Ted, be honest with yourself. It's ludicrous to say that Clinton's mere presence kept the economy healthy, or that the mere prospect of Bush becoming president caused it to tank. That borders on personality worship.
Tenchusatsu, if I am being honest, I don't think Clinton did it alone but I think he contributed.....if in no other way than getting people off welfare.
As for Bush, I don't think he tanked the economy although I think his scare tactics during his campaign didn't help matters. However, I believe his administration does not have a clue on how to reverse this negative cycle other than to give tax cuts to the rich.
Plus, there is a growing and annoying tendency for his appointees to get very defensive whenever they are questioned, no matter the question. Just a short while ago, his Energy Secretary was on CNBC, and S. Herara asked him if he was concerned about threats of power outages in the Northeast and CA. The guy went ballistic saying things were fine and to not be concerned.......it was extremely awkward and all too typical when someone in this administration is asked a question.
It indicates to me that these people don't know what they are doing, or are covering up for their mistakes, or think they are above answering questions. Whichever one is the cause, it does nothing to instill confidence. And its psychological moments like this that make the difference; a calm response reassures that all is well while a defensive one suggests that things may be fukked up.
And what Americans need most right now is to know things are not totally screwed up. Bush was good at that right after 9/11 but unfortunately, he seems to be a one trick pony. I think that's the reason, along with the lagging economy, why the polls are starting to go against him. This country has had some horrific/shocking things happen to it in a short period of time..........people are still in a kind of shock......afraid to go on planes, even to travel much beyond where they live period. Some are even saying the consumer has held up and spent because in the back of their minds, people don't know if there's a future worth saving for.
Bush was good for those few months after 9/11 but right now, we need someone stronger with a bigger vision. Its clear that he is overly prepped when he speaks......his speeches, when he doesn't ramble, or get 'stuck', sound canned. Unfortunately, we are stuck with him until 2004.
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