FLASHBACK: What A Difference 4 Years Makes
On Fiscal Responsibility In Washington
August 21, 2008
Obama Voiced The Need For “Fiscal Responsibility In Washington,” While Speaking Out Against Increased Deficits And Debt. OBAMA: “I do agree with what you said about how we spend our money and the need for fiscal responsibility in Washington. There is no doubt about that. I mean, look, when George Bush came into office, we had surpluses as far as the eye could see. Now, we’ve got looks like half a trillion dollar deficit a year, and we’ve added $5 trillion to the national debt — $5 trillion to the national debt. Now, that is contributing to the weakening dollar. It means that, over time, we have to borrow money to finance what we’re doing. We’re borrowing that from the bank of China or Mexico or South Korea or the Saudis. And over time, that is undermining our economy.” (Senator Barack Obama, Remarks On The Economy At A Campaign Event, Chesapeake, VA, 8/21/08)
Four Years Later
Since Obama Took Office, The National Debt Has Increased By Nearly $5.3 Trillion, An Increase Of Over 50 Percent.(U.S. Treasury Department, Accessed 8/21/12)
- Politifact:“Obama Is The Undisputed Debt King Of The Last Five Presidents.” “So by this measurement — potentially a more important one — Obama is the undisputed debt king of the last five presidents, rather than the guy who added a piddling amount to the debt, as Pelosi’s chart suggested.” (Louis Jacobson, “Nancy Pelosi Posts Questionable Chart On Debt Accumulation By Barack Obama, Predecessors,” Politifact, 5/19/11)
FY2009: The Federal Budget Deficit Was $1.413 Trillion, The Highest In U.S. History. (“Monthly Budget Review: November 2011,” Congressional Budget Office, 11/7/11)
FY2010: The Federal Budget Deficit Was $1.294 Trillion, The Third Highest In U.S. History. (“Monthly Budget Review: November 2011,” Congressional Budget Office, 11/7/11)
FY2011: The Federal Budget Deficit Was $1.299 Trillion, The Second Highest In U.S. History.(“Monthly Budget Review: November 2011,” Congressional Budget Office, 11/7/11)
FY2012: The OMB Predicts The Deficit Will Be $1.211 Trillion, The Fourth Highest In U.S. History.(Office Of Management & Budget, “Mid-Session Review: FY2013,” The White House, 7/27/12)
On The Politics Of Division
August 21, 2008
Obama Said That “The Kind Of Politics That’s All About Division And Resentment And Making People Mad At Each Other Hasn’t Gotten Us Very Far.” OBAMA: “Well, first of all — you know, look. My mother taught me that if you don’t have anything good to say about anybody, you just shouldn’t say anything. (Laughter, applause.) I will say, the kind of politics that’s all about division and resentment and making people mad at each other hasn’t gotten us very far. It may help you win elections, but it sure hasn’t put more income in the American family’s budget. It hasn’t brought down gas prices. It hasn’t made college easier to finance. That’s part of the politics we’ve got to change, the politics of insult. I mean, who goes around spending all their time insulting each other? You know, if you applied the same morality to — of our current national politics to everyday life, imagine what life would be like. Every day you’d be going to work and people would be lying about you and calling you names. Well, how would you get anything done in the office? Seriously. You wouldn’t. Right? If people misrepresented everything you said, tried to twist it, to make it look as bad as possible, in every interaction, how would you get anything done? You’d just spend all your time mad, and that’s what Washington has become.” (Senator Barack Obama, Remarks At A Campaign Event, Chester, VA, 8/21/08)
Four Years Later
CBS’ Norah O’Donnell: “Why not denounce this and say it should never have been on the air? I thought it was noteworthy that the president knew that it had only aired just once. That’s how he knows the level of detail, even though it is not his campaign that is running this ad. Look, this is a question that Obama has to answer for, which is about the tone of the campaign. Many believed Obama was about hope and change in 2008, but it is true, he ran a very negative campaign in 2008 as well.” (CBS’s “This Morning,” 8/21/12)
“The Democrat Who Once Pledged To Usher In A More Civilized Political Era Has Turned To Highly Critical Commercials.” “To win a second term, the Democrat who once pledged to usher in a more civilized political era has turned to highly critical commercials - at turns personal and snarky - to go toe to toe with Romney in a campaign noteworthy for its negativity and intensity.” (Beth Fouhy, “Obama Negative Ads Could Hurt Personal Popularity,” The Associated Press, 7/24/12)
- In His Reelection Campaign, “Obama Heads Up A Seek-And-Destroy Effort.” “But that was sooooo 2004. Specifically, that was so soooo Barack Obama in 2004, when the little-known state Senator from Illinois made these inspiring comments at the Democratic National Convention. Four years after that, Obama waged his juggernaut of a hope-and-change campaign. Now he heads up a seek-and-destroy effort. That means TV viewers in battleground states like Florida will face a lot more negative messaging from both sides than in 2008.” (Marc Caputo, “Obama Borrows Campaign Tactics From Bush,” The Miami Herald, 7/29/12)
- Democrat Pollsters Pat Caddell And Doug Schoen: Obama Can Only Win By Running “The Most Negative Campaign In History.” “Put simply, it seems that the White House has concluded that if the president cannot run on his record, he will need to wage the most negative campaign in history to stand any chance. With his job approval ratings below 45% overall and below 40% on the economy, the president cannot affirmatively make the case that voters are better off now than they were four years ago. He—like everyone else—knows that they are worse off.”(Patrick H. Caddell and Douglas E. Schoen, “The Hillary Moment,” The Wall Street Journal, 11/21/11)
