The Afghanistan War is coming to an end. The fiscal cliff will have to be dealt with. Supreme Court Justices will likely be appointed. Obamacare will finish being implemented. He'll have a Democratic Senate to work with and some political capital to work with after winning a re-election for advocating for legislation...maybe more of the jobs act? immigration? What else is ahead?

11/7/2012 1:38:21 AM

more boehner being a stick in the mud

11/7/2012 1:40:04 AM

I'd like to see more science, research, and NASA funding, that's not secretly mixed into the defense budget.

A broadband policy that helps push innovation.

Continued investment in alternative energy.

Reduced drone usage, or a stricter clearer ROE for drones.

Promote investment in Africa more directly so China doesn't lock up those resources.

A tax policy that closes the growing wealth division.

11/7/2012 1:48:44 AM

^^ he already doubled down on no tax changes tonight, claiming that the GOP keeping the house was a mandate on no changes to taxes

nevermind the fact the guy who just won the presidency campaigned on taxing the wealthy



[Edited on November 7, 2012 at 1:50 AM. Reason : .]

11/7/2012 1:50:20 AM

He just mentioned climate change in his victory speech along with immigration.

11/7/2012 1:50:43 AM

he should've mentioned christie by name

11/7/2012 1:55:38 AM

As a liberal, he is going to have to.cut spending and cut bush tax cuts.

11/7/2012 1:59:41 AM

the 2nd term was called a failure by Charles Krauthammer at 12:52am EST on Fox News

11/7/2012 2:06:27 AM

Obama lowered taxes even further from the GWB years, and nothing happened. How much debt to these guys want?

In any case, no wealthy person pays nominal tax rates, and most pay less than the middle class. It's a completely irrelevant topic that's just a wedge issue.

11/7/2012 2:22:08 AM

You guys act like this Shit is funny, but people losing their jobs is a real thing. It's just callous and shameful to support this stuff at other peoples expense

11/7/2012 7:24:30 AM

Yes this is all a joke.

11/7/2012 7:59:17 AM

Economic prosperity, fiscal responsibility (and not at the expense of the middle class like Romney wanted), peace, human rights, and a better tomorrow.

FORWARD.

11/7/2012 8:15:12 AM

^ LOL. Fiscal responsibility huh? We've seen a lot of that the past 4 years.

World peace? Appeasing to Muslim extremist will accomplish this goal.

Human Rights? Oh you mean ignoring the suppresion of woman and religious rights in the Middle East by the Muslim Brotherhood and showing a complete lack of balls to stand up to China on anything.

11/7/2012 9:00:36 AM

as opposed to tax breaks for the wealthy, eliminating the middle class, outraging and alienating the global community, trampling on the rights of gays, minorities, and women? yeah, I'll take all of what you said over what the GOP offers

11/7/2012 9:02:58 AM

Quote :

"What else is ahead?"

Passing 20T in national debt

11/7/2012 9:04:41 AM

Quote :

"Economic prosperity, fiscal responsibility (and not at the expense of the middle class like Romney wanted), peace, human rights, and a better tomorrow."

This is sarcasm, right?

11/7/2012 9:13:23 AM

^aw, they him have his moment. When that doesnt happen he can blame someone else

11/7/2012 9:18:58 AM

as long as republicans don't start another debt ceiling hostage crisis, we should have lots of economic growth and prosperity (and this would have been true under Romney as well)

11/7/2012 9:41:01 AM

Ummm, I'm not sure if you conservatives realize this, but you're screwed in 2016 too. Whoever won this election was going to preside over the creation of at least 12 million jobs. Like, Obama could fall into a 4 year coma tonight, and wake up January 20th, 2017 just in time for President Clinton's inauguration who will be entering office with ~5% unemployment.

[Edited on November 7, 2012 at 9:58 AM. Reason : don't post before coffee]

11/7/2012 9:54:26 AM

Quote :

"just in time for President Clinton's inauguration "

Mr, I like the cut of your jib

11/7/2012 9:56:32 AM

^^Shrike I think the demographic shift and that dependents will firmly be in the majority from here on out means republicans dont have a chance well past 2016.

11/7/2012 9:59:30 AM

Yep, the American dream is over. Only tears from here.

11/7/2012 11:14:36 AM

GOP really dodged a bullet, I'm sure they're glad they wont be blamed for the terrible effects Obama's first term policies are going to have throughout the second!

11/7/2012 11:28:29 AM

Quote :

"Ummm, I'm not sure if you conservatives realize this, but you're screwed in 2016 too. Whoever won this election was going to preside over the creation of at least 12 million jobs. Like, Obama could fall into a 4 year coma tonight, and wake up January 20th, 2017 just in time for President Clinton's inauguration who will be entering office with ~5% unemployment."

Not everyone that doesn't buy the Democratic party's bullshit is a "conservative".

You're optimistic, but you're also a very partisan cheerleader, not an analyst. Guess we can come back to this quote in a few years. We won't have below 6% unemployment in 2016.

11/7/2012 12:10:13 PM

Quote :

"You're optimistic, but you're also a very partisan cheerleader, not an analyst. "

I called the election a done deal back in the spring, during the primaries when Romney made himself toxic to women, minorities, and youth. I also said that Obamacare would be upheld in full, despite the oral arguments which everyone said was a train-wreck for him. Feel free to bring up my quotes about those issues. Now, I didn't just pull those predictions out of my ass, I just believed what people much smarter than myself or you thought about it.

Similarly, I'm not optimistic about the economy because of some misplaced partisan faith, I'm optimistic because all the data points to a sustained and accelerating recovery over the next 4 years. Manufacturing, housing, consumer spending, revolving credit, hiring etc.... have all been trending up and many indicators are back to pre-2008 levels. There are a few road blocks, namely the fiscal cliff, but I'm confident Obama will force some sort of compromise on that. This isn't wishful thinking, it's an educated prediction based on solid factual evidence.

Meanwhile, people like yourself have been predicting hyper-inflation ushering in a catastrophic collapse due to the Fed's policies for the better part of the last 4 years. Today, that outcome looks as unlikely as ever.

11/7/2012 12:50:12 PM

Quote :

"There are a few road blocks, namely the fiscal cliff, but I'm confident Obama will force some sort of compromise on that."

He's not gonna force anything. He's going to offer up Social Security on a platter (just like he's said he's going to do). Whether or not you agree with that stance, it's one of the final pillars of the New Deal still left standing, and it's going to be negotiated away before the confetti is cleaned up from McCormick Place.

11/7/2012 1:20:23 PM

I highly doubt that, especially with how much bluer the senate just got. They didn't just retain a majority, they upgraded with more staunch progressives like Elizabeth Warren. Unlike in 2010, he'll be negotiating from a position of strength, and the Republicans won't be holding unemployment benefits hostage.

11/7/2012 1:30:52 PM

Literally nothing in his past offers, speeches, or efforts gives me that sort of confidence.

We'll see, but I will be very surprised if he doesn't offer up cuts before he even gets to the bargaining table. Much the same way the public option was neutered before it was ever given a shot.

11/7/2012 1:37:42 PM

Social Security will definitely be part of any kind of "Grand Bargain", but whether he planned on cutting benefits or increasing the cap on the payroll tax to keep it solvent was always going to be dictated by the results of the election. Maybe I am being overconfident, but I just don't see Senate Dems getting behind any kind of deal that cuts Social Security at this point.

11/7/2012 1:55:12 PM

So what should I be excited for over the next 4 years?

11/7/2012 1:56:52 PM

They will means test SS out. So the ones that pay the most will get nothing. (or little) IMO

11/7/2012 1:58:37 PM

if I am a House Republican, I say, "pass a balanced budget amendment, and I will start to play along."

11/7/2012 2:10:29 PM

Quote :

"You're optimistic, but you're also a very partisan cheerleader, not an analyst. Guess we can come back to this quote in a few years. We won't have below 6% unemployment in 2016."

He's no analyst, you're no prophet.

11/7/2012 2:12:58 PM

You don't have to be a prophet to know that we're not going to see an economic recovery any time soon. The fundamental problems haven't changed. The banks are still holding onto a bunch of toxic debt. They're solvent thanks to the bail outs, but they're not in a position to lend. Energy prices drive up the price of all other consumer goods. Health care costs and tuition are still going up a crazy rates, and the health care legislation effectively will make employees more expensive to hire for many businesses.

Even if Obama wanted to pass legislation that helped things along, the country and the legislative branch are deeply divided. Obama isn't working with the same kind of political capital he had back in 2009. There's no "mandate for change", but he's not running for re-election either, so he's going to have to play hardball.

I'm not just "reverse cheerleading" here, there's just no reason to believe that things will get better once you understand why they got bad to begin with.

11/7/2012 2:49:29 PM

Care to make some semi-specific predictions so I can save the post? Things with numbers, preferably, like unemployment, inflation rate, etc, with whatever give-or-take you think is appropriate.

Quote :

"I'm not just "reverse cheerleading" here, there's just no reason to believe that things will get better once you understand why they got bad to begin with."

So when your predictions fail we can assume you never understood why they got bad to begin with, right?


[Edited on November 7, 2012 at 2:53 PM. Reason : .]

11/7/2012 2:51:10 PM

Inflation really can't be predicted because you don't know what industries the money will flow into. Health care and higher education will continue to go up in price at a rate well above CPI.

Unemployment won't go below 6%, like I said. There will be good months here and bad months there, but where we're at today is the new normal, at least for now. If the EU crashes or something, the market could become more volatile, but not in a good way.

11/7/2012 4:06:17 PM

Quote :

"I called the election a done deal back in the spring"

So what? I predicted that Alabama would be good at football this year. Obama had a huge advantage going into this election and the Republicans offered up a bunch of weak candidates. All the GOP had going for it was money and a shit economy that Obama managed to put 100% blame on Bush for.

It is much easier for Dems to get elected in this country than Republicans now due to the population shift/demographics plus Obama had the advantage of incumbancy. I will say that Nate Silver dude was all over this and I gotta give him props for sticking by his predictions even with the polls showing a tighter race.

11/7/2012 4:06:23 PM

Quote :

"It is much easier for Dems to get elected in this country than Republicans now due to the population shift/demographics "

I don't get this excuse. By "population/demographics shift" you mean that your party's idealogy doesn't reflect that of the majority of americans? I'd agree that makes it pretty difficult to get your party elected. I wonder if the Temperance movement blamed the failure of Prohibition on "population/demographics shift".

11/7/2012 4:19:56 PM

Kris, as mentioned in another thread demographics/ideals have shifted

Here is a great article if you really want to understand what people mean when they are saying this.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204301404577170733817181646.html?fb_action_ids=10151515661419554&fb_action_types=og.recommends&fb_source=other_multiline&action_object_map=%7B%2210151515661419554%22%3A10150709392274167%7D&action_type_map=%7B%2210151515661419554%22%3A%22og.recommends%22%7D&action_ref_map=[]

11/7/2012 4:22:50 PM

I'm just saying it's a bad excuse. It's like saying "I wasn't doing my job" is a good excuse for getting fired.

11/7/2012 4:24:43 PM

Why is this thread stretched out so weird?

11/7/2012 4:26:45 PM

Quote :

"if I am a House Republican, I say, "pass a balanced budget amendment, and I will start to play along.""

no kidding; who is gonna pay for all this shit?

11/7/2012 4:34:27 PM

^^^^that was a very good read. thanks.

11/7/2012 4:50:22 PM

Quote :

"Obama had the advantage of incumbancy."

Since when is being the incumbent an advantage? Most people are never happy with the way things are and are always looking for a change in power if things don't go immediately right (best example is the turnover during midterm elections). The advantage was that the prospective change didn't provide enough to make people believe he would change it for the better.

11/7/2012 5:01:07 PM

since most of the time?

11/7/2012 5:17:22 PM

^ yea, that's an indisputable fact, actually.

11/7/2012 5:18:53 PM

Usually the incumbent enjoys a money advantage, more free air time on television, and a campaign network that is already somewhat in place. Obama got the last 2, but was far outspent because of outside groups.

11/7/2012 5:21:11 PM

My understanding is that Obama enjoyed a slight money advantage, even when including outside spending.

http://elections.nytimes.com/2012/campaign-finance

[Edited on November 7, 2012 at 5:28 PM. Reason : 2]

11/7/2012 5:27:02 PM

Quote :

"because of outside groups."

^ must have missed this: http://elections.nytimes.com/2012/campaign-finance/independent-expenditures/totals

[Edited on November 7, 2012 at 5:31 PM. Reason : ]

11/7/2012 5:28:51 PM

Quote :

"By "population/demographics shift" you mean that your party's idealogy doesn't reflect that of the majority of americans?"

It means exactly what I said. Democrats/liberals have strong majorities in the growing classes that they dominate like hispanics, unmarried, and non-Christian voters. As these classes grow, it become easier and easier for Dems to get elected. I credit the Dems for recognizing this and evolving their platform to get strong majorities in these demographics.

11/7/2012 5:29:08 PM