First of all, let me say that I do NOT expect you to be able to fully comprehend all of the fancy economic terminology and references the President uses, nor do I expect you to be able to keep straight all of the numbers, percentages, dollar amounts, or statistics that he mentions (I'm not sure I'd be able to do it myself!). Even if some of the specific facts may go a bit over our heads, however, many of the larger ideas addressed in these questions and answers relate directly to some of what we have been discussing this week, namely the ideological debate about the proper role of government and in particular the question of how active our government should be when it comes to the economy.
The entire video is about an hour long. If you are able to watch the whole thing I would love it, but I'm asking only that you watch at least 30 minutes of the coverage. It can be the first 30 minutes, the last 30 minutes, 30 minutes starting somewhere in the middle, 15 minutes from the beginning and then another 15 minutes from the end; it's totally up to you! A few highlights I might suggest, however:
- Between about 15:00-20:00, there is some great discussion about government involvement/intervention in the economy, how 'free' should the 'free market' truly be, etc.
- Around the 24:00 mark, the President brings up the issue of the 'Bush Tax Cuts' that we discussed in class earlier this week
- Between about 40:00-45:00, the host brings up what by now should be a familiar topic--the Commerce Clause--and asks about how it's been used to justify expansion of the powers of the federal government
- During this same segment, the President also addresses the issue of the Tea Party Movement and some of the intense opposition to him and to his policies (if you're not sure what this is, don't worry--we will certainly be discussing it as the November elections get closer!)
Again, you can watch whichever 30 minutes of the program you want, but as you're watching, I'd like you to consider the following questions:
- Which of the questions (either from the host or an audience member) do you think was the best (the most powerful, the most insightful)?
- Which of the President's arguments did you find the strongest, the most logical, or that with which you would be most likely to agree? Why?
- Which of the President's arguments did you find the weakest, the most illogical, or with which you disagreed the most? Why?
- In general, do you agree with President Obama's positions or explanations with regard to government involvement in the economy? Does it seem to you that he has the correct ideas for how to improve our economy? Why or why not?
As I said, I realize some of what is discussed will be confusing or use terms with which you're not totally familiar. Don't worry about getting bogged down in specifics or statistics, however, and just watch or listen for those larger ideas about what the role of government should be when it comes to the economy, especially when (like now) our economy is going through some tough times.
Based on the questions I've posed above, you all need to post comments to this blog at least TWICE by next FRIDAY, OCTOBER 1st. The first time you post a comment, it should be to respond to my questions after watching the video. If possible your second post should be a response to something another student has said in his/her post. You can agree, disagree, critique, further explain your positions, or take the opportunity to comment on a piece of the video other than what you discussed in your first posting. Regardless, PLEASE make sure that all of these comments are fair and respectful--we can vigorously debate and disagree, but personal attacks and insults are not acceptable!
Let me know if you have any questions, otherwise I look forward to reading your comments! GOOD LUCK,
Silvy
After watching the whole Town Hall, I'm not sure I could pick a "best" question. Whoever moderated them picked a good variety and all questions were pertinent and meaningful. The viewpoint of the woman veteran at the start of the program was compelling. I think it's important that Obama acknolwedges the frustration of his followers, and she did a good job of expressing their dissapointment. Obama has been known for having great rhetorical skills, which is evidenced whenever he talks about his philosophy and ideals. However, I feel he can do a better job of communicating to his base as far as what specifically he is doing for them. The veteran represents the group of people who were astounded by Obama's vision, but have yet to see his specific actions. He did list out a few changes his administration has made so far, but I feel that if he wants to regain the support of people like this veteran he needs to express what he is planning out to the public better. I think his best argument was found in the responses to the two buisinesspeople who accused him of acting against/vilifying wall street. His argument is that he acted to save big buissiness from the repercussions of it's own recklessness, and has enacted reforms to prevent the need for such action again. I think this is a sound response to those who say Obama acted wrongly in taking over the markets, or sought to hurt wall street. At the same time, I don't think that's going to convince anybody to change sides, because equally good arguments could be made for why Obama should not have done these things. I think his weakest arguments came at times when he tried to seem more moderate that his actions have shown, such as when he was explaining why government can't do everything, and that you have to pick and choose how much/where to spend your money. I feel that he has already decided to spend more money on domestic affairs, so trying to play himself as being for tax cuts makes him seem contradictory.
ReplyDeleteI think the most powerful question was from an audience member who said, "My husband and I joked that we thought we were well beyond the hot dogs and beans era of our lives. And quite frankly, it's starting to knock on our door and ring through that that might be where we're headed.
ReplyDeleteAnd quite frankly, Mr. President, I need you to answer honestly, is this my new reality?". I think this was one of the best questions because it's really straight forward and I think this is a good expample of one of the many Americans who are frustrated with Obama's policies.
I think that one of the presiden'ts arguments that was the best was when he was explaining his denial of the allegation that he was vilifying busines. I agree with his arguemet, here, because he gives evidence that he is actually helping businesses, big and small, by instituting 50 tax cuts instead of raising taxes.
I think the worst of his arguements is when he claims the government can't create the majority of jobs because he is drastically expanding the government.
I agree with some of Obama's explanations and disagree with others because a lot of his answers are very broad and general and I don't think they answer the specifics of the question very well. But, I do think that some of his other answers are valid.
The most powerful question that is asked was by Tedd Bradsfeild in my opinion. He made it a point that even people who are trying to work hard are still facing hardships in the economy, especially those of this generation. Bradsfeild said that at first he was very inspired by the president's campaign but "that inspiration is dying away and the American dream is not attainable to a lot of us". Bradsfeild question of "is the American dream dead for me?" was a question that I felt was most applicable to me and find myself asking also.
ReplyDeleteThe strongest argument that I agreed with was when he was presented with the question regarding government spending and borrowing. The president says "the amount of money that's coming in and the money that's going out has to match up" and that if we want something to change than we have to make the needed investments to see those results.
The weakest argument that I found was when the President responded to a small business owner's question regarding how he will regain the political center and how Obama is "losing the war of sound bites". Although the small business owner supports Obama's investment plans regarding small businesses, the president fails to accurately answer the question on how he will actively regain public popularity. Simply stating "better outreach" was a weak argument in my opinion.
I don't think I agree, nor disagree with president Obama's positions or exlanations because to me, it didn't seem like he really answered anyone's question. Yes, he made good points and explanations on the subjects he was being asked, but I didn't hear anything about what he is planning to do or change about any of the issues he is faced with.
There are many things that I liked about the first half of the Town Hall Event.
ReplyDeleteThe first one was in the beginning when President Obama was talking about the steady and gradual fix. I realize that these things don’t happen overnight but, I feel like he is doing a good job. Following that President Obama exclaimed that the minimum wages for the states has dropped about five percent. He also said that all of the recessions from the 80's to the 00's were not as bad put together from the one that we are in now. I thought that it was amazing that there were about 1.3 million jobs lost during the first three months of his presidency. President Obama said that these problems have been building up from 2001 until now. Overall I feel that he is having things get better, but not good enough for the people of America.
The next thing that I liked about this was the Veterinarian lady who thought she was voting for him to fix the middle class. I liked how she stood up to the President and said that she was working hard but just not working. President Obama told her that billions of dollars to help the student loan programs to go just to the students. This will be so that lots of other kids that are around my age will be able to go and get a further education outside of high school.
I agree with the billionaire Kenneth Langone anytime a person can get a job the country is better served. Also, I agree that the democracy in America is built on "a strong and vibrant private enterprise."
However I did not like that Mr. President was talking about his past and his financial standings when he was a child. I didn’t need to know that he got all of his work from scholarships and such. He said that the people that don’t have the money or a job just want to know when they will be receiving that of which was lost. I understand that he had the American Dream but, he needs to act for the here and now and not for 50 years in the future.
I thought the best question was from the small business owner of the glass company. I agree with what he said in his lead up: the public is fearful and negative regarding the government. He simply asked the president to help that kind of a public understand why he is doing what he is doing regarding the economy in its present state. This question was a simple one, but I liked it because it really got to the heart of the matter: asking the president to explain in his opinion his economy policy. I believe this open ended question really gave the president an opportunity to back himself up in a clear, understandable way. If he couldn’t help the public understand his reasoning after answering that question, then he failed to answer it correctly and/or he made the wrong decisions in his policy.
ReplyDeleteOne argument that stood out to me was when the president said that no country in the world would turn down an opportunity to trade places with us even with the problems we are facing. I believe it appealed to me due to my experience this summer of going to Denmark on a Rotary camp. Specifically, I experienced what the president argued firsthand. At the camp, there were teens my age from around 15 different countries. All of them told me that they had always dreamed of living in America, under our government, in our economy, with our people.
While I thought that many of the president’s arguments were legitimate, I did find one that seemed slightly illogical to me. The president was asked if, because the federal budget is in so much debt and we are all so short for money, we have to prepare for less social security and healthcare. He became very broad, and, in my opinion, didn’t exactly answer the question. He simply said that, when it comes down to it, we have to take in and get out the same amount. This may be true, but it is a broad answer to a specific question.
In general, I agree with President Obama’s positions about government’s involvement in the economy and about how to improve it. Most of his arguments seem logical and, in particular, practical, which is very important in this (as in any) discussion. It seemed to me that, he not only knew a lot about the matter and the numbers and points he was talking about, but he had thought long and hard about the many angles of this complex issue.
Throughout this film I definitely thought many questions were important, but the one that caught my attention the most was from a male audience member who was going back to graduate school as he said,"Is the American Dream dead?" Reason for is the middle class in America is suffering the most and the American Dream seemed to build off the middle class back in the 20s.
ReplyDeletePresident Obama's best argument throughout many in my opinion was from the start as he stated when coming into office that there was already a deficit and the fact that he has grew a bigger hole is not in favor of today's world but the future for our kids and grand children. There is absolutely no quick fix to a deficit and economic recession so large and any president during a time like this would majority of the time not be supported by many. He knows people are suffering but again is looking towards great future not towards "the next election."
President Obama's weakest argument from my viewpoint was the percentage of infrastructure he wants to raise. China has 9% and Europe has 5% while America has 2%. I believe we shouldn't raise it more than 1% higher, because our population isn't as great as China and Europe. As well our continent hasn't been used and beat up as much as many other continents have been. In the end I think infrastructure is not as important as other parts of our economy and national crisis are falling apart rapidly.
I definitely agree with some of Obama's positions and explanations for involvement in the economy. One example would be that banks cannot higher your interest rates towards credit cards, mortgages, loans, etc. It is now illegal to do so in anyway. It does seem to me that Obama has SOME correct ideas for improving our economy, but most decisions he's made haven't been fully understood by the people like myself and have lead his popularity to decline tremendously.
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ReplyDeleteBack to what Brittany Hallawell said in her least favorite argument given by Obama dealing with the federal budget, social security, healthcare, etc. I agree that his answer was very broad when given the question. I think Obama knows that a big majority of people all over the country will/are suffering for a period of time (seems to be a while) from people of youth to the elderly. Overall though I didn't really understand what was meant to be acknowledged from his answer, leading me to disapprove his viewpoint.
ReplyDeleteThe question that I felt was the “best question” I thought came from the business owner of the glass company because he was able to spell out why the economy was doing poorly, that the public was fearful and negative, and ask President Obama to clearly state to the public why he was doing the things he was doing to help get the economy back on its feet again. The help explain his rational for the direction he was taking and the reasons behind what he had done in the past.
ReplyDeleteThe strongest argument that I felt President Obama made was about stopping the economy from digging the United States into a larger hole and progressively getting worse. The president was clearly able to defend and support his claims from many view points for what he did to stop the recession and start to re-boot the system. He was very logical in his answer and was able to cover the issue from many sides explaining deeply that if he had done nothing, the United States would be in a completely worse place then where we are now and at least now that the recession had begun to turn around, he could then focus his energy in getting the economy running faster.
I believe President Obama’s weakest argument was actually to the question brought up by the owner of the glass company because he somewhat failed to answer the question in the first place. The president was not really able to describe his “plan” to regain the political center and regain active public popularity. He just went into an example of this support of the auto industry and how he is behind small business, but never fully explained his thoughts.
Personally, I believe that President Obama position on the economy and government involvement is going in the right direction. He had very logical answers to some of the questions that “hint” at the direction he is taking and he seems to have ideas on how to get the United States back on track which is good. But the important thing that I did not really see from the talk was how he was going to implement his ideas into action; How to get the idea from a dream to a reality and on paper. I just did not hear from him any specifics on what his next step was. And the next step, I believe is the most important one at the moment which is getting the policies going and making things work.
The question that stood out to me the most was by Ted Brassfield, "Is the American dream dead to me?" Brassfield is truly reaching out to the President, asking him what he will do to help us all in these hard times. I'm sure this is something that many families can relate to and would tune in to hear.
ReplyDeleteAn argument that was well maneuvered by the President was when he was responding to the big businessman's complaint that the president was making businesses look like "villains or crimals." President Obama made it clear that that was not the case at all. He reminded the the audience that when he came into office the situation was a disaster. Businesses were "crying" for help. Now the same businesses are profitable, the markets are stabilized and tax cuts are going to big and small businesses. When the President makes remarks to the past and how the businesses acted, he is simply trying to make sure that we are not copying previous mistakes.
A weak argument by the President was when he was talking to Andy Conty. He stated that we were going to have to control government spending, but after giving examples of what to cut, he did not say what he thought would be best to cut.
I definitely agree with some of what Obama has to say. He is very logical and eloquent in his wording, usually explaining what he means after he says it. But i myself do not always share the same ideologies.
I think the best question was one from the host in which he asked how some people feel that they may get what the president is saying but may not feel he is sincere because he cannot relate to them and isn’t from they’re same background. I feel like this is a great question because it’s true, how can you be able to relate to someone if you do not know where they are coming from or their background.
ReplyDeletethe strongest argument from Obama I think was his argument to this question I just said, that he can relate to the lower and middle class and their problems because he was there and experienced. Some may think he may have even had a harder early life. And through hard work he was able to achieve what he has achieved today, and he is an example of the American dream.
I think president Obama’s weakest argument was one in which he neglected to answer. The question from Tedd Brassfield. I felt like he started to answer the question, then carried off and did not fully answer it.
I think the way Obama presents government involvement to help the economy is going to make it sound like the absolute right thing to do. He is one putting in these programs to increase government involvement, so of coarse he is going to make it sound like they are the best thing to do. But I believe that in some cases that government is necessary to, in a way, give the economy a helping hand, but for the most part I believe that the government should let the economy work out on its own.
I Thought that the best question from the audience was "Is the American Dream dead to me?" I remember going over this in English last year and it's interesting how many Americans feel that the dream is fading/dead. I don't think that the dream is dead, it's just in deep water for now. It seems like a lot of Obama's followers before he was president felt that he was going to fix the economy quick and give them their jobs back, but obviously that's not the case. And now a lot of people have lost their faith in him. One of his strongest points was that the recession has been caused by long term problems and it's going to take a long time to solve. Of course the recession isn't going to be fixed overnight. He's trying his best and I don't think that anyone else could fix it any faster either. A lot of his arguments are weak, for the fact that he has general ideas and answers, but doesn't directly answer anyone's questions and concerns, like the middle class lady with 2 children going onto college and the man with the small glass buisness. I agree and disagree with Obama on some of his ideas. I agree with him on his tax cuts for Americans making less than $250K. He has made changes and has helped the economy and I don't think that many people look at those changes. However, he hasn't done enough to get many Americans rolling on their feet again.
ReplyDeleteI would have to agree with the statement that Nate pointed out that " [the government should] give the economy a helping hand, but for the most part [the government] should let the economy work out on its own." This I feel, is going to be the leading factor in getting the economy back on its feet, if it works for itself. The government can obviously help get the economy rolling again but does not have to super boost it competely. Just let capitalism do its thing again and let the economy reboot itself. If the government plays too big of a role then the economy just gets held up by the government and then has to always be calling for support from the government to keep working, which I believe would be the wrong way to be going.
ReplyDeleteThe number one best question, in my opinion, is by the woman veteran worker who said "I'm tired of waiting for change,” and asked, “Is this my new reality?” Her statement and question I feel models the majority of the U.S. population’s disgruntlement about change not happening. The truth is that change actually has happened and improvement seems to be continuing, but when voters elected Obama I believe his campaign made to many promises and made the people feel that change would be instantaneous. Even though there are hundreds, if not thousands, of people working to fix the financial crisis, and no matter how fast these people wish it would change it is simply not going to. This brings me to a good point that I feel Obama made. Obama mentions that the financial “hole” that was dug, started before the financial crisis. The economy and salaries had been declining for close to ten years before the crisis and the recovery process is, “slow and steady; as opposed to the quick fix that a lot of people would like to see.” When Obama is asked if he was open to any type of compromise in capturing 80% of the revenue from taxes but allowing tax cuts to people earning $250,000 to $1,000,000, I disliked his answer. He entirely sidesteps talking about compromising and states his parties partisan view of the situation. I agree with Obama’s position on the government’s involvement in the economy, for the moment. I also feel that Obama’s administration’s ideas to improve the economy are good and will eventually solve the problems we currently face; however, I feel these strategies will eventually need to be ended once we recover, and companies shouldn’t count on them in the future.
ReplyDeleteA question that was very powerful and frankly shocking to me was the question asked by the law school graduate. He asked "Is the American Dream dead for me?" The American dream may be different for everyone, but generally what the basis of the "American Dream" is is hope. In asking this question he is showing his view on his perdicament as being bleak and hopeless.
ReplyDeleteA weaker argument made by the president was one reguarding the bush tax cuts and saying that extending tax cuts to millionares and billionares was "irresponsible" and that "They are least likely to spend it". However, he fails to mention that many of these Millionares and Billionares provide jobs for the middle class and when they begin to suffer loses such as higher taxes, their workers or middle class also begin to feel this aswell (i.e. layoffs, paycuts).
The president's strongest argument was his argument in defence to the question of "Is the American Dream still alive?" His argument really stood out because he pointed the opportunities still made available to us here in the U.S. that people in othe countries would die for. He says, "There is no country in the world that wouldnt want to trade places with us", because the President knows that even with all of our problems this is the land of opportunity.
Generally Obama's positon on how to deal with the economic crisis has good intentions on trying to get a "quick fix", but as shown by the results of his policies, this recession shows that it will take time.He should let the economy whiched thrived work its way out again.
I feel that the question "Is the American dream dead?" was the most powerful, because the American dream itself has been a motivation to all citizens/non-citizens ever since our country was first created. We went into great depth about this idea while reading The Great Gatsby, and although it may have some negativity behind it, the American dream is something everyone aspires to achieve. The fact that some Americans are doubting its existence is quite discouraging; it really exemplifies the despair our population is currently experiencing.
ReplyDeleteI believe that President Obama's strongest argument was when he described how America is somewhat set on a "quick fix" for the current recession. He goes on to discuss how it took us a decade to get into this problem, and there is no possible way of solving it overnight. We've become a fast-paced nation with technological advancements occurring everyday. We need to realize that even if we don't physically see improvement/changes, it doesn't mean that there isn't work being done.
I believe that President Obama's weakest argument was when he avoided answering a question from the glass company owner. He digressed and went on to talk about our nation's problems, and never specifically addressed an answer to that question.
I agree with President Obama's explanations/positions on government involvement in the economy. I really respect that his focus is on the next generation and not the next election. His idea of returning to the fundamentals of America by using innovation as the key to long term growth will be effective if we are diligent and stick with it.
In my opinion, the best question that the audience asked President Obama, was Ted Brassfields's question about what the future holds for the youth and new generation in America. This was capitalized in his comment asking Obama if the American dream was dead to him. I feel like this really summed up what many young people in America are feeling right now. They are receiving Bachelor and Master's Degrees that aren't doing them any good to find a job in this poor economy. I feel that he had many strong responses to the questions asked by the audience. Two that stood out are the Veteran Worker and the response to the small business owner. First he explained in depth the problems that the nation is facing today. Than he spelled out, not only his long term plans to improve the financial state of the country, but also the plans that will help our economy flourish right now. This occurs at 32 minutes, when he explains his reasoning behind the not only protection, but help of the automobile industry. He explains that they required the companies to restructure the way their companies were run. The automobile industry is thriving and hiring as of right now.
ReplyDeleteIn many of his responses though, he relays the information pretty vaguely and avoids answering the question. He gets away with this, by using his highly toned rhetoric skills and his inspiring ideals for this country. That is great and it gives many positive attitudes, but in the end he needs to be able to back these statements with not only bills and safeguards, but also with results. I feel that he is doing a better job than most give him credit for, because when he took over in this country, we were in such a preverbial economic "hole" that many couldn't see the light at the surface. I feel that even though right now, the President is viewed in a negative light, in the future, the actions that he is taking right now, wether it be tax cuts, or hiring incentives. Eventually, they will all help.
After watching the video I found that the best question asked Obama's law school mate asking when Obama would stop beating upon big corporations and make highering someone easier by lowering the price of a standard employees saying that it takes 90,000 dollars a year to higher someone who would only get 35,000 dollars. To the first question he answered well saying that some people believe he is being to nice to big corporations and others believe that he is bulling the lower and middle class. That he is not trying to bully anyone, he is trying to be practical.
ReplyDeleteHowever to the second question His answer was fickle saying he would try to help but he did not know if he could. That he would try to give tax cuts or incentive for big companies to higher.
I think his best answer was to the Tea Party question. It is one thing to say your going doing something it is another to do it. He said that the tea party may want to decrease the size of the Government and Government spending, which is good idea, but the party has not said what programs it would like to shut down or how it could decease taxes.
Over all, Obama defended himself well and stood up for his financial programs giving examples of programs that have improved peoples lives. I thought he did a good job in saying that the taxes are lower now than they were in the Regan Era. It was clear to me that Obama and his team are trying to get us back to where we were and are making a impact in the economy. I think it will be interesting to see how Obama is viewed in 20 years when the entire situation is clear.
Generally speaking, I thought that all of the questions asked were meaningful and insightful. However, the question that I found most relevant to my life was from Ted Brasfield, the recent law student grad. He brought up points such as how difficult it was for him to find a job and his struggle to pay the interest on his student loans. Getting married and having a family were beginning to look too expensive in his current situation. Ted posed the question: "Is the American Dream dead for me?" His inquiry really affected me, because this is a possible fate that my generation will face in the very near future.
ReplyDeleteThe president's argument that I found the strongest was that he had faced may of these challenges as a child, in regards to living in an apartment with his grandparents, and going to college on scholarship money. It made the issues personal, and thus his methods and logic towards solving them appealed to me.
However, I also found several of Obama's arguments to be weak. The weakest of his arguments, in my opinion, was whenever he referred to the "inherited debt" or the flaws of the "previous administration". Often it seemed as if he was just blaming the previous administration for all of the problems, rather than taking responsibility and action towards solving them.
While I agree with many of President Obama's plans to fix the economic crisis, I believe that there is a lot more he could be doing. His statement was logical in that "it took a decade to get into this economic situation" and therefore there will be no quick fix. However, his vague statements for future plans such as "encourage" small business growth and "invest" in research and technology will accomplish little if they are not broad enough to make a big impact. While fixing the economy may take a long time, it doesn't mean that it's best to take only small steps right now.
The town hall meeting held excellent questions directed towards Obama throughout the video. The strongest question asked was by the law school graduate, who asked "Is the American Dream dead?" The American Dream is this idea that every American in one point of their life has held within their goals. It is undoubtedly true that the majority of Americans would love to have a house, family, car, and a good job. To many, that is the American Dream. What scares me is that America is in its most technologically advanced age, where resources have been so clearly abundant, yet at the same time Americans are worrying if the dream is dying. The economy needs to change, that is for sure.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, Obama's response to this question was not as effective or well articulated as I would have liked it to be. He ranted about the roots of his administration and what he would like to do. He never laid down a concrete statement that felt reassuring. He mentioned that we need to grow the economy. Great, but does that necessarily answer the question? I felt a little lost when he began talking about education, I really just wanted him to answer the question with the appropriate steps that need to taken in order to preserve the American Dream.
His best response was to the man who talked about small businesses. This is where Obama justified the reason why his administration bailed out the auto industry. He noted that everything that he has been doing has certainly not hurt businesses, and in fact has been on their side with over 80 tax cuts. By helping the auto industry, he is preserving American vigor as well as jobs.
Overall, I agree with what Obama is saying about the economy. Government should not totally intervene, and that is what he talked about. Government intervention has been less than it has been in the past 30 years he states. He wants to eventually decrease the involvement of the government, and I am on board with that.
One question that stood out to me was definitely the woman who asked "Is this my new reality?" This woman who is obviously very well to do with two kids in private school and is an chief of economics, and it sounds also like she knew Obama's technique (or any politician for that matter) who simply evades the question as much as possible and goes into a long tangent that's somewhat relevant but then by the end of his 10 minute long response, we've forgotten the question. But it really is like asking "Am I going to live like a college student fresh out of undergrad school soon?" which is a little frightening to think about.
ReplyDeleteI couldn't really put my finger on one "best argument" but I thought it was admirable that Obama has the interest of future generations in mind, and not just those important to the next election. "If I were making decisions based on the election in November then I wouldn't have done some of the things I did because I knew they were unpopular but they were the right thing to do." The long term effects may not have shown yet, but it doesn't mean they're not there. We may just have to wait.
There were several weak arguments but my main problem is his method of answering questions. In my opinion, yes he's a good speaker, but he tends to avoid answering the questions as much as humanly possible, giving examples of why we are in such a mess, and not pointing towards and explanation or answer to what may be a "yes or no" question. I feel like it almost makes these discussions completely pointless because people are asking what's on their mind and receiving an "I don't know, but I'll tell you what everyone else knows in much better terms" kind of answer, or simply an answer that says neither yes or no, and therefore doesn't take sides. I guess this may be a political technique, not taking sides quite yet, but he's not going to be impeached simply for giving his opinion on something people are asking him about, something that is his job (or part of it) to fix. We're not asking him to work towards the next election, we're asking him what he's going to do now, right now in this term, in these four years, wanting more action than words.
All in all, I do agree that government for the most part shouldn't intervene to a ridiculous level, but right now, a floundering economy might need more than a little push for some help. Do we really want to say "tough luck, let it collapse" when there are ways the government could help? I don't think so. Give help where help is due, the American people want answers, not ideas.
After watching the Town Hall, I really got a good feel from where President Obama was coming from. He was really put on the spot by the first two audience members and at times, the host as well. My favorite or most moving question made by an audience member was by---- because she was really passionate with what she was addressing and even though she said she was pro-Obama at the beginning, she was now accusing him for the economy. Although I was never really on the Obama side, while listening to his reasoning, it really made my feel that he was passionate about his job and really did care. I got the impression that he knew what he was talking about, he was well prepared and I especially liked how President Obama very articulately explained to the audience about demographics and how his policies had improved the economy just at a slower pace then some what hope.
ReplyDeleteHe also explained his plans for the near future. One plan that I noticed and was intrigued about was his plan about student loans. Although another audience member harassed about this plan, I thought that out of all Obama’s plans, this one applied most to me; ready to apply for colleges and such. Another plan I liked of his was how the credit card company can longer have “adjustable rates” without the awareness of the card holder or something to that affect.
I thought the most “powerful” question would have to be the woman who asked, "My husband and I joked that we thought we were well beyond the hot dogs and beans era of our lives. And quite frankly, it's starting to knock on our door and ring through that that might be where we're headed. And quite frankly, Mr. President, I need you to answer honestly, is this my new reality?” This question gives another perspective to the effects of the recession. She embeds emotion into her statement which makes listeners sympathize her situation and realize how severe her case is. It was very direct and to the point which made it more effective.
ReplyDeleteI thought that President Obama made a strong argument when he answered the lady who asked the question above. He related to her situation by saying he too had daughters. He also said that she will be able to get student loans easier for college because of him which is one of the most direct helpful things he had said in the 30 mins I watched.
I thought the president had a weak argument against the man who couldn’t afford a mortgage or marriage after law school because he couldn’t find a job. The man asked Obama if he was going to take any steps to help him. What I didn’t like about Obama’s argument was that it was very vague and repetitive to things that he had said previously. He had not shown light on any new improvements other than that the population itself needs to grow its own economy. I’m sure that that man wanted a more specific answer to give him hope.
Economy wise, I don’t see how his health care plan will help. As I understand, it would take a lot of tax money to give health care to everyone in the United States. If economy is our biggest problem in the US right now, I don’t quite understand why we are doing that. But I don’t know much about it so I could be wrong. However, I do think that tax cuts will be good for the economy to help struggling families and businesses.
I agree with Olivia’s comment on how it was admirable that Obama has the interest of the future generations in mind, and not just those important to the next election as he says, "If I were making decisions based on the election in November then I wouldn't have done some of the things I did because I knew they were unpopular but they were the right thing to do." In government class we have talked many times about how politicians don’t always do what they think is right because they have the next election in mind. I’m sure every student has been preached the speech “just because everyone else thinks something doesn’t mean it’s cool”. I think that politicians who do conform their opinions to the “cool” opinion just to gain that vote should not be in office. Obama does a good job in doing what he thinks is right.
ReplyDeleteI thought that a very compelling question was one that was asked by the interviewer about if Obama thought that his background and his race would effect the way people connected to him. That maybe the people believe they aren't on the same level as Obama and that thier feelings won't be heard. I enjoyed Obama's response when he said, "I don't think it would matter if I were green or purple...that people are just worried if they don't have a job, when they will get one..." I thought this was a very valid answer becuase he knows people are more worried about the economy and how it can be fixed, then where he went to college. I think this is an improvement in our society's priorities. So that when voters go to the polls they will be thinking about how to vote to improve thier incomes or ways of life, not if they approve of Obama's background.
ReplyDeleteI thought that one of his strongest points that people need to remember is that the economy was falling for about 10 years, so it is unrealistic to think that it can be fixed in a few months. It is gradually improving through bills that are passed but no one is going to wake up one morning and see that all the economic problems are solved. One of the questioners at the begining of the interview asked when she would see some changes and when she would be able to not worry about going back to her "beans and hot dog" era of life. I didn't really like that Obama didn't give her an answer about that, instead he went into more of an educational side of the question, but he tried to put simply that it will take time to see the improvements in her life.
Overall, I agree with Obama's positions and explanations about the economy and the changes being made. I agree that education should remain a large focus and I was happy to hear that more money is being put into a fund for scholarships and student loans. I also agree that the market should try to apeal to the masses and not just one group, or one minority. I think he had some well versed answers and that he is a good on-his-feet-thinker which helped me trust his answers and believe that change will come in small pieces.
I agree with Olivia when she said, "The American people want answers, not ideas." This is true, and it goes along with Hans's earlier post about President Obama giving great suggestions, but no specifics on how to implement these ideas into policy. Obama is definitely working in the right direction, and I really respect his dedication, but I do believe that Americans would feel more comfortable/reassured if we were more informed of certain technicalities.
ReplyDeleteI think that the most powerful question was the one by the law student about whether the American dream was still attainable. I feel that he correctly analyzed the current political and economic standings of the US today and posed a very intelligent question. I am impressed by his insights and thinks his wording was firm and powerful.
ReplyDeleteI believe his best argument was in response to the current economic crisis. Most people seem to want a quick fix and Obama recognizes this. However, he understands that it took almost a decade to get into this problem and is not going to be easily fixed. In this argument, he silences his critics and easily proves his point. I do with agree him, having grown up seeing our slow economic self destruction.
His worst response was, ironically, to the best question. He avoided the question and never gave the actual steps to what he was planning. Obama went on forever but never actually said anything. This actually happened a lot during the meeting. With his political prowess, he avoids questions expertly and says a lot of nothing.
In general I agree with Obama. I like that he is using many small steps to solve our large goal. Furthermore, I agree with him that he should solve problems for the majority instead of minority groups that may pressure him.
I have to agree with the majority of what Aryan said. Seeing as we both responded to the same question as being the most significant, I enjoyed reading his response. I, too "really just wanted him to answer the question with the appropriate steps that need to be taken in order to preserve the American Dream". So many of Obama's comments seemed to avoid the question. While the audience members may have left with a more optimistic outlook and a momentary sense of contentment, it seemed to me that no lasting effects would take place with the comments the president made (at least in the case of this question). I understand that it is hard to dictate a concrete response to such an inquiry, but I was left with a sense of false satisfaction. The issue of economic struggle in regards to our college education and career is awaiting us, and I feel unprepared to say the least. Perhaps a "map to the American Dream" is unrealistic, but some more specific answers would shed well needed light on a shady situation.
ReplyDeleteHistorically, America has had a negative view of government and these sentiments were exemplified by the glass company owner. America was conceived in an environment with a predisposition to fear of the government. More government intervention would increase the power of this "negative" entity. It makes sense the this idea would scare a lot of Americans. Humans in general, regardless of geographical dwelling, are fearful of the unknown and Obama's current economic policy raises many question marks.
ReplyDeleteObama's strongest, although possibly misguided, response was in regard to the length of the recession. A recovery takes time, regardless of the means of achieving a healthy status. Obama showed a knowledge of history and a astuteness in his acknowledgement of a lengthy recovery time.
I think that Obama was misguided in his belief that stricter government regulations ultimately lead to a stronger economy. He talks of certain individuals crying "socialism" prematurely, but fails to recognize that although probably not socialistic in nature, his policies would further strain a recessed economy.
I disagree with President Obama's economic policy. Although possibly unpopular, letting the market adjust itself would, in the long run, help the American citizenry the most. I do admit that some governmental regulations are necessary, but Obama takes his ideology to an extreme. Around every corner, there is more taxpayer's money being allocated for various projects. Money should ultimately be used as it's earner sees fit, not as the government sees fit.
I agree with DJ in that President Obama's economic policy is flawed. Earlier I agreed with Obama, but in reading DJ's post I have come to see the error in my logic. Obama, like DJ said, has extreme policies and, now with our delicate economic situation, we should be not tampering with it too much and letting it heal itself. These radical policies could destroy our economy and worsen our country. It is better that people spend their own money for what they want and the government should have nothing to do with it.
ReplyDeleteAfter watching this Town Hall Meeting, I have a good understanding about where Obama is looking to take the United States. I think that the best question that was asked was by the veteran woman. She is highly in favor of Obama and loves him, but she says that she is "exhausted" of defending him and the change that she voted for. Her hot dogs and beans statement really stood out to me because it created an imagery about where most of the citizens are headed towards.
ReplyDeleteObama's strongest argument was about the economy. He explained that all of the problems in the office had already been completed. He said that it took us a decade (2001-2009) to get to this point of economic failure, and that long term trends were never stopped. If the process took 10 years to be formed, then we will need more time to solve it. So, he said that the economy was heading in a downward spiral before he was sworn in, and that we need to move in the right direction, but it will be a long process.
Obama's weakest argument was the way he answered the questions. Obama is a very eloquent and powerful speaker, but he tends to never dive into the deep issues. He talks and talks, and does not specifically say what he is going to do, the what the suffering American people are supposed to do in their situation. He had no concrete evidence on how to get out of this recession, and he had no clear answers.
Although I respect Obama as a person and speaker, I do not agree with his economic policies. I think that he is depending solely on the government to fix the economy. His plan is a waste of tax dollars from the American people. I think that his plans to fix the economy are vague and unrealistic. Also, if he wants to fix the economy,I don't think that the expensive health care law is a good start.
I agree with Olivia's comment about how Obama supports ideas that will help us in the following generations. As we have learned before in other historical situations, problems can never be fixed overnight, or in years. I think that Obama is making laws that will be able to help and strengthen the economy and the future of our country. Of course, many people disagree with his view of having a long term process to a healthy economy. But, I feel like Obama is doing what is right, vice what is "popular".
ReplyDeleteI think that the most powerful question asked was by Ted Brasfield, a law school graduate. He asked if the American dream was dead. This questions stunned me because I reflected on our history where the idea of the American dream was abundant, and most people believed that it really could be achieved. It saddens me that although our world is progressing, less and less people believe that they can achieve this powerful and wonderful dream. I hope that the situation will reverse itself to allow more people do believe in the American dream once again.
ReplyDeleteI think Obama's strongest argument is the fact that a recovery from any kind of economic decrease takes time to reverse. Many people seem to think that there's some kind of quick fix that will undo all the problems, but in actuality it takes time for a recession to be reversed and the effects of any kind of changes will not be seen for months or years. It's unrealistic to believe that we'll one day wake up and one decision will have fixed this; it takes time and work to fix an economy.
I feel that several of the president's arguments are weak, which is exemplified in the answer to Ted Brasfield's question. I feel that his answer was unsubstantial and didn't instill anymore confidence in Brasfield or any other people in his situation. He almost seemed to dodge the question and didn't say anything to really help Brasfield understand his predicament or how it would be solved.
In general, I agree with Obama's viewpoints. Leaving the economy alone will not help those in trouble out right now, and there is no guarantee that it will create a stronger economy in the future. I wish he had gone in depth on more of his answers so I could more easily understand what he wanted. However, I stand by the idea of the government attempting to help out a troubling economy to help out citizens in trouble.
The best question I believed that was asked was the middle class woman in the beginning of the town hall meeting. She described how she had voted for President Obama so that she could experience change in the economy and in the United States. She so pointed out that she is still waiting for the change and pointedly asked the president, is this my new reality? Something that I believe many Americans are thinking. They are waiting for change to come.
ReplyDeleteThe strongest argument from President Obama, I believe, was the one when he was speaking to the same woman about the economy, he said that when you don't have a job and are talking about the economy, the only thing you hear is when do I get a job? I thought that this was a strong argument because he is not only defending what he and his administration are doing. The economy is going to take time to fix, and so people need to be patient in waiting for the economy to bounce back.
The weakest argument, in my opinion, was when the 30 year-old law school student was asking about what is going to happen, again with the economy, the president was beating around the bush a little and not answering the question directly about the American Dream being dead or not. Which I admit, is a hard question to answer.
I agree with Obama when he said that we have the best free market economy in the world, because, well, we do. What I don't agree with President Obama on is his stimulus plan. It is extremely risky and we don't know if it will work or not. The only thing that we have in history to see if it worked was the New Deal by FDR, and we don't even know if that was successful or not because World War Two happened, and it could have been that that re-stimulated the economy, not the New Deal plan.
As much as I see where Alex is coming from when she says that Obama's weakest point was the way he answered his questions. I think that it may seem as if Obama is avoiding the question or giving an answer that does not fully answer the question. But, I think he sometimes has to do this becuase obviously, he doesn't have an answer for every single question or he doesn't want to answer a question where he knows the answer may be negative. Also, he seems to use most questions as an opportunity to get his message out there even if it doesn't directly answer the question.
ReplyDeleteI just erased my entire blog so I am not happy I have to do it all over again.
ReplyDeleteWell it seems to me that one of Obama's main points or issues was trying to give back confidence to the people. It is hard for anyone to help every single person, but he has done a lot to help the majority. A good question was made by a woman in the audience who asked "is this my new reality". She was referring to the low wages and lesser of a quality of life than before the whole mess. This question directly addressed people's concern with how the policies that had been enacted effected them.
I think Obama's strongest point or idea was his goal for the future and willingness to do the unpopular, because it was the right thing. He said that in many of his recent decisions he had the next generation in mind, not the upcoming November elections. I think this integrity in out president is a very good trait. He cited the past reform of medicare and deposit insurance which were unpopular at the time, but have come to now be expected things in our society.
I think Obama's weakest point was his reflection on the last 9 years and asking America for patience. Even though his reasoning is sound, its not exactly what the public wants to hear and he fell back to it various times. He said that the decline which we were stuck in started back in 2001 and that 9 years in the making of economic chaos, so to speak, needed time to be fixed and asked for patience for the problems to be worked out.
In general, I agree with Obama's plans and ideas. I admire his ability to look past politics and do what is right. I think his plans for the economy will stimulate growth and help us to crawl out of the hole that has been dug. I appreciate his effort in helping the future because that is the world I will walk into. I think he is doing the best he can to provide immediate relief to troubling Americans, but ultimately has the future America at heart.
I Agree with Michael in saying that I could not pick the best question. However, I did think that the question brought up by the host in the first seven min. of the meeting was a very good one though. Does the President relate to us (ordinary, middle class, Americans)? I think that the Presidents argument back was very strong too, that people want a quick fix to the problem and want to hear the solutions as well as see them, and that he did things that werent very popular because he thought it was right for the nation. I also think that the question brought up by the 30-year-old law grad was also very compelling, the fact that he feels that he can not attain the american due to the fact that he cant pay off his student loans, but I did not really understand his answer, I dont know where the money for the student loan fund that he mentiond was coming from or for that matter, going to.
ReplyDeleteI really like his confidence, and I like the explinations that I could understand. I do think however, that he might be streaching the bounds of the government a little to far. I think that he could let the economy work itself out alittle more, or done a better job in explaining where all of this money that he is impling for the healthcare or the student loan relif is coming from. I do agree with his stance that change is not instant, but I do think that there is still more that we can do, like make tax cuts all across the board and step back a tad on the goovernment controll of the economy.
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ReplyDeleteI have to point out to Andrew Ovrom that he should restrain from complaining on a blog post. No one needs to hear what happened to your blog post. However, I will say that Mr. Ovrom makes a very valid point when he talked about Obama's plans for the future generation. I think that is great indicator of integrity in our president.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I think the question you thought was the strongest was actually a bit weak. Most Americans some way or another have felt the affects of his policies. I don't think Obama needed to clarify again what the policies were doing. Good try though, I thought it was a great attempt and I am proud of you for trying. I hope someday in the future you will present us with even more compelling information, as already seen in your beautifully articulated paragraph.
My favorite question came from Ted Brasfield, a law school graduate, who asked if the American Dream was dead. This question stood out not only because it was concise and honest, but also because it applies to a theme we recently studied in English Literature (in the Great Gatsby) and U.S. history class. The American Dream is vision of rising economically in a prosperous society. I, too, feel bad that less and less people (especially the middle class) feel that this mutual vision is attainable, due to previous economic hardships. However, Obama proved that this concept is in fact still alive and possible in reminding the audience that his life, his career, "is a testimony to the American dream.” Leading into the next question, I think that Obama’s strongest argument was when he explained that economic recovery is an inherently slow process. Ten years of struggle can’t possibly be reversed in a year. However, I am confident that Obama is leading the country in the right direction.
ReplyDeleteI think Obama’s weakest argument was in response to the glass company owner’s question. He didn’t answer the question at hand-“How will you regain the political center and public support of small business?”- but rather expanded on his comment on the auto industry.
I agree with the majority of Obama’s ideas and understand his viewpoints on the arguments presented in the town hall meeting. His plan to improve the economy primarily by way of accelerating business investment seems logical- it supports technological and educational advancements in the broader picture. Again, I am confident that our country is headed in the right direction.
After watching the whole Town Hall the question I thought was the best was, “How can you regain public opinion cause you lost it?”
ReplyDeleteI feel the Presidents weakest argument is when he says bailing out the Auto Company was a big help to the economy. This is the weakest argument because bailing out 1 Private Auto Company doesn’t improve anything except that company. Auto Companies don’t even open up a lot of job opportunities since most Auto Companies switch to machinery so they are faster and more efficient. He is medaling with the free economy. He just helped one company who couldn’t help themselves, if a business can’t handle it then it should shut down and have no help. That is what the free economy is about. He just helped a private business in a free market industry stay in competition with the other businesses that are thriving, which is unfair. So, does that mean he is going to do that for every business that fails.
The Presidents strongest argument was when he said the government can’t create the majority of jobs, we need to preserve free-market, we benefit from entrepreneurs and we have to step-out of the way. This is a powerful statement because America has always been a leader in the free-market and Americans are known for finding, developing and creating market advantage. If the government will truly foster entrepreneurs America will find a way to pull itself from the current malaise.
I disagree with President Obama’s positions with regard to government involvement in the economy, because if we are a Democratic society with a free market then he would know that what he is doing is Socialistic. On one hand he says we have to preserve free market and then on the other hand he keeps stepping in on the free market.
I feel that Obama has the right idea about small business tax cuts but pushing health-care so they can get tax cuts is not so helpful. He needs to make it easier for businesses to make money and invest.
I feel that if Obama was doing anything to help the economy he should focus on productivity, building roads, railways, fixing bridges, infrastructure and creating more effective public transportation. This is a major problem anyway, it would open up way more job opportunities and this would help in the long run since we wont be as dependent on foreign gas/oil.
I believe that the best question asked was about what role the government should play in the economy. Obama's best and strongest response was about this question. I am a firm believer in laissez faire economics. However, President Obama does a great job in explaining how government often needs to intervene in the economy to insure the ability of the United States of America to continue to be able to thrive at a national and global level. Citing FDR and the FDIC as a moment in history where the government has had a positive effect on the economy. No matter what your politics are, you cannot argue that federally insuring deposits is a safe and ethical way to safeguard against Americans losing all that they own. The weakest standpoint that President Obama has taken is that of job creation. In his campaign he promised to create new jobs within alternative energy. This has yet to occur. Instead he started a crusade for universal health care which in reality might actually limit American jobs. Don't get me wrong, I am a fan of the bill, however, I believe that his time would have been better spent creating jobs that are long lasting and well paying. I am a little frightened after hearing from the law student who now cannot find a job. As a college bound student, I can only pray that this job crisis is at least a little more solved so that I can find a job. Overall I agree with most of what President Obama has done in his presidency. I support his foreign policy, but there are some things within his domestic economic policy that concerns me. Tax rates are hiking for small businesses, which in reality are the backbone of our society. He is also building up a federal deficit that needs to be lowered in order to continue to borrow internationally against a dollar that is already quite weak.
ReplyDeleteI would also like to point out to Mr. Shay that this is a public forum for sharing ideas and not cutting down others for personal amusement.
In response to Alex Reidy.
ReplyDeleteI disagree with Alex when she says Obama's strongest argument is that the economic problems of the country were inherited by him and that the previous 10 years are not his fault. If things were changing and since his taking office the economy hadn't gotten dramatically worse then it was in the previous 10 years, it would seem to me that he is simply pointing the finger and not providing any solutions or even hope that he can do anything about it. I would have preferred that if the President had have noted the he inherited some of the problem but that he had a plan to improve the situation not just an excuse for why we are in it.
However, i totally agree with her analysis of Obama's powerful speaking ability and the fact that he never goes deep into answers or solutions. I also agree on her take on the economy and the health care situation.
Responding the duo of DJ and Sarah Dobi, I would have to say that we do get a say in how our tax payer money is spent. It is a process known as voting. Political parties at their core are different factions who hold different ideas as to how government should run, which side of an issue to stand on, how much should Americans should be taxed, and how those taxes should be spent. America chose to elect President Obama and a Congress with a Democratic majority. We live in a nation where our voices are heard through our elected officials. It is through how we vote that we decide how our tax payer money should be spent. Our economy would be in a much different place under John McCain. Whether it would be in a better or worse state is not for me to say, however, I do know that he would have allocated money differently. The government is what American's make it. Through election American's pick representatives that may not support programs that some feel are important or necessary, but instead support programs that the majority of American's support. In this way, earner's get their say in how their money is spent.
ReplyDeleteI would like to point out to Mr. HD123 that is indeed a public forum for sharing ideas. I shared my idea, and I believe I was giving constructive criticism to my fellow peer. There was absolutely no personal amusement involved with that post. In addition, I would like to thank you for your concern, but please lets not jump to conclusions.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, you had a great response. I enjoyed it too when he mentioned FDR and the FDIC.
I liked Vinny's post though like Alix i agree that Obama's strongest argument was not that it would take time to fix the problem. Obama stood for change and now he has switched his stance to very slow change which does not seem to be a change from any other president that has taken office. I thought the question about the American Dream to be powerful and agree with Vinny that it is truly sad that people are losing hope for a brighter tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteI believe that the best question came from the woman who said “I’ve been told that I voted for a man who said he was gonna change things in a meaningful way for the middle class, and I’m waiting sir” and then asked “Is this my new reality?” I thought it was really direct, and she exemplified the frustration that many people who had supported Obama must be feeling, as they expected more would have been done at this point.
ReplyDeleteI thought that the President’s best argument was when he shared his background: that he was raised by a single mother, and that he lived with his grandparents – who had been helped by the GI Bill – and that he received his education through scholarships and then he said “my life is a testimony to the American dream”. I think that was effective because he related what is happening to many Americans to what he had to deal with as well. Also, I think it was important when he said that if he were making decisions based on next November, then he wouldn’t have done a lot of the things he’s done, because he knew they weren’t popular – and I think that it is very honorable of him to think that way.
I think that his responses to two completely direct and clear questions (the woman who asked “is this my new reality” as well as Ted Brasfield, who even asked for “concrete steps” that would be taken to move forward) were pretty weak. To me, it seemed as though he stepped around their questions and did not directly address their questions.
Overall, I do think that I agree with what Obama is doing to help our economy – I understand that it has taken a good amount of time for our country to get into our current economic problem, and I understand that it is going to take a good amount of time for us to get out of it.
In my opinion, the first commentator who asked President Obama if beans and hot dogs, financial struggles, and lost faith in the government were her new reality and what the middle class has to expect in the future, as well as Ted Brasfield, a lawyer who is in debt and asks Obama if the American dream is dead because it is so unattainable, were the two most powerful questions asked during the town hall. I believe this because they are two questions that the majority of Americans can personally and emotionally relate to. As stated by Obama, the middle class has been hit the most before and during the recession and most middle class people's incomes have decreased around 5%. These two questions express the feelings, fears, and worries of not only middle class families, such as the first commentator, but also of students who are struggling to pay back the debt generated by loans given by the government that were meant to help students like Ted Brasfield. I found very little of Obama’s arguments strong, instead of addressing the questions presented to him, he tried to promote his few actions by citing the problems that the country was facing towards the end of the Bush administration and the beginning of his term as a way of making people think that things have greatly changed since then, when in reality they barely have. People are still out of work, and although Obama says that he wants the American dream to continue for future generations, how are people supposed to put faith in a dream that is been almost diminished over the past few years and that still does not look like it will be as strong as it was in the past. He talks about policies he hopes to promote in the future, but what about now?, Obama has been president for a year and a half now, why is he waiting to put this policies in place, what we need is help now, as well as in the future. I found Obama’s argument that when sworn in at the beginning of last year he has to take quick emergency actions, such as bailouts, to save the economy, to be the weakest. I feel like he did not have to make such radical reforms in such a short amount of time, and I found it ironic how later in the Town Hall session he condemns bail outs, because they are tax payer money, but he still seems to think bail outs are the best way to solve our economy problems.
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ReplyDeleteI concur with Nate's post. How can Obama say he knows what all of America wants, when he cannot really know what it’s like to be in everyone situation? I also agree with his conclusion. While government involvement may not always be a good thing, it was greatly beneficial during the financial crisis and I believe it could have been much worse if the government didn't step in and do what it did.
ReplyDeleteI’d have to say I agree with Tyler Smith’s first opinion on the Town Hall. The people of America feel that because they don’t see a drastic alteration in the economy they think Obama isn’t trying. I believe that he is trying and like Tyler said, this problem has been accumulating since 2001. Although I don’t necessarily agree with Obama’s ideas and plans to fix the economy, I do believe he is doing what he sees fit as the best solutions. I also feel although he does obviously want to fix the ‘economy problem’, he avoided many questions during the film and went on tangents about something else instead of answering the question directly, like Olivia has said earlier, which is what many politicians do. I feel that by doing this, it will only further anger Americans and fuel their desire for a real answer.
ReplyDeleteTed Brassfield, a recent law student graduate, made a significant comment regarding the American Dream. Brassfield stated that “[he] was really inspired by [President Obama] and [his] campaign and [his] message that [he] brought but that the inspiration is dying away”. Brassfield stated that Obama’s campaign message instilled within him hope and excitement for the future. Instead, Brassfield is now struggling to find a job and cannot pay off his student loans. Brassfield’s situation is meaningful to me because in four years I will be hoping the economy is ignited and that jobs will be plentiful when I graduate from college. Brassfield feels that “the American Dream is not attainable to a lot of us”. I felt like Obama’s response to Brassfield was weak and sounded like another campaign pep talk. He did not state any concrete steps to improve the economy and simply said that more money will be available for student loans. But still the problem lies with the limited job availability which isn’t allowing the loans to be paid back.
ReplyDeleteI do agree with President Obama’s proposal to improve the education system in the United States. Every president in our recent history has claimed that they are going to improve education, however the United States’ education system continues to fall behind other countries.
President Obama’s ideas to improve the economy have increased our country’s deficit more than any other president. Even worse, it’s disturbing to know that communist China is lending the majority of the money used to fund President Obama’s economic plan. According to Kenneth Langone, the founder of Invemed Associates, “American democracy is based on a strong vibrant private economy”. Although Obama claims to be supportive of small business, what’s actually happening is the opposite—big government is trying to stimulate the economy versus supporting small business to create more jobs.
After watching the first thrity minutes of the town hall meeting I realized no one question was more important than the next. But, none the less the question that stood out the most to me was asked by a middle class woman who wanted to know whether or not eating "hot dogs and beans" would become a new reality.I beleive this question is the most powerful because it is a question many Americans keep asking themselves. I feel as though every American is waiting for our economy to hit rock bottom almost anticipating it.
ReplyDeleteThe strongest argument in my opinion has to do with the bush tax cut. The host of the town hall meeting asks the President if he is going to continue with these tax cuts. Obama said he would but he would not cut the taxes of millionares and biliionares mainly because they need it the least. I thought this statment made the most sense. Why would anyone want to cut the taxes of millionares and not cut the taxes of hard working middle class americans?
In my opinion the weakest argument Obama makes is when he is questioned by a man who majored in Law and is having trouble finding a job. I felt as though Obama danced around the question and never came close to fully answering it.
Out of the first thrity minutes of the meeting I agree with Obama's statments and policies. He seems to have the publics interest at heart. Our economic slump is going to take years to fix but I feel as though some of the policies mentioned may be able to realease some of the tension. Even if it is only a little bit.
The strongest question was from the first woman who spoke (a chief financial officer), asking what is her true reality in the current condition of the economy. First of all, the way this lady presented her question was very real in the sense that she represented over half of America in that one question. There are millions of citizens who wonder daily whether their financial state will improve or worsen. Therefore, many could relate to this question.
ReplyDeleteThe strongest argument that President Obama made was on how he has been handling the recession. He clearly specified what has been done and what will continue to be done in order to help America pull through, such as when he mentioned the tax cuts to 95-97% of citizens earning below $250,000, the tax cuts to businesses who participate in accordance with the new health care plan, the loans designed for education, etc. It is important to keep in mind or at least consider that fixing a deficit that has been hurt for the past decade as badly as it has in our nation cannot be completely fixed in the two years that the president has been in office. I think, like Obama has mentioned, that it is a process in which we must all be patient but that surely can be solved.
I could not really understand the president's answer for the question concerning having to worry about less social security and healthcare. His response was, therefore, somewhat general and didn't work as a strong argument because of its lack of clarity.
Overall, I do mostly agree with President Obama's path of action regarding the nation's economy. I understand how providing tax cuts for the lower and middle classes would influence a strong flow of money once more since people would not have to worry about paying extra money that they don't or barely have. I also see how investing in infrastructure can secure jobs in that business for new workers. Student loans, in addition, will encourage a new generation of educated citizens to contribute to the well-being of America.
In response to Alix Heisse's original post. I agree with your opinion of Obama's weakest argument. An auto company bail out has barely anything to do with our economy. Yes, it creates jobs but not enough to make a significant difference.
ReplyDeleteIn general, Obama’s answers were very well thought out and eloquently presented. Perhaps his strongest argument, in my opinion, was his reason for giving tax cuts to businesses and banks early on in the financial crisis. What impressed me most about his argument was his reference to FDR’s bank reforms at the beginning of his term and the possible comparison between the two. Both plans helped ensure that banks would not “go under”, which in turn would act as a positive for the economy instead of an extreme negative.
ReplyDeleteThe best question came from the man who owns a glass monogramming company. Essentially, he asked why the public did not understand how Obama’s reforms were working and how Obama could regain his “political center” (popularity). It was evident to the business owner that Obama was “reinvesting in the country” just as one should reinvest in his own business. I chose his question because I had never really thought about the long term effects of Obama’s plans because, like most of the nation, I focused more on the current economic crisis.
While the glass company owner had the best question, I feel that Obama’s response to it was weak. He never fully laid out his plan nor described the ways in which he could help regain America’s support. Of course he is less popular at the moment, the economy has not yet improved to people’s standards. What Obama needed to answer was how he was going to satisfy the public now and provide for the long term, and he failed to do so.
However, I do agree with Obama’s use of government thus far in the economy because I believe that the nation was in crisis, and without some government assistance, the economy plummet could have been drastically worse. As Obama admitted, there were some emergency decisions made that cost a substantial amount of money, but even McCain’s former economist agreed that the money needed to be spent, and so do I. However, I believe that government involvement in the economy should be limited and that Obama’s limit is close to, or has been, reached.
I would first like to respond to Hayden's rebuttal to my previous comment. I understand that Obama was elected by the people, but that certainly does not mean that I have to agree with his economic policy. The fact that America is predicated on democratic principles rather fosters this type of dissent. To suggest otherwise demonstrates a naive belief in the infallibility of man. A homeostatic political environment is only created through peaceful and logical descent. Furthermore, the federal government is given no constitutional authority to do much of what it has done under the big government economic policies of Presidents Bush and Obama. Where in the Constitution is Congress given the power to use taxpayer's money to cease distressed assets? Where in the Constitution is the Treasury Secretary given legislative power? True liberty is ultimately gained through intelligent questionings of public policy and the role of government.
ReplyDeleteOh no! I meant seize not cease.
ReplyDeleteOh and dissent instead of descent. Darn homophones!
ReplyDeleteI'm responding to Alex Heise's comment because I noticed that everyone on this forum is only responding to their friends' post, so in the interest of expanding the discussion I'm responding to someone whom I've never actually met :)
ReplyDeleteOverall, I somewhat disagree with the general idea behind Alex's arguments. I think it's OK for government to sometimes intervene in the affiars of private companies. For me, the issue is not whether government should interfere in the free market, but rather, how often it does, for what reason it does, and what the consequences will be if it does so. Free markets are indeed the driving force behind our economy, however, sometimes what is in the interest of private companies is not in the interest of the American public. The government serves the interest of the public, and therefore I think it's OK for the government to sometimes affect private buissiness when they violate the rights of individual people (such as when the USDA inspects for food safety, or prevents the use of child labor in dangerous industrial enviroments).
True, some freedom is lost when such government action occurs, however, loss of freedom is part of the famous "social contract" made between people and the government. In exchange for loss of some freedoms, people recieve protection from some threats. In general, every piece of public policy or law enacted will have pros and cons. How heavily the pros outweigh the cons, or vice versa, depends on where the individual in society stands in relation to said laws or policies. It is therefore the job of elected representatives to decide when the benefits to the general public outweight the burdens placed on those whom the laws affect.
On that note, I do think Alex made some excellent points as to why such government action is a bad thing. The line between protecting people, and acting to preserve special interests is a very fine one. At what point does the government go from simple regulation for safety, to bailing out irresponsible companies from their own shortsighted enterprises? Such a line was crossed after the financial collapse, and it sets the precedent for even more government intervention at the cost of freedom of buissinesspeople and their constituents. Now there argument stands that this action was taken to prevent a larger financial collapse that would have affected millions of people who had little to do with the actions of a select few. But it's also important to keep in mind that for the past several decades, the government has increasingly used such arguments to justify more and more intervention in people's lives. There are currently so many federal laws in existence, that it is impossible to know them all. Although I do think it's nessecary for government to intervene in the free markets to protect people's rights, it's also important to be wary that every increasingly drastic action results in a corresponding increase in federal power, and therefore, loss of individual rights. As aforementioned, whether that price is worth paying will vary on a case by case basis. In my opinion, what is more important is that the general welfare of the public be preserved. Freedom of course is an essential part of this welfare. Close inspection of these facts at first make them seem paradoxical or even contradictory. In my opinion, the best way to ensure that the best of both ideals is realized is by walking carefully along a middle path between the two extremes. No government intervention in the free market is almost a form of anarchy, with the rich and powerful constantly taking advantage of those with the fewest resources (ie the poor). At the same time, too much government intervention in the free market leads down a path of autocracy, limited freedom, and dare I say it, communism! However, I think our current system prevents either of the two extremes from ever actually being realized, and therefore, I'm not too worried when the government intervenes or fails to intervene on an issue like the free markets. In the end, the people always will have their say. If in general the American people feel Obama overstepped his bounds with the bailout, then he probably won't make it through the next election, and vice versa.
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ReplyDeleteIn the portion of video i saw i agree with Claire with the best question. I liked that question because it puts the president on the spot and forces a straight forward answer. The best argument he put forward was that it took 10 years to get into the recession and it is going to take a while to get out. I thought this was a very truthful statement and i respect that he is letting the people know none of his plans are going to work overnight. the argument i disagree with most is tax cuts for the people under 250,000. Obamas argument was good but the policy i dont agree with at one point he claims the people above the 250,000 tax bracket would be the ones least likely to spend the money, but they are the people who are best at business and know how to invest and create jobs for the rest of America. Overall i disagree with his policies mainly because i think the government should be more worried about protecting our borders and terrorism and less worried about who gets a tax cut and who doesn't. Also the people over the 250,000 tax bracket are the big business owners and with a tax cut they can pay their employes more and possible hire new employees. I also think the government is worried too much about unemployment, honestly its not that hard to get a job, i think americans are simply being lazy and looking for handouts.
ReplyDeleteRight off the bat President Obama makes strong points that right when he was sworn into office and in the couple months after that more and more jobs were lost. The economy was in a downward spiral right away for him and could not be fixed overnight and people need to be patient. Another strong point of his was that it took over ten years to get into the economic crisis we are in now, so it will be difficult to fix things. He understands people of all races are frustrated and he genuinely wants to fix things to the best of his abilities. I like that he said he wants to keep the American Dream alive and begin to help more kids get scholarships and student loans, as well. He understands what it's like to be in the middle class and have some struggles because that's how he grew up. I agree completely with him that we cannot afford to keep putting off problems that we have been for decades and it is comforting to hear him say he refuses to do that.
ReplyDeleteThe weakest points made were when he answers questions asked by the public. The questions asked are deep and complex and would be hard to answer for most, but he is the president of our country and I'd expect for him to answer questions more straight up instead of kind of forgetting the question and moving onto something entirely different. But overall, I do agree with many of Obama's points about attempting to fix this nation and the deep crisis we are in. He promised change, but change does not happen overnight. We need to be patient and give him a chance to see if he can live up to his words.
I agree with Alex Reidy and a few others who mentioned how Obama tends to not dive deeply into the questions and float off into different subjects. To me when he does that he just seems like the typical generic politician who avoids the questions, but he really is trying and does care about these issues.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Aryan that Obama never really doesn't lay down a concrete statement that feels reassuring, but with me not knowing much about politics, when someone sounds like they know what they are talking about I will usually believe them.
I would like to take this time to respond with what Kaitlyn had to say aboout the Town Hall Meeting. I agree that the best question was the one that the lady asked about her family and their economic problems. She made a compelling arguement and how the problems in America are still here and not going away as fast as many people would like it.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with Kaitlyn about the worst question that Obama responded to. He was definently to vague and to me it seemed as though he was trying to beat around the bush. He should of just given a straight forward answer and maybe upset a few people, instead of people wanted to be more informed and have more questions. I feel that a strong president has the ability to give his opinion and stand by it much like the current New Jersey Governor.
i agree with freddy in his comment about the government helping out the economy. it goes a long with what i said, and both our comments are very similar. obama does have good intentions in what he is doing, and is only trying to help. but this is a problem that is out of his hands, in a way. the economy really needs to work itself out, after all that is the way capitalism works. no doubt that obama is trying to do all he can do but its just something he really cant do anything about, in my opinion.
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ReplyDeleteIn response to Alex Reidy, yes Obama is trying to look forward to future generations in terms of economic help and growth, but if he is only looking to the future, then does that just mean that he is going to ignore the people who are struggling now? Obama preached for change during his presidential campaign, something that even his supporters will admit they have seen little of. Although Obama may not want to do things just to make himself "popular", he needs to realize that like the town hall arbitrator suggested, the relationship between government and the people is a marriage and that you have to be flexible and understanding. If so many people are unhappy with Obama's actions, then in my opinion he needs to reconsider his plan to appease both himself and the people he is supposed to be protecting and representing.
ReplyDeleteIn Hayden's post, he mentioned that Obama had a plan to create jobs in alternative energy. I believe this would be very beneficial to America because, to be cliche, it kills two birds with one stone. Americans get the jobs they so deeply desire and environmentalists are pacified by the president’s attempt to "save the planet". Like Hayden, I believe that Obama's time would have been better spent creating jobs in alternative energy before the health care bill. That is not to say that Obama was not within his rights to create the health care bill, just that the jobs should have been created first. That way, the "slow change" mentioned by Glenn could be remedied and the Americans would be instantly gratified and therefore happy. Then would be the time for Obama to enact whatever controversial bills and plans he had, for he would have the support of the people and not the discord he faces now because he passed his healthcare bill first.
ReplyDeleteAlso, slow change is not necessarily a bad thing. It is just not what Obama promised in his campaign. In a material-based and expedient society, slow change does not resonate. For that reason, many people supported Obama when he promised quick change and an improvement to the economy. He has not accomplished his goal and his policies have changed. Because the people as a whole will not suddenly learn to accept slow change, Obama must produce the desired result or face the loss of even more popularity.
I found the question asked about our governments spending to be the best. The host asks the president how long we can keep spending such amounts? i found this to be a very strong argument and also he backs it up by stating that for every dollar america spends 42 cents is borrowed. How long will it take before our economy cant take it any more and just simply crashes?
ReplyDeleteI found Obama's point on spending to be a very good one. His point was that running a government is a very expensive bussiness and there is not much one can do about it. If we wish to continue to do the morally "right" thing we have to keep spending. He remarks on our returning veterans. After they served their service to our country and risked so much and come home with post traumatic stress disorders do we really want to leave them hanging? If we want to continue helping our veterans we have to tighten our belts and take a blow for the good of the whole of the american people.
Obama states in an answer to an economic question that medicare will be the source of our longest term defecit. IF this is true then why should he be pushing to get this same bill through congress? That seems like a dumb idea to me.
I slightly disagree with his policies for the economy. It seems to me like hes acting like theres not much he can do about it. Well if he cant do anything about it why doesnt he let someone who can into office to fix this mess?
Obama had a lot of good things to say in this interview. The most influential question, to me, was the question of the American dream still being attainable. Although I liked the question, I didn't think the president answered it accordingly. He just stated that America is still a great country and we are still above other countries in many aspects. He didn't mention anything about improving our country or taking steps towards a better nation, like the question asked. The argument that I thought was the best was that Obama's support for his reform programs. He gave multiple pieces of evidence all throughout history and provided the support that the audience wanted.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what Freddy and Nate were saying earlier. Obama is implementing his plans and they are slowly taking their implied courses of action. The president came into office in the middle of huge recession and knew that he had to promote change in the country to fix it. He has stuck to those plans, while they may not have been as effective as he wanted them to be, they are still effective. It took FDR some time to dig America out of the great depression, and it will take some time for Obama to dig us out of this one as well.
ReplyDeleteAfter listening to the many questioned that Obama received, I found that the ones from the audience members were the most powerful because they are coming directly from the average American that represents the middle class as a whole. I thought that the best question from the audience was from the young lawyer who cannot afford to pay his student loans because he cannot find a job. His ending statement was "Is the American Dream dead for most people?" I thought this one was the most powerful because its the answer that people want to hear. Americans want to know if the economy is ever going to improve and they just want some reassurance that it eventually will.
ReplyDeleteOne of Obama's strongest arguments was in regard to the Bush Tax Cuts. I thought that Obama articulated himself well and said that if they did decide to extend them that it would be for the middle class because they are more likely to spend that extra money and boost the economy. I also thought that his argument was strong when he addressed the problem of no real progress. He said that slow and steady is best, it took almost a decade for this recession to developed, so its going to take awhile for it to resolve itself.
Obama had some weak arguments when answering some questions and it was mostly due to a vague response. In some instances his response was very general and did not include the specifics that are needed in order to convince people that his administration is actually doing something to help the economy.
I'm not sure that fully agree with Obama's positions because on some level, he is taking the free out of free market by bailing out some of the bigger businesses but I do applaud Obama for passing bills that will have a positive outcome in the long run at the expense of his popularity.
Obama did have alot of good points and it is true that he did promise change but to an extent he had alot to work with when he got in there and he is making a difference, such as the billions of dollars of student loans
ReplyDeleteOne of his answers did bother me though, when he was asked about how the federal budget is in so much debt and all people are running so low on money and we have to prepare for less social security and health care. but instead of answering he kind of just got off topic and kind of drifted away not really giving much of an answer and that kind of bothered me.
Sadie, i do really agree with you on just how powerful it was when the man that just graduated law school and couldnt find a job did ask that "is the american dream dead for most people?" i think that asking that really put a ton of enfisese on that question and that is what alot of the average population is wondering. also in regards to how you said that the bush tax cuts were one of his major point i strongly agree with because he even said himself, its not good to give it to the billionaires because they are not the ones that are going to spend it, the middle class americans are the ones that are going to be putting their extra money back into the economy, not the people that have more money then they already know what to do with.
ReplyDeleteT he question which I feel deserves the title “best question” is the question asked by the woman CFO. She said, “ I’m tired of waiting for change; is this my new reality?”. I think this question was extremely powerful because I think it’s a question that millions of Americans are asking themselves everyday as they deal with their current struggles to make ends meet and plan for the future. I also feel that this was an excellent question because it was very specific and would have been an opportunity for the president to give a direct answer and explain what his plans for change are, which unfortunately, I feel he did not.
ReplyDeleteThis brings me to my next point; Obama’s weakest argument. I feel that his weakest argument was in his response to the gentleman who asked the question “Is the American Dream dead for me?” Obama responded to this question by going off on a tangent about how amazing America is and how every person in every country looks to America with amazement and awe. After his tangent, Obama does come back to the topic and briefly discusses what he’s doing about helping people recover from and pay off debts and he even states that he became to president to fix the problems America is having, but he never directly answers this man’s question. Throughout the entire hour-long town hall meeting I feel that President Obama failed to directly answer a single question. Instead, he sidestepped around responding to the questions by just giving facts about various things he and his party have done since they took office.
The strongest argument I think Obama made was about his controversial decisions that a lot of people seem to not understand and agree with. He said, “If I were making decisions based on the election in November then I wouldn’t have done some of the things I did because I knew they were unpopular but I knew they were the right thing to do.” I think that was a good thing for him to say because it showed his interest in future generations, which I think is really respectable. He also referenced FDR and his previous policies that were once resisted and that are now taken for granted. This comparison shows that he is knowledgeable and confident about the decisions he has made.
I think President Obama makes some valid points and I believe that he is a very eloquent and persuasive speaker. I agree with him that the government had to be very involved in the economy and provide assistance to help the country get out of the recession, but as Amanda previously stated, I think it’s time for the government to step back and limit their involvement.
I agree with Astrid and her thought that Obama's strongest argument or point was when he reminded the audience of his personal background - that he was raised by a single mother, that he lived with his grandparents, and that he received his education through scholarships - because this statement appeals to the emotional side and human side of the average American. I also agree with Kendal in that Obama knows that our economy is going to take awhile to fix and that but that he also knows that he cannot please everyone all at once.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Sadie that one of Obama’s strongest arguments was in regard to the problem that no real progress has been made. I thought his answer made a lot of sense, and although it’s not what a lot of people who are struggling want to hear, it’s true. When tackling a problem as large and significant as the American economy, no hasty decisions can be made. Slow and steady truly is best, because as Sadie said, it took almost a decade for the recession to develop so it’s not just going to go away over night.
ReplyDeleteI disagree with what Diego said about President Obama's Economic policies. I think that he really is trying to do every thing that he can but as the President said, it took us a decade to get into this mess and it might take another to get us out of it. I do agree in saying that there are things that this country needs to fund, i.e. returning vetrens with PTSD but there are things that the government doesn't need to fund i.e. Fanny Mae and Feddie Mac or TARP in general. I do think that if the American people must tighten thier belts, then so does the government. I understand that there are things that we need to pay for, but I would challenge congress to go through and look for things that they don't need to spend money on, just like a normal middle class family would in times like these.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what Emily said, when she said, "The strongest argument I think Obama made was about his controversial decisions that a lot of people seem to not understand and agree with. He said, “If I were making decisions based on the election in November then I wouldn’t have done some of the things I did because I knew they were unpopular but I knew they were the right thing to do.” I think that was a good thing for him to say because it showed his interest in future generations, which I think is really respectable." I do think that the President should be making decisions based on what he or she thinks is best for the country, and not just doing things because they are afraid that they are not going to get reelected. Which is why in government today, I thought that Virginia's five year term for governor and for the president, maybe a six year term (that they can only do once) is also a good idea.
ReplyDeleteAfter Obama is talking about entrepreneurs and how great is America with its dynamic economy, when Ted Bradsfield comes to the mic explaining how he is 30 years old and graduated from law school...but can't make the interest payments on any of his bills and how Obama makes it seem like the American dream is attainable, but he feels it really is unattainable. It really packs a punch to me, to see voters that once loved Obama, now in complete utter confusion.
ReplyDeleteWhen Obama says "I think the challenge right now is I'm thinking about the next generation, and there are a lot of folks that are out for the next election. If I were making decisions for November, I wouldn't have done some of the things I would have done." I feel like this argument is one of his strongest throughout the town hall meeting due to the fact he's being honest. To have a strong argument you mustn't be faking it. The idea he's being honest and trustworthy gains my approval.
When Obama is attempting to recover from the powerful blow of the V.A. employee explaining her hardships and begins muttering the same old "we're moving in the right direction" argument he preaches whenever this age-old situation arises. I feel he's just overusing the same argument to make people feel better, but what the people want is change...not "I'm working on it, deal with it"
Overall it seems to me I find myself in the same shoes Ted Bradsfield is in. Initially I loved the arguments provided by Obama; everything he spoke about change, affirmative action, and making the U.S.A. a better place, but it doesn't look like he thought about the big picture. It seems to me Obama had eyes too big for his stomach. But then again, that's just my opinion.
I too agree with Sadie saying one of the strongest arguments was the issue that nothing really has been done. I'm sure the majority of people don't want to hear the fact no progression has been made, but its starting to seem that way for a large amount of people.
ReplyDeleteThere were many great questions proposed to President Obama through out this Town Hall Meeting but the question presented to Obama by the very first audience member to ask him a question really hit to me. She asked Obama "Is this my new reality?". Im sure this woman and her husband had to overcome a lot in order to get to where they are but now she is in fear that all their trials and tribulations they have over come in order to be where they are may all be in vain. I sat and just tried to imagine how horrible it would be to be in such a situation.
ReplyDeleteOne of Obama's arguments that i felt was strong a hope inspiring was was when he said that although many of the bills that he fights to pass and many reforms,etc. that he backs may not necessarily be popular among the American people but instead he does so because he feels that it is the right thing to do. When he said that, it reminded me of JFK, who wanted to better America through his presidency instead of worrying about getting re-elected by doing what others what him to do.
One thing that Obama did quite often that could possibly make him look bad is how he seemed to be unable to specifically answer the questions set forth by audience members. Viewers understood the first time when Obama talked about the federal government setting aside billions of dollars to be able to aid college students yet he continued to fall back on this statement and many more like it instead of answering the audience questions with more depth.
Overall however, I do agree with President Obama positions on government involvement with the economy. Millions of Americans maybe still out of work and feeling the pain of the recession but things are getting better as stated by Obama. It seems that America's most current economic crisis can be represented by a wound. It was bleeding profusely at one point, Obama came and stopped the bleeding and patched up this wound (A.K.A. the recession), and not it is slowly healing. All there is to do now is be patient and see how well thing will heal up.
I really like what Vincent said - that although Obama gave weak answers and didn't really go in depth about his plans to strengthen the economy, he still believes that it's good of the government to do what they can to help the struggling citizens. Also, I liked what Emily said about how he referenced FDR and some of his policies that were at first unpopular, but then turned out to be successful, because that shows that maybe we just have to wait and see if it will all work out.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Robby, Freddy, and Nate. Like Obama said. America was digging it's own grave for a while due to irresponsible company management, companies becoming "too big to fail" and so on and so forth. Obama stated that Presidents before his term have neglected many of America's problems for decades and he sounded sincere when he said that he refuses to let those problems continue to linger. As long as Obama is a man of his word and is truely trying to better America like he says he is then i believe America is on the right path.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what Hayden was saying earlier that Obama is spending too little of his time getting bills of less importance through Congeress while he should be thinking of the bigger issue. That being that the economy is going to shambles and he is busy getting a healthcare bill through Congress. His main issue at the moment should be the economy.
ReplyDeleteSam Galaz commented on the first woman’s inquiry, “Is this my new reality?” and pointed out that she represented over half of America in one simple question. Her genuine concern and Obama’s response prove the crucial role of the Town Hall Meetings in addressing political issues. Obama thereby clarified that although the middle class had been hit by the recession the hardest, his new policies should ease these problems over time. Also, students who used student loans during college are having issues primarily finding a job, and then actually paying back this money. Though Obama mostly promoted his new policies, he did speak directly to the people-and convey that his promise to make positive changes is still alive.
ReplyDeleteThe question that I think is the most powerful question was by the CFO audience member who stated, "I’m tired of waiting for change; is this my new reality?” I liked this question because it was a middle class american women that is trying to raise two teenage girls and his waiting for change that she was looking for when voting for President Obama and haven't seen the effects of it yet.
ReplyDeleteThe President's strongest argument that I found was most logical was with the CFO women when he said that billions of dollars are going to be going directly to student loans, grants and scholarships so kids can go to college. I think this is the strongest and most logical because it speaks to me and lots of other kids my age that are trying to get a further education past high school.
I believe the presidents weakest arguments was when he was responding to the man that asked if the american dream was dead for him. I noticed that Obama never really answered his question and instead stated how amazing America is and what he is going to do in the future for deficit spending in businesses in 2011. I think this was one of Obama's weakest arguments because the gentleman was asking about the American Dream and Obama answered his question by talking about debt and how he is trying to boost the economy.
I think President Obama is a very persuasive speaker and I agree with his explanations with regard to the economy because the government was to involved with the economy and know he is trying to fix and limit the government involvement. I believe that he has the correct ideas for how to improve the economy because I believe that the government should limit their involvement with the economy.
I think Obama made some great points in the video. I was satisfied in the way he answered many of the questions, especially the one about helping the middle class out of this recession. He made it very clear that he is looking at long term goals for our economy. So, although the middle class may be struggling a bit now, later on with some of the changes he is making, they will be better off. These changes include lowering the deficit and having tax reductions for the middle class, putting money into colleges to make it easier for younger generations to pay their debts, and protection from credit card companies and health insurance. He said the government is making sure the credit card companies can't increase the interest rates without notifying you first, and health insurance is guaranteed. So, overall the middle class will retire with dignity and respect, be able to pay their bills, and afford to send their kids to college. This was a very solid argument on Obama's part.
ReplyDeleteI was disappointed, however, with Obama's response to Ted Brasfield's question of "will you be able to reignite the youth beset by student loans, and is the American dream dead?". This was the most insightful and important question, in my opinion, and Obama's response was very sub par. He answered very broadly and started talking about how great a country America is and how other countries look to and aspire to the U.S. Then, he started talking about improving the education system and jump-starting our economy because the most important thing is our economy. His final "answer" to the question was "we can't go back to what we are doing because we've been putting off these problems for decades..." He never specified what these "problems" were and how this would help people to achieve the American dream.
Even so, I agree with what Obama was saying for most of the video. I think he had mostly solid arguments and sounds like he's putting the people before himself and the government, which is what the president always ought to do, in my opinion.
I think that the question that made the biggest impression on me was the first one asked by the lady who was the chief financial officer about whether or not this was her "new reality". I think this represents a significant part of the population who feel that they haven't really seen the change that they felt they were promised when they voted for Obama. There are going to be people out there who expect to see immediate change and the reality is that most of the issues that need fixing are going to take some time.
ReplyDeleteI really felt that I was able to understand most of what Obama was talking about when he was addressing the tax cuts and I think he presented a solid explanation. There were a few arguments that I felt he could have elaborated more on instead of being vauge such as his response to Ted Brasfield when he asked for specific steps that were going to be taken.
I agree with Tyler Brownell. I think that the government should be worried about terrorism and protecting the borders more than giving tax cuts. I believe that if you give tax cuts to the big business owners they aren't going to be able to higher new employees which limits the amount of jobs open to American citizens. I also agree that the government is worrying to much about unemployment when it would not be hard to get a job if they lowered the tax cuts on the big business owners. Since the big businesses are the ones that give jobs to the middle and lower class americans.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Cassie's impression of Obama's interview overall. I also think that he had some very strong arguments and attempting to help the people out by creating new reforms and laws. Like her, I found the answer to Ted Brasfield's question weak and disappointing. But, despite this one weak answer, he continued to contribute good ideas and fine answers throughout the rest of the interview. I am also pleased that he wishes to help the middle class and allow its members to retire decently and be able to afford their children's college tuition.
ReplyDeleteOverall i found this video clip to be very interesting and i saw alot of things that stood out and helped me understand what is going on in the gov. a littl ebit better. The question that i liked the most was the one asked by the african american CFO lady. She represented a big portion of america which is the middle class and she was talking about how she had not gotten a raise in a while and that she was struggling to make ends meet. She thought that by voting for president Obama, her life and "american Dream" would be drastically improved but she hasnt seen the results yet to which pres. Obama mentioned that the Gov. has placed alot of money in a special pile for college scholarships and student loans and that credit cards cannot charge you a higher interest rate without notifying you. he also mentioned the new health care plan which i think is a very good idea because europe also has something similair to that and it seems to be working out really well for them. When Obama defended the tax cuts for the middle class he talked about his own position and how he didnt think that the upper/wealthy class should be getting tax relief because they arent the ones who spend the money on material things that help the economy boom. I also could relate to the question proposed by the #0 year old law student because i will be graduating college in the years to come and i hope that i dont find myself in a similair situation. what didnt make me so happy was when Obama said that the economy had to wait more then 10 years to get it to be better again because it just seems to me that he is trying to give it a large window of time so that people will stop complaining because help will come "eventually"
ReplyDeleteI think that the best question asked from what I saw was the question from the man who just got out of law school and can’t find a job to pay off his student loans. He asked if the American dream for people like him was dead. I thought this was powerful to me because in a few years I will be in that position and I hope to God the economy is fixed by then. I can’t imagine going back to work lifeguarding after I graduate college. Also, President Obama responded with comments about student loans, which myself and many of my peers will need to make it through college.
ReplyDeleteI found that the President’s strongest arguments were about the tax cuts. He is against large tax breaks for the people making more than 250K a year because they are the least likely to spend their money and the government would be losing much more money from them than people from the middle class. This made perfect sense to me.
I found that the President’s weakest argument was in response to the first woman’s question because he didn’t seem to answer her straight and somewhat avoided the issue. He didn’t go into very much detail about how to help her current situation, which is what she asked about.
I do agree with most of the President’s positions about government involvement because I think that if the government did not step in and stabilize the economy, we would be much worse off and maybe even still in a recession. I like many of his ideas about helping out small businesses but I think that the larger companies should have to find a way to dig themselves out of the messes they made.
I agree with Morgan's comment when she says that there are people who expect too see immediate change. When Obama came into Presidency he was voted in for his policies, but also because the American people were desperate for change. They needed a quick fix for the long term promlems in order to be satisfied. However, they have not fully recieved their quick fix. Many things have improved and the economy has become more stable, but there is still a shortage of jobs and money. The American people need to understand that if a it took a long time to cause all of the difficulties that the U.S. has acquired then it may take a long to to repair them.
ReplyDeleteI thought that the 30 year old lawyers question was the most powerful from what I watched. He asked if the American dream was dead because it was possible for graduates to pay off their student loans. Obama's responded by saying that his administration was helping with this problem through scholarships and student loans. It seems that there is not an easy solution for the problem of student debts and that only time can fix the problem.
ReplyDeleteI think that Obama's response to the women who was asking him if her financial situation was her new reality was his best resonce. He implied that yes it kind of is her new reality and restated the fact that the current economic situation that the country is in is not an easy fix. I agree with his example of social health care compared to the FDIC, it really showed how people disagreeing with his policies to fix some of the financial situation are hesitant to believe that things can change again just because they are not seeing immediate results.
I thought that Obama's response to the 43 cents of borrowed money to every dollar was his weakest. He was very vague in his response and used broad statements. He essentially said it is an issue, we need to fix it, and we need to do it fast. Having said that he was given this problem on day one. When he became president the country already had a deficit of over a trillion dollars.
In general I agree with Obama's plans to fix the problems the country is having. I think that the policies and plans that he has put into place will eventually get us back to a more stable financial situation. I think that the president's biggest problem is his ability to execute his plans and the amount of time it is going to take for his plans to take effect.
I agree with Emily Bodkin how she states that President obama didnt really know how to awnswer the law students question and how his speeches seemed kinds of like pre-prepared and just spat out like somethings hes "expected " or "payed" to say. I think he even mentioned once how he had already mentioned something in a different interview i also agree with cassie how "His final "answer" to the question was "we can't go back to what we are doing because we've been putting off these problems for decades..." He never specified what these "problems" were and how this would help people to achieve the American dream " this just shows that he is not so experienced on what to do and isnt prepared for the big job that lies ahead of him
ReplyDeleteI agree with what Emily said earlier. Her point about President Obama’s response to the woman CFO’s question was exactly what I was thinking. However, I believe that the President held this meeting to provide answers for a broad range of people. This woman is just a sample of someone who is going through a hard time. It would have been pointless to televise this meeting if the President addressed her issue so specifically that if would not relate to a broad range of people. I think that everyone in her situation can take something from his response and I believe that was his intention.
ReplyDeleteI would agree with kurt on several of his observations. Obama's tax cut idea seems to be very straight up and makes sense. I also agree that he seemed to avoid or work around the question, not just on that one ladies question, but rather several. It seems that the question of student loans has aroused complaint among many of the bloggers and I hope that in the near future, we just will not hear about the plans, but actually see them in action and see their effectiveness in our lives.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Kurt about the lawyer worried about the lack of jobs available right now. If there are no jobs by the time we graduate with all of our accumulated debt as students then not only will our degree be worthless but we won't be able to pay our debts because our low paying job that we settled for, if we could find one, wont cover the costs. Should we be worried that we are setting ourselves up for a future that doesn't exist?
ReplyDeleteAfter watching the video of the town hall meeting I felt that the most insightful question was the one asked by the man who recently graduated from law school and could not find a job. He asked if the American Dream was over for him. I felt that this was very powerful since many people in similar situations are asking themselves that same thing and also because it was a very direct question expressing the mans fear about his future and the future of our economy.
ReplyDeleteI believe that President Obama's strongest argument throughout the 1st half of the speech was when he was saying that the process of reversing the hole we have dug for ourselves will take time. It took more then ten years to get into the financial crisis and it will take equal if not more time to get out. Many Americans are looking for a quick fix to the problems but that simply isn't possible due to the complexity of the issues. I feel like this is his strongest argument because he his telling all the people that feel nothing is being done to help themselves individually that the relieve effort will take time.
One of Obama's arguments that i disagree with was how he seemed to keep referring to all the student loans that the government is funding and the new lower and more reasonable interest rates on those loans. It is a very good thing to have student loans accessible to student who wouldn't be able to fund school otherwise but i feel that it isn't really aiding the issue of unemployment. The man who used a student loan to get through law school graduated and could not find a job is stuck. He used a student loan and went to law school but he was no anymore well off afterwards because he was still unemployed.
In general I agree with President Obama's positions and explanations with regard to the government involvement in the economy. I think that he has many good ideas to improve our economy. I think this because i agree with many of the things he mentioned and also i believe that he underestand the steps that need to be take. It stuck with me when he said that he was passing legislation that was unpopular yet necessary for our economy even though it may hurt his chances of re-election.
I agree with what Cassie said about how Obama didn't adequately answer the question about the youth's debt for education and the American Dream. I think that he should've been more specific in answering his question directly since so many people are going through the exact same thing: just graduating, paying student loans, and trying to make a life for themselves. Instead Obama avoided the question and answered more in the direction of improving education, than being straightforward with the young man who asked the question.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed watching this town hall meeting, because of the fact that there were average Americans asking the president questions. There were lots of compelling questions asked, but the one that I felt I could most relate to, and that was the most powerful to me, was the recent college graduate who asked, "Is the American Dream dead for me?" This question is my favorite because as I am getting older and thinking about my future and college, I also wonder about where the economy is going. In a few years, I may be in the same position as that man, and he has a good point, that if no change is made, what is there left for the younger generations. If it's hard to get going with a job and life now, and nothing changes, what will in be like in 5 or 10 years?
ReplyDeletePresident Obama made a lot of great arguments, but the most inspirational and strongest argument I thought was when he answered the first lady's question. His response seemed deep and real, about how he too grew up with struggles, and he related to her situation, saying he too had children. His response about how it is easier to get student loans was an actual direct answer, not just saying he will do something, and maybe not getting to it.
The weakest argument I thought was to the college grad. He talked a lot about the situation, and about having a good education system in America, but he never really gave a direct answer, or any evidence to one. If I were the man who asked about the American Dream being dead or not, I would have been disappointed with the answer.
Overall, I mostly agree with Obama in regard to government involvement in economy, because I do see that things are changing, however slowly. Obviously, nothing can be completely solved in such a short amount of time. The government's involvement was necessary at the beginning of his presidency, with some emergency policies to be taken care of, but now it's time to step back a little and have some patience on how the economy is going to work itself out.
I am in agreement with Alex Reidy’s comments about President Obama’s plan to fix the economy as being vague and unrealistic. Big government is not the answer to America’s woes. Our country needs to be repaired from the ground up. This means supporting the small business owner who will be the first to create jobs locally. The government could help them with low interest loans to get their business established, and by decreasing the government red tape required to start a business. Soon there will be a rippling effect of jobs created around the country, inspiring confident Americans and eventually spending will occur. This will be the impetus to drive our economy forward.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Olivia O'Conner's post. Americans do need answers. We have already heard all of the ideas that the government has as far fixing the economy. I think that it is time for someone to step up to the plate and take the initiative to pick ourselves back up. I also agree with Michael Cerdinio, in that people do comment in response to their own friends, but also that his idea of the government intervening on private companies is for our own protection.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Annie:
ReplyDeleteI also agree that this response was compelling because Obama is right, things this big do take time and we need to be patient with that. Everyone wants a easy quick fix, and that's just not possible over night. This response would have been my second favorite. People need to realize that yeah, its a tough situation, and everyones working hard to fix it, but it's not the easiest problem to work out that quickly.
I agree with natalie in that Obama's answer to the the women with two daughters was real. She felt that the change that the president had initially promised was not happening and Obama was able to show her that through the money set aside for student loans change was happening it was just going to be a long way until all the economic problems are completely fixed.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Annie's comment about the student loans. I dont think the loans have enough to do with unemployment to make such a big deal about them. i also agree with lax bro in saying that Obama danced around the American Dream question.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Sean Whaley. Although Obama hasn't fixed the economy (yet, if so), he is making changes to help us. It's not like he hasn't done anything to help. Lots of his voters expected him to fix the problem right away and create change, which obviously didn't happen. The economy takes years and more than one person to fix. I like the fact that he is giving more student loans and scholarships to help ease our generation (because overall, we're the ones that are going to have to fix it or live with it).
ReplyDeleteIn response to acoumes comment. I feel that yes the stimulus plans for our country are expensive and even risky in some cases. However, without the stimulus package that the Obama administration passed, America would be in such a deep hole economically that I feel our country would loose it's standing a world power. Companies like AIG and General Motors are such a backbone to our fragile economy, that it makes perfect sense to bail them out if they indeed need help. They provide jobs to people, and with such a high unemployment rate, this country needs those jobs. Thanks to Obama's bailout of General Motors, the American automobile industry is now stabilized and can afford to hire more people instead of laying them off. There is proof that these stimulus packages are working. The effect may not be immediate, but they are indeed working.
ReplyDeleteI am like Sarah Dobi in that I agreed with the majority of Obama's economic policies at first, but the solid arguments of DJ Rez have led me to think otherwise. I think it was necessary for Obama to jump start the economy in the worst of the recession and get it going again, like with the auto companies. Now however, the government should lay off and let the economy fix itself, even though it may take some time to heal these deep wounds of this recession. But, Obama, himself, agreed that restoring our economy was a long term goal. So, if this "quick change" he promised isn't going to happen soon, then the government should keep its hands off and deal with other issues, and let the economic wound heal with time. I would also like to agree with DJ in his comment on Hayden's comment on his first comment in that logical dissent and questioning of the role in government lead to progress and define true liberty. Well said, DJ.
ReplyDeleteI thought that the audience and host chose great questions to ask Obama that really expressed the concerns and fears of Americans today. Tedd Bradsfeild's question was the strongest because I think it reflects the thoughts of many worried Americans and straight forwardly asks the president's solutions to the current problems. This question gave Obama the opportunity to really elaborate on his goals and intentions for America in his years at office. I think Obama's response to this question was stronger than some of his others because he used specific examples of how the government has improved, such as student loans and education.
ReplyDeleteI think Obama's weakest argument was when he states that he wants the government to be less involved in the free market economy. This seems contradictory to his beliefs about the role of government and to the actions his administration has already taken. This causes some of his later arguments to not be as strong and less believable.
I do not completely agree with Obama's plan for the economy and his views on government involvement. While the government does need to oversee a few aspects of the economy, it should be primarily free market with little government involvement.
I agree with Michael Cerdinio in regards to Obama communicating better to the public. Many of Obama's answers seemed vague and did not directly answer the question as best as possible. I think Obama is really good at connecting with audiences, but I do not think he is specific enough in his responses. For this reason many Americans are losing their connection with Obama because they do not feel informed about the government's intensions.
ReplyDeleteI believe the best question was the one regarding the woman who said she and her husband were living in the, "hot dogs and beans era of their lives". This question is the most relevant to me beause it explains the distrust in the president's chiefly economic policies. The fact is that American's are being forced to live frugally, and the government is not, as it has been expanded under Obama's presidency. I know how it must feel for him as he obviously has a job for the next four years. I didn't understand much of the grief expressed by Americans a few years ago until my parents were laid off and find it tough to find work. This leads me in to my nect point about one of his policies that I disagree with. My opinion is that tax cuts for buisnesses is not all bad news. The fact is that buisnesses do not have enough wealth to create new jobs. It's not as if we live in the 60's where young people coming out of college choose to not work as an act of personal protest. Our problem has never been a lack of a qualified work force. Although we could do a better job at the state level in creating teaching standards for 2010 issues such as enviornmental sciences and conservation, I do not believe this is the chief issue. The fact is that buisnesses need financial backing to expand within our borders, as this will create jobs. Giving lower middle class tax cute will not create jobs, it will only give the jobless a better chance of paying the rent. Also Obama's policy seems slightly hippocritical, as he spent 480 billion dollars to give bailout money to buisnesses, and then says that its not good to give more money to big buisness. Our biggest issue is jobs and i believe we need a new plan to adress this issue.
ReplyDeleteOne issue i agreed with was the fact that we need to fix the issue with student loans. After watching The Meg Whitman Jerry Brown debate, I learned that only fifty years ago it cost only 350 dollars a semester to be enrolled at Cal Berkley. Now that could barely buy books. The fact is in order to maintain an educated work force, we need to fix the loan problem across the nation.
Overall I am more against President Obama's economic policies than not. Like I said before, our issue is not with a lack of a qualified worke force, it is the lack of revenue for our buisnesses to spend on job expansion. If i had to say something to our president I would say that for our country to be pulled out of the recession, we all need to be frugal, not just our citizenry.
The biggest question is about course correction, because it reveals whether or not Obama is open to listen to what the people say and how he will handle the situation.
ReplyDeleteThe strongest response would be about the American Dream while the weakest would be about the small business owner with a son in the military.
I mainly agree with him on the economy and his plan although I don't quite agree with his position about putting all of the United State's chips into science and technology but instead we should focus on another way to help earn a profit and reduce debt. I believe that boosting education is very important to secure the country's economic future by producing the top engineers, scientists and leaders and by doing so helps with developing the United States as an huge economic entity.
Overall I feel that the president does have good plans to fix the economy but as we have seen, his biggest challenge is passing legislation for Congress to approve in order to execute those plans.
First of all, I would have to mention that I think that town halls are Obama’s strong suit and it appears as if he is most comfortable in this environment. The small business owner (glassware) has an important question concerning small businesses and the owner mentions that Obama was thought of as a “weak business president.” Obama answers with his actions were made to make sure that the businesses would continue and he thinks that small businesses make American work.
ReplyDeleteObama mentions emergency situations that required certain steps that cost money that have allowed America to not fall into a deeper hole. This is very important point because people might think that he is spending government money without a legitimate reason. He also makes a valid point that he cannot give tax cuts to the top two percent of America. The tax cuts up to 250,000 dollars would affect 97% of Americans and (hopefully) these people will spend money in the economy. All of these facts would boost our economy back to where it was 10-20 years ago and maybe even beyond those highs.
President Obama’s weakest argument when it comes to economic peril is that he is addressing current problems with long term solutions, such as student loan protection. These long term solutions are all great solutions, but people are impatient and want change now and he fails to reveal any kind of short-term fixes, but he promises that our economy is continuing to “head in the right direction.”
I have to say that I do agree with most of the economic solutions presented by the President. These actions seem promising for the future and they would affect me the most going into the business world in the next couple of years.
In response to Annie and Natalie:
ReplyDeleteI agree that the economic issues we face will take a lot of time to fix. I am reminded of the lead up to the glass company owner’s question I pointed out in my initial response, that the public is fearful and negative. That is exactly what is getting in the way of society realizing that Obama is doing his best to help the economy (and the country) long term. In my opinion, it would help if w were all less judgmental and more cooperative in order to get through this together, knowing that everyone’s doing the best they can.
I agree with DJ's comment about the economic policies. It may seem lazy in the short term to let the market work itself out, but the fact is the great depression took only about 15 years because WWII pulled us out of it. This is a big deal, and the market will not be fixed as fast as it crashed. Stricter regulations by orginizations such as the SEC are necessary, but I trust that with time a consistent policy of safe government investments can pull us out of this era.
ReplyDeleteI believe that the best questions asked during the town hall meeting were the first two questions asked. As I am about to enter college both of these questions could affect me. President Obama in response to the first question claimed that he made it easier to obtain a college loan and easier to pay it back as well. With regards to the woman who asked the question about when she will see improvement, President Obama responded by telling her that he is fixing problems for the future generation. I think this can be a good answer to the woman's questions and a bad answer. The real question than asked is if his plans are really going to benefit the future generations. Obama also responded to the second question with the answer that he made it easier to get college loans and to repay them. I think this is a good thing as I enter college and was a good answer to the young mans question. The only thing that I did not like about Obama's response was that he often blamed Bush for all of the problems. Although they may have been his fault I do not think it is fair to put all of the blame on Bush and use that as an excuse for all of the problems that the people had. With regards to Obama's economic reform policies, I am not sure I agree with them right now because according to the two people I saw ask questions both of them had problems. If Obama can some how turn it around and make it better which he says will happen for future generation then I may believe him. Until that day I am neutral on his policies regarding the economy. I also liked how he was kind of funny sometimes.
ReplyDeleteResponse to Diego:
ReplyDeleteIt was indeed comforting to know that veterans who have served aren't left with nothing. Although I think Health Care reform bill is different from the Medicare bill and that it already exists.
Response to Jack:
ReplyDeleteI also agree with Jack that Mr. President seemed a bit hypocritical to me once Jack pointed it out. After giving money to big business, he said in the meeting that it is bad to give money to big business and that the business's should not receive tax cuts. I also liked how Jack compared this speech to the mini debate we watched in class for the governor race. In the governor debate and this town meeting college was a major issue. As Jack said that the loan problem for college needs to be fixed, I also agree with him that this is a problem that needs to be fixed. Thank you Mr. Mikesell for your intriguing thoughts.
Although I see the point in Sarah and DJ's statements about Obama's policies being rather "extreme" in regards to the economy, it's almost like the teenager denying the help of his parents only to crash at the very end. I think that there is a time for help, and a time to ask for it. We don't really want to have this entire market crash just because the independent market is something we hold so dear - finding a happy medium might just be the best choice. People can spend their money however they want, yes. But leaving the economy to crumble - if it fixes itself, great. But what if it doesn't? There's not much we can do once we hit the bottom, and what kind of trust will that put in the government? I think we'd have a great deal of people asking "Where were you when some of us were asking for help?" Situation I think any president, regardless of political party, wants to avoid - his job is to protect the people by enforcing the laws of the country, which were made in our best interest. He can't just sit there and watch everything fall apart.
ReplyDeleteAfter watching this town hall meeting, I think it helped me further understand the problems facing our government. I think the town hall meeting question's mostly all came back to the economy and how middle class citizens today struggle with it. One man asked President Obama if the American dream was dead for Americans today. His answer was pretty much that he was doing the best job he can, which is not the answer Americans are looking for and may not have been the best thing to say. I think many people today who are facing financial hardships expect the government to fix all of their problems, but it doesn't come so easily. President Obama stressed that the steps being taken today are going to take time to set in. He said that we need to accelerate business investements, improve education, and most importantly grow our economy which I believe are all good points.
ReplyDeleteAt one point during the meeting, President Obama referred to auto industry. He explained that he wanted improve the economy as well as provide jobs for the suppliers and salesmen of the auto industry. But I also think that during this segment as well as the rest of the meeting President Obama only pointed out the positive actions he has taken for the government and not some of the other negative things.
Lastly, President Obama made a comment about how most American are skeptical about the federal government. I think this is very true and most citizens wonder if the government is even trying to help them.
I think all of the questions that the moderator and various guest asked were all very good, because they all related to different aspects of the situation in America today, but I do think that the first guest's question was the one most people could relate to. I think the most logical arguments he made was how it made sense to have higher taxes for wealthier people and how it is impossible to give tax cuts to everyone and still be able to spend the necessary amount of money to get us out of this economic recession. I didn't find any of the president's arguments particularly illogical but i do think he took far too long to answer them, and he tended to start to ramble.
ReplyDeleteResponse to Vinny. I agree that many people unfairly think that the economy can be fixed quickly, it is a pretty complicated problem, which requires a well thought out solution so that it doesn't happen again. I also noticed that many of his answers to some of the questions were the same answers he has given many times before, I think he has the right ideas, but he needs to find a better way to relay them to the public in order to restore the public's confidence in him.
P.S. Anyone else notice how gray his hair has gotten since taking office? That job sure takes it's toll
I agree with Kurt and Sean, that I am worried that jobs may not be open by the time we are all out of school. Some actions need to be made to open up more jobs in small business as well as large corporations. The thirty year old lawyer also makes a important point about student loans, but I believe the recent legislation passed by Obama about student loans may assist the burden of large interest rates of student loans.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with DJ and Jack when they mention that the government should not be heavily involved in the free market. However, I do believe that government action is necessary because previous administrations have taken the liberty to be very hands on with our economy. These measures should only be taken to put our economy back to the way it was before the previous administration meddled with the free market.
The best question in my opinion asked during the discussion was "Is the American Dream dead for me?" The American Dream has always been a big deal as it is the cornerstone of American society and it is the epitome of the successes we all have gotten. However, since the economy has fluctuated, people have started to question whether the American Dream is real or it is just an overblown fantasy.
ReplyDeleteIn my mind, President Obama's strongest argument was about regulating businesses. It is obvious that the reason we got in this recession was because businesses were free to go crazy and make bad choices, which negatively affected the businesses and the American economy. It was always George W. Bush's view that Government should have a hands- off approach towards businesses, but look where that got us. That got us into a huge black hole. Also, another one of the strongest arguments was when Obama was explaining what his proposals have done and how much of a positive impact they have made. This is perhaps most true with healthcare reform. It is due to this reform that businesses are not allowed to discriminate against people based upon pre- existing condition and the proposals gave children the ability to stick with their parents' health care plans until they are 26, which is a HUGE improvement as we all need a good healthcare plan.
However, I thought President Obama's weakest argument was when he was indirectly blaming President Bush for this mess. While I think President Bush took the wrong path and had the wrong ideals in terms of how to deal with business, I am getting sick and tired of Democrats playing the blame game over and over again. This wasn't entirely Bush's fault as no one could have expected this bad of a recession.
In terms of agreeing or disagreeing with President's Obama's view on the economy, I agree with his policies and believe that they have and will continue to improve America, but I don't think many people realize that yet. However, I don't agree with how these policies have gone through. The bloodbath which reaks in Congress is terrible and no one can seem to compromise. Sure, Republicans are being unreasonable, as they usually are because that's their persona, Democrats should at least try in a good faith effort to reach out to Republicans and compromise, and I believe Democrats haven't done good enough, and I think the partisanship and divisiveness, mostly due to the leadership of Pelosi and Reid, have negatively impacted the progress of Obama's reforms.
I agree with brendenmcelmo in his statement of how inspiring the President's claim that he will do whats best for the intrests of the people rather than getting votes.It is a very honorable thing to do, because to fix this economy will take more time than just one presidential term, so I just hope that he holds true to this remark.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Sadie when she said that President Obama's answer to questions were extremely vague and seemed as if he was trying to avoid the real answer. Especially in the repsonse to the American Dream question he gave strong points but didn't really give a direct answer. He didn't seem to be giving the answers that Americans want to hear.
ReplyDeleteResponse to Kaitlyn Couture:
ReplyDeleteI respectfully have to disagree with you on your view regarding healthcare reform. The reforms Obama proposed that were subsequently put in the healthcare reform law will help Americans. Most importantly, the new legislation will prevent insurance companies from discriminating against insurance claimants on the basis of a pre- existing condition, which was long overdue. Also, the new law increases the age in which a youth can stay under their parent's healthcare plan until age 26, which is huge as it will relieve a huge burden on young adults who want to have a healthcare plan, but can't afford it. I know it relieves a huge burden off of me.
In response to DJ's response to my response. I in no way said that you had to support any of the Obama administration's policies. I actually agree with what you have to say. I simply made the point that voter's make the government the way they wanted it. Sure this presents us with a "naive belief in the infallibility of man,", however, this is the constitutional right of all Americans, not just the infallible ones. At its core the Constitution does not support most of what President Obama's administration has done, but it will always protect the democratic rights of its citizens.
ReplyDeleteThe question that seemed to have the most magnitude, in my opinion, was actually the first audience question. The woman asked"is this my new reality" and was referring to her position as a middle class American who is suffering from the economic downturn. Although it may not directly address any of the issues of the economy, I consider this to be the most important question because it is getting right to the heart of the collective unconscious of the middle class. I feel as though she represented the average american well, and was the spokesperson for the people to ask what to expect. Even though the answer may not solve any current issue, i think that it at least encourages the affected people not to loose hope even though it may seem like there there have been little-no changes so far.
ReplyDeleteOverall the meeting helped clarify some of our governmental issues and the issues faced by our president.
In my personal opinion, one of the strongest and most thought prevoking questions was the first question asked by the audience speaker. When she asked Mr. Obama, "My husband and I joked that we thought we were well beyond the hot dogs and beans era of our lives. And quite frankly, it's starting to knock on our door... Mr. President, I need you to answer honestly, is this my new reality?” Here was an average, middle class woman, with a family and steady job, getting by, but not by much. How much longer will this accure? And the situation is bad right now, but could it even possibly get worse? Questions that Americans have all been curious about, and yet scared to ask because of the fact that the reality might not be what we wish to hear. And this woman had the courage to ask. I thought that in itself was inspirational. Mr. Obama then explained how he was trying to step in and make change, giving a few examples, but examples weren't applicable to every American. One example he used was the protection against credit card companies and too high of interests rates, having too much power. However, the woman who asked the question didn't even own a credit card. In those situations, how does that protection involve everyone. It doesn't. Now I realize that not every issue can relate to every person in the United States, that would be a fanciful, but in the situations where not everyone is helped, how is he then making sure he aids those negleted people? This was a very strong question because it is a prominate questions in the mind of millions of Americans, if not all Americans. However, Mr. Obama's answer, although strong and detailed, was the answer I was hoping for. There might be an answer because only time will tell, but if that is the case, I wish we could be told that straight foreward without having to interpret every answer.
ReplyDeleteMr. Obama did have some very strong points within his question and answer debate. One point that stood out with me was the fact that this wasn't all his fault. In a time of crisis, it is easier to blame others than to blame ourselves. As he stated, this recession had been getting increasingly worse for the last decade and although more people lost their jobs during the first few months of his presidency, he could only do so much. Stepping into office is hard enough as is, but trying to step in and make change with in the first 24 hours that would help every American out of poverty, would have been physically impossible. And it is always important to remind Americans of this fact: He is only one person and can't do things over night. However, many Americans feel enough time has passed so that change could start being noticable. At this, Mr. President did give some examples of prominate change he was enforcing, but many Americans feel that more could be done, and although he believes he is doing enough, Americans think he is just skimming the surface with help, at best.
One of the weakest moments during the conferance was when he talked about his own American Dream. How as a child he came through hardships and never gave up and has succeeded. All that is great and congradualations to him! That truly is inspiring. But how is that going to help every other American acheive his or her own American Dream. What most American Dreams come down to, and exuse me if I a generalizing, is money, which many believe then leads to success. How are we going to acheive this Money Dream in a recession? When millions of Americans are out of work and not even bringing home a pay check. With the length of the video I watched, he never addressed how he was going to go about sharing the American Dream. And that bothered me. Also the beginning, and this could just be me, but it was too over-the-top, reality show reunion-ish for my taste. I completely understand being respectful when the president enters and rising, but all those people were there to discuss questions about problems they had with the president. I know that there are people out there that can't stand anything that Obama has done, or hasn't done depending on your opinion, and I don't feel that group was represented.
ReplyDeletePersonally, there are some very strong propostions that President Obama has proposed and is trying to pass. But with what has been done so far, I am disappointed. I thought that more would have been accomplished. I understand what he is trying to do will not be a simple task, but he said that he would and I am ready to see prove of that. I hate the fact that so many Americans are unemployed and some have almost given up looking. Something needs to be changed. And now is the time Mr. President.
I watched the first thirty minutes of this interview, and to me, I felt like the most insightful questions were from Kenneth Langone. I agree with his argument that President Obama makes big businesses seem like monsters when the people running those businesses are most likely the same people that are giving the recently unemployed new jobs to fall back on. Then Obama goes on to say that before he was in office those big businesses were crying for help and change, but the change Obama provided was giving them higher taxes and worse healthcare. I thought that the least insightful comment that Obama said was when he started talking about how we have the greatest country and all the other countries strive to be like us. I'm not really familiar with our relationships with other countries or where we stand in the world as a country, but I do know that a lot of different countries dislike America, and for one I don't think its ever appropriate to flat out say that were the best I think that sort of being conceited I guess, and secondly from what I hear from my parents and their friends, it really doesn't seem like we are the best country. I'm kind of biased on how I feel about Obama as a whole because my parents don't like him and since I don't really watch the new or read the newspaper ever I have no idea what is happening in our government so I just side with them. I don't really like Obama. I haven't heard my parents say one good thing about him since he's been in office so I just assume that he is not doing his job as our leader.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Freddy and how Obama has good intentions with the "quick fix" propostions. But they are called "quick fix" for a reason.And I do not believe that much economically has been quickly "fixed". At this point in time, Americans are looking for a fix in general. The quick aspect never came about. And that is one of the disappointments with Obama at this time. Here was this president promoting change and prosperity, but not much has been done to better America as a whole. "Quick fix"es are no longer possible for too much time has passed, but there is still time for adjustment and that needs to happen sooner rather than later. Americans are not the most patient of people and if noticable change doesn't occur soon, American opinions on Obama will change.
ReplyDeleteThroughout this film, many pertinent questions were asked. To me, the most meaningful was the question by a male audience member who asked: "Is the American Dream dead?" This seems to portray the idea of the backbone of what used to be the ideology behind the founding of our country. I think the man's question is extremely prevalent to today's society due to the recent recession and echoes a common thought amongst the unemployed. I personally do not believe that the American Dream is dead, because freedom can bring success. With freedom comes multitudes of opportunities so one can really go out and try to accomplish deeds that will potentially help benefit society.
ReplyDeleteResponse to Alanna's response to Sadie:
ReplyDeleteI agree with both of you I felt like Obama was really just trying to ramble on and seem like he was trying to make a point when in reality he wasn't answering the question being asked. He had long elaborated answers for all the questions, but he was never able to clearly give the person a straight out answer. I think that's saying something.
I agree with Ben's comment above about Obama focusing on the economy but not focusing entirely on science and technology. I think that in times like these it is important to maintain balance and while science and technology are becoming more and more important, there are also other issues that we should also focus on.
ReplyDeleteI respectfully disagree with Elise's comment about the "quick fix" propositions because something needs to been done about the economy in as timely a manner as possible otherwise more people are going to lose their homes, jobs, and life as they know it. Elise said that "American opinions on Obama will change" negatively, but a quick fix would help boost Obama's public opinion ratings. Also, Obama has been trying to fix up America during his presidency so far. He has passed an historical health bill, which will help many Americans across the country. It is impossible to address every issue that is suppressing change and prosperity in the short amount of time Obama has been in office, in my opinion, Obama has done the best job he can with the amount of time he has been given. Hopefully President Obama and the government can come up with a "quick fix" solution that can turn the economy around and shed light upon the country's dreary economical outlook.
ReplyDeleteI think the best question was from a man in the audience that asked,"Is the American Dream dead for me?" I thought that his question was both insightful and powerful because it's how many people have felt recently. Obama's response was meaningful as well making this the question I thought of as the best. I feel that Obama's response to tax cuts was extremly thought out and explained in a way that helps people to understand what is going on with the economy, while trying to make it seem as though he was only concerned for the people by making a joke about how it would only benefit him in a certain way. I feel that most of Obama's responses were quite contradictory. They were hardly responses at all, he would mostly just beat around the bush while leaving subtle hints of an answer out to be found. I believe that Obama does give strong explanations in regard to what the government is trying to do with the economy. It seems to me as though he is intending to have the correct ideas about how to fix the economy but they seem to be getting lost when it comes to putting the plans into effect.
ReplyDeleteAlrighty, I watched the first 30 min of that Town Hall Meeting. There were a lot of really good questions but the one that stood out to me the most was by the second guy, the law school graduate in his 30's who asked Obama if "the American Dream was falling away." Obviously the response was that it was not. However, it seems like the american dream isnt falling away but rather shifting in form. it went from trying to become part of the upper class and succeed in your dreams and become the best you can be, to just trying to become average. people now seem to be trying to stabilize rather than flourish economically.
ReplyDeleteWhen it came to the best response, i thought Obamas response to the whole, because of his background he is "unable to feel what im feeling". he said something along the lines of: people would be saying these things if i was green or purple and that my education, my background, and my lifestyle doesnt prevent me from seeing the economy through the average eye and people would still be frustrated (and for a good reason too). I agree with him on this because when nothing seems to be worknig or at least not working the way people thought it would, they want someone to blame and they shove it on Obama. They say that because hes "different" from them, then he is unable to see things from their p.o.v. and this lessens his ability to help the economy. Its not true. As he said a but later in the response he is the american dream in actuality. he was raised by a single mother, went to college on scholarships, stayed with his grandparents... that right there makes him the perfect guy to see from the middle class' eye.
Now when it came to his worst response or rather his weakest response, i thought it was to the first lady's questions abotu "well, how is this helping me because i still seem to be struggling". he went on and on abotu how student loans were easier to get, and how credit card companies can no longer increase your interest rates without letting you know, and how your health insurance has more coverage and i really dont think that these are things that truely help the average american. That lady was correct in saying that situations are still rough and that nothing has really changed that dramatically over the last 2 years. It seemed like Obama was trying to sell his accomplishments higher than what they really accomplished.
Finally, as for whether or not i agree with Obamas positions and explanations... i dont agree but i dont really disagree. he has some good ideas and he seems to understand what america is going through. but nothing he has done has really solved any major issues. we are still in bad shape as a whold country and he needs to make more dramatic changes if we are gonna get better any time soom.
In response to Claire Tolles post, i agree completely on the fact that Obama's answers were very general and didn't seem to get the specifics of what the questions the people were asking. Almost, if not every, question was given a broad answer. Americans want to hear a more specific answer to ease our concerns and Obama, throughout the entire session could not give a straight answer. All questions were answered in a way that only causes more questions. I too enjoyed the woman's question/sarcasim about how she and her husband thought they were past their "Hot dogs and Beans era".
ReplyDeleteWhen i look at Katrina's comment, i really like the strongest point she picked out of that meeting. the one about the money coming and leaving needs to be the same... i really think that this is a good policy to try to go by and the government needs to stop spending more money than they are bringing in because thats just driving us into even more debt.
ReplyDeleteDuring the first thirty minutes of the interview, I thought one of the most insightful questions was one that the first speaker from the audience asked which was "Is this my new reality?" I thought this was an interesting question because so many people are just thinking in terms of how long it will take for their lives to return to normal and aren't considering whether or not this is something they will have to live with on a semi-permanent basis. The President's argument that I found the strongest was his response to whether or not the "American Dream" is dead. First, I don't think that guy's question was phrased very well because yes, it is harder to attain the "American Dream" today, but it is obviously not dead if people are still achieving it (which they are). I know this because the definition of the "American Dream" is "an American ideal of a happy and successful life to which all may aspire" (Answers.com) and we are still hearing about people (singers, sports players, etc.) who are accomplishing this. So, considering this inaccurate question, I think President Obama responded in the best way possible which was to list ways that he was trying to make the "American Dream" more attainable again.
ReplyDeleteI believe his weakest argument was how he was going to "regain political center". He just lists ways that he has helped business and what he is supposedly going to do. He never actually directly answers the question and says what specifically is going to improve public opinion. In general, I agree with Obama's positions with regard to government involvement in the economy. Normally, I would say that the government is becoming way more involved then it should be, but I think Obama is doing the best he can with what he has to work with. I also think, though, that making outsourcing illegal would solve most of the economic job problems and I don't really understand why no one has considered it except for the fact that they don't want to upset big business. Therefore, if that is the main reason for not making outsourcing illegal, I can only conclude that Obama is somewhat afraid of big business. This goes against the overall persona that Obama has constructed for himself which is supporting small businesses and helping the economy through mainly that, so this makes him seem slightly hypocritical.
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ReplyDeleteThe question in which the female audience member directly ask the president when "change will come?" and mentioned how she was "tired of defending him brought up a important topic. Obama has been criticized on how his promises of change have not been delivered.
ReplyDeleteThe president responded to the question with a series of strong arguments and examples of what his administration has accomplished in the past 2 years. Obama mentions legislation which supported student loans and protection for credit card holders and insurance for preexisting conditions.
Some of Obama's weaker arguments appeared when he was defending his polices within the auto industry, In my opinion he did not elaborate on how his policies supported the auto workers, but simply stated that in the long run they did.
I believe that Obama had strong arguments, citing specific examples, which his administration has accomplished. Although he is quick to point out the legislation he has passed in the last two years, he has also acknowledged the long path ahead and the crisis that American faces in the future.
I agree with Layla about how Obama needs to make more dramatic changes if the economy is going to improve soon. I get where Obama is coming from when he says that since it took us a long time to get into this economic crisis, it's going to take us a long time to get out of it, but I don't necessarily believe that that has to be true. Just because it took awhile for the economy to get this bad, it doesn't mean that we shouldn't at least try to get out of the crisis more quickly. I feel like he has kind of resigned himself to the fact that this crisis is going to take a long time to get out of, so there is no point in trying to resolve it quickly. I almost get the impression that he has given up in a sense and I think that even though the health care bill may not have worked as well as he thought is would, that doesn't mean that he should be overly cautious with everything else.
ReplyDeleteThinking about the extent of the government's involvement within public affairs, I agree with Michael Cerdinio's point of view on the issue. For a nation's governmental structure to succeed it is crucial for a balance of power to exist between federal leaders and regular citizens. Therefore, as Michael stated, individuals who long for more freedoms have to in return accept for the government to adopt further liberties as well. By no means am I suggesting that citizens should give up their rights for the growth of the federal system, but what I am truly trying to suggest is that the relationship between a country’s legislators and citizens should be one of equal respect and sharing. The government should not, in addition, abuse its power and become too involved in public affairs, such as bailing out banks and companies for personal concerns or interests.
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ReplyDeleteI agree on what Mike had to say about Obama trying to seem more moderate. It seems at times that Obama is having a mixed agenda. At the same time he talks about government programs he also talks about tax cuts. As a supporter of Obama and a Liberal it frustrates me when he tries to play to both sides of the political spectrum. Bipartisanship is a crucial aspect of a successful government, but I think that he should follow what his liberal administration truly believes is right. Although the American people may favor a moderate at this time I think the true statesmen is the one who disregards opinion polls and does what's best for the country. I personally disagree with the former administration's polices but I do admire the Bush administration in their ability to get the things done. Bush effectively passed many policies which rarely catered to the other side of the aisle. After 8 years of a Republican president who passed a lot of conservative legislation, I think it is time for a Democratic president to pass a lot of Liberal legislation. It is clear the the Bush policies were ineffective and it is time to try something different. I understand that many Republicans would want him to be more moderate but the truth is that he is not a Republican president. No matter how moderate he tries to present himself and how bipartisan he may be he will not pick up the majority of the Right side of the ticket and will just end up with a bunch of ineffective policy. Although it might hurt his opinion polls, I think it would be best for the country if Obama was more effective at passing policies. Trying to pass as a moderate is not going to create a effective administration nor will it pick up votes in 2012. As a American I would rather have a successful 4 year president who's policy's put us in the right direction then a ineffective 8 year president who's policies leave us right were we started.
ReplyDeleteI find the presidents point about the free market being an important asset to America's success. He talks about innovators and entrepreneurs creating new windows of opportunities for people who are unemployed. I think this makes perfect since because with every new invention comes new jobs.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I feel like the strongest most powerful question was when the audience member asked, "Is the American dream dead for me?" This is a powerful question because it appeals to emotion. It touches base with something that is known by majority of Americans, the American Dream. This "goal" is something that most people work for, and if that dream is "dead" then people would definitely think badly about administration.
I concur with Hans on Obama's weakest point. The person never got a definite response, instead the President strategically avoided the question, however it seemed like he gave answer. I personally disagree with his economic policy to an extent. I feel like the government shouldn't interfere TOO much with the economy, even though the government basically is the economy. However, I have reason to believe that the government should shit most o the attention to other subjects as well as help the economy solely because of the current condition o the economy. thank you and good night
I absolutely agree with Jack and Tom about the hypocritical aspect to Obama's ideals. Especially about giving money to big businesses. I am loundered that Jack to it to a next level and used an outside source to compare the speeches.
ReplyDeleteI apologize for the typo in my first comment it should be
ReplyDeleteshould shift most of the attention**
Like FDR in the 1930's and 40's President Obama makes the argument that changes being made presently will slowly positively effect the declining in the middle class to explain the relatively unchanged economic climate to the female CFO and veteran who questions him on "her new reality". In the last two years of the Obama administration has passed an enormous amount of legislation reguarding both social and economic spending and controls. It seems that with so much paperwork changes would happen much more quickly.
ReplyDeleteThis legislation is, in part, meant to control insurance, business, and educational practices. I do not agree with federal invovlement in education, which should be reserved to state and local goverments. When federal money is granted to students, it opens the door to govermental control of both classroom material and political ideologies taught at every educational level, but most especially in the collegiate sector. This type of federal control has already proved troublesome, as evidenced by The No Child Left Behind Act of the Bush administration, which increased govermental power while decreasing international benchmark achievements. Federal control of education is also in no way Constitutionaly supported, and Amendment 10 reserves this power.
Federal economic controls are also addressed. Obama reponds to the moderator's inquiry about his villanizing of Wall Street and business by stating that his (the most typically liberal) ideology allows that while a free market is the most economically beneficial, that this system must have federal control and oversite to ensure fair business practices. An example would be the gross negligence of the pyramid scheamer Bernie Madoff. While this might at first seem a contradictory statement, it compares to Locke's political belief that in order to have a civil, free society that can be goverened, individual members of the whole must give up some of their perfect freedom to a larger whole.
I agree with Marc's comment, that while the President lightly touched on the important economic questions of 401K's, wages,and loss of property values, he steered the focus of the discussion toward his platform, that the American Dream can be achieveed through the proper access and application of an education. This seems redundant, as he was speaking to a highly educated field leader (female CFO and veteran), whose responsible actions still lead to "treadin water". I think this is the important issue that needed to be disscussed, his plans layed bare, so to speak.
ReplyDeletethere were a lot of pretty powerful questions from the black lady asking if she has anything to look forward to and stuff. to me the most powerful was when that thirty so year old who graduated law school asked if the american dream was dead. i liked what the president was saying about student loans even though i dont really understand it. he convinced me that hes working hard to get as many students who want an education to be able to achieve that goal. the thing i didnt like about the speach was it seemed to me Obama was quick to blame the past president and use it as an excuse he just needs to get the job done i dont know how because im no potilical expert. i agree and disagree with president obamas economic policy i dont think he should use too much government control though like hes saying just let the market work itself out.
ReplyDeleteresponse to tommy
ReplyDeletewell said my friend. i like what you were saying about the college and stuff. and i as well am neutral on his economic policies even though i have very little knowledge on what he is trying to achieve. i must give obama credit he does a very good job speaking and making people laugh which made me look at him in a better way even though i understood 1/4 of what he was saying.
I think that Obama answered things as best as he could as our president without limiting himself to have to stick to certain plans. If Obama had said that he wanted to do certain things with our economic status and been super specific like the people wanted, then he would have to stick to those plans or else he would be criticized and ridiculed for not sticking to his plan and that would cause drama that does not need to exist in the political system. I agree with most of Obama's political standpoints on the economical crisis especially the point he made that we need to be spending more money right now, and when people spend more money, our economy will improve.
ReplyDeleteWhen our economy improves in the next couple of years, I think Obama will be praised for all the work that he has done to help our economy, but right now I don't think people are too impressed because nothing happened immediately after he was elected like they expected. People expected results way to fast for the economy to change, and I think that they will realize that that was unrealistic and not likely that our economy would have a complete turn around right after the election of a new president.
I agree with the president's standpoints on the free market and although I believe that business owners should have the right to work their own market and make as much money as they want, I think that they should have to pay more taxes because they are the ones who ask for bailouts when the government has the opportunity to provide it to them, and they should not complain because they ask for money and they should have to pay money too.
In response to Lindsay Kullmanns response about the American Dream, I do not believe that the American Dream is dying like the question asked suggests it is. I believe that many people still thing that they can achieve it including myself and want to achieve it and want to live to have a better life than the generation before them.
ReplyDeleteWhen the question was asked I also thought about The Great Gatsby and the book we are reading in english literature All the Pretty Horses and how much those have to do with the American Dream. Both of them pretty much say that most americans have an american dream, however, they have the wrong idea of what they truly want in life and therefore are unhappy. Obama says that we need to focus on keeping our American Dreams but realistically and practically like he did. He worked very hard as a student, and earned scholarships to attend Columbia university. This is the american dream because he worked himself out of poorness to attend an ivy league school that eventually got him elected president.
I think that this is an excellent idea and that many people should not let go of their dreams because dreams are the drive that we have to do good in our careers and do good in our everyday lives instead of committing crimes and stealing.
I think the best question was about if the American Dream is dead. The American Dream is a big reason why a lot of people come to our country and if it is dead, there will be a lot of changes in America. The President's best argument was about how the economy is definetly stabalized, but there is always someting more that can be done. His weakest argument was when the woman told him she wanted to feel the changes he promised. He told what he was doing for his children, but that's not exactly what everyone else is able to do. Overall, I agree with the presidet's ideas on the economy. He should not have too much influence on the freemarket or make our country too socialized, but he should be able to help everyone be successful.
ReplyDeleteResponse to Ellerie:
ReplyDeleteI agree that the President's answers to questions are very weak. He seemed to make a lot of jokes and wanted to make people laugh rather than answer the tough questions. I also agree that he knows what to do to help the economy get back on track.
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