Has Bush Really mismanaged the economy?

Question

http://www.ibdeditorials.com/IBDArticles.aspx?id=304643903414901

Thanks to a growing economy, Americans' real disposable income has increased every quarter but two from the beginning of 2003, when Bush's policies started going into full effect, to the first quarter of 2007. Some of the growth was remarkable, including a 7.5% jump in the fourth quarter of 2004 and a 6.3% increase in the third quarter of 2003.

In November, voters will pick a candidate to replace a president who did an exceptional job of steering the economy through tough circumstances, but hasn't gotten a shred of credit for it. The best choice is the man who's more interested in increasing income than redistributing — and ultimately shrinking — it.

Answer 1

Does Elephant Po Po Stink!

Answer 2

Going from a budget surpluas to a trillions in debt is a 'pretty' good economic growth. Your children will pay this debt to the end of the days in YES, HIGHER TAXES

Answer 3

Hear! Hear!  Well said.  Too many people are so enamored of liberals that they bash any conservative with whatever comes to hand, much like the monkeys throwing f***s at the zoo.  George Bush has done an excellent job in a very trying time but instead of being praised he has become the focus of the rabid libs and their constant litany of, "!!!!!!!!". (insert stupid slogan of your choice)

Answer 4

Wow......talk about kool-aid drinking.....

Answer 5

No, he's done a pretty good job.  His policies helped us shake off the Clinton recession and there has been steady growth ever since, even with the challeges that 9/11 and the sub-prime mortgage crisis caused..

Answer 6

Its a mistake to think that a sitting president or congress has that much effect on the economy at this point. Sure some administrations such as Jimmy Carters had dire ruinous economic policies but this administration does not.  Nine times out of ten the free market dictates the economy it gets to large grows to fast market influences will somehow put the brakes on it same goes for a sluggish economy. Surely if the congress over the last 35 years had more foresight and was not held hostage by the ecolological policies of the environmentalists then we would not be having such an economic slump. This is just one example of how government interference does not allow the free market to correct its self.

Answer 7

Growing economy? Are you really serious? GROWING? The middle class is on the boarder line on another great depression. The rich are getting richer and the poor are being forgot about.  

Answer 8

i have absolutely no use for george bush but he cant waste all that money without help from congress  

Answer 9

You are dealing with a lot of people on YA that have never live through a bad economy so have no point of reference. my father lived through the great depression, I lived through the Carter administration 11% unemployment 30% for blacks gas rationing 10% inflation rate 14% mortgage interest rate.

Looking at things objectionably the only thing Bush did that was his poor controlling of government spending.

You will get  the same old democrat rhetoric about failed Bush policies without any examination of pass policies and comparisons

A classic ex is Frank James people like him have blinders on if he think Bush was horrble and his numbers are light years ahead of Carter and some of them ahead of Clinton their bias is glowing.

Answer 10

   He was able to get us to recover from the drop after 9/11. However he did make some mistakes. He made sure that credit cards companies would raise the minimum payments and now we have credit card problems. With all of those interest only loans, that happened they should of made sure to educate the public. He hasn't prosecuted those that knowingly forged pay check stubs in order to get higher bank loans just to improve there commissions. Those two mistakes are part of the big problem.    

Answer 11

The United States does not have a managed economy, so the answer to your question must be no.

Answer 12

Can someone tell me why we can impeach a president for getting a BJ in the white house, which has NOTHING to do with the way he ran the country, but...a guy like Bush can STEEL his way into the white house and then LIE to the American public about WMD and we don't impeach him? Lie about s*x or lie to go to war? Which is worse?  

Answer 13

You know, if you really think about it. Every president will be liked and disliked. Politics can be wrapped up in a simple phrase. Everybody wants something for nothing.  

Answer 14

The Clinton years were the best.

Answer 15

I think the most telling thing is that in all of the finger pointing we do, we never point to ourselves.  Could things have been done better and sooner than they were?  Sure...but let's not forget that the majority of the credit crisis and things like the housing market are OUR fault.  George Bush didn't blow out all of our credit cards on creature comforts we don't need when we don't even have the money to pay the bills.  George Bush didn't NOT-read the mortgage contracts for millions of homes and misunderstand the simple basic math of adjustable interest rates and their limits.  George Bush didn't force anyone's hand into buying 1,000 more pounds of car than we need, and then throwing on 24" dubs.  

It ain't all our fault this mess that we're in, but we sure as heck had a LOT to do with it.  I don't expect anyone to learn from this though, and I'd love there to be a personal debt calculator that would add up the numbers for all of the thumbs down this may get.  I bet it's interesting.

Answer 16

I can't believe the amount of people that have had it so good their entire lives, that they think this is recession or even depression! These kids don't understand what it really feels like to go hungry. They think that since they didn't eat a T-bone every day this week, that their in rough times.

I lived through the 70's, I personally saw what Carter's socialism did to the country. I also saw it took almost 3 years before the economy turned back up during the Reagan years. I also watched the Clinton years decimate our military, and almost kill the economy again. Now we have had RECORD quarters of growth, (that is a fact, check the government website), RECORD low unemployment, RECORD high receivables...

Doesn't sound like recession to me. What your feeling is record high fuel costs, write your congressperson to do something about it. Bush did what he can do, it's time for Queen Pelosi to get off her high horse, forget about her investment in oil (yes, she did), and lift the ban. She needs to remember that she can't save the world if America falls.

Answer 17

Yes, I believe that he has.  Tax breaks for the well off has not provided the much touted results as unemployment has risen to new highs.

I think just the opposite has happened with disposable income going from around 600.00 to a negative 2000.00 per year.  If the economy is doing just fine, as some would try to make you think, then why is the country in so much financial difficulty.  

Answer 18

President Bush has done an excellent job cleaning up the huge mess Clinton made and covered up so well.  It is amazing how many people still idolize the Clintons and can’t or (even worst) won’t accept the truth.