Need to Ask It - What Did You Think of Obama's Job Speech?

Albert Einstein's quote came to mind.... Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

I think it is a wonderful speech and I am glad to see that he is taking the Classical Economic theory proponents head on because what they want WON'T WORK. Without Keynesian principles, we are doomed as a country. And the Congress better get on board with it because if they don't, they will get voted out 14 months from now.

Dawn

I'm reading a lot of history right now. The way I read it, these plans did NOT work in the past. These plans put the country deep into debt and they had the same push/pull arguments between the parties and from president to president as we have today. So I agree with the first poster below...INSANITY.

I can't stand listening to him. I can't wait until he is a distant memory.

I think President Obama should come out and publicly endorse breathing- it would be really entertaining to see how many Republicans turn blue and pass out.

Honestly, I think his proposals were solidly based on Keynsian economics principals that Ronald Reagan would have approved of, but I don't think they have a snowball's chance in hell of passing.

I think at this point it is worth a go.

The other side is not coming up with ANYTHING reasonable, that will help people like myself.

I fully support this and I sure as hell hope people start giving Obama the credit he does deserve.....cause no matter what he does love America...he does want what is best for us as a whole and he is wanting to do what is right.

I think he politely called out the things that need to be called out...the bullsh*t from the other side that the media keeps blowing up and out....

honesty is what we are missing. I want HONESTY AND INTEGRITY TO BE WHAT RUNS AMERICA.

oooooh Honey! So glad you asked! :)

I'll just say this....SOMEONE needs a plan and SOMEONE needs to start SOMEWHERE. And at least he has a plan to offer. It has worked and i can work again.

Obama's biggest fault? Being too nice to his enemies.

The only "issue" with unions is the corruption with the top union dogs, not the workers.

I think what id happening is kind of like the Congressional equivalent of Obstruction of Justice.

Congress BETTER get on board because, frankly, they don't have a prayer in the next election. So since they can't lead, they'd better follow or get out of the way,

I thought his speech was right on. I support most of what he said and I think he should use his power a little more and stop trying to play nice and pretend the parties will get along. I think there is a bit more hope of some things passing only because congress has about a 19% positive rating with the country right now.... so they may budge more and stop being complete idiots... but in the end, they are all idiots! I get so frustrated with these issues! The bottom line is that we are not the power house anymore, and we will never be again. We can still contend, but we will never have that position again. We gave it up so the rich can get richer. We sold ourselves down the river to China.... it was so predictable... ugh!

Yesterday all day there were Congressmen saying they were not going to support any deal that cut taxes or had spending.... ??? What is left?

Of course when asked what THEY suggested or did support.. it came down to, not supporting anything President Obama was ever going to suggest and no, they did not have any suggestions..

It is like I always say, "If you do not have a suggestion, step aside and let someone else make the decision and then do your part and your best to make it happen."

I absolutely agree with our President that the first thing we need to do, and do now, is put people back to work. If it costs $447 billion or whatever it costs. Companies all have huge cash reserves right now, that they are sitting tight on while they work their downsized workforce twice as hard for no salary increases for several years. The only way companies will hire more people is when the demand for their goods and services increase. The only way the demand for goods and services will increase is to have more of us bringing home a paycheck!

So yes, put the construction workers back to work fixing our falling down bridges, and our pothole filled streets, and our leaking water systems, etc.

My dislike of Obama is even greater. It made me sick that Jeff Immelt (Obamas head of jobs & competitive counsel) was sitting next to Michelle Obama, smug as ever, as Obama is saying we need jobs & items made in America. While Immelts GE company pays no taxes on his 5 million sitting overseas & just made a HUGE deal with China & took a good portion of his GE business overseas from Wisconsin. Obama makes me sicker every time he reads from his teleprompter.

No, nothing will work while he is in office

Overall, without being mean or insulting to anyone on the site I hope...... BLAH BLAH BLAH

I am fed up with all of them.

We are private business owners and running our personally funded company without ANY bank or government assistance. Every penny in our company has been invested by OURSELVES. We pay our heavy taxes to IRS, but no bank (or anyone) tells us how to run our company.

**Updated: CNN is re-broadcasting it right now: 10 pm CST**

I missed it...went to put the kids to bed, came back down and it was OVER! ARGH! Oh well, so far from the commentary on CNN it doesn't sound like anything new...other than the idea of halving payroll taxes for ALL workers, which I think might be helpful.

But extending unemployment benefits again? Oy! My BIL was out of work for nearly 3 years before he FINALLY took a job that paid ten % less than his old job (had several offers but wasn't desperate enough until after his unemployment ran out and he started burning thru savings.)

ETA: And for anyone who thinks that FDR's New Deal programs broke us out of the Great Depression--WRONG! The programs were NOT working--it was only the US' entry into WWII and the mobilization of the economy to the war industry that saved us. (Many historians now believe that he KNEW Pearl Harbor was going to be attacked and did nothing to warn them because he wanted a reason to enter the war.)

No. Spending more money does not create jobs.
The money comes from taxpayers. The government money doesn't come from Obama's bank account - it comes from yours and mine.
Cutting taxes and cutting spending creates jobs because it leaves more $$ in your pocket and mine as well as in the businesses that create jobs...
Socialism doesn't work -- look at Russia.
It's not the government's job to take care of people. The government's job is to run the country and protect our freedoms. Taxes do not equal freedom.
LBC

Yes, I think it will work. Where are you getting 3 trillion? Everything I've seen and heard said $447 billion. Half of that is cutting payroll taxes for employers and continuing tax breaks for Americans. I fully support helping small businesses in this country vs. large corporations. Large corporations are not hiring even with the substantial tax breaks they've already been given, but I think small businesses will.

I also think focusing on infrastructure building and strengthening is the way to go. I wish 3/4 of the original stimulus should have been used for this purpose, frankly. Our roads, bridges and transportation areas must be repaired as many across the country are cracked and crumbling. This is something that MUST be taken care of and the time is now. Since construction across the country has been hit the hardest by this great recession, this makes sense to me.

I'm also for making changes to Medicare -- something MUST be done to this program and Social Security so that it is available for our children when they need it.

The mortgage relief? Don't think that will work. I wish he'd stop saying it. The programs he's put in place since 2008 have failed miserably.

Overall, and I'm a Democrat as I'm sure you know by now, the President finally came out strong and the lofty rhetoric was replaced with populist language.

Now it is time for Congress to do their friggin jobs for once and get going. The President is right -- we CANNOT wait another 14 months for solutions!!!

No. The first trillion job stimulus plan did nothing so repeating that plan will not work either. This is an underhanded way to boost unions. That's where the "jobs" will go along with all of the money. He's buying votes for his next election. It amazes me people still listen to him because he hasn't made good on anything he says. Obamacare is so terrible I can't keep count of how many companies got a pardon from it. He is all smoke and mirrors. So many people believed everything he promised but once the smoke clears a lot of people will realize they got duped! Bush was never this bad.

I didn't get the chance to see it. At this point honestly, I almost wished he wouldn't re-run for office next term. Not because I think he is a terrible president, (I don't) but just because no matter what the man does he is going to have a hell of a time passing it. I think even if he came up with the most brilliant plan the world has ever seen (not that he has), it would still get shot down, because President Obama proposed it. I don't like the fact he caved so much during the budget talks.

Truth be told, I wished we could stick Clinton in for a third round!

What??? Obama gave a speech tonight??? Darn! I missed it! ;)

Edited: I really did miss it because I was reading with my kids and doing all the other bedtime stuff. I just watched some of it and honestly, I can't watch all of it. He frustrates me to no end. He knows that spending is the LAST thing we need to be doing. He knows that all the "shovel ready jobs weren't so shovel ready" the last time. Why would they be this time? He knows the republicans won't pass this and plans to use that to blame Republicans for our terrible economy and lack of jobs when he is running around the country giving campaign speeches. He refuses to take ANY responsibility for our crappy economy and says it is because of Bush, the Republicans, the tea party, the Conservatives, etc etc etc. The dems had control of the House and the Senate for the first two years of his presidency. Why didn't they save us with their infinite wisdom then?????? We did it his way for the first two years. Did it help? NO! What does he say?? Well we would be much worse off if it hadn't been for me. I saved us from another great depression. Unemployment would be much higher if it weren't for me. Really?? Oh brother!!
So to answer your question, no it won't help. It is just a ploy to use against the Republicans to try to save himself and the other dems who will be running next year because he KNOWS they aren't stupid enough to pass it.

Edited again: Those who say the Republicans don't have a plan are either not paying attention or are watching the wrong news station. They need to try watching a network that gives you the actual news instead of their interpretation of it. The conservatives have presented plenty of plans and the libs don't even look at them. They say their plans will be DOA. But that's not playing politics. (Eye roll!!)

creating jobs in this manner worked once for our nation, making us strong. I don't see why it couldn't work again.

but in all fairness, I did not watch the speech.

He made a speech??!!

I didn't get to hear it but I asked Troy what his take away was. He said we must pass this bill, he believes that was the take away since he said it 34 times.

The infrastructure thing will do nothing as it has done nothing with the last stimulus. You are propping up one industry at the cost of all others. Great if you are a highway construction worker, sucks for every else. In aggregate it does not stimulate demand because for every dollar you push into construction you are taking it away from another industry.

Vote for who ever you want.
It won't make a bit of difference because we are not yet working for 3rd world wages.
Companies HAVE been hiring right along.
The only problem is they keep hiring in India.
Since no one will outlaw off shoring or tax the heck out of companies that off shore, it doesn't matter what breaks you give corporations - they continue to boost their CEO bonuses, fire more American workers and hire in low cost centers on the other side of the planet.

I think the best way to create jobs is to give more moeny to the american public not buisnesses. the more moeny people have in their pockets the more the will spend and the more money buisnesses make and the more people they will hire

I watched it.
With a grain of salt.
Ideas sounded good.
But it's all about 2012's election.
No one will make a decision tomorrow.
It's a pipedream that no one is willing to spend the money for.
I totally believe what he said about local jobs, do you know you can NOT buy a TV that is made in America? They don't make them here. America has been too dependent for too long on the Asian nations and the Chinese.
We need to give Americans jobs building computers, tv's, cameras, dvd players, etc. It's ridiculous when you think about it.
Anyway, it's up to US to talk to our reps so the reps can submit our requests. If you just sit and watch CNN or FOX and do nothing, you can't complain about the way things are.
Damn, you opened up a soap box on me... sorry bout that guys. You should go to local town meetings and speak your mind. That's how all of this works. It starts at the bottom.

Some parts I agreed with, others I didn't . For me, I am sick of the speeches. I see so many people in RI suffering, jobless, and having their home forclosed on. It saddens me, infuriates me, and I see no actions taking place to help these people out. I have written our governor, reps, congressmen, senators. Something needs to change. I have not seen any " Hope" or " Change" yet. He's got 14 months now to do so. Time is running out for so many people. Patience is wearing very thin. There also is no money. Where will it come from ?

So in the middle of answering your other post on the amount of rain we have received I lost internet and cable. So I didn't see it as we were in yet another freaking deluge.

We are now watching the Packers.

Spending more money that we don't have is not a very bright idea.Creating more & more debt just to pass on to the next President to deal with.Companies are getting by with the few employees they have everyone has learned to down size & work with what they have they are not wanting to hire more people who have been out of jobs.It would be great that we never would have to rely on our unemployment to get us by,that we can just get up go to work come home relax that our job security is there

It sounds like the same old stuff as every other one of his speeches. I didn't vote for him, but I respect him. I hope he's right and I wish that we get some of the jobs back that were sent to other countries, but I am not holding my breath. Maybe I am an alarmist, but these next few years scare me to the point where I am buying guns for protection:( If we don't get people working, crime will go up especially if these social programs run out of funds. Not good, not good at all:(