Yes We Can - - Not Reelect Obama As President

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While appearing on the "Today Show" with host Matt Lauer in 2009, Obama stated that "I will be held accountable" for his term as president.  Also during that same interview, Obama claimed that within the first 3 years of his presidency, he would cut the deficit in half and rebound the economy. He was so trying to be confident in this interview that he goes on to tell Matt Lauer, "If I don't have this done in 3 years, then theres going to be a one term proposition." 

By his own admissions, Obama clearly understands that he should be held accountable, he clearly understood what he meant when he told Matt Lauer that if he (Obama) failed to cut the deficit in half and get the economy on the rebound, he would be a one-term president. The election is 20 days from now, lets hold Obama accountable and let's help him keep his word.  

As the election nears and the candidates enlighten us with speeches and debates, like last night's 2nd meeting between the candidates, keep one thing in mind. Barack Obama hasn't said anything new in 4 long years that he didnt promise already. His platform is the same scenario that he so eloquently portrayed on January 26th, 2008 while giving his "Yes We Can" speech in South Carolina. You remember that speech, the one that filled Americans with hope, comradery and changes, which the majority never came.

Here are a just few excerpts from that speech. After you read them, tell me if Obama has fulfilled enough of his promises to give the American people a reason to believe again? Better yet, to believe in him again. 

Obama: We're up against the idea that it's acceptable to say anything and do anything to win an election. But we know that this is exactly what's wrong with our politics. This is why people don't believe what their leaders say anymore. This is why they tune out. And this election is our chance to give the American people a reason to believe again.

Obama: But as hard as it may seem, we cannot lose hope, because there are people all across this great nation who are counting on us, who can't afford another four years without health care, that can't afford another four years without good schools, that can't afford another four years without decent wages because our leaders couldn't come together and get it done.

Obama: Theirs are the stories and voices we carry on from South Carolina. The mother who can't get Medicaid to cover all the needs of her sick child. She needs us to pass a health care plan that cuts costs and makes health care available and affordable for every single American. That's what she's looking for.

Obama: The teacher who works another shift at Dunkin' Donuts after school just to make ends meet, she needs us to reform our education system so that she gets better pay and more support and her students get the resources that they need to achieve their dreams.

Obama: The Maytag worker who's now competing with his own teenager for a $7 an hour job at the local Wal-Mart, because the factory he gave his life to shut its doors, he needs us to stop giving tax breaks to companies that ship our jobs overseas and start putting them in the pockets of working Americans who deserve it and put them in the pockets of struggling homeowners who are having a tough time and looking after seniors who should retire with dignity and respect.

"Yes, we can. Yes, we can change. Yes, we can."

Obama: Yes, we can heal this nation. Yes, we can seize our future. And as we leave this great state with a new wind at our backs and we take this journey across this great country, a country we love, with the message we carry from the plains of Iowa to the hills of New Hampshire, from the Nevada desert to the South Carolina coast, the same message we had when we were up and when we were down, that out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we will hope.

He is still giving us the same speech format that began in 2007 and continues now. Which is Obama's biggest problem, open-ended empty, hollow promises. Everybody knows his policies have failed to turn the economy around. His actions have raised, not decreased the national debt. It's now at over $16 trillion compared to $10.6 when he took office. 

The Washington Post found that since Obama's presidency began, spending has been going up approximately 5.2 percent a year while The Associated Press put the figure at 3 percent. Either way, it is neither the "lowest pace in nearly 60 years," as Obama claimed. Unemployment is worse than when he took office. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the country has 552,000 fewer jobs now than when the president was inaugurated.

Obama also claims that government jobs decreased. Not only during his administration, but also during a recession. That could be true if you count government jobs on state levels that Obama is not directly in control over. The overall state and federal government workforce decreased from 22,576,000 in January 2009 to 22,570,000 in June of 2012. But, if you only take the jobs that Obama is directly responsible for, the totals increased since he has been in office. 

Statistics show that in 2009 when he entered office, federal government employment was at 2,061,700. In June 2012 it was at 2,204,100. An increase of 7%.

According to PolitiFact.com, Barack Obama made an extraordinary array of campaign promises. To be exact, 508 pledges on everything from taxing the rich to ending the Iraq war. (Which he has done) He also vowed to safeguard the environment by capping carbon emissions. He pledged to push for comprehensive immigration reform and help homeowners after the housing market crashed. Above all, he would change the tenor of the debate in Washington." 

What PolitiFact considered to stand out as not only his his biggest broken promise, but also as an explanation for why so many of his other pledges either fizzled out or failed, was Obama's own failure to bring people together for a bipartisan agenda. 

They have been tracking all 508 pledges and keeping a tally throughout his presidency. Take a few minutes and read through each category and stats and rate them as to their overall importance for the country and to you. PolitiFact claims Obama has kept 37% of those assurances. (list here) They report that 16% were flat out broken, (list here) Compromised 14%, (list here) Stalled 10%, (list here) and 22% are still in the works. (list here) 

First, no president will ever keep all of his or her promises made in order to get elected or while in office. Obama is no different, except he went on national TV and made assurances to Americans that he would cut the deficit in half, and rebound our economy. And he placed penalties for himself on those 2 top priorities for America's recovery. "If I don't have this done in 3 years, then theres going to be a one term proposition."

Obama did keep his promise of providing Americans with a national healthcare plan, which will possibly go down in history as his legacy. If it holds up.   

 

Personally, I am forever grateful that Obama brought an end to the Iraq war and he is downsizing the number of US troops in Afghanistan. Hopefully that unbeatable conflict will end soon. But, that's not enough. In simple terms, he is the CEO of this corporation known as the United States of America. If any other CEO performed their job the same way, they would be replaced.

Should we believe Obama the second time around? In his own words, "We're up against the idea that it's acceptable to say anything and do anything to win an election. But we know that this is exactly what's wrong with our politics. This is why people don't believe what their leaders say anymore."

Isn't that exactly what he has done? Before and after his 2008 "Yes We Can" speech, Obama said anything he had to in order to get elected. Is he doing that again now?

Jack Swint