how much patience do Americans have?

[TheCoxwain]

This Economic thing is going to last a while .. and even in a perfect world with all the correct steps being taken it will be quite sometime before the economy starts to turn around ...

Here is my concern ... people tend to have very short memories ...when the pain becomes deeper in the months to come .. people will forget that this is something that has come out of 8 years of utter mismanagement ... and will take atleast 2 years ( best case scenario ) before the ship rights itself...

Will Obama continue to have the public's support along the way? .. Fox news is already vigorously fanning flames of discontent (It really breaks my heart to see them do that) where self-interests easily trumps common good ...and this chorus is only going to get louder and harsher ...

will someone calm me down? will the saner minds prevail?

[phantom power]

1. I'd like to comfort you, but it *will* be very easy to blame this on Dems.

Because people *do* have short memories.

[TheBigotBasher]

2. Every Democratic Supporter

from leaflet dropper to Senator, needs to keep calling this the Bush recession. They are already attempting to pin the blame of the crashing stock market on the President.

[Countdown_3_2_1]

3. Its up to us to educate the public.

because saner minds will NOT prevail.
With every passing month this becomes more our issue. If we say nothing, then we let the repugs define who is at fault.

Hit the forums associated with every news site, remind them WHO is at fault here.
and most importantly, remind them WHO is cleaning up the mess.

If we relax, then silence can kill us. we're still on the campaign trail. The internet is our greatest tool to reach people.
Communicate. Campaign. Convince.

[TheCoxwain]

8. This is why I think fairness doctrine should have been reinstated .. that way

each time some jerk talks down the performance of the current president -- there would have been a voice, however weak, to remind everyone where this all began ..

[scheming daemons]

4. At the depths of the 81-82 recession, Reagan's approval was down to 35%

But when things turned around, he won in a landslide in '84.


Obama's approval ratings might dip in the next year... but by fall 2010, if things have begun turning around, he'll (rightly) get credit.

That's how the American populace operates.

[AndyTiedye]

7. Reagan Had the Media On His Side

That makes all the difference in the world.

[scheming daemons]

9. Not really.. Not in 1982, he didn't.

The "media" back then was the big three network news and the NY Times, LA Times, and Washington Post.

...and they were definitely NOT with Reagan in 81-82.


By 84, a lot of them were in his back pocket though...

[T Wolf]

5. I share your concern. The pukes have fucked things up so much that there can be

only minimal improvement in the short-term. It will take years to get back to any kind of strength in the economy.

For those of us who have lost dollars (and time) in the rethug crash, that is money and years that we will NEVER recover.

As to how patient Americans will be - I do not have much faith in the American public to recognize how deep the shit really is and how much it will take to turn things around.

I fear that the public will demand immediate results. I know that the media will stir up the discontent that will come when a boom does not happen next year. I expect that President Obama will have to work constantly on educating the public as to the reality of the situation.

And maybe, that is the most important thing he can do. Use the bully pulpit to counter the agi-prop from the media and the pukes. If he has any hope for success, he is going to have to make that his primary role. He has the oratory skills and intelligence to do it.

America has to be schooled.

[AndyTiedye]

6. They Will Blame Obama Because the TeeVee Tells Them To

[FrenchieCat]

10. Unfortunately, that part is President Obama's job.......

and the millions of voices that he galvanize to make their voices heard,
when they are most needed. As long as he has the truth on his side,
he will be alright for a healthy amount of time. The Stimulus package will
start to show benefits, and if he is able to enact a new health care policy
before too long, folks will start to feel the "Change" that he promised.

He only needs to show some progress at some things,
not have everything be honky dorie, asap!

[treestar]

11. They had enough patience with the repukes to give them

almost 8 years of war. Let them use that patience on the economy. It's not as if the voters in general don't have some responsibility for having Bush and the rethugs in for all those years.