Obama would pretty much have to have been able to do anything we voted for for that question to be very meaningful. With the GOP blocking and filibustering *everything* including routine appointments, in the name of 'saving money,' ...they create a lot of problems that are in fact vastly more expensive: if BP had been in a world with enough regulatory appointments, would we have that huge expensive catastrophe on our hands? Quite likely not.
Even 'little things' like not correcting Social Security payments for the housing crash, etc (The previous index for cost-of-living adjustments meant that there was no COLA increase, while the actual cost of living for disabled folks and elders went way up beyond inflation: cause energy and medical and other costs, as well as regressive state taxes and fees (that aren't income taxes) have kept going up: result? Lots of people barely getting by, all they have going to medication or OTC self-medication, instead of maybe having a few bucks for spending in their local economies.)
Basically, there's obstructing in the name of 'spending lean,' and then there's 'spending smart.'
A lot of the things that *aren't* happening are to blame, here.
Like keeping people in their homes, both to preserve real estate values *and* local economies.
There's a lot of screaming about 'the budget,' but not a lot of comparing or asking where some would have the money go, or where they expect their big 'trickle-down' profits to *come from.*
Certainly not much talk about *doing* anything.
Still got a perfectly good country, here, ...just can't keep looting it, parting it out, and rearranging the wealth upwards to a wealthy few forever, is all.
Maybe some *want* to go back to how it seemed to be during the Bush administration... The same policies that got us into this mess.
Hate to break it to you, but that couldn't last, no matter how many teabags people wear.
---------- Post added 10-27-10 at 03:48 PM ----------
Originally posted by Ash In the scheme of things, if you've got a job that pays the bills, puts food on the table and clothes on your back, plus a little extra for your photography hobby, then you're doing better than the majority of people in this world.
Being 'worse' off to me means major undesirable shifts in lifestyle - would this be the case for those who say they're worse off?
Well, I tend to measure it in time, pain, security, and potential. We were much less-affected by the 'credit-crunch' cause we live cash-on-the-barrelhead here, but one's acutely aware when the margins shrink. Some real differences between, 'With austerity, I can get some stuff or have the means to try and make a few bucks,' to 'OK, need more medicine, new glasses have to wait all summer,' hopefully then this, then that,' ...Even what one may consider a pretty good position, well, you really know when things are slowing down all over. I'm still hoping things will be reasonably-recovered by the time I'm in a position to sell anybody anything.
The real condition here, at least in this town and state, is that the conservatives have been *really just trying to slow things down, then hoping to use the frustration to get back into power.* (Meanwhile, of course the rent and bills and other routine expenses have to be paid, whether you're making much progress that month or not: personally, I can turn a little bit of leeway into a lot of progress, but can't make much out of nothing.)
Well, people are frustrated, all right.