Rome wasn’t built in a day, and the United States of America won’t regain a state of economic balance overnight, either. Perhaps now would be a good time to give President Obama some leeway to clean up this mess – offering him more than 60 days to work a miracle.
The president inherited what he called “the worst fiscal situation in American history,” a deficit of $1.3 trillion. In an effort to reach his goal of cutting the country’s deficit in half by the end of his first presidential term, Obama has worked hard to help the struggling economy, including a $787 billion stimulus plan for the country.
Some have been critical of every decision the president has made so far, claiming he hasn’t kept his promises. Some have even speculated that certain actions of his may push us further into debt before we get out of it.
However, wasn’t the general consensus before he took office that things would get worse before they got better? If so, why the tough scrutiny?
The Fact Check Web site claims to follow U.S. politics and reports on what is truth and fiction although it has come under fire because of the fact that many of their “facts” are not facts at all. Fact Check recently looked into Obama’s speech given last Tuesday about the economy. Much of the things they fact-checked were statements that required no checking. An example from a March 25 Associated Press article about Fact Check’s claims:The claim: “We will recover from this recession. But it will take time, it will take patience, and it will take an understanding that when we all work together, when each of us looks beyond our own short-term interests to the wider set of obligations we have to each other, that’s when we succeed.”The facts: “No one really knows when the recession will end. But Obama’s own budget forecasts the recession will continue through this year but with a relatively shallow 1.2 percent decline in the gross domestic product.”Where is that fact that needs to be reviewed in that? Obama simply stated that we will recover, and it will take time.
A segment of Fact Checker, Politifact, has set up what they call the “Obameter,” which keeps more than 500 promises the president has made along with a tally to keep track of how many have been kept. It was interesting to note that after eight years of putting up with a president who made documented false statements, including many that brought the country to war, no meter existed on the site for former President George W. Bush.
So, America, are we going to spend four years of tearing down everything our commander-in-chief says and does? He’s been in office for two months; he promised a change. Can we give him a chance to give us that change?
Obama committed an act of great bravery when he chose to vie for the job to clean up after such an incompetent administration. He needs our support as citizens in this time, not to be torn apart because we want the change he promised right here and right now.
