional Republican leadership decided pragmatism was more important than idealism. They were deservably fired for it. But for the record, BUSH AND CHEANY ARE NOT OIL MEN. They were once oil men, but not any more. The fact that they continued HW's ban on offshore drilling is proof. Frankly, they allowed the current energy crisis to occur because they would rather blame democrats at election time. Again, I disagree with the the democrat's green energy policies, but at least they showed passion in standing by their beliefs. You have to respect that. I hope that the GOP learns from these mistakes. If Bush had strongly forwarded what I suspect are his true beliefs about energy, as well as other important issues, I believe his approval ratings would be in the forties. You cannot discount how many conservatives like me feel betrayed by the hypocrisy of the GOP.
Im starting to think that maybe having the Communist Chinese lead the world... might not be such a bad thing after all... at least they are a smart hardworking people.... idiots like your George Bush would never make office... they would get shot or harvested for body parts... its embarrassing... its like having that idiot friend you had in school telling you what to do and think... seriously if America didnt have such a impact on the world markets I would not give a shiet about you idiots... here is to the new world order... China and India... and to Canada's own Mexico United States... here is to the hope that its sooner rather than later...
The economy is worse, but most people are not worse off. The only people I know that are worse off, are the residential home builders where I live. They did it to themselves by over saturating the market. They were building homes faster than people were moving into the area. I admittedly don't know any people who recently retired and depend on their stocks to get them by. I don't know any unemployed people. What policy did you want Bush to make? Perhaps forbid oil companies from charging market prices? Look what happened when people stopped unneccesary travel, started using carpools, public transportation, oil plummeted. We the people did this to ourselves. We said dang gas sure is getting high, but we still went to the pumps. That is not the President's fault. Way to ignore the rest of the comment. It is not one man's fault, despite what you may want to think. We as a society always look for a fall guy, but I'm not doing that. It is my fault too. It was the fault of millions of people. Economies around the world are struggling, to blame that on one man is a bit extreme. Life is worse for you, not everyone.
juicystream, I don't know where you are from but almost everyone I know regardless of political prejudice will say the same thing...we are worse off. I make a full 15,000 dollars less today than I did in 2001. Couple that with the massive increase in every day bills like gas and electricity just two name to and I am a lot worse. I posted this in another thread but just so you might get some perspective I work in the airline industry where benefits have been cut, pay has been cut, and jobs have been cut and sent out of the country. I worked for Delta Airlines for 16 years only to have them pull out and stop doing business in the city that I live in 2005. Delta contracted a lot of its maintenance out of the country. I worked for ATA airlines until they went out of business in April of this past year. My benefits have been slashed, my 401K disappeared and my quality of life has definitely gone down as has the quality of life for many other middle class hardworking people like myself. My father is a 77 year old white male that lives in east Texas and owned his own business until he retired. His code of conduct thru out the course of his life has been hard work and no hand outs. He has always voted republican. Like me he voted for George Bush both times. Like me he has said he will vote for Obama this time and he is completely sick of the job Bush and the Republicans have done over the past 8 years. He would tell you that his quality of life was much better prior to Bush. Is it all Bush's fault. No. But it is his responsibility to create policy that will mitigate the problems our country has been facing the last several years. He has either been unwilling or his attempts has been completely ineffective. Either way, Bush and the Rupublican Party has failed me and most of the people that I know. I don't know you or what kind of life you have but if it really is as good or better than it was 8 years ago and you have confidence in the Republican party then I give you no grief for voting your conscience. I think that there are enough disenchanted people in this country that Obama will win in a landslide. But if by some miracle McCain wins I hope he becomes the best president ever. But since I have no confidence in his ability or the Republican Party I will cast my vote for Obama.
Original response deleated because it was not appropriate. Just because I am not living in a box under a bridge with out the ability to take care of my self and my kids does not mean my quality of life has not been greatly deminished.
Being that Houston's economy centers around the engergy sector I would say that a majority of people in Houston are way better off than they were 8 years ago. Average price of oil in 2000 = $23 Average price this year = $105 It may suck for filling up your car, but great for jobs. Houston's economy is still very strong compared to most of the US. Its just another reason why Dallas sucks.
My personal income has been cut significantly over this past year as well... Nearly in half... some of that by my own choice in order to help others. I am just commenting on how we act as thought we are really facing a "great depression" type scenario. We're not. I understand that our level of luxury may dwindle.
The Republicans have a lot of good ideas. So do the Democrats. Usually, among them, the best answer is in the middle or slightly to the left/right. Abortion, for example, the ultimate polarizing topic. Perfectly understandable why many are pro-life. In their view, every fetus (or baby, in their terms), has a right to be born. Perfectly understandable why many are pro-choice. In their view, the fetus is not the same as a baby and it is a part of a woman's body, therefore she has the right to make the decision. Anyone with any kind of open mind should clearly be able to see the merits of both arguments. Republicans believe in a higher level of personal accountability, generally speaking. Democrats believe in a higher level of community involvement, particularly as it relates to those less fortunate. These are not mutually exclusive. Nothing wrong with believing in both. Nothing wrong with being a die-hard Republican or Democrat, either. What I really have a problem with on both sides is the fringe element that is completely unwilling to see the others' point of view. People that insult McCain or Obama as people rather than addressing the issues. People that are disrespectful to either candidate who may be the next President of the United States. It takes courage for anyone to put themselves out there as a candidate. Yes, the rewards are plentiful, but you're also one step away from a crackpot taking you out, a la Lincoln, Garfield, McKinley, and Kennedy, not to mention a near-assassination of Reagan. Not to mention King, Malcolm X, Anwar Sadat, Gandhi, etc. Posters like Landlord Landry, IROC, bigtexx, and Faos are just passionate believers in their cause, as are DonnyMost, pgabriel, etc. What disgusts me is someone like that Trader_- to speak of a likely President the way he does is just repulsive. I feel sorry for his kids, I really do, to grow up in that atmosphere of hatred. I really feel there are positive aspects, certainly, to both parties, as well as things they both need to work on. But in this election, Obama has proven to run the better campaign, have the better ideas, focus more on solving problems than attacking character, and demonstrate a more calm, steady approach. But I'm not going to get highly upset if McCain pulls it off. The only thing that will make me truly upset is if he is elected and God forbid something happens to him. Palin needs to be nowhere near the White House for the sake of our country. She's too polarizing a figure.
Well thought post in which I can mostly agree with. It's weird because I am a moderate republican yet the posts by the democrats in here just get my goose occasionally.
Just because we are all still able to "get by" does not mean that life for every single American has not been harmed by the policies of the Bush administration. Borrowing hundreds of billions from China to support an unfounded war has led to the depreciation of the dollar and the reduction in spending power for all of us. Look around you. Food costs more. Gas costs more. Goods cost more. This isn't our fault. This is the fault of a brain-dead administration that threw our surplus into the black hole of the Middle East, at the expense of our own infrastructure, our own healthcare, our own salaries. There are those to be sure who earn more now than they did eight years ago, but taken as a whole nation, our average income has decreased since then, while inflation and the cost of living has skyrocketed. This isn't simply helping out the rich at the expense of the poor; this is bad governance plain and simple. We might as well have just gone into Ft. Hood, taken a heap of our nation's gold reserve and put it in a truck and drive that truck off of the end of the Bridge to Nowhere. For you to believe otherwise belies your misconceptions about the world and the misconceptions of those who have indoctrinated you. Open your eyes and see for yourself whether or not we are better off than we were before Bush, and see for yourself whether or not it was the government's fault or just "bad luck".
So you work in one of the two professions I said were hit hard by rising gas prices. That is why it is worse off for you. I'm an accountant, and we are not having any problems in our industry. Airlines shoot themselves in the foot. Discount airlines have fared much better than larger airlines while offering cheaper prices and better service. The airline industry is very up and down throughout history. It continues to be you, when my argument is most. I work with numerous industries, and for the most part they are doing well. You work within one industry and it happens to be one that has gone through horrible times. I don't have confidence in either party. They are both filled with liars and cheaters and don't do anything but hand out empty promises. The fact of the matter is McCain will be handcuffed by congress, while Obama will have congressional support. I don't trust a single party in control. I never have. You are free to vote for Obama. I honestly don't have a problem with him. I think he is intellegent and a very good speaker. I might even vote for him if Republicans had the majority. I overall disagree with both of their health plans, and both tax plans. I think Obama will pass his, and McCain wouldn't have a chance to pass his. I think either way, the economy will improve because that is the natural tendency of economics. I think either one will be a two term president.
It is called inflation. It has existed since the beginning of time. Things have always fluctuated in price. Economics goes through cycles. I am actually seeing a massive amount of deflation in the market. What do you do for a living to decrease your pay? Most people are making more money. I see hundreds of incomes on an annual basis. Most are increasing or similar to what they made. The economy was at all-time highs a year ago, it is currently deflating. I have nothing to complain about. My House cost me $52,000, it actually cost me less to drive today than it did when I was 16 because of Hybrid technology. Maybe the people I know just made smart decisions, while some people made the wrong decision. I get already have a negative effective tax rate. Obama wants me to get an even higher one, but if you feel that is how do decrease the deficit, so be it. I can't complain about life. I just wish the government would just quit giving me money that I don't need. I could always refuse it, but I can't resist the temptation to take advantage of what they put in my lap. Thus it is my fault.
