If memory serves, when I attended Columbia University only a few years before Barack Obama’s arrival on campus, the rule about “incompletes” was that you had a year to complete the course work before your grade was converted from an “I” to an “F.” That somber warning–given to students who were able to procure a pass for not handing in a term paper, taking the final exam or missing classes for one reason or another–was brought to mind by the statement made over the weekend by the only Columbia grad ever elected president that his grade for handling the economy ought to be an “incomplete.”
Republicans are pouncing on this by pointing out, as the Romney campaign said, that it is absurd to ask the American people to re-elect a man who can’t even give himself a passing grade. Nevertheless, contrary to South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, an incomplete is not equivalent to failure. Sometimes there are extenuating circumstances that ought to mandate extra time for a student to satisfy course requirements. But Obama’s alibi, repeated by Deputy Campaign Manager Stephanie Cutter–blaming it all on George W. Bush–doesn’t meet the Columbia standard. Asking for an extra year or even two before being held responsible for the state of the nation is not unreasonable. Asking for four or more years before you can be graded gets you an F at Columbia, Harvard, Occidental, the University of Chicago or any other institution the president was associated with.
As I wrote yesterday, Franklin Delano Roosevelt was the only president ever re-elected on the basis of an “incomplete.” But despite the attempt by Obama and Cutter and the rest of the Democrats to paint the situation in January 2009 as the moral equivalent of March 1933, the analogy falls flat. The downturn of 2008 was bad but it was no Great Depression. And Barack Obama’s stimulus boondoggle and Obamacare didn’t gain the support of the country the way FDR’s New Deal did.
Even an often foul-mouthed radical liberal MSNBC talker like Ed Schultz has admitted “a lot of Americans out there … don’t want to hear about Bush anymore.” Barack Obama can run against Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan, but he can’t run on his record. As for that incomplete the president has given himself, after this much time it’s already been changed on his transcript to the “F” that he fears the voters will give him in November.
Good job. We need to see campaign ads hammering that point across.
Shown with an empty chair.
During the 2012 Democrat Political Party convention I am reading "Witness" by Whittaker Chambers; published in 1952. A brief excerpt: "At the basic point of the [New Deal] revolution–the shift of power from business to government–the two kinds of revolutionists were at one; and they shared many other views and hopes. Thus men who sincerely abhorred the word C-o-m-m-u-n-i-n-i-s-m, in the pursuit of common ends found they were unable to distinguish Communists from themselves; except that it was [only] the Communists who were likely to be most forthright and most dedicated in the common cause. This political color blindness was all the more dogged because it was completely honest. Men who could not see that what they firmly believed was l-i-b-e-r-a-l-i-s-m added up to socialism could scarcely be expected to see what added up to Communism."
Obama gets a 'F', and with luck it's followed by an 'Off'.
You are being far too kind in your assessment of this abysmal failure, economic dunce, and chicago style thug bully politician
I could stand all those disparaging qualities if only he had a more manageable ego. n nOk, I'm just kidding.
to CKKNYC-r nThe recession officially ended by June 2009. The definition of the end of a recession is two quarters of GDP growth, therefore the turnaround had already started (two quarters are 6 months) by Jan 2009, before Baroke OBlahBlah was sworn in, and certainly before anything he did (stimulus) was even passed.
Mr. Tobin conveniently forgets that in January 2009, a great many people feared that the 'downturn' of 2008 was fast sliding into a Second Great Depression; that it did not is a credit to Obama's (and others) leadership and cooperative work. We are still suffering the aftereffects of the Great Recession, and reasonable minds can disagree as to the the way out, but we avoided a devastating collapse that terrified all on the political spectrum; thus, the analogy of the real possibility of a repeat of March 1933 is apt. More annoying, however, is Mr. Tobin's fatuous analogy between turning around the economy and an undergraduate course at Columbia. A year to finish an undergraduate course (what, a 20-page term paper and a final exam?) comparable to the challenge of working with the Mitch McConnell Congress, with its famous line promising to obstruct Obama? Please, criticize the President seriously, not with artificial constructs.
42 months of 8+% unemployment, a record since 1948; lowest labor participation rate of 63.6% since 1981; weakest recovery since WWII; record 5.5 trillion in new debt; lowering of US credit rating; largest tax increase in history, Obamacare; UAW bailout costing taxpayer 26 billion because the UAW, Obama supporters, were treated as first creditors, unheard of in bankruptcy; billions wasted by DEP on green energy loans to companies that failed, Solynadra, First Solar, Fisker and others that were Obama supporters. Obama violated the Constitution on at least 3 occasions, with the healthcare mandate unconstitutional under the Commerce Clause, contraceptive executive order violates Freedom of Religion, un approved appointments when Congress still in session, not enforcing immigration laws, or voter intimidation laws (New Black Panther Party); Obama’s anti business policies, FinReg, Obamacare, DEP and attitude have damaged the country ,stalled hiring and will hurt the small business owner. This is his legacy of failure. And the media refuses to vet him or demand he open his college, attorney and professorship records.
Talk about "artificial constructs"!!! How do YOU know that we were fast sliding into a second Great Depression? Have you got some kind of crystal ball at your disposal? This wild-eyed speculative stupidity has to stop. n n Here's what I know: this "Great Recession" ended in 2009 and the economy has failed to mount anything that resembles a reasonable recovery.
Dear NYC, your lack of knowledge of economics is only surpassed by your ignorance of the Constitution. The "'downturn' of 2008", actually began in the mid1990's with the liberal pressure for every American to own a home. Guess who made the comment, "Every American should own a home, whether or not they can afford it", yep, Barack Hussein Obama. It was this philosophy that led HUD, headed by Henry Cisneros, in a federal prison as I recall and Andrew Cuomo, to aggressively push for lower credit standards and reduced down payments. NGO's like Fanny and Freddy, were managed by Johnson and Raines, who was paid $90 million, to protect via government support NINJNA loans pushed on unsuspecting borrowers, by lenders at Countrywide and Washington Mutual. The 2 top beneficiaries of Fanny and Freddy political contributions in advance of the 2008 Presidential campaign…Barack Hussein Obama and Hillary Clinton.Neither Angelo Mazilo nor any managers at WaMu, have ever been prosecuted by AG Holder. Let's not to forget to mention that Chris Dodd got a "friend of Angelo" discount mortgage and Joe Biden got a "friend of MBNA Bank" mortgage, by one of Delaware's largest employers. This issue was exacerbated by Wall St.'s issuance of CDO's and CDO's squared. Some crooks were bailed out by the feckless team of Paulson and Geitner, who's mismanagement of Wall St. should put both in jail. Not one Wall St. executive has yet been indicted by Holder. In the past 2 weeks, Holder has decided that Goldman Sachs, the largest profiteers of the housing crash, could not be prosecuted, while coincidentally pouring millions into BHO's coffers, and EH has failed to even consider filing charges against former Democratic Senator, Jon Corzine. TARP was and is a disaster, poor people need government help, NOT crooked corporations. Dodd- Frank is an additional joke perpetrated on the public. Over 4,000 pages long, it's so complex that only 61 provisions, regulations all, have yet to be implemented and another 300 or so, no one actually knows for sure, are still being reviewed ?? The net result, small regional and local banks cannot expand and larger "too big to fail" banks will fall under federal control, just think your bank, another Post Office. The problem isn't regulation, it's LACK OF ENFORCEMENT. So now, let's address BHO's "leadership". The stimulus gets passed, there are actually 6 stimuli, for a total of $1 trillion. The DOL, Bureau of Statistics notes there are actually 316,000 FEWER jobs now than when BHO took office, but if you use the unmeasurable 4,000,000 as espoused by the BHO taking heads, that comes to $250,000 per job. Give $250,000 to any employer in the country and every person from 6 to 90 will be working!! And what cooperative work, BHO hasn't gotten a single vote from either party on any budget, passing a budget is a federal law, by the way, and OBAMACARE, was passed literally, at night, without a single Republican vote, bipartisanship, BHO ?? Pelosi is still waiting for one of her grand kids to read it to her.As to the ridiculous claim of obstructionism, the Constitution provides "for the people, of the people and by the people", meaning each locality has the right to elect those whom they see fit to champion their desires. Those supporting the Republic party got voted out in 2006, giving Democrats both Houses of Congress, which parenthetically you might observe was the time the Dem cacklers, Axelrod, Shultz et al are blaming solely on Bush. In 2010, in direct response to Barry's policies, his party got "bashed", to quote him directly and now he was forced, by the Constitution, to actually govern as opposed to his midnight siesta's with Nancy and Harry. You think the dolt would have learned from recent history when Clinton, who is now Obama's last chance for success, utilized that exact strategy to implement the will of ALL Americans. Before you respond, kindly check with Gov. O'Malley and be prepared to "walkback" you answer tomorrow. PS The Romney- Ryan school voucher system is something you should look into in January.
Get over the fact that McConnell said that more than three years ago! So there was opposition to his ideas. Big deal. Be a man about it and come up with better ideas than the Republicans, or stand aside.
Blah, blah, blah, blah. This is the 1980-1984 situation all over again. 1980 was arguably worse. Inflation was double digits, there were gas shortages, gas prices were at historic highs, unemployment was high, the standard of living wasn't quite as high. n nThere were doomsdayers back then wondered if we had to accept a bad new normal. Reagan dealt with the same conditions. The rest was history: he tamed inflation, got gas prices to fall, and led the longest and one of the strongest recoveries in modern America. n nObama: failed to lower unemployment under 8 percent, wasted a trillion on a 'stimulus' package which generally benefited his core voters and cronies, printed money out of thin air, raised the national debt more than all the presidents before GWB combined and added to the deficit in 3.5 years what it took GWB to do in 8 years. n nSo, don't give us this sob story. Like Reagan, Obama was elected him to oversee a decent recovery to the worst economy since the Great Depression. Reagan oversaw a strong recovery in full stride in the fall of 2004 when he was up for reelection. Conversely, what we got with Obama by the fall of 2012 was a healthcare plan that has never enjoyed strong support, a weak and almost halted nearly jobless recovery.
Just ask Biden… he'll tell you it's an "F"ing big deal!
Ed shultz is a loon!
Oh, well, I think there was no stimulus needed, if one wasn't needed in 2009-2010, in 2008. when Bush, a Republican, initiated the whole economic stimulus idea, beginning with his huge bank bail-out giveaways to Wall Street cronies and crooks. But I noticed then that Republicans declared, up and down their isle, that it was the only thing that could "save our nation's economy." __But, of course, Bush was a Republican, really a Teapublican. He knew that the Tea Party loves all that money that Bush gave their banks. The banks were not even required to lend that money. Obama came along and, after he realized that Bush's policies on the stimulus weren't working, Obama then required the banks to start lending again. THAT is what caused the slow pace of the current recovery, Obama inherited from Republicans and Bush's bailout policies, then had to change them. __The Republican Party ought to be called Tea Repoblican Party for what they did to Bush's successor.
Hey lying rabbi, those dollars that saved the banking industry and maybe the international financial system HAS BEEN PAID BACK with INTEREST. n nThe two outstanding "loans" are Government Motors and AIG – so shove it rabbi. n nAs to the close to a TRILLION in stimulus, that truly went down the black hole never to be seen again, not to mention the $1.3 TRILLION in deficit spending.
On social issues, Bush = Obama. (Yes, I'm a conservative.) What he did in 2008 outraged me and a whole lot of other conservatives. He was a fiscal socialist, just like Obama is.
Once again, more excuses for a failed recovery.
nGiving Mr. Obama an "F" as a grade on his performance, would be like giving a Fireman an "F" because he did not rebuild the house, right after he put out the fire. On this article, Mr. Tobin is an idiot,
Only it seems after putting out a smallish fire in the kitchen, this fireman threw out every fire extinguisher in the house, poured flammable liquid all over the floor in all the other rooms, and is busy making sure no fire truck can ever get to the house.
well that would make sense if part of a fireman's job was to re-build the house…but it's not. nThe Pres's job was not only to stop the bleeding, but set it back on track. The bleeding has barely stopped and things are not getting that much better. nIf it was a firemans job to rebuild the house, then yes, he'd get an F if he stopped at putting out the fire. Since no one expects him to rebuild, your analogy doesn't really work. n
Firemen aren't supposed to rebuild houses…they put out fires. n nPresidents are supposed to rebuild the economy, not barely stop the bleeding and let it sit in squalor for four years.
Intresting analogy, would you give the fireman an incomplete for not rebuilding the house? Would you give him credit for standing there and watching it finish burning and eventually stop burning, which it would all by itself. What grade would you give the fireman for using the fact that your house was burning as an excuse to get himself and all of the other firemen a raise and a new truck?
He didn't put out the fire he poured accelerant on it.
1) A fireman is not hired to clean up or rebuild the house after the fire, Obama in your analogy is. n2) Even a fireman, given enough resources, would have the house rebuilt after 3 1/2 years.
The average American income fell 4.8 percent during Obama "recovery", that's twice the 2.6 percent it fell during the Bush recession; time to drop the 'it's all Bush's fault' fairy tale.
Love it the Obleedus backers simply know one route to take divert from the issue and blame Bush and republicans for his inability to lead and present ideas that really solve problems or at minimum take the country down a better path relative to reducing deficit spending and creating jobs outside of the auto (union) jobs. Obamma care debacle that has merit in that it gets people coverage that otherwise would not have noble cause I get it, but to mandate people to buy is unconstitutional, oh and the best part… Raid Medicare to fund it.
Too bad there's not something lower than an "F".
In November 52% of voters will use the letter 'F' followed by the word 'off'.
Things that make you go hmmmm.. I am better off than 4 years ago as a small business owner. I have started 3 start ups in the last 4 years, and after a real rough n2007-2008, have maintained and grown my top line revenue and nprofits, and increased my employee head count in a business I have owned for 15 nyears as well. Self made entrepreneur, from a single family, single nincome household, father was a school teacher so could not borrow from him…some ncollege, no degree father of 5 grown children, married for 28 yrs. nGovernment helped with SBA loans when I needed them early on, and would nlove to know that others have the same chance as I had. Will gladly pay nmore taxes to enable government to make the investment necessary to nimprove the opportunity for my kids. Will pay more if others can get nbetter health care or those who have none have some. I was taught that nhelping others was being American, and I am an American. And you cant find a job, or you cant find the one you want….
Unfortunately, unlike college, when the POTUS fails WE THE PEOPLE (the entire class by your analogy) have to do the work all over again.
Unfortuntely, when the POTUS fails WE THE PEOPLE (the entire class by your analogy) have to do the work all over again.
my GF was obamas college classmate and she knows for a fact that obama was heavily involved in the Islamic cause and agenda in college…and that is the reason, why he is hiding his college record
It was an error on the teleprompter anyway, it should've read "incompetent'.