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Subscribe to RSSLast February – on the eve of the passage of a controversial health care bill and amidst increasing skepticism of the 2009 stimulus plan – many voters who had previously supported Barack Obama were beginning to sour on the president.
But one prominent American was still willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.
“I really like him. We'll have to see how he does,” Donald Trump told CNN in an interview. “On a personal basis, I like him. … Right now, he's at that tipping point. It's going to go one way or the other.
It was, apparently, a steep slope after that tipping point. In an interview last week, Trump categorically dubbed Obama “the worst president ever.”
But Trump, whose presidential flirtations have been coupled with television omnipresence in recent months, has only taken a tough view of the most recent resident of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue within the last year.
As late as April 2010, just a year ago, Trump said that “the jury’s still out” on Obama’s job performance, noting just that he’d “like to see” the president get tougher on OPEC and China.
At times, Trump’s disdain for George W. Bush provided the backdrop for the real estate mogul’s optimism about Obama.
In March 2009, after the passage of the stimulus, Trump pointed – as the Obama administration itself has often done – to mistakes made by Obama’s predecessor as the primary origins of the nation’s economic woes.
“I think we have a president who is working very hard and trying very hard. He inherited a mess,” Trump said of Obama, adding that he believed the nation was on track for a quick recovery. “I really believe that it is going to get very good, and I think within two years it will be like the old days, but with some restrictions [on the economy.]”
It’s no secret that Trump has evolved on several GOP plank issues; including abortion (he was once pro-choice but recently explained his pro-life conversion) and health care (he wrote in a 2000 book “we must have universal healthcare.”)
But he has also praised specific plans backed by the Obama administration to jumpstart the economic recovery, some of them particularly reviled by the Tea Party constituency he hopes to court.
In February 2009, for example, Trump embraced Obama’s efforts to cap the salaries of Wall Street executives whose companies were receiving government support, saying “he’s absolutely right” to institute salary limits.
In the same interview, he hailed the young administration’s plans to inject funds into the economy, affirming that “I would certainly vote for a stimulus.”
The Donald has also repeatedly praised the Troubled Asset Relief Program (which passed under President George W. Bush and was backed by both 2008 presidential nominees), saying that the hastily-passed bank bailout bill saved the economy from certain disaster.
"A year ago, the government did the right thing or really I believe we would have been in a depression," he said in the fall of 2009.
And in December of that year, Trump praised the administration for meeting with banking executives but lamented the reluctance of financial organizations to do more to loosen more funds for loans. Their unwillingness to listen to the White House, he added, “show[ed] a great lack of respect for the president.”
By the way, Trump's naming of Obama as "the worst president ever" updates his previous statements about his least-favorite leader of the free world.
“I think Bush is probably the worst president in the history of the United States,” he said in March 2007.
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Hoover, Nixon, Reagan, Bush, all were republicans, all were bad Presidents, all had huge recessions/depression. Voters would be fools to let another republican anywhere near the economy. Which one among the 4 republicans is the worst President is hard to say, they were all so bad.
Trump really has no solutions, just complaining about things. Anyone can complain, Presidents have to have solutions. Dealing in vague statements, and complaints, is just a sign that he has no solutions. He doesn't say if he's a free trader, or a supply sider, or what his solution is to illegal immigration, or what his specific plan is for 20 million good jobs that we need. He has no comment on unions. He has never been elected to anything, thinks his tv show is a big success. He's really a big waste of time, if he has nothing to say, he shouldn't be a candidate, shouldn't be on tv, like a male Palin, empty headed nonsense.
Lol, you know at least with the Democrats you know where you stand. They don't preach small government or lower taxes and they never cease to disappoint us on those two things. With the GOP it's hard to tell, they shout small government and lower taxes; but only seem to deliver on the taxes...hence the deficit expoldes under them because they have never really reigned in spending and usually end up expanding government anyway. Lower tax reciepts + higher government costs = higher deficits.
So how do you pick? The Dems at least seem to stand behind what they say (I know where they stand here even if I don't agree with them) while the GOP plays a bait and switch game on the small government thing (I agree in principle with a smaller more effective government and certainly favor lowering taxes). I am not a social conservative, so on that front I tend to be more in line with the democrats. Though in general most politicians give me that 'Used car salesman' vibe.
GT Hoover was a bad Pres. the crash happened rigth away when he was President. Nixon, Reagan, and Bush II, all took over DURING RECESSIONS, yes even Clinton had a recession. I voted for Clinton he was a good President but during his last year.... RECESSION but we seem to leave that out a lot. Anyone who studies our political history knows Carter was a COMPLETE failure, waiting in line for gas,telling us to turn heat way down and grab a blanket( that was his solution to high fuel prices),Iran Crisis super high inflation, a recession, super high debt and deficit. Johnson had high inflation,higher debt, and lower revenues are what cost him.
Now Obama highest debt and deficit in the shortest amount of time.... need I say more Hillary 2012
time4truth
how about some facts? the last time the budget was balanced was under a Dem President,...so yes, while the decades old talking point about tax and spend liberals is amusing,...it just doesn't pair up with the REALITY of the Cut Taxes and Spend Republicans.
No bid this and No bid that - war profiteering - war crimes - when does it all end with the Good Ole Republicans?
It won't end with them until they've enslaved the working class and declared themselves a Monarchy. The Greatest Myth is that Republicans are Fiscally Conservative.
They haven't been for decades - AND they've gone so far as to attempt to bankrupt the country While profiteering from our tax dollars,...it would be scandalous if anyone were paying the level of attention they SHOULD be paying.
How about the facts today. There won't ever be a balanced budget if Obama has anything to do with it. Do you really believe all Americans will be better off down the road? I bet not. This reaching in the past to justify poor results today will not play in the next Presidental election. Your (Obama's) results matter at some point. That time is soon to be here.
She's accomplished more than you I'll bet.
Hey Clara here is some facts(sorry I thought people already knew history) I'm a lib, I voted for that Dem Pres. twice but I'm also honest with my self.
Clinton was a good maybe great Pres. but it was also a Republican congress,oh yesw REPUBLICAN Clinton didn't have a lot of power but the good thing was Clinton and the Repups worked TOGETHER I know crazy idea. Clinton for the most part kept up what Reagan start.
He did raise taxes a little(dem Idea) but they cut spending WAY back (repub idea). Clinton was also the beneficiary of the Great DOT COM bubble in the stock market . Neither the Dems or Repubs can take credit for it. So Clinton gets A lot of credit wth very little effort.
So Clara if you want to live in a dream state believing the dems are the almighty ... Have Fun
x4truth
Well,...I'd like to think the SIX years of COMPLETE control that Bushie and his minions had speaks volumes. And it is certainly more recent history than your trip down memory lane.
Tax Cuts don't work. Didn't work then, don't work now. The tax sale needs to end AND spending needs to be curbed ESPECIALLY in Defense.
If we'd embrace renewable energies as a Nation, we could EASILY create a market very similar to the Dot Com boom. But we've got the idealogues entrenched in their Drill Baby Drill mentality. They scoff at renewable the same way the scoff at facts and education and the poor.
Kinda' makes you wonder here on Good Friday how they go about preparing for the Ascension, doesn't it? But I digress.
Presidents deal with what is in front of them. Sadly, President Obama has had to spend money and time on the FAILED policies of the last administration. Everyone wants quick solutions; but what they really should focus on are LONG TERM solutions.
Thanks, Beantown - I got this. And Tony's a decent guy. We just don't agree on anything except good wine.
Tony, things really only have to improve slightly for Our President to easily win re-election. The Trump distraction has been fun; but I haven't seen a serious candidate that could beat President Obama, yet. It will be an interesting 18 months, no doubt.
What is sad is that Trump is a bigger idiot than Ross Perot. Completely unelectable. His rhetoric is beginning to remind me of Hugo Chavez (of Venezuela).
I would like to be an idiot like those two they have created small fortunes and neither one is anything like Chavez. Mr. Obama is friendly with Hugo Chavez (of Venezuela) he likes his polocies. Why don't you pull your Che shirt over your head.
Personally I probably don't agree with half of what Pres. Obama does and that was also true of Reagan, Clinton, Bush I and Bush II. However, Trump is a train wreck involving a clown car, and, if the GOP is foolish enough to nominate him they deserve the defeat they will suffer in 2012.
At least Stewart and Colbert will have plenty of material to work with. So I guess a Trump candidacy would be good for comedy.
Jerry at least you realize they are comedians and not polotical experts.
You know, the only birth certificate I've ever had is a computer generated one with a stamp, I guess I'm not an American either. you should all go back and check you're records, you could be a foreigner and not even know it
isn't it funny that republicans always say the deficit is a dire crisis that makes it absolutely necessary for all of us to make sacrifices, but it's never necessary for them to make sacrifices, in fact all they do is whine about what little they're supposed to do now. some patriotism, they love being an american as long as they can get the benefits for free
Punting, kicking the can down the road.........might as well get used to it for the next 18 months. The prez is in full campaign mode...he sure as hell won't do anything to ruffle anyone's feathers. His re-election is more important to him than the welfare of this country or your's or my misery index. Just watch gas go way above $5 a gal for instance. All you will here from this administration is the sound of crickets. Inflation/deflation of the dollar, layoffs will resume, by the end of this summer what now seems like hell will be considered nirvana.
Change you can believe in? You betcha.
The Don is the only one to bring America back on track. Marxist policies and economics by Obama and his govt has brought us to what we are today. Democrats know this but they have buried their heads in the sand. They don't have the courage to admit that Obama has failed. Now, they see the DON is campaigning for the Tea Party and they are suddenly afraid that Obama is on the road to defeat and they are going to try every trick in the book to thwart the DON and the Tea Party. Only, yesterday they tried to break up the Tea Party with obscene slogans and threats. We don't see the Media saying anything. How nice.
Stalin produced his birth certificate, Mao did, Castro did, Chavez did , Lenin did, Obama can't. Because he was born in Hawaii, Kenya. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHHAAHHAAHAH
Trump may not be the best man to be president, but we will be hard pressed to find somebody worse than Obama. At least, we know Trump is loyal to America and has a vested interest in its success. I laugh everytime I hear some liberal bash Bush because Obama has done worse in every department. It makes me think that they dislike him because he didn't spend enough and didn't play golf enough. Actually, he didn't play at all, which is why they are really against him. Anyway, the liberals also claim that Republicans want to put the middle class in the poor house when the only time my financial situation has improved was when a Republican was in the White House. I saw 8 years of steady growth wiped out in 2! So much for your theory liberals. Don't let the rich media lead you into a life of servitude.
Democrats are shivering in their boots with a Trump candidacy. Trump has all the qualifications to be Prez. Obama zilch. nada. zero. non. Obama Marxist. Trump Capitalist. Obama Central govt control economy, Trump free market enterprise.
SCOREBOARD 2012 Obama 30% Trump 30% Clinton35% Paul 5%
zzzzz
How can anyone with half a brain call any President in history the worst when George Bush significantly holds that title. It was unimaginable that we all just sat around and watched this idiot kill our soldiers no absolutely no reason and then start up the same meaningless war in Afghanistan. Do you realize we invaded, without provacation two soveriegn countries. We would use nukes if Russia or China did that. Hell, look at the involvement and commitment we made when Iraq invaded Kuwait, like any American except oil executives, gave a crap about Kuwaiti's. Remember, the economic failures we are still experiencing at an increased rate were started by
Bush, he's the one that took us from a surplus to a trillion dollar deficit. He's the one who watched casually by while a thousand people died in Katrina when the military involvement was obviously called for in the first hours of the disaster. My God. No one could outline a worst presidency than Bush's. Trump is a characture, a cartoon in live action. Many of the buildings that carry his name he has no ownership. Due to good promotion and fakery lots of dumb people think if his name is on the building is must be good. In fact, he gets a fee to attach his name to the project. He's got money, but then he's always had money, his father left him a multi-millionare. If he's done anything well it would be that he didn't blow it all.
Thanks for proving my point Dave. So, what is your complaint? Bush did not spend enough because Obama has spent more money in two years than Bush did in eight. For your information, the President is forbidden from taking control of a state or sending in the military unless he has permission from the governor, which Bush was pleading for. However, she was too busy crying her liberal eyes out to do anything. Put the blame for Katrina on the people responsible who are the liberal governor and mayor. Also, we are still in Afghanistan and now Lybia. I guess you forgot that and the region is in turmoil since we departed Iraq. Bush may have had some other insight you are not privy to there. I will take Trumps free market over Obama's communism anyday.
Dave you are pobably a smart guy, but you seem to be using 1/2 your brain because you have half the facts and are choosing to cherry pick the facts that work for you.
OPSECALPHA--GOOD CALL on Katrina, our government is set up Mayor(dem) first, Govenor(dem) second then the Federal Government. The mayor and the govenor both told the citizens to stay in New Orleans during Katrina until last minute. Afterwards told Bush they didn't need him then when the levee broke they wanted help. Now we had FEMA in AL. Ms. Tx guess who waited too long and we couldn't get to them, now let's blame Bush and call him a racist. New Orleans and the state of Louisiana dropped the ball. Even Kanye West admitted he was wrong and apologized to Bush.
yes, he was an idiot, yet i remember he was voted in twice! arent you keepin track, Jimmy Carter was the worst president!
Now , WHY Obama doesn't want us to see his academic records? As a citizen I had to produce all my recorded qualifications for a job, for references, for police records, for documentation, for registration, for libraries, for inquiries, for identification purposes, for party purposes. I'm sure if I step into the offices of the Democratic Party , they'll call for my identification of birth certificate and other forms of id's and certificate of qualifications , and work references etc. Right Dems? So why not call on Obama to do the same? How can you serve a man who never was. Yet , soon you Dems will be calling for the head of The Don and all his business transactions, his birth certificate, his business dealings, his personal life and all document from his youth and adult which involve his qualifications. Should he hand it you?
So true Juven!
A govt controlled economy, more govt jobs than the private sector, Obama will never give in to a free market economy and he still wants income distribution. Result. America's economic rating is down the drain, I can't hear the humming of a vibrant industrial America. Immelt , the Democrat,with $15 billion has not paid a single RED cent for taxes. I have and other Americans have just turned over to the IRS our hard earned dues. Its heart breaking that I have to pay out my hard earned money which is a mere pittance compared with Immelt's billions of which he hasn't paid none. That hurts. And the Democrats talk and yell about rich Republicans. No wonder they are the party of Rosenbergs.
Juven,
1) S&P dropped our rating because of Republican threats to put our gov't into default.
2) Republicans want to redistribute income from the middle class to the wealthy (and middle class republicans are too stupid to realize it)
3) the manufacturing and export sectors of our economy have been expanding for over a year.
4) Immelt's tax evasion, along with Google's, Pfizer's and dozens of other US based multinationals is made possible by offshore income hiding rules passed by republicans, who had 8 years to change them and did nothing.
Trump's just mouthing the words the tea partiers require to prove his ideological purity:
1) hate Obama and all other democrats
2) hate government
3) hate illegal immigrants
4) hate all foreign countries
5) love guns
6) profess to love "freedom"
7) say "take our country back" even though the phrase has no meaning.
Now he's throwing in with birthers, which enhances his hate Obama credential.
you're wrong and you misspoke, not all tea partiers love guns, hate the government, hate illegal immigrants so why don't you get your facts straight!! we want to fix the government, and have illegals sent back to their country and come in the RIGHT way IF we have jobs for them, not to take our jobs away, and NOT TO TAKE OUR SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBERS WHICH I WOULD BE THROWN IN JAIL FOR IF I DID THAT!!! and they should NOT be allowed to get benefits from social programs that were meant to help AMERICANS in time of trouble!!! They get food stamps, housing, free health care, free schooling, and all on the backs of the tax payers!!! Tell me something isn't wrong with this picture!!! I'm so fed up with you Liberals!! Give them your paycheck why don't you!! You support them but leave my paycheck out of it!!
JOE When Bush was President, Hillary said it was our JOB to question the President so now if anyone questions the President it is HATE HATE HATE. Do you see something askew here? Probably not.
Hillary 2012
As much as I would love for Trump to win the GOP nomination (so the Democrats can win), I am disheartened that so many GOP voters are stupid enough to support this guy. I'm not making a statement about his ideology; I'm making a statement about his shocking dishonesty. This is the most transparent political rebranding I have EVER seen. My conservative friends, please understand that he does not believe a single word he is saying. This is a sales job. That's what he does. Does the phrase "The Art of the Deal" ring any bells? If you want crazy, at least have some self respect and go for authentic crazy. God knows there is no shortage of that in your party.
TO: Patrick at Salt Lake City and the person named josephi, who wrote this:
"The Birthers are made up of:"
"High-school and college drop outs, skinheads, Nazi's, people with IQs below 85, heavy drinkers".. etc. etc. To both of you......get well soon.
Ah don't you just love it ! The Republicans and the Tea Party provide so much fodder for comedians its causing unemployment for the comic writers. Who could dream up such clowns Speaking of which we may now sing their theme song "Send in the clowns... don't bother there here !"
I do not agree with everything Mr Trump says, but I do agree with his assessment of oblahblah. Mr Trump has a known, visible, and proved track record. You can touch it, smell it, feel it. He has a lot of the Reagan characteristics I liked but with more attitude. And most importantly, I trust him to do his best for America without political concerns.
You trust Trump? The flip flopper? Doesn't matter, he probably isn't even going to run. This is getting him a lot of publicity. Maybe Palin could be on his ticket.....naw, she isn't gonna run either. You are being manipulated. Again.
I knew OBama was a lousy president his first 6 months. Although Trump has economical savy he is just as out of touch with the common person as all the other politicians. The economy is NOT getting better , it has just a temporary band aid on it to boost ratings for the upcoming election. As soon as the election is over the recession will rear it's ugly head with twice the strength.
actually quite brilliant, let him wade into the muck, trying everything. this allows others to see what works, what does not. obviously, many are thirsty for a candidate with courage. on the other hand, worried about another smoot hawley proponent, even with a limited executive branch. other problem is a perotlike split should trump run independant.
be aware: if trump runs as independant, along with his birther stance, will prove without a doubt that he is actually working for the obama admin.
Maybe because I am now older but it seems that all of our politicians and leaders have joined into carnivalistic type fervor, is anyone serious about addressing our nation’s debt and overall cultural decline? Our leaders have succeeded in pitting Americans against one another just for a vote.
There is some truth in what you say. It is all about being elected. The problem with that today is that we are facing some serious issues and it will take bold action and a real leader to make it through the next several years. Obama does not have the "right stuff" to be that leader. Also his vision of people being dependent on government for their well being will bankrupt the country. Seems that is his plan. He says one thing and does another with the press going easy on him. Enough American people seem to be waking up to the fact that Obama has made many poor decisions and tries to hide his true beliefs.
Obama's goal is to transform our country into a Socialist State where everyone is equally poor except the elite few. Along with bad healthcare as just like Canada and the UK.
Soon you will see Union riots like in Greece and other Socialist EU countries. It's all part of the big plan.
Larry---I think you got the party wrong....GOP is advocating for further division, Look at what they are proposing these days....
This guy is a joke. The thought of him being President......I will run to the border.
go ahead....our businesses because of hcr, unions, and regulations have already beat you to it.
good, run