President Barack H. Obama, with an unbelievable amount of chutzpah, claims that he is the fourth greatest president in US history. He said,
The issue here is not going be a list of accomplishments. As you said yourself, Steve, you know, I would put our legislative and foreign policy accomplishments in our first two years against any president - with the possible exceptions of Johnson, F.D.R., and Lincoln - just in terms of what we've gotten done in modern history. But, you know, but when it comes to the economy, we've got a lot more work to do.
He actually said that. He made this claim during a CBS 60 Minutes show interview that aired (without his boast) on December 11, 2011.
But his claim was part of the 60 Minutes Overtime broadcast. "... but...when it comes to the economy, we've got a lot more work to do." has to be the understatement of all time!
So with his statement/claim as a reference, let's examine what he has "accomplished:"
- Federal spending, the budget deficit, and national debt are now at highest level as a percentage of GDP since WWII
- America's credit rating downgraded for the first time in history
- Worst housing crisis since the Great Depression
- Rate of economic growth only slightly higher than in the 1930s, during the Great Depression
- Worst jobs record of any modern president
- Highest black unemployment in 28 years
- One in six Americans live in (what he defines as) poverty
- 46 million Americans now living in poverty, the most since the Census Bureau began keeping records in 1959
- A record number of Americans now rely on food stamps
- Thirty four consecutive months with unemployment over 8 percent
- Had to reduce the number of people looking for jobs to get the jobless rate below nine percent
- Unemployment worse than during the Great Depression
- Lowest consumer confidence index in 30 years
- Highest misery index in 28 years
- Wasted taxpayer money on "green energy" projects
- Launched a third war in Libya by avoiding Congressional approval; something Vice President Biden called an impeachable offense, and which Obama himself declared unconstitutional
While it's true that he inherited some of these problems, while campaigning (did he ever stop?), he promised to correct and/or alleviate them all. And now he has the hubris to say his accomplishments rank him as the fourth greatest president in US history.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - addy
you sure did a phd in making mountains outta molehills pal. where were you when bush and cheyney were dinging the country.you reap what you sow
2 - Glenn Contrarian
(Yawn)
There goes Warren Beatty with yet another falsehood-filled rant, without the least amount of effort put into verifying what he just KNOWS to be true (since Fox News told him it was true). He's spent precisely ZERO time in verifying his statements, much less trying to dig to find the stories in behind them and where the problems really began.
You're not worth my time, Warren.
3 - Dan(Miller)
President Obama is even greater than George Washington. His feet did not get damp when walking across the Delaware.
Indeed, he had no need to walk across the Delaware. He merely asked the assembled multitudes whether they believed that he could. As anticipated, they responded, as if with one voice, "We Believe!" He then, very reasonably, replied, "Then there is no need for me to do so."
And all went home much edified and impressed with his remarkable abilities.
4 - Ilmari
Sorry, but this artical is biased onesided bullshit with a few facts mixed in to make it seem legit.
Among the few facts: americans are indeed generally considered "lazy", and not any more special than any other country.
5 - Nadelstich
Obama *is* the fourth greatest president (of some country) in history, right after Stalin, Lenin and Count Dracula.
6 - Arch Conservative
“I would put our legislative and foreign policy accomplishments in our first two years against any president " with the possible exceptions of Johnson, F.D.R., and Lincoln,”
He did claim to be the fourth best president without using the words "fourth best president."
I believe that when it is all said an done Obama will be remembered as one of our nation's worst presidents. It's hard to rank him now, because he is not yet done wielding his unique brand of "hope and change" upon the nation. Only time will tell the full extent of the damage. However, I am a carter baby and he is easily the worst president in my lifetime.
7 - Arch Conservative
That last sentence may be a bit misleading. What I meant to say was "I am a Carter baby and Obama is easily the worst president of my lifetime."
8 - Brisco
Warren, if you are going to define events as accomplishments, then Bush has caused 9/11, Katrina, Mad Cow and Bird Flu. No excuses here. Wnen Clinton left office, the US was in surplus and the oil was below $30 a barrel. Right after 9/11 everything headed steeply down to a sure depression. Who averted it?
9 - Maurice
Obama clearly has no understanding of economics but he is incomparable in the role of killer in chief! He is a killing machine! And unlike Bush (who killed fewer people) he never has to apologize for killing innocents or even U.S. citizens.
10 - Arch Conservative
True dat Maurice, the very same people who called Bush a war mongerer have continued to gulp copiuos amounts of the Obamessiah's koolaid despite the fact that he abandoned his campaign promise to bring the troops home as his first act in office. Instead he's pretty much carried out the prior administrations policy in Iraq and Afghanistan and thousands of Americans have died because of it.
11 - El Bicho
when did he say it would be his first act as President?
12 - roger nowosielski
One forgets after a while, El Bicho. There have been many promises, far too many even for a politician.
13 - zingzing
archie, you do know that we're out of iraq, right? and do you have a source for your "thousands" comment? (hint: no you don't.)
maybe you're exaggerating and flat out lying for some reason. why would that be? you should base your opinions on truths instead of some silliness you choose to believe because... well, i dunno why you would choose to believe things that are obviously not true. i wonder if that tendency could affect your ability to make sound judgments about reality.
14 - El Bicho
One forgets what? He either said it would be his first act or he didn't? You are helping make your pal's case
15 - roger nowosielski
I think my meaning was clear, El Bicho. So many promises were made that one really forgets. And I'm not in the least concerned about making my pal's case -- I take it you're referring to Arch -- on anybody else's case, for that matter. Just thought I stated the obvious, never suspecting I'll be taken on carpet for having done so.
If we're gonna have a pie-throwing fight, let's have it over something real worthwhile.
16 - roger nowosielski
Thought you were going come back to me, zing, about your ideas about a political play.
17 - El Bicho
Yeah, your meaning was clear. You are fine with people making up stuff to support their positions.
18 - zingzing
ever read any clifford odets?
19 - roger nowosielski
If you say so, El Bicho, only if you say so.
Not really, heard the name though. What I was fishing for, whether political drama is in the realm of possibility in the modern environment. Perhaps something like Brecht's plays, say, a Threepenny Opera, would be more effective.
20 - zingzing
there's a british show called "the thick of it" or something close to that. same director made a movie called "in the loop." both are political comedies, but both deal with some serious issues and how "politics" is often just one big series of mistakes.
21 - roger nowosielski
I'll look it up.
The way I figure, it's time to do something creative for a change. Essays just don't cut it. The form is well nigh obsolete. It doesn't go for the jugular by bypassing the intellect and go straight for the emotion, like Bergman's old flicks used to.
22 - roger nowosielski
What you saying, though, makes me think of George Bernard Shaw.
If one only had that kind of satirical talent, one of a kind, really.
23 - Arch Conservative
The above is actual footage of Obama in 2007 claiming that as president the first thing he will do is bring the troops home. I don't know how to embed it so you guys will have to cut and paste.
Here is a link to Think Progress, not exactly a bastion of anti Obama right wing sentiment, claiming that over 1000 US troops have been killed in Afghanistan alone since Obama took office.
"archie, you do know that we're out of iraq, right? and do you have a source for your "thousands" comment? (hint: no you don't.)"
[Personal attack deleted by comments editor. Arch, you know better.]
The only reason we're out of Iraq now is because it was politically convenient for Obama to do so. He had three years to make good on his promise of bringing the troops home yet only did so as his bid for reelection began to ramp up so save me the sanctimonious f-ing bullshit about Obama's handling of Iraq.
24 - zingzing
[edited]
well, i see that one thousand became "thousands," but i am actually surprised by that number (i saw a number that said 592 in april of last year, so i don't know where the extra 400 came from in just a couple of months). the number in iraq was something under 300 since obama took office. and i agree that we're out of iraq because of political convenience, but that convenience has little to do with obama and everything to do with immunity for american troops in iraq. (you do know this, correct?) but he was pulling them out unit by unit before that anyway. i think you can see the direction it was going, even if it was going too slow. still, even though 1400 lives (in both afghanistan and iraq) is nothing to sniff at, it still isn't "thousands" (although it is more than i initially thought). maybe you should be more precise.
as for the "first thing obama will do" bit, i think you might be living on another planet if you take that 100% literally. that's just not the way things happen on planet earth, even if that is a sad thing. maybe you should be more realistic.
(and here. that's how you do it.)
25 - El Bicho
Thanks for the link. You are right. During that 15-sec clip posted by user "President Chimp," that is one of the things Obama said. Personally, I would have liked more footage of the appearance to give the sentence some context, information about how things changed on the ground from Oct '07 to Jan '09, what the generals and our allies had to say, but you are right that he didn't do exactly what he said he would in that moment.
However, you don't know what the fuck you are talking about in terms of Iraq. US troops would have stayed if we could have secured immunity for them. Since that didn't happen, we left at a date set by Bush Admin.