Are you better off now than you were four years ago?

[Winterblues]

That question was asked of a Republican Senator last night on Countdown and he could not answer it.. I doubt any Republican could answer this question without stammering. It should most definitely be a question asked at any of the Debates if there are to be any..The head of Exxon could answer yes but the average American,:shrug: I hardly think so.

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

1. Absolutely not. nt

[MotorCityMan]

That's an easy one

Not just no, but HELL no...

[NMDemDist2]

2. we are, but mainly due to DU and housing bubble

thank heavens, 2004 was a train wreck for us.

[midnight]

3. The silence is the answer-No!

[JuniperLea]

4. I struggled with this...

I have a better job... a lot more fun and interesting... it pays about 35% more than I made four years ago... but I've had to lower my standard of living more than 50%, so, no. I'm totally fucked, actually.

[aspergris]

5. Much better off

That's primarily due to my investments.

I also sold a house for a very nice profit in July, and sitting on large cash component which I am using to selectively pick up value in the markets, while shorting strength in the indexes for a bit of a hedge

[redwitch]

13. Will you adopt me please?

:-)

[grasswire]

6. that was amusing in a terrifying sort of way

Senator Bond, when asked how the American people would answer that question, went into a canned sound bite on how the current situation is the fault of the Democrats because they won't allow drilling for oil in Alaska. It was like someone popped a cassette into his mouth and turned it on.

[aspergris]

7. I am much better off

That's primarily due to my investments.

I also sold a house for a very nice profit in July, and sitting on large cash component which I am using to selectively pick up value in the markets, while shorting strength in the indexes for a bit of a hedge

My net worth is definitely WAY higher

[sinkingfeeling]

8. No.

[dbonds]

9. Every week is worse than the last.

[central scrutinizer]

10. personally, yes, but...

My family is very frugal and we have increased out savings by quite a bit. Because I do all of my commuting and most of my shopping with a bicycle, I can make a tank of gas last two months. But, that is the narrow, me-first-and-only, Republican way to phrase things. When your neighbors are not so fortunate, when the infrastructure is crumbling, when innocents are dying here from neglect and in Iraq from lies, when schools are becoming more crowded, higher education less affordable, etc.,etc., we are not better off. A society should always be measured by the way it treats it least fortunate members and we are getting an F-minus grade.

[CrispyQ]

24. Very nicely stated.

:thumbsup: :thumbsup:

[Tuesday Afternoon]

11. No...four years old and deeper in debt. St. Peter don't you call me

'cause I can't come....

I owe my soul to the company store!

[Burma Jones]

12. Yes, but I am an anomaly

I also vote based on a lot more than whether I am better off.......

[Zywiec]

14. As an American - NO n/t

[movie_girl99]

15. hell fucking NO!!!!

Gas and grocery prices have really hit us hard. I mean we're making it just fine but have had to cut back on entertainment costs and other non necessary things.

[scheming daemons]

16. Obama and his campaign need to hammer this question into the consciousness of every voter....

only change it to 8 years, not 4.

[MindPilot]

17. Abso-fucking-lutely!!! I am waaay better off!

1-20-09 is much, much closer than it was four years ago!

[NeedleCast]

18. Yes

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

19. Just older and more cynical.

The older can't be helped. The cynical seems only reasonable.

[Indenturedebtor]

20. 4 years ago I was out of the country and had no debt but student loans

Now ... um no. It gets worse every year.

[LiberalEsto]

21. Hell no.

I have far less work, because of the lousy economy.
Gas costs far more.
Food costs far more.
My home's value has declined considerably.
Our medical co-pays have gone WAY up.
College tuition for my daughters has increased.
Some of my favorite stores have closed.
Insurance costs more.
Our collective stress level has increased.
Our community has cut back on important things like healthcare for the poor.
Our food bank is running very low on donations.
We've lost far too many young men and women in Iraq and Afghanistan.
It's become way more expensive to fly.
We've lost far too many people on the planet, particularly in Iraq.
Our planet is far more polluted due to dirty bombs and other military weapons.
Police everywhere have started killing people with tasers.
Corporations have grown fatter and more powerful.
Our consumer protections have dwindled.
Our national forests and other protected areas have been leased to fat cats.
My faith in the system has eroded considerably because of election fraud, electronic voting machines, and the refusal of leading Democrats to take action to protect us from the Misadministration.

I could go on....

[MindPilot]

22. And I think a very pertinent follow-up question is:

Can your "faith in America" be restored, or is the mistrust and cynicism permanent?

[kestrel91316]

23. No, but it's all the Clenis' fault. And the Democratic Congress.

:sarcasm: