It is not hard to find an excellent column by Jeff Jacoby. But his latest, in which Jeff reviews the Obama years, is one of his very best.
Click here to read it all. Meanwhile, let me show you just one section – on the economy, which Mr. Obama and his supporters keep telling us is one of his most positive areas of achievement:
The economy. Obama took office during a painful recession and (with Congress’s help) made it even worse. Historically, the deeper a recession, the more robust the recovery that follows, but the economy’s rebound under Obama was the worst in seven decades. Annual GDP growth since the recession ended has averaged a feeble 2.1 percent, by far the puniest economic performance of any president since World War II. Obama spent more public funds on “stimulus”than all previous stimulus programs combined, with wretched, counterproductive results. On his watch, millions of additional Americans fell below the poverty line. The number of food stamp recipients soared. The national debt doubled to an incredible $20 trillion. According to the Pew Research Center, the share of young adults (18- to 34-year-olds) living in their parents’ homes is the highest it has been since the Great Depression.
In 2008, when Obama was first elected president, 63 percent of Americans considered themselves middle class. Seven years later, only 51 percent still felt the same way. Obama argues energetically that his economic policies have delivered prosperity and employment. Countless people disagree — including many who aren’t Republican. “Millions and millions and millions and millions of people look at that pretty picture of America he painted,” said Bill Clinton after Obama extolled the recovery in his last State of the Union speech, “and they cannot find themselves in it to save their lives.”
That look positive to you?
If your answer is yes, then I urge you to read the rest of Mr. Jacoby’s piece, then get back to me.
