Obama's accomplishments

Submitted by Sigmund Derman (United States), Aug 16, 2012 at 13:30

Deborah,

The comments of mine that you address were part of my answer to Sara who asked "What has he done to earn your trust?" Perhaps I should have left the domestic stuff of it because those items are not directly related to Israel. But, if the editors of this will allow me one more somewhat tangential comment, I will answer you. This whole exchange, not just related to my comments but also to other comments really gets back to the often asked question of why do Jews generally vote Democratic.

1) I hoped that Obama would reverse the conditions that caused us to shift from the Clinton surplus to the Bush deficits. With great difficulty, largely due to lack of Republican cooperation but partly due to his own ineptness, he has partially done so by winding down our foreign involvement. But he still has not managed to readjust the taxes so that the harmful effects of many of the Bush cuts might be reversed. After 3 and ½ years he has managed to largely extinguish the terrible fire (some might call it arson) started by Bush. But the blaze was so intense that the destruction continued for quite a while. You might as well accuse the fire department of being complicit with an arsonist because it did not extinguish the fire soon enough to stop further destruction after the fire departement arrived on the scene.

2) Very few people who are knowledgeable about healthcare policy would consider the United States "system" to be even in the top ten among all nations. But this is not the place to debate such an issue. Suffice it to say I think that Obama has at least moved us in the right direction toward a national healthcare program that covers everyone as a matter of right.

3) I am happy that Obama finally stopped the Bush job destruction and that new jobs are being created again. Of course I would like faster results but it is a miracle that he has done as well as he has given the Republicans pushing in the wrong direction.

4) Government jobs and unions are one of the key features of our economic system. They help the whole thing work well and I am all for strengthening those sectors. Apparently you are not. Most Jews agree with me that the government is a productive economic force and that unions are beneficial. overlords,

5) On the "legitimizing of amorality" I would say that the economic reforms that Obama was able to get through generally work against amoral, immoral, and corrupt economic practices. Prevention of discrimination based on gender and sexual practices also reduce the amorality and immorality of unfair discrimination.

6) I think that Obama has used executive power quite sparingly compared to Bush. I am unhappy about the "the destruction of the protective devises [sic] of the Constitution" brought about by the Citizens United decision and a hope to see that reversed in a few years one way or the other.

7) Obama has done a far better job of protecting our borders than Bush ever did. No amnesty has been given to criminals on that score. (uncredentialed immigrants are far less "criminal" than, for example, vice-presidential candidates who are found to have cheated on their income tax).

8) Under Obama's watch, our oil and gas reserves have increased and our dependence on foreign oil has significantly decreased. And Obama accomplished this without gutting our environmental protections.

9) On the "over-extended military" Obama has succeeded in bringing home large numbers of troops and more and more are scheduled to be withdrawn in the near future. Unfortunately it is not possible to simply withdraw instantly. In the future I would love to see reduced foreign involvement.

Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome but not comments that are scurrilous, off-topic, commercial, disparaging religions, or otherwise inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the "Guidelines for Reader Comments".