Does this kind of "Change" deserve 4 more years?

With 82 days left until the election, the presidential campaign is entering a crucial phase.  History has shown that now is when voters start really paying attention, scrutinizing the candidates and selecting a leader whose vision for the country reflects their own.

It goes without saying that the urgency is real and the candidates know it.

Last night, I heard an Obama supporter pose a powerful question.  In essence, she said, "If things are really so bad, then why isn't Obama losing by 15 points in the polls?"

This to me is the heart of this election.  Her question, "If things are so bad" only tells me that she is unaware of how bad things really are.

Image from patdollard.com

President Obama's team may be currently winning the narrative that Mitt Romney is apparently "not likable," but I am convinced that he will never be able to win the narrative that his "Changes" have actually been good for this country.   They haven't.

In an effort to illustrate how, I have assembled a list of "Changes" that have taken place under Obama's watch:

Weakest & Slowest Recovery on Record

• Since mid-2009, the economy has grown an average of 2.4% per quarter.  "This is slower growth than all recoveries since WWII." (Wall Street Journal 4/27/2012)
• "In contrast, during the first 11 quarters of the Reagan expansion in the 1980's, the economy grew an average of 6.1% per quarter." (Wall Street Journal 4/17/2012)

Poverty Rates

• In this "recovery," an additional 2.6 million Americans have dropped out of the middle class and are now living below the poverty line--$22,315 a year for a family of four. (CNN poverty rate index 9/13/2011)
• 1-in-6 Americans--42.6 million people--are now living in poverty. (Washington Post 9/13/2011)
• This is the highest number of people in 52 years. (New York Times 9/13/2011)

Food Stamps

• 1-in-7 Americans--nearly 50 Million people---are currently dependent on Food Stamps.
• This is the highest number in our country's history.
• Inauguration Day 2009: 31.5 Million on Food Stamps (Reuters 12/31/2008)
• Today: 46 Million on Food Stamps (ABC News 12/2/2011)

National Debt

• "The National Debt has increased since Obama took office by more than $5 trillion---more than any previous administration in history." (Fact checker politifact.com 6/12/2012)
• Inauguration Day 2009: $10.615 Trillion
• Today: $15.9 Trillion

Unemployment

• America is experiencing 42 months straight of the unemployment rate above 8%--a pattern not seen since the Great Depression. (U.S. Labor Statistics)
• December 2008: Unemployment Rate 7.2%
• Today: Unemployment Rate 8.3%

Cost of College Education

• Average tuition at a four-year public university has jumped 15% and as high as 40% in Georgia, Arizona and California. (Associated Press 6/12/2012)
• U.S. Department of Education Secretary Arne Duncan said, "If the costs keep rising, college will become increasingly unaffordable for the middle class." (Associated Press 6/12/2012)

Impact of Recovery on College Graduates Getting Jobs

• Only half of those who graduated from college since 2006 are now employed full-time. (Rutgers University Study 5/10/2012)
• College graduates are now earning 10% less in starting salaries than graduates in 2006. 
• 1-in-4 college graduates are now living with their parents. (Rutgers University Study 5/10/2012)

Unsustainable Path--A Tipping Point?

• The U.S. government's debt obligations exceed the net worth of its citizens.  In 2011, the U.S. had $61 trillion in total debt obligations and yet, the nation's total household worth is $58 trillion. This equals a net accumulated deficit of $14.8 trillion and $46.3 trillion in Social Insurance obligations. (Denver Business Journal 7/13/2012)
• The president's 2nd term agenda does not address this fiscal crisis.

Taxes

• Obama is trying to make the case that raising taxes on the "wealthy" and getting them to pay their "fair share" will be the difference maker for our crumbling economy.  It is important to note that raising taxes on those making above $250,000 would not even close this year's budget deficit.
• Furthermore, President Obama has already tried to pass his "Fair Share Tax Legislation."  It did not pass.

Taxing Small Businesses

• Thanks to our current tax codes, S Corporations, sole Proprietorships and LLCs are recognized by the IRS as individuals.  This means that under Obama, small businesses would be taxed as "wealthy."
• President Obama's proposed tax hikes do not provided an exemption for small businesses.

Obama's Recovery Effort's Impact on Small Business

• Small Businesses are responsible for 65% of new hires in this country.
• According to a survey from Challenger, Gray and Christmas, "2011 had the lowest startup rate in 11 years." (Fox Business Center 2/15/2012)
• In 2011, half as many jobless managers and executives started their own business as the year before.
• The study showed that even after the dot.com crash in 2001, an average of 8% of job seekers still pursued entrepreneurship.  Today that number is only 3.9%  (Fox Business Center 2/15/2012)

***

This list could go on and on.  One question we must ask ourselves, yes, Obama inherited a mess, but has he fixed the mess we hired him to do?  Furthermore, do these changes merit a second chance?

I would argue, absolutely not.  

It would be hard to see how our country is better off today when in just 3 1/2 years, millions more Americans are living in poverty, our deficits have skyrocketed and unemployment rates mirror trends of the Great Depression.

After nearly 4 years, this is the best he had to offer.  I think America deserves more.

So in answer to the Obama supporter's question, "If things are really so bad, then why isn't Obama losing by 15 points in the polls?" I am convinced that the more informed voters become, the more obvious it will be that Obama's efforts have failed.

Help me spread the word.  This is not the "Change" we wanted.

Go Mitt.