President Obama: "Well, I Don't Think That They Are Better Off Than They Were 4 Years Ago"

 M2RB:  The Clarks

I'm having fun looking out for number one
And I'm doing all the things I like to do
I'm having fun 'cause I knew it all along
I'd be better off without you

STEPHANOPOULOS:  There are so many people that simply don't think that they are better off than they were 4 years ago.  How do you convince them that they are?

OBAMA:  "WELL, I DON'T THINK THAT THEY ARE BETTER OFF THAN THEY WERE 4 YEARS AGO.  They aren't better off than they were before Lehman Brothers collapsed, before the financial crisis, before this extraordinary recession we're going through.  I think that what we've seen is that we've been able to make steady progress to stabilise the economy, but the unemployment rate is still way too high and that's why it is so critical for us to make sure that we are taking every action that we can take to put people back to work."

And, Americans agree with him... 

"Only 31 percent of voters believe the nation is in 'better condition,' while 15 percent say it is 'about the same,' the poll found. Just 40 percent of voters said Obama deserves reelection." 

- The Hill, 4 September 2012

The recession ended in June of 2009.  Not only are Americans not better off than they were "before Lehman Brothers collapsed, before the financial crisis, before this extraordinary recession," they aren't any better off since the recession ended or after Obama has taken "every action" that he can "to put people back to work." 

*  Unemployment: 7.8% Jan 2009,  8.3% now.  Hell, the unemployment rate was 8.3% in February 2009 when Obama signed his nearly $1 trillion Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious Stimulus Act of 2009, but before ONE, SINGLE PENNY of it was spent.

*  Median income: $54,983 then, $50,964 now

*  Gas prices: $1.85 per gallon then, $3.78 now

*  National debt: $10.6 trillion then, $16 trillion now

*  Labour force participation rate:  65.7% then, 63.7% now

As for the Democratic Party, it sure isn't better off than it was 4 years ago.  When Obama assumed the throne, Democrats held:

*  56 Senate seats. It is 51 now (plus two independents who align mostly with the Democrats).

*  257 seats in the House of Representatives. It is 190 now (there are also three vacancies for seats last held by Democrats).

*  29 of the 50 governorships. It is 20 now.

*  4,073 state legislative seats. It is 3,319 now.

Further and, undoubtedly, most unnerving for them:

By a 4 point margin, more voters identify as GOP than Democrat. This is the largest spread between the parties.

Ever.

 
By Mike Flynn

According to new research released today by Rasmussen, more voters identify themselves as Republican than ever in the last 8 years. More importantly, by a 4 point margin, more voters identify as GOP than Democrat. This is the largest spread between the parties ever. Worse for Democrats, the number of voters who identify with their party is also approaching an historic low.

In August, 37.6% of voters identified themselves as Republican. That is up from 34.9% in July. By contrast, just 33.3% of voters identify themselves as Democrats. That is very near their historic low in February, when 32.4% of voters identified as Democrat.

The 4.3 margin in favor of the GOP is the biggest gap ever between the parties. In November 2010, when the GOP won a landslide in the mid-term elections, their advantage was just 1.3 points.

Immediately prior to Obama's inauguration, the Democrat party held a nearly 9 point edge over Republicans. Over 41% of voters called themselves Democrats then, compared to around 32% who were Republicans. It is a stunning reversal as Obama heads into reelection.

The last time GOP was close to this level was September 2004. President Bush went on to win reelection two months later, with an electorate that was evenly split. Even then, more voters called themselves Democrats then, but the party's advantage over the GOP was just over 1 point.

Most of the polls this year are based on the assumption that the Democrats will have a numerical advantage on election day. Many media polls assume even that the electorate in November will be more Democrat than it was in 2008. Based on these results, that event is close to mathematically impossible.

If the GOP advantage holds through November, it is likely that the electorate will be evenly split, like it was in 2004 or possibly have a Republican edge. If that is the case, then current media polling is way off-base. Democrats and the media may wake up in shock on November 7th.

Better Off Without You - The Clarks

You are sultry, dirty, soft and hard
You are close to me and you're so far
And I'm thinking of the time we spent together
Now I'll bury this in my backyard
Sometimes I sit and wonder
But I'll never dial your number 'cause

I'm having fun looking out for number one
And I'm doing all the things I like to do
I'm having fun 'cause I knew it all along
I'd be better off without you

You are guilty, pretty, high and low
You're a place to stay and a time to go
And I'm searching through the things you left behind here
Now it's time for me to let it go
Sometimes I sit and wonder
But I'll never dial that number 'cause

I'm having fun looking out for number one
And I'm doing all the things I like to do
I'm having fun 'cause I knew it all along
I'd be better off without you

Late at night you pick up the telephone
Call me up and cry 'cause you're all alone I don't care
Apologize for taking my cigarettes
Now it's time to feel all the side effects
Missing the life you had