Bill Clinton's First Year Vs. Barack Obama's. Bill Clinton wins hands down.

[David Zephyr]

I have to give Bill Clinton some credit. I say "have to" because I've been very hard on him since 1992 when he defeated my candidate of choice, Jerry Brown, in the primaries. Bill Clinton never was the progressive I'd hoped to see at the helm of our country. And I've given him hell for it for years. Today, this old socialist is swallowing some pride.

It's clear now that as we approach the end of President Barack Obama's first year as President, there are a few striking contrasts between his first year and that of Bill Clinton. The contrasts are just too hard to ignore.

You see, Bill Clinton did something very, very ballsy his first year as President: He pushed like all hell to increase taxes on the very rich in the middle of a recession, and thereby set up the nation for eight years of unprecedented national prosperity and the creation of 23 million new jobs.

Twenty-three million new jobs. 23,000,000 new jobs. That's a lot of zeroes.

That tax increase, which barely passed the Senate -- only with Vice President Al Gore casting the tie-breaking vote -- created the framework, not only for those eight years of prosperity, but also for balancing national budgets, and for generating a projected $3 Trillion surplus.

By the end of the 1990's, it mattered not one bit to the American people that Bill Clinton had been caught red-handed in a sordid sex scandal in the White House or the fact that he'd lied about it. Why was that? And just how is it that Bill Clinton left office as one of the most popular Presidents in American history. Why is that? Here's why: Americans had jobs, American families were doing very well. Americans were grateful.

Eight years of "peace and prosperity". Oh yeah. There's also that peace issue, too. Bill Clinton was smart enough to stay out of Iraq and to not piss away American blood and treasure into foreign skirmishes. His single major foray into the Balkans under the brilliant leadership of General Wes Clark still stands as textbook on how military might can be used to do good.

And Osama bin Laden? Has anyone ever stopped to think that it was Bill Clinton, and only Bill Clinton, who ever got truly close to killing that Saudi terrorist? Eight years of Bush and Cheney tough talking, eight years of military mayhem, eight years of over $1 Trillion wasted and none of it ever got as close to taking Osama bin Laden out as Bill Clinton almost did. Only Bill Clinton can claim that he almost killed bin Laden. And he did it quietly without a military invasion. I thought I'd like to point that out today.

Eight years of peace and prosperity, plus he almost killed the leader of Al-Qaeda, too.

Perhaps Bill's experience at having run a state government all those years gave him the foreknowledge that he'd have to make his first year really count and that he would have to use his political capital early on to tax the rich...even if he had to do it in the middle of a recession.

And so, here we are now, in a Bush Recession, and President Obama still has not even begun to flesh out anything that remotely promises that there will be job creation in the future. And that's not good for Democrats.

Tuesday night, Obama will give yet another serious, televised speech to the entire nation. And what's he going to be talking about? Jobs? Nope. Just more war. War, war, war.

Obama's speech on Tuesday should be about job creation. That's what Americans who have lost or are are losing their homes want to hear. That's what Americans who have lost or are losing their jobs want to hear.

Obama blew his entire first year and political capital when he should have been focusing on job creation.

One year and nothing, zip, nada about jobs.

Bill Clinton's first year in office makes Obama's look sophomoric.

I never thought I'd write that, but it's true.

Now, let's all get back to the wars...

[anonymous171]

1. The difference is this: Bill Clinton had balls. Obama does not.

[notesdev]

35. Sure he does

They're right there in a jar in the window of 85 Broad Street.

[ShortnFiery]

41. ...

"... Broad Street." :spray:

Bill Clinton's EGO was his biggest enemy.

[Whisp]

52. yah, balls he showed to a child for his sexual gratification

feh. yes, is she was my daughter, at early 20s, yes, she is stilla child against an old predator man.so don't give me no Lewinksy was a sucubus man trapping vampire thing.
cannot compare how great bill was... bush senior did not leave the stinking foul mess his spawn Georgie did.

I really have to disagree with this. Bill Clinton gave us Nafta and a lot of other Corporate Transmitted Diseases.

[daleo]

60. Early 20's is not a child

Many people have had important jobs and have started families by the time they are in their early 20's. William Pitt was prime minister of Britain in his early 20's. Newton and Einstein had done some of their best work by this age.

Somebody in their Early 20's is physically, legally and morally an adult. It is absurd to claim otherwise.

[jaysunb]

2. Hi David !

When exactly will Obama's first year be complete ?

:hi:

[David Zephyr]

21. Hi back to you, jaysunb.

Well, technically he has a little less than two months, but it takes years to get job creation moving. Obama should have had someone like Robert Reich in his Cabinet. And he needs to get on this now or we will perish at the polls.

I had Thanksgiving at Beckman's Grill near where you live in Pasadena yesterday. :hi:

[gateley]

46. Boy, I sure agree with you about Robert Reich in his Cabinet. nt

[spanone]

3. the bu$h* cheney years did insurmountable damage....

[Thrill]

4. There is so much wrong with your post about Clinton's first yr

That it would take too long to go through

[Ohio Joe]

5. President Clinton made mistakes, no doubt but...

I still love the guy :D

[Captain Hilts]

6. Clinton and Obama are a lot alike, in each other's circumstances, they'd probably do the same. nt

[Connie_Corleone]

7. Obama and Clinton's presidencies during two different times

Obama has had to deal with two wars, the banking collapse, the country being on the verge of another great depression and restoring America's image around the world after eight, long years of horrible leadership under Bush.

Clinton and healthcare reform?? No comment on that?

Your post is really unfair considering you bring up a lot of things that happened AFTER Clinton's first year in office.

At least give Obama 3 more years before comparing him to Clinton's eight years.

And some of us would like to hear what Obama has to say regarding Afghanistan. The Afghanistan war is important as well as jobs. Obama can do more than one thing at a time. And he is addressing the jobs problem beginning this week.

On edit: I changed my title since you corrected the day of the speech.

[WI_DEM]

8. Obama is going to do something that Clinton failed to do

Get Health Care Reform and despite the naysayers on DU it will have a good deal of reform and hopefully a public option.

I should also point out that Obama inherited an economy much worse than Bill Clinton did. The big thing in '92 was deficit spending. The big issue in 2008 is the recession, possibly the worse economic situation faced by a president since FDR. Now, Obama passed a huge program to combat this, controversial but also included the biggest jobs program and tax cut in history. We are seeing signs of coming out of the recession that he inherited but have a long ways to go obviously. Obama has also inherited two wars--something Bill Clinton didn't. I'd say Obama has inherited one of the worst situations of any new president in our history. He is dealing with it and time will tell.

I hate playing these silly game of comparing Obama and Clinton. In my book they were/are both good presidents.

Also, Bill Clinton didn't look too hot in '93 (his approval was a good ten points or more lower than Obama's), and it's too early to say how Obama will play out. You are going by statistics of Clinton's entire 8-years while Obama hasn't even completed a year.

[David Zephyr]

12. Americans want and need jobs.

The White House has done nothing to address creating new jobs.

[anonymous171]

13. +1. nt

[WI_DEM]

17. They did pass the biggest job's program in history with the stimulus

and they with congress are working on a huge public works program for 2010.

[liberalpragmatist]

22. Effect of Stimulus on Jobs and Growth

[Kitsune]

54. The only thing this "reform" will improve is the bottom line of the insurance mafia.

[marmar]

9. Extra butter in the middle and on top, and a large Mountain Dew for me, please.....

:popcorn:


I swear some people post things just to get sh*t started.....

[aikoaiko]

10. I would vote for Bill in the 2012 primary if he were running.

But I'm not sure you can attribute most of the economic prosperity of the internet business boom to him and I'm not sure how he would have handled the current economic and war crises.

[anonymous171]

11. I wouldn't. Clinton was pretty bad on the economic front (NAFTA being his worst transgression.)

[gateley]

49. +1 -- especially NAFTA. nt

[Whisp]

53. if he promised to run away, yes....

[Dawgs]

14. Much of the current recession was caused by B. Clinton passing NAFTA.

I love Bill, but this comparison might be the dumbest thing I've read in a long while.

[me b zola]

45. And the repeal of Glass-Steagall Act

Not to mention Bill Clinton didn't follow w bush* and the unprecedented mess that he left this nation--and the world--in.


Yes, this is one of the dumbest threads ever.

[gateley]

50. +11111!!!!! nt

[SPedigrees]

15. Well here's a difference, Clinton's proposed health care reform was shot down

while Obama has displayed the necessary diplomacy and political will to get his version well on its way to passage. That alone is an overwhelming endorsement for our current president.

President Obama has also reinstated much of the environmental/wilderness protections that President Clinton had initiated and Bush had cancelled. Obama has re-established friendly diplomatic ties with our international allies. Obama is reponsible for Justice Sotomayor being seated on the Supreme court.

President Clinton was a fine president, but if health insur reform passes, President Obama will be far ahead in this voter's estimation.

[gateley]

16. Clinton "won"? Is it a contest?

The times are different now, DZ. Even though some situations may be similar, the specifics aren't. It's a whole new ball game.

And, I read way before the primaries even started, that Clinton was advised not to take the 'next step' toward OBL as it would have been during the Lewinsky brouhaha, and he was fighting for his political life. So although he had him in his sites (if what I read is accurate) he turned and let him walk away. :shrug:

[WI_DEM]

19. the situations are not similar

Obama inherited a far bigger mess than Bill Clinton did.

[gateley]

38. That's the point I was trying but failed to make. People often say things like

"last time we were faced with this mess" or "last time the economy was this bad" -- and I'm thinking, it's never been this dire before! So we're totally in agreement, and I don't think comparing Obama to Clinton is valid. Obama is swimming in unchartered waters, IMO.

[David Zephyr]

26. Obama needs to be focusing on job creation.

I'm giving Obama a hard time here, and rightfully so because he is not playing the music Americans want to hear which is jobs, jobs, jobs.

[sandnsea]

30. Or so says Bill O'Reilly n/t

[RetroLounge]

43. Oh, so clever a retort...

:puke:

RL

[gateley]

39. I agree -- and who says he's not? When people say things like "Obama needs

to be focusing on..." it's usually followed by "instead of..." (you didn't :headbang:). I don't want him to shut out everything and only have eyes for one problem at a time. I think he's working on SO MANY concurrently. And each problem is immense and overwhelming.

I'd add that something needs to be done in order to help create those jobs, like bring so many that we've sent overseas back home. Stop the visas that bring in the cheaper labor. Repeal NAFTA.

Isn't he going to have a conference or something within the next few weeks that solely looks at creating jobs? I hope the media gives that a lot of coverage, because it's largely the media that is telling us what he's working on, and we think we're on top of it.

There are so many things that need to be done to improve every situation, and I honestly think he's painfully aware of them all and is pursuing solutions for each diligently.

IMO, natch. :7

[tblue]

34. He was pummeled with cries of "No war for Monica!"

Nothing's black & white.

[gateley]

40. You're right - nothing is ever black or white. nt

[Ichingcarpenter]

18. Depends on your definition of what IS is on Winning

He sold us out........ he won.... the american people lost..

Give him a cigar!!!! he knows gays and women..... plus
the banking system

[sandnsea]

20. Uh, Obama cut taxes too

And has also invested in the next new economy, energy - the same way Bill invested in the internet which is what created all those jobs. That and Y2K.

You have no idea how many jobs will be created by alternative energy in the next 8 years because they haven't happened yet.

Yet, Bill Clinton's 2003 "FAILURE" is what led to the Contract With America and rise of the economic conservatives.

Keep helping Obama the way you helped Bill, and watch the repeat. Even though Obama has done just about the same as Bill did in 2003.

[WI_DEM]

24. the OP forgets that the tax cuts under Obama are the largest in history.

[sandnsea]

28. Because they've done nothing but bitch since day one

It doesn't matter what he does, it's always wrong. He was wrong to give the tax cuts, and now he's wrong because the tax cuts aren't big enough. He's wrong not to help the unemployed, but also wrong to only give $25 week. It was great to campaign against Iraq by saying Bush dropped the ball in Afghanistan, but now that it's time to pick that ball up, that's wrong too.

But somehow I'm supposed to believe they're smarter than everybody else.

[Ikonoklast]

23. I'll just take this one line here, and...

Obama blew his entire first year and political capital when he should have been focusing on job creation.

Isn't that putting the cart before the horse?

No economy, no jobs to worry about. First things first, don't you think?

Bringing the economy back from the edge of total financial collapse is kinda important relative to the 'jobs' thingy.

And let's give the guy an entire twelve months and call that a year, mmmk?

[WI_DEM]

25. The OP forgets that the Democratic base wanted and still wants action on health care

and that Obama is dealing with that and the worst economy inherited by a president since FDR.

[Ikonoklast]

29. The OP is drivel, and the poster knows it.

Factually incorrect from the start, and comparing two complete and total scenarios regarding exactly where the economy was standing in the time frame referenced.

[leeroysphitz]

27. OP is exactly right.

[mdmc]

31. Well, Jimmy Carter is still my favorite President.

But I really like Obama.

[Drunken Irishman]

32. You ignore one crucial point...

Pres. Clinton failed to push through any type of stimulus package. He campaigned on a stimulus and because of moderate/conservative Democrats, failed to pass a stimulus bill to fix the economy.

In that regard, Pres. Obama bests him.

Clinton also didn't have nearly the economic crisis that Pres. Obama had. Or two wars. Or a healthcare crisis to deal with in his first year.

[inna]

33. less than 0?? wtf??

good post.

[Recursion]

36. We've got a Blackhawk down. We've got a Blackhawk down.

Both Clinton and Obama got stuck by a Bush with a poorly-thought-out military commitment that they couldn't save from disaster. Just speaking to the "peace" claim.

[David Zephyr]

Close.

President GH "Poppy" Bush stuck the U.S. into Somalia just weeks before Bill Clinton became President. Clinton was wise enough to have all U.S. troops out of Poppy's Bush's Somali military excursion by March 1994.

Ronald Reagan reversed himself in Lebanon and pulled our troops out.

Barack Obama has been sucked into the Bush/Cheney Afghanistan theater. He should be pulling out, escalating, not wasting more of our treasure and blood to prop up Karzai's crooked government.

Obama should be focused job creation for the American people. He wasted a year.

[hfojvt]

37. I wonder if you would like some facts with that?

How many jobs did the economy create in January 1993? During what you call a "severe recession" and compare to what Obama inherited.

307,000. That's plus 307,000!! A pretty stellar month, especially compared to the 500,000 jobs (not an exact number, but a memory guess) that were lost in January 2009. How about February 1993? +237,000
March 1993 -46,000
April 1993 +307,000
May 1993 +273,000
Jun 1993 +164,000
Jul 1993 +300,000

So there's 1.5 million jobs that were created before all of Clinton's cabinet was even confirmed. The tax increase bill was not signed until 10 Aug 1993.

I think Obama would have loved to inherit an economy like that instead of the absolute mess he got handed from George W. Bush.

So please do not misremember history in order to diminish Obama.

[RetroLounge]

42. K&R

:applause:

RL

[FrenchieCat]

44. I'm quite surprised at this piece of disingenuous elementary compare and contrast job.....

quite surprised.

It would be one thing if your OP had bothered to include a fair true representation
as opposed to omitting important facts to both of these men's accomplishments...
but since you chose not to, this OP crumbles where it stands.
Pity for you.

[David Zephyr]

51. You support the escalation of war in Afghanistan and I don't.

I read your "Imagine" OP where you ask us to imagine terror again on our soil if Obama doesn't escalate the War in Afghanistan. You actually made that argument here. What happened to FrenchieCat?

You could have chosen those words from Dick Cheney or Condi Rice and saved your keyboard some work. All you needed was "mushroom clouds" over American cities and it would have been the same argument.

My OP is fair. I can criticize the President because he is going to drag down the entire party in 2010 and if he doesn't begin creating new jobs (not pour money into banks and the war machine), then he will be a one-term President.

The year he missed to kick out the jams in job creation is a year that he is going to wish he had to do over again.

The fact that he's still not even making jobs his number one issue is not lost on the American people.

His speech on Tuesday night to the nation should be about jobs.

Instead, it's about more war.

[FrenchieCat]

59. You've decided to assign numbers to what Obama is doing.......

as though multi tasking went out of style this summer.

You OP is not fair.

As for my OP, you can criticize it all you want, cause that's your right.
You can even use inflammatory words like "escalate" in order to drum up
the type of fear that you would choose to promote....while criticizing what you term
as my attempt to drump up fear.

The difference is my OP was a opinion based scenario
which I encouraged folks to respond to....
while your OP is an indictment that could be based on facts,
but instead was based on your opinion and an omission of verifiable facts.

[berni_mccoy]

47. Why this argument sounds like one Karl Rove just made

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x7100042

[sudopod]

48. Traffic fatalities went down 15% after I was elected mayor of Townsville.

Aren't you glad that I'm mayor now and not the old guy?

[davidwparker]

55. He sure would have know how to use a supermajority, that's for sure.

[Raine]

56. Thumbs Up to President Clinton

:thumbsup: 8years of peace and prosperity ... I love the guy! :loveya:

[HughMoran]

57. I'm trying not to LOL

If you've been on DU for 5 years and witnessed the thrashing that Bill Clinton has taken here, you'd be like me in wondering if there is a rip in the space-time continuum. :think:

[David Zephyr]

58. HughMoran, a lot of that ripping came from me.

And feel free to LOL. It gave me pause to write my OP, but I've lived through both men's first years as an activist and this is how I see it.

Bill went straight for job creation. Sometimes we forget their clarion call "It's the economy, stupid."

I've thrashed poor Bill as much or more than most, but he focused like a laser beam on job creation and he had Robert Reich at his side.

Obama slipped here and it may be too late to see job growth now before the mid-terms. Not good.

What's worse is he seems preocupied with everything else but jobs. Nine days to China. War, war, war. And a million little sideshows.

He should be screaming for jobs. That's what Americans want to hear.

Bill Clinton knew what Americans wanted...and he delivered.