*In a town hall-style Q&A hosted by CNBC Monday, President Obama faced a question from an African American supporter that made instant headlines.
The woman identified herself as a veteran and an executive who is raising two children.
“I am one of your middle class Americans and, quite frankly, I’m exhausted,” she said. “I’m exhausted of defending you. I’m exhausted of defending your administration, defending the mantle of change that I voted for. And I’m deeply disappointed with where we are right now.”
The woman’s voice shook as she continued: “I have been told that I voted for a man who said he was going to change things in a meaningful way for the middle class. I am one of those people and I’m waiting sir. I’m waiting. I don’t feel it yet. And I thought, while it wouldn’t be in great measure, I would feel it in some small measure.”
She went on to explain that she and her husband have put their kids in private school and, next year, will deal with college bills. They thought these and other achievements meant they had strived past the point of struggle, but now they struggle consistently to make ends meet. “And quite frankly Mr. President,” she concluded, “I need you to answer this honestly: Is this my new reality?”
The president’s answer to the woman and throughout his time in office has been that the hole into which our economy fell during the Bush era is historically deep and it will take time to climb out. With the stimulus bill, financial reform and new credit card regulations from his administration, we are much father along than we would’ve been had they not been enacted.
Watch below.
How many years did it take for this country to implode, yet Pres. Obama is expected to fix it in under 4 years? This tells me that we are indeed in a “microwave” society, expecting quick results ASAP!!!
I’m a veteran too, and I’d never ask that question. Surely she has to know what got f-u-c-k-e-d up, down, over, under, side-to-side for the last 8yrs, ain’t gonna get fixed in a year and a half, and with “The House” not having your back—Sounds like an on-the-fence tea party member, I feel the breeze from her sway.
LOL.. ya think she’s a plant???
I was saying the same thing too. I think it’s a plant too from the Tea Party. You know they had to get the blackest nappy headed chic to pull it off. Now, don’t get me wrong, I feel her frustrations and everybody else’s and people have the right to speak out and call Prezzie O and anybody else out but folk have to be realistic that this damage can not and will not be cleaned up in 2 or 4 yrs. It takes time. A lot of people had to downsize so Missy might have to find her kids a top quality public education and save her money on private…just sayin.
Major FAIL for your [ignorant] unneccesary insults. The lady was not “Blackest” or “nappy headed.” You speak about her as if she was some chickenhead standing on the corner. She introduced herself as a CFO, veteran, mother, wife, and yes Obama supporter.
I wonder if you also saw the young White law school grad who stood up and said something similar as the Black lady; he also expressed his disappointment of the president. Was he a “nappy-headed plant” as well?
GTFOH.
No you GTFOH!!!
There’s no doubut that I feel her pain. A whole lot of folks are feeling the same way. Sometimes, you have to be careful what you wish for. I’m all for a black president, but when the country is real messed up the way it is, it takes a long minute to get things back in order. When the stock market crashed in 1929, it took damn near 10-15 years to get things really going. You just hope that the country gives Obama the time to get it the economy back going. Also, that a real hard look at Congress. Some of those folk really need to be voted out of there. They are the ones who are messing things up. Meanwhile, I grew up on hot dogs and beans, so I have no prblem with eating that. So my sista, I feel your pain, but hang in there.
I co-sign your comment about Congress, they’re the ones that actually should do our bidding, yet all they worry about is getting their arses re-elected!!!!
You do know the president is elected too right? The act of business doing is not limited to congress but should extend to the POTUS
I did not see the telecast last night but from what I have heard she made some valid points, she like myself and so many other citizens of the US are working and struggling to provide the basics so there is extreme concern here, as another poster said Pres Obama cannot solve all of the problems in one term so let’s just continue to pray for him and be hopeful.
Baby: I think that you expressed how I feel at this point on this subject.
There are some valid criticisms that can be made of ANY administration, and they should be appropriately expressed.
Now I understand exactly how frustrated some people can be with the Dems and this administration, and I’m not afraid to call him out up in the EUR, but I don’t think pulling some ish like that in public, this close to the election is the wisest thing to do.
There is so much at stake in this election. I heard that there is a huge redistricting stake, which could affect over a hundred seats in the next ten years, and it heavily favors the Repubs right now. So anything to reduce the bleeding.
Come on, we all know the people were dissatisfied with the previous administration, yet we never saw that televised, did we?
You know that would never happen with the Repubs. They pre-screen are all their town hall participants.
We’re all tired. We all feel it. What I don’t understand is what is soo hard to understand that it took 8 years to get in this mess and now it’s supposed to be better in 2 years????
Why is she tired of defending his administration??? His administration did not cause this. I hope we as a people learn to stick together and understand President Obama has a tough job on his hands and it is going to take longer before we see a difference.
Uhm, can you please find that unemployed person who can’t find a job and explain that they should wait a little longer to find a job because Obama didn’t cause it?
Don’t nobody wanna hear that crap. When you’re unemployed, you not trynna hear what will happen 3 years from now when your focus is on the right now. And right now, Obama is the president. Not Bush.
somebody check that heffa’s purse for a ruplicant green card. i bet the only thing u will find in there is some got dayum dippity-doo for that greasy azzed perm of her’s.
look at the way the brother to her right, your left is giving her the screw-face. he look like he saying to himself, “i outta clean that nappy headed tricks clock right now”…
Dude is giving her the side-eye something fierce! But dang, why she gotta be a “nappy headed trick?”
Just wow at the “she must be a plant” comments. Just…wow.
Well, in case you didn’t get a chance to read Bob Herbert, he expresses a similar sentiment. I guess he and the commenters on the NYT are “Republican plants” too, huh? lol
A must-read if you get a chance. An excerpt:
“There is real danger here for black people. In many cases, because of an excess of caution, policies that would help people in need are never even seriously considered, much less implemented. Forces that are hostile to blacks are not aggressively confronted, which, of course, empowers them. Perhaps more important, when you have to tiptoe around absolutely anything that has to do with blacks, it can leave the insidious impression that there is, in fact, something wrong with being black, something to be ashamed of.” http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/21/opinion/21herbert.html
I have yet to find a party that “allows time” for the opposite party in power to fix something. Where they do that at?
Democrats wanted Bush to fix whatever ailed the country ASAP. Hell, he was criticized for waiting 30 seconds before he got and left the classroom on 9/11. He was criticized for waiting several days before he went down to New Orleans during Katrina. He was criticized for not ending a war ywo years after it started.
Now people are being too hard on Obama because??? I get it. Only because he’s Obama and bet nobody say nuffin about him. Lord help us if you’re black and criticizing him. Then the scoundrels root up from their dungeons.
On another note, if this woman is struggling to send her kids to private school, her priorities are fkd all the hell up!
Bullsh!t! This country didn’t have any debt when Bush took office. We were in the BLACK… Clinton left this country debit free! So you can stop with all the crap about George fixing anything…. George borrowed $3 Billion from the Chinese to finance the Wars.
And if any of you want to know the real deal about 9/11 check out the DVD Loose Change 9/11 An American Coup.
Of course, I wouldn’t expect you to understand or believe the truth if it SLAPPED you in the face, Steppin Fetchit!
*sigh* Let me SLAP you in the fact with a couple of facts:
Have you wondered why you never hear anyone claim that Clinton lowered the national debt? I mean if he left a surplus, he lowered the debt too right? Fact, the national debt continued to rise under Clinton just as it is now. you can check the treasury departments website for actuals on that. It is searcheable by year.
Clinton left this country debt free?…Your wrong conclusion would be funny if it were not sad. As your logic stands, the US’s debt was @Zero when Bush took office.
Of course, I wouldn’t expect you to understand or believe the TRUTH even if it were a tampon.
*sigh*
Sambo; I love how you ignorant, agrrogant ass repugnantcans, always twist the facts to suit your own agenda… It is a historical fact that Democratic presidents produced a 12.3% annual return on the S&P 500 compared to just 8% under Republicans presidents. This study was conducted by Slate.com from 1900 to 2001. Also the gross domestice product growth was 5.4 under dems pres compared to 1.6 under reps pres. during this same study.
When Clinton left office the budget was balanced, & social security was solvent. The middle class grew more under Clinton adminstration than in any of the other Rep president. It shrunk tremendously under Bush. In other words the Rich got Richer, and the Poor got poorer.
Twist it anyway you want to (because I know you will), but Bush did a piss poor ass job as president of this country, and Obama is trying to clean up the Sh!t Bush left….
This is similar to when Calvin Coolidge, Herber Hoover, and Franklin Roosevelt were Presidents. Obama is in the same position as Herbert Hoover in that he inherited a pesidency when the economy was real messed up. Hoover tried to steer it back on course, but failed miserably and he was out of there in 4 years and Roosevelt became president. Roosevelt had to stay 4 terms to get it right. I am hoping that Obama can at least get it on the right track before his term ends, but it’s going to be tough.
I just think that people are just now finding out how phucked the economy really is. I’m no politician, but the infastructure in this country really needs help and if you can provide jobs to do that rather than hiring “outside contract companies to do it,this can be a way of stimulating the economy. I kniow for a fact that the railroads in this country really need an over-haul, especially in the Northeast. These trains break down every other day!!
Obamam doesn’t want a pass, but he does want the chance to get it right.
Well said, Ghank.
It’s funny or maybe it isn’t, but, when I voted for Barack Obama never did I expect him, once he took office, expect him to come in and solve everything this country is going through, that has been using a formula from past european men from the last 400 years, never did I expect that from him……………..
This woman is the CFO of a company. She is not making $60 – 80 – 120K a year, which many would LOVE to have. She is making a lot more here in Washington, there is no doubt in my mind, and is not considered middle class as we would think of it. Don’t get me wrong, I understand that when you become acclimated to a particular lifestyle, you want it to continue…..but when you preface your remarks stating that you and your husband send your children to PRIVATE schools, yet you are struggling to make ends meet…..wait a minute. If you are that strapped for cash…….Obama did not say it but I will…….YOU are the reason for your stuggle, not the Obama administration. Take your kids out of private school and save a good portion of that money for college. Then you will be light years ahead of anyone I know that is ‘middle class’ whose kids have to get student loans, parent loans, and payday loans to go to community and state colleges.
In addition – You ask if struggling to make ends meet is your’new reality.’ But these ends don’t include complaints about job loss, struggle with paying rent/mortgage and putting food on the table or buying necessities for everyday living, helping elderly parents……but you are stuggling?
I am just saying……….
Shoelover; YOU ARE EXACTLY CORRECT!!! For her to ask the President ” Is this my new reality?” is one of the most asinine question I’ve ever heard asked.
This whiny bitch has a husband, they are both working jobs where they can afford to put their children in PRIVATE SCHOOLS, yet she is complaning?
If she wasn’t a plant place in the audience, there has never been one!
I was thinking the same thing! She put herself in that situation not the administration. I beleive she is living above her means and Obama has NOTHING to do with that. if you budget your money and be responsible you wouldnt be having this problem lady!
I’m impressed this woman had the courage to speak out given that the crabs in the barrel want to lynch her for her perspective.
I felt she was respectful, honest, and compelling. What she said had merit.
And many supporters are feeling the same way.
She didn’t say she expected the problems to be fixed … she said she expected to feel some small shift. I agree. His stimulus plans were not effective. And Michelle’s trip-taking and Hollywood schtick does not mesh well with the daily reality of many Americans.
I agree with Colin Powell’s recent comment that the Obamas have lost touch a bit.
I’m angry at the venom spewed against this woman; so much of it is self-hatred of black aesthetics. It’s unreal to think every black person has to be a robotic, sycophant when it comes to Obama.
And this woman has a right to send her kids to private school. There’s something wrong when being middle class in America doesn’t afford you that option. There is a shrinking middle class and that’s a huge problem.
I supported Obama as well, but I have to say I’m very curious about where Hillary Clinton (with her and Bill’s ingenuity together) would have this country by now had she gotten the Dem nomination.
I know it takes time. I hope Obama is planning some solid, innovative moves. They need to be better than that rushed health care bill which was majorly flawed.
She didn’t say she expected the problems to be fixed … she said she expected to feel some small shift. I agree. His stimulus plans were not effective. And Michelle’s trip-taking and Hollywood schtick does not mesh well with the daily reality of many Americans
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The stimulus wasn’t effective based on what? I’ve yet to hear an objective economist claim what you have here. Also, exactly what about a President’s (and his family) life that meshes well with most americans. Prior to him, Bush vacationed on his 1500 acre private ranch. Clinton vacationed at his home in Chappaqua (i think).
All of them live/d for free, had police protection, flew in taxpayer funded aircrafts, are chauffered around the city, never wait in a line, etc. Now what exactly about any of that meshes well with the daily reality of most americans?
Hi Muds,
When a country is in a recession and people have to sacrifice, the leader of that country should match that sacrifice by showing restraint not flamboyant spending… as in redecorating and taking luxury vacations.
The Roosevelts did not behave like that during the Great Depression.
So, when I mention “mesh” … that isn’t saying to live like the populace. How can they?
However, by showing sacrifice and restraint they can mesh their principles with the reality of their country. (Or they can do they opposite like Marie Antoinette is famous for).
As far as the failure of the stimulus … even members of Obama’s administration have admitted that didn’t work. Many banks who were granted money didn’t leverage it properly and did not lessen their struggles. Also, many programs designed to stop foreclosures and save homes only worked for a few months and the majority of people involved still lost homes (Google it. There were many stories.). Also, the millions to the auto industry was expected to push people to buy more cars but once the trade-in credits were exhausted in a mere matter of weeks, many car dealers still did not see sales increases and were forced to lay off workers and close plants.
Change takes time of course. Intelligent people don’t argue that. But intelligent people also expect major moves from a leader who’s pledged change — they don’t expect impotent moves and a wishy-washy soft response to the nation’s problems.
But continue your blind sycophantic behavior if you desire. I support Obama as well, but I believe in constructive and honest critique.
synthia Reply:
September 21st, 2010 at 4:16 pm”But continue your blind sycophantic behavior if you desire. I support Obama as well, but I believe in constructive and honest critique.”
And this is one of my pet peeves. People claiming intellect as their strongsuit under a mantle of ignorance. Just blind stupidity.
Fine, let me be a sycophant but what I am not is a liar, your biggest challenge here. Here’s some sycophantic information, Synthia’s logic will have us believe that the stimulus failed. That means no jobs were created, community centers opened, construction begun etc. because it FAILED. That’s your basic claim and just as I know that there is no such thing as the Tooth Fairy, there is also no truth to your clear, purposeful misappropriation of facts. Logically, there is a discussion being had over whether the stimulus did what it was designed to do but no person w/the ability to deduce facts believed that it provided NOTHING. I know this because I’ve passed several signs across the mid-atlantic which read “This project is paid for with American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds.” Now unless there are two ARRA’s, you Synthia lack the intellect to realize the difference between an opinion and a fact. I’m a syco, but I’m not a liar.
Redecorating what exactly? The oval office? Obama had the same oval office design as Bush. Every president has been able to design their own but it should be different now why? Oh I forgot, because times are hard and a President shouldn’t behave like every other single president before us. And please stop listening to what some talking head said. Roosevelt became president over 77 years ago. Why in the world would you compare what people were able to do with their money back then to now? Last I checked, Michelle spent her OWN money to take HER daughter on a trip. But I guess she shoulda opted for a more “of the people” vacation and opted for a trip to Busch Gardens or Six Flags.
It’s clear, you have prided yourself on “challenging” the president. However, it would benefit your cause more if you separated fact from opinion. Or it could just be that you don’t know what the facts are. That, imo, wouldn’t be surprising. The Tea Party is also against something, they don’t know what it is, but they are against it.
You think Obama has an impotent, wishy wash response but I didn’t read your policy prescriptions in your criticism either tho. That’s because you don’t have any.
BTW, there really was no such thing as a death panel you know.
Hold on….crabs in the barrel is where a person tries to get out and those in the barrel try to keep her in.
No one is trying to drag this woman down. She is whining that she doesn’t want to come back in our barrel to play. Heck, I enjoy a good fried bologna sanwich, baked beans and tuna fish. I got out before, i can get out again.
In this day of ecomonic woes, we all legitimately can cry ‘WOE IS ME.’ And we all can look at our situations, examine the things we said yes and no in the past 6 years and if we were honest, can say that we did, or did not, do what we needed to do to weather this storm.
I mean, really….aren’t we all aware of saving for a rainy day?
Now, I understand that she did not expect the problems to be fixed [immediately], however given the situation that she is in (given that she did not complain about loss of job, etc.) I am not sure what shift she is looking for. If her only complaint is paying for private school and college……there is nothing that I know of that would be different if a Republican was in office or if the President was white.
That is why I have a problem with her statements, no other reason. Repeat: With her statements, not her personally.
Second, if the stimulus plans were not effective, blame Bush. He and the Republican party came up with that idea. Obama signed on and carried it through and ALMOST ALL OF US WERE OVERJOYED.
I do think, however, both sides had different reasons and motives for signing up for it.
That said, if the stimulus was not carried out, we would really see the effects of our foolish personal spending and spending money on wars that weren’t needed. The fact is, what goes up, must come down before it can go back up again. A recession nor a depression can be stopped.
THEY CAN’T BE STOPPED.
But you can try to slow it down and diminish the impact of it, which is what the stimulus package did.
But it does stop us from whining like children to let the good times keep rolling.
You must pay the piper if you want to be the Boss.
“Second, if the stimulus plans were not effective, blame Bush. He and the Republican party came up with that idea. Obama signed on and carried it through and ALMOST ALL OF US WERE OVERJOYED.”
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A clarification was in order. For all purps, there were two stlimulus packages. One passed by Bush that required Obama to implement. The other passed last year under the Obama Administrations watch.
According to the treasury dept, about 75% of TARP money (BUSH) has been repaid.
The ARRA (Obama’s baby) was supposed to be the job creator.
We have been inching toward a recession for at least 7-8 years and slid into a depression two 1/2 years ago when the mortgage fiasco finally showed itself and spurred a reactionary crisis. I remember economic stimulus checks beginning around the time of 9/11. Don’t you? Bush enacted stimulus packages for many years to artificially spur on inflation and stimulate the economy in the past 4-5 years alone, to the tune of approx. $150 billion per year. ($300 – 1200 rebate checks, remember them? how many understood why we were getting them?) Then $787 billion TARP Stimulus plan everyone is mad over because it “bailed” out the banks, insurance and mortgage companies. Then Obama created ARRA stimulus which funneled through government agencies to states and local government….to businesses to slow down layoffs and create new jobs. Bridges are being rebuilt, roads widened, tunnels created, subways expanded. Thousands of blue collar workers still working. Engineers analyzing, creating and planning. Contracts, finance and managers managing. Middle class workers still working.
If it wasn’t for ARRA, unemployment could have reached 20-25% easy breezy.
If you want real numbers, check out recovery.gov to see where the money went, who got access to it. Keep checking for the next two quarters (Oct/Nov and Feb/Mar) to see how much money was actually spent.
You see, everyone who received funds had to report what they were awarded and what they did with it. They had to report how many people they hired with the funds and how many jobs the money SAVED. Even more interesting, the businesses that received the money had to report the TOTAL compensation of FIVE (5) top executives, by name. Agencies were accountable for who they awarded the money to. i.e. they were given guidelines to follow: the money must create jobs.
Sidebar: The reason why much of the TARP money was paid back was because the BANKS did not want the government in their business. So they get millions in TARP because they were SO UNDERWATER, but they are able to pay it back within 3 months? 6 months? AND report profits every quarter? They didn’t need the money in the first place and at least “I” knew it.
You want to know where the jobs are? Ask the Republicans that refused to accept ARRA funds. Ask everyday people like the CFO lady and her boss who made decisions not to accept ARRA funds, therefore did not subcontract to small businesses, creating jobs/saving jobs.
We cry over a little spilt milk when we should be praising God we have any at all to drink. What?!
My only problem with Obama is that he is trying to fix GREED and it can not be fixed or legislated. Businesses will layoff to keep their profit and their bonuses. period.
Shoelover — why would I blame Bush for the weak impact of the stimulus? I blame him for the recession and the country’s debt. However, during the presidential campaign, all candidates knew they would face a country at its worst and had to have innovative plans. He talked a good game .. but where’s the innovation. Where’s all the green jobs, etc?
And “crabs in a barrel” will not allow one crab to separate from the rest. They like to keep everyone in the same environment. This analogy is great for showing lockstep and groupthink. Just like this thread — everyone bashed the lady for leaving the blackpack and daring to oppose Obama.
Synthia, because the stimulus money for banks and housing was from the TARP, which was Bush’s stimulus. ARRA was Obama’s…..research what it is about then let’s talk.
Re: crabs in a barrel……this lady is not in the same barrel or ‘environment’ as middle class. I live in DC and as a CFO, she has employees that are several rings below her that make 125k a year in this area. That is roughly 8k a month bring home pay. CFOs bring in at least 3, 4, 5 hundred thousand a year. Private schools are paid 2-3k a month…minimum. That is why I am upset with her. It certainly isn’t because she ‘opposed’ Obama.
Have a good week!
Shoelover; Thank You for setting the record straight. What piss me off about this woman, is that she is complaining about how bad it is for her family, because the Obama recover plan has not yet produced a more favorable economy…
She is blessed to be able to send her childern to private school. She is blessed to have a job. All I hear her doing is complaining about how bad things are for her. Get Over It Lady, and thank God for your current situation, because many people in this country have it a whole lot worse!!!
Ok, I know I’m knitpicking, but I can’t help it… Shouldn’t it be “I’m exhausted FROM defending you?” I checked and accordng to MSWord, the sentence is grammatically correct as she originally stated it. But for some reason it just doesn’t sound right. OK, now that I got that out the way, sistergirl made some valid points, but if she and her husband are so strapped for cash then she needs to take her kids out of private school. Or get a second job folding towels at Target or Walmart. Times are hard right now and that IS the new reality. Nothing’s going to change in the short run. And she and anyone else who expected Obama to wave his magic wand and fix this economy overnight NEED to be sorely disappointed because those expectations are unrealistic. I voted for Obama with my eyes wide open. I knew “change” wasn’t coming anytime soon. But, IMO, he was waaayy better than the alternative. Can you imagine how screwed we would be if McPalin got in? *shudders*
LMAO! I just threw up in my mouth alittle thinking about how we would be if palin and mccain were in office.
I ask myself this all the time, ClosetNerdGirl. Should we have let Palin and McCain run the country? Hmmm… And if Obama decides not to run for a 2nd term or if he’s not re-elected and we get another Republican president what can we really expect then? The Tea Party has already told us what they plan to do if they EVER get control. Hmmm… And be clear – I’m not saying we should complain or hold president Obama accountable, but we do have to look at the WHOLE picture from beginning to end. See…the scary thing about all this is that it can get worse – a whole lost worse!
Tell ‘em what you are working with, CNG and MrUnapologetic69.
The Rev. Jesse Jackson has some interesting thoughts on this matter (and I like his ideas for stimulus, which inclulde moratoriums on foreclosures and student loan forgiveness. I also like the urban reconstruction suggestion):
http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2010-09-21/jesse-jackson-how-obama-can-win-velma-hart-back/