Obama is Carter 2.0
By Bradley Blakeman
Newsmax.com
The DNC Convention is going to be a walk down
memory lane with Obama desperately showcasing Bill
Clinton on Wednesday night thereby bumping Vice
President Biden to Thursday night.
Dems are even allowing Jimmy Carter to speak, why I
do not know. Carter is widely regarded as one of the
worst most incompetent presidents in the history of
the country.
Bill Clinton to this day is liked and respected in
America as Newsmax’ reported on July 31st: “Clinton
is viewed favorably by 66 percent of Americans,
tying his highest rating recorded in January 1993,
Gallup found,” according to the report.
“Clinton is viewed favorably by men, women, whites,
and nonwhites, and across all major age groups,
Gallup noted. He also has wide support among
independents and, while Republicans are not onboard
the Clinton bandwagon, they narrowly missed it.
Republicans view the former president more
unfavorably than favorably by a 50 percent to 44
percent margin.”
Unlike Clinton, Carter is not highly regarded by
Americans. The Blaze reported in September of 2011
that Carter scored a favorable rating of 45 percent
and unfavorable of 43 percent. He ranked sixth out
of the last nine presidents.
But are people more likely to compare Obama to
Clinton or Carter?
I suggest Obama is Carter 2.0 and here is why.
The evidence is mounting more than ever to suggest
that President Obama is morphing into failed
Democratic President Jimmy Carter.
Dour New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd made the
comparison on July 30, 2011. This is some of what
she said:
"Democratic lawmakers worry that the tea party
freshmen have already 'neutered' the president,’ as
one told me. They fret that Obama is an inept
negotiator. They worry that he should have been out
in the country selling a concrete plan, rather than
once more kowtowing to Republicans and, as with the
stimulus plan, healthcare and Libya leading from
behind.
"As one Democratic senator complained: 'The
president veers between talking like a peevish
professor and a scolding parent' Another moaned: 'We
are watching him turn into Jimmy Carter right before
our eyes.'"
Dowd who once loved Obama is now souring on her
liberal media-created sensation and now she believes
that the comparison of Obama to Carter is a valid
one.
So what are the valid comparisons between the
presidencies of Obama and Carter that allow for even
a Democratic senator to see it?
Management Style
Carter: Ineffective. He was seen as
a micro-manager who even had to decide who was
allowed to play on the White House tennis court.
Obama: Ineffective. He is the ultimate delegator who
likes being president but doesn't like the work.
He’d rather subcontract presidential leadership to
Sen. Harry Reid and Rep. Nancy Pelosi on healthcare,
the vice president on spending and the economy, and
Hillary Clinton on foreign affairs.
Iranian Hostages
Carter: He was paralyzed by the
Iranian hostage crisis where 52 Americans were held
against their will for 444 days from Nov. 4, 1979 to
Jan. 20, 1981 (the day Ronald Reagan was sworn in as
president). During his presidency Carter was
consumed by the crisis and in the end was powerless
to end it.
Obama: He ran on a platform of
apology to foreign enemy powers for past American
"aggression" and pledged to usher in a new approach
toward Iran that would bring better relations
between the U.S. and Iran.
President Obama has failed to bring Iran around, and
in fact, two American hikers were held hostage for
over a year and a half by the Iranian government
before the Obama administration allowed money to be
paid as “bail” for their release, according to
reports.
Iran continues to crack down on its people and is
accelerating plans to build nuclear weapons. The
country's leadership also continues to arm rebels in
Iraq, Syria, and other Middle East hot spots and
destabilize the region.
Energy Crisis
Carter: In 1979 America faced an
oil crisis in the aftermath of the Iranian
revolution. OPEC reduced production and oil prices
shot through the roof while supply was severely
curtailed.
Instead of taking on OPEC and demanding increased
production, Carter imposed rationing on gasoline and
home heating oil. He placed tariffs on imported oil.
America literally ran out of gas and what gas could
be purchased cost outrageous prices.
Obama: In the aftermath of his
sluggish response to the BP oil spill in the Gulf of
Mexico the Obama administration ceased drilling in
the Gulf and set in place a moratorium on new
offshore drilling. This action was being taken
despite America's dependency on foreign oil. Gas
prices have risen more than 120 percent since Obama
has taken office. The EPA throws up roadblock after
roadblock to new permitting for the capture of oil
and gas on private lands and has shut down
exploration on federal lands.
Economic Crises
Carter: Because of his failure to
lead and his failed economic policies of government
spending and indecision, the "misery index" —
unemployment plus inflation — crested at 20 percent,
the highest number since W.W. II. Add double-digit
interest rates into the mix and you have
"stagflation." Stagflation is defined as a situation
in which the inflation rate is high and the growth
rate is low. The result was high prices, high
unemployment, low confidence, and low growth.
Obama: There is no doubt that
Obama, like Carter, inherited a recession, however,
it is equally apparent that both leaders made their
situations much worse by their actions and inaction.
Obama, like Carter, went on a government-spending
spree in response to the recession with little to
show for it.
Obama promised that if his $800 billion stimulus was
passed the national unemployment rate would not
exceed 8 percent. Our country's unemployment rate
has not dipped below 8 percent since Obama has been
president and spiked above 10 percent well after the
stimulus was passed.
Instead of dealing with high unemployment, soaring
energy prices, a record number of home foreclosures,
bankruptcies and record-setting debt, Obama turned
his attention to healthcare and started a third war
in Libya.
The president caused the current self-inflicted
crisis on the debt ceiling increase this summer by
failing to lead well in advance of the deadline. He
could have taken the recommendations of his
bipartisan commission as a starting point to lead on
spending and deficit reduction more than a year ago
when the report was delivered to the White House.
Public Opinion
Carter: At the time of his
re-election campaign his approval rating was below
30 percent and a majority of Americans felt that
America was on the wrong track.
Obama: Today the president's
approval rating averages 42 percent and a majority
of Americans believe we are on the wrong track.
The hallmark of the Carter years was the word
"malaise." Malaise is defined as "a feeling of
uneasiness, indisposition, and distress." All these
symptoms existed during Carter's tenure and we can
clearly see these same symptoms — and some new ones
— manifesting themselves under Obama's tenure.
President Obama has governed at a time of high
unemployment in America, low GDP growth, rising
inflation for consumer goods, falling housing
prices, a stalled housing market, record levels of
home foreclosures and bankruptcies, high gas prices,
three wars, and a government that spends too much
and takes in too little.
While "malaise" may have defined the Carter years
the word "funk" best describes the Obama years so
far.
I believe that when Clinton speaks at the DNC,
Democrats and some independents will be reminded of
what they like about America.
When Jimmy Carter speaks it will remind them of what
they got instead.
Bradley A. Blakeman served as deputy
assistant to President George W. Bush from 2001-04.
He is currently a professor of Politics and Public
Policy at Georgetown University and a frequent
contributor to Fox News Opinion. Read more reports
from Bradley Blakeman —
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