reagans question that made carter a one term president

[SwampG8r]

to the american people on TV he asked them to ask themselves
"are you better off now than you were 4 years ago?"
we were not better off
carter had come into office at the beginnings of the 70s second recession(or the end of the first depending on who is telling the story)
despite his good intentions and his hard work the day to day opinion of americans was that he was ineffective
despite what his supporters held up as proof of his work

[WhiteTara]

1. Maybe the Congress hopefuls should take that line and run

with it. After all, the pukes have a 6% favorable rating. Why slink around with that line. Let's throw it right back.

[ZombieHorde]

2. This should have been a poll. nt

[SwampG8r]

5. i was leaving for work but please do

post it as a poll
might be enlightening
if you do will you link it back here in another reply?i wont be back til late and it may be off the front by then

[JDPriestly]

3. And if Obama is going to run again, he needs to have a ready answer

for that question. Otherwise he should not run.

[katnapped]

7. Not to worry...

The OFA people can just whip out that handy-dandy list of glorious achievements!

[hay rick]

23. His answer so far...

You would be even worse off with the other guy.

His campaign slogan, circa 2012: Despair you can believe in.

[fishwax]

4. wish that question had worked that magic on dubya

:puke:

[SwampG8r]

6. who asked it? if they didnt ask then they shouldnt expect an answer

[fishwax]

12. I remember it being mentioned a lot, by press, pundits, and the candidates

And, lo and behold, things got even worse after four more years of dubya ...

[KansDem]

8. I thought the question was:

If you hold on the the US hostages until I'm inaugurated, I'll sell you US-made Stinger missiles. Deal?

[Gregorian]

9. He paid someone else to ask that.

Sneaky politicians.

[SwampG8r]

10. that was his statement to the iranis

not a question to the american people
the iranians didnt get to vote so any deal he made would only be good if the american people elected him
if you were there you know how important this one question was in that election

[KansDem]

13. The OP asked: "reagans question that made carter a one term president"

I answered it.

That's the question that made Carter a one-term president.

[SwampG8r]

15. So...even tho i AM THE ORIGINAL POSTER you can fathom the question

better than i?
jesus holy christ this is a new level of pretention
and btw oh mighty kreskin the question is continued in the body of MY FREAKING OP maybe if you read before replying you wont reveal so much about yourself

[KansDem]

16. Call it what you want. I answered your question...

I don't suppose you remember the nightly news during the hostage crises when one such network opened with driving music and the voice-over saying "Day XYZ: America Held Hostage!" with "xyz" being one of the 444 days the hostage standoff occurred.

That's what turned Americans against Carter, not some stupid PR stunt of Reagan's.

And the hostages were released within minutes of Reagan being sworn in.

You don't think there's a connection?

[A Simple Game]

22. I remember the hostage crisis and the "are you better off" meme.

I'm sure the hostage crisis had a lot to do with Carter losing, but so did the are you better off part. Do you remember the interest rates back then, do you remember the gas lines? To borrow a later Presidents saying, "it's the economy, stupid".

But the pertinent part of the post is only implied; the comparison with the Obama administration. Does the Obama administration have a hostage crisis we don't know about?

[MedicalAdmin]

18. That is the answer and that was treason IMHO.

Raygun and the rest of his criminal cabal should be in prison with their testicles hooked up to a field generator being asked pointed questions about who else was involved.

But as long as the big money boys were getting their cut, who cares if American citizens were held prisoner for longer. FYI - in case no one remembers the name of the asshat military commander who didn't require that air filters be put on the helicoptors of the rescue teams sent in to get the hostages out causing the death of more american soldiers: Anyone want to guess the identity of the future criminal and conspirator?


Hint: ON.

[UTUSN]

11. Exactly, bravo!1 Traitorous RAYGUN kept the hostages hostage n/t

[Change Happens]

14. And I do firmly think that we will be much worse off in 2012 BECAUSE of the policies

being pushed by both sides right now...

[Solomon]

17. Well why do you get to channel Reagan but people complain

when Obama does it? I swear I'm starting to wish Obama wouldn't run so's you guys get the guy what you deserve.

[MedicalAdmin]

19. Twain said that we always get the government we deserve ...

and rarely the government we need.

[Still Waters]

20. Too bad Carter couldn't have answered "and if you elect this doddering old fool

40 years later the middle class will be in shambles and wages and benefits will be in freefall. Think of your children and grandchildren!"

Carter faced a hellish situation with the oil embargo--it sank him and would have sunk any President since then had another one occurred.

[Zebedeo]

21. Let's keep the age-ism out of it

I didn't like it during the 2008 election and I don't like it in reference to President Reagan. Our criticism should be of policy, not a politician's age.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

24. Obama has not been ineffective (reference "the list")

Also, which Republican currently (or potentially) running is going to ask that question and be taken seriously as this country's savior? Reagan's rotting corpse?

President Obama has been facing what appear to be unprecedented obstructionism by Republicans. We're in the midst of a situation we've never been through before. It's kind of hard IMHO to say that President Obama has been ineffective in making things when he has hardly had anything resembling a "free hand" to do much. Even when we had a majority in Congress, his hands were even tied at times by some members of his own party, particularly in the Senate, which now requires 60 votes to do ANYTHING. You can say that President Obama might not have done something or other right but people have to acknowledge that the Republicans have led an all out assault on him (and the country out of spite) since day one. Will that be enough for the Republicans to waltz in and claim the WH and Senate next year? :shrug: I guess we'll see.

If we want President Obama to be able to advance better policies, he needs a supportive Congress, which only we can deliver to him.