Isn't America better off than 4 years ago

[Proud liberal 80]

I do not even know why this is a strategy and the why media is stirring this up. In 2008 under W America was a mess, and we are slowly getting better (I guess it is not as fast as people want, but it is better. Now America is not better than they were in 2000, but it is better than it was in 2008.

[gateley]

1. I think that's an excellent point!

And welcome to DU, Proud liberal 80!

[CJCRANE]

2. The Lehman Brothers crisis

which triggered the financial crash started around September 15th 2008, so in a couple of weeks' time the question ("are you better off..." etc) won't be such a good idea.

[JaneQPublic]

7. Plus, the Recession officially began in Dec. 2007.

According to the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER), which is the organization that determines when recessions begin and end, the Bush economy first stalled out in December 2007.

So for the better part of the year prior to the Wall Street Crash, the country was suffering under Republican economic policies.

By the way, the NBER shows the recession ending in June 2009. Of course, by then the economy was beaten down so low and so many jobs had been lost, that even the slow and steady growth under Obama still left a lot of Americans hurting for better times.

[MatthewStLouis]

3. Are we still falling off a cliff? Economy circling the drain? No! Want to hop back into the toilet?

Nope. We cannot go back.

[darkangel218]

4. Media needs to

... stop asking this question. 4 years is not enough time to repair all the damage Bush did, how can they be that stupid and not figure that out.

Even if we as a country are on the road to recovery, many average Americans aren't.

[hamsterjill]

5. Yes, America is definitely better off than four years ago.

Any person with even a smidgeon of common sense can see that.

The opponents just can't stand the fact that America is headed in a positive direction now after eight years of despair, ruin, and hatred.

[Atman]

6. Dipping into the old Ronnie Raygun well.

They figure it's all they've at this point...it worked for Reagan...and the other old actor didn't really provide them the stirring quote they were hoping for.

[66 dmhlt]

8. Saw this response over at OutsideTheBeltway.com

It's paraphrased, but it's close:

1) We are no longer teetering on the edge of a second Great Depression brought about by Republicans getting us into TWO wars, uncompensated TAX CUTS FOR THE WEALTHY, and a drug program for seniors with NO IDEA how to pay for it
2) The banking system did not collapse
3) As Pres. Obama promised, we are out of Iraq
4) As Pres. Obama promised, we have a plan in place that now guarantees healthcare to those Americans who were previously excluded
5) As Pres. Obama promised, Osama Bin Laden and much of the Al Qaeda leadership is dead
6) As Pres. Obama promised, we now have a plan in place to get out of Afghanistan
7) Gaddafi — a murderer of defenseless American civilians — is gone
8) We are now net oil product exporters for the first time since 1949
9) Pres. Obama saved our auto industry
10) Gays can now serve openly and proudly in the military
11) Women can still get legal abortions and birth control
12) Women can get equal pay for equal work
13) Despite the challenges, the US economy is outperforming Europe, including those parts of Europe like the UK that followed conservative doctrine of “Austerity”

[SmittynMo]

9. Give me a break

The repubs are going after ANYTHING to disrupt the DNC. They have NOTHING!!! They stand for nothing. Just look at the RNC. It was filled with chairs, lies, misrepresentation, and hatred. Now to answer the question. Even though I am currently unemployed, I have to say that we are in better shape than we were 4 years ago. Obama will sure as hell point out the changes made. Are we back to a status quo (whatever that may be)? No. Why? All you have to do is look at the republican party. Since day 1, they vowed to make Obama a 1 term president. Just ask Mitch and the tan man. They have fought him on EVERY item he wanted to pass. So much for bipartisanship, eh? And now they're going to use this against Obama? I certainly hope this backfires on them big time. Obama is no fool and will point this out, big time. The facts are the facts. And facts don't lie. Those rich ass millionaires are really going to be pissed. I just love how they are throwing their money at a losing cause. Is this their way of putting money back into the economy with their failed trickle down stance?

[qwlauren35]

10. It's timing.

The housing market was at an all-time high under Bush until it crashed. Every disaster happened as Bush was leaving. The worst of things was just before and right after Obama got elected. The steps he took spurred SOME aspects of the Tea Party. The take-over of GM was not popular, even though it worked. And under Bush, until things crashed, people had jobs.

If you remember having a job under Bush and no job under Obama, you're not going to think about the crash. You're going to associate the entire nightmare with Obama. And if you compare partisan behavior under Bush with partisan behavior under Obama, it definitely got worse.

If you're of a mind to blame Obama, there's plenty of ammunition, even though he didn't cause any of it, and he's spent 4 years fighting it.

And if you're in the "Boot the Incumbents" frame of mind, you harm Obama too. The irony is that it's the Tea Party that needs the boot, but their fans are very loyal. I have to hope that the damage that they did is not lost on their constituents. Especially the Congresscritters who tied emergency relief to spending cuts, and blocked their own constituents from getting relief. I know that pissed off my cousin, but she says that it still might not affect her district.