Has any US President ever been dealt a worse hand than Obama?

[NewbieJr 541]

Between the worst financial collapse (which was at it's early stages, unfortunately) since the 1920's, and the war situation in Iraq, has there ever been a US President who had the odds stacked against him as much as Barrack Obama?

 

Obviously, the mess with the economy was deep-rooted and started long before anyone even knew who Obama was, but he was handed the task of trying to strighten it out.

 

As for the war, by now, 99% of Americans know that we never should have even gone over there, but that doesn't change the fact that we are involved in what could be a worldwide political nightmare if the withdrawing of troops causes international problems and doesn't go smoothly.

 

 

 

The point of this thread isn't to discuss whether we think he'll succeed or not, everyone's opinion on that ois well documented. The question posed is, has any US President ever been handed a more daunting task?

 

Discuss.

[titans&bucs&bearsohmy! 2,745]

Between the worst financial collapse (which was at it's early stages, unfortunately) since the 1920's, and the war situation in Iraq, has there ever been a US President who had the odds stacked against him as much as Barrack Obama?

 

Obviously, the mess with the economy was deep-rooted and started long before anyone even knew who Obama was, but he was handed the task of trying to strighten it out.

 

As for the war, by now, 99% of Americans know that we never should have even gone over there, but that doesn't change the fact that we are involved in what could be a worldwide political nightmare if the withdrawing of troops causes international problems and doesn't go smoothly.

The point of this thread isn't to discuss whether we think he'll succeed or not, everyone's opinion on that ois well documented. The question posed is, has any US President ever been handed a more daunting task?

 

Discuss.

 

Roosevelt. Lincoln. That's about it.

[edjr 7,127]

one time, back in college, I was playing azzhole and I was president..

 

Was a 6 handed game and I didn't get anything higher than a queen and I had no special cards.

 

Worst hand ever for a president.

[GettnHuge 2]

The next guy who will have to get the smell out.

[Me_2006 14]

Lincoln, easily. At least Obama has an America to try and straighten out. Plus, I'm sorry, but an economic recession due to the greed and lack of responsibility of Americans isn't nearly as dire as slavery and Civil War.

 

 

Secession>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Recession

[Sho Nuff 720]

So basically, you will excuse him for any failures as president.

Thanks...but I think by your posts we already knew that.

[NewbieJr 541]

So basically, you will excuse him for any failures as president.

Thanks...but I think by your posts we already knew that.

Nope. Just asked a question. Do you have any thoughts on who had a tougher list of probelms to start?

[wiffleball 4,799]

I think the serious responders have it right.

 

Makes you wonder why any sane man would want the damn job.

[cmh6476 1,189]

woes me

[Sho Nuff 720]

Makes you wonder why any sane man would want the damn job.

 

I don't think any sane people want it....

[KSB2424 3,175]

No matter who was POTUS right now, it is a trying time. No doubt. However these troubles were on the horizon pre-election. He knew what he was getting into.

 

As a contrast IMO Bush had one of the most difficult post-election hands dealt. I don't care who was President, but both 9/11 and to a lesser extent Katrina, was some of the most difficult circumstances to be President.

 

So what I'm saying is that they all have their own problems and crisis to deal with. Comes with the territory

[edjr 7,127]

Anyone with 1/3 of a brain saw what was coming and should have known what a crappy state the USA was in.

 

Obama thought being the messiah he is, could just wave his magic wand, raise taxes, spend trillions and it would all just be alright again.

[pimptastic69 0]

Things were pretty bad when Reagan took over.

 

Prime Rate

1981: 20.5%

2009: 3.25% (Current)

 

Inflation

1980: 14.8%

2008: 0% (December)

 

Unemployment Rate

1982: 10.8%

2008: 7.2% (December)

 

30-Year Mortgage Rate

1981: 18.5%

2009: 4.96% (Current)

 

Real Gas Price (2008 dollars)

1981: $3.45 per gallon

2009: $1.82 (Current)

 

http://www.britannica.com/blogs/2009/01/th...80s-were-worse/

 

Also, add in the Cold War and Iran Hostage crisis.

[cmh6476 1,189]

Things were pretty bad when Reagan took over.

 

Prime Rate

1981: 20.5%

2009: 3.25% (Current)

 

Inflation

1980: 14.8%

2008: 0% (December)

 

Unemployment Rate

1982: 10.8%

2008: 7.2% (December)

 

30-Year Mortgage Rate

1981: 18.5%

2009: 4.96% (Current)

 

Real Gas Price (2008 dollars)

1981: $3.45 per gallon

2009: $1.82 (Current)

 

http://www.britannica.com/blogs/2009/01/th...80s-were-worse/

 

Also, add in the Cold War and Iran Hostage crisis.

[Vikings4ever 570]

As a contrast IMO Bush had one of the most difficult post-election hands dealt. I don't care who was President, but both 9/11 and to a lesser extent Katrina, was some of the most difficult circumstances to be President.

Plus fallout from the recession from the .com bust, China and India entering the 20th century, the rise and fall of the oil bubble, and the housing bubble finally bursting.

[cmh6476 1,189]

Plus fallout from the recession from the .com bust, China and India entering the 20th century, the rise and fall of the oil bubble, and the housing bubble finally bursting.

all the while having to deal with liberal opposition to everything he did or said

[KSB2424 3,175]

Plus fallout from the recession from the .com bust, China and India entering the 20th century, the rise and fall of the oil bubble, and the housing bubble finally bursting.

And if Bush is gonna be judged so badly on how he dealt with those crisis (which is prolly a fair grade) then Obama should also be judged on how he deals with the current ones. Obama doesn't get a free "excuse" card (which I think is the underlying theme that Newbie is trying to get across). All Presidents have troubles to tackle.

[GettnHuge 2]

Anyone with 1/3 of a brain saw what was coming and should have known what a crappy state the USA was in.

 

Obama thought being the messiah he is, could just wave his magic wand, raise taxes, spend trillions and it would all just be alright again.

 

Being president right now should be easy because the best thing to do....IS ALMOST NOTHING! The more he does, the

worse it'll be. Select Ron Paul as sec. of doing stuff and sit back and :watermelon:

[tubby_mcgee 702]

Economy is worse now than it was the day before he was elected. You do the math.

[pimptastic69 0]

all the while having to deal with liberal opposition to everything he did or said

 

I think a lot of that can be attributed to the internet. When you look at Clinton's second term and both Bush terms, it seems like everything about the presidency is bad. Coincidentally, 1996 was about the time that the internet started taking off. There is nothing the President can do that isn't immediately scrutinized/blasted.

[wiffleball 4,799]

Things were pretty bad when Reagan took over.

 

Prime Rate

1981: 20.5%

2009: 3.25% (Current)

 

Inflation

1980: 14.8%

2008: 0% (December)

 

Unemployment Rate

1982: 10.8%

2008: 7.2% (December)

 

30-Year Mortgage Rate

1981: 18.5%

2009: 4.96% (Current)

 

Real Gas Price (2008 dollars)

1981: $3.45 per gallon

2009: $1.82 (Current)

 

http://www.britannica.com/blogs/2009/01/th...80s-were-worse/

 

Also, add in the Cold War and Iran Hostage crisis.

 

I lived in that era. Every stat posted is the result of inflation - essentially a hyper-economy. In a dead economy, obviously the numbers will be lower.

 

The Iran Hostage Crisis was over the minute he took office.

 

The Cold War? At that point, largely a fiction we were fighting on our own. The Soviet economy was dead in the water, but the CIA kept telling us what turned out to be completely untrue - the big bad commies were paying their soldiers and scientist in toilet paper.

 

Not bashing Reagan but as someone who lived through that era, it looked NOTHING Like the landscape today. 2 Quagmire wars, Record Foreclosures, Bankruptcies - no sorry, the 80's were a freaking cake walk compared to what we face today.

[tubby_mcgee 702]

The next guy who will have to get the smell out.

 

 

Beer farts or Kool Menthol's?

[NorthernVike 2,113]

Things were pretty bad when Reagan took over.

 

Prime Rate

1981: 20.5%

2009: 3.25% (Current)

 

Inflation

1980: 14.8%

2008: 0% (December)

 

Unemployment Rate

1982: 10.8%

2008: 7.2% (December)

 

30-Year Mortgage Rate

1981: 18.5%

2009: 4.96% (Current)

 

Real Gas Price (2008 dollars)

1981: $3.45 per gallon

2009: $1.82 (Current)

 

http://www.britannica.com/blogs/2009/01/th...80s-were-worse/

 

Also, add in the Cold War and Iran Hostage crisis.

 

 

 

Thinking back. And remember I was in high school at the time. Ronnie was viewed as somewhat a "Messiah" also by the right. Maybe this new Messiah will turn out to be just as good.

 

For all of our sakes, I sure hope so.

[RicemanX 20]

Yea, Reagan was definitely dealt a bad hand as well.

 

But Obama's hand is definitely a 2-7 offsuit.

[wiffleball 4,799]

No matter who was POTUS right now, it is a trying time. No doubt. However these troubles were on the horizon pre-election. He knew what he was getting into.

 

As a contrast IMO Bush had one of the most difficult post-election hands dealt. I don't care who was President, but both 9/11 and to a lesser extent Katrina, was some of the most difficult circumstances to be President.

 

So what I'm saying is that they all have their own problems and crisis to deal with. Comes with the territory

 

Boy, the 9/11 comment is just not right KSB. Bush had done nothing to distinguish himself prior to 9/11 - except be on vacation for a record 4 months. After 9/11, the country gave him a HUGE honeymoon. As we've discussed before, his popularity went to near-record levels - and stayed there. Nobody could question the President after 9/11, then "we're at war" . His numbers didn't start to drop until the summer of '05. That's a 4 year honeymoon.

 

Some of you guys have really short memories and think that everyone "hated" Bush the whole 8 years. It's just not statistically, historically or factually accurate. In fact, we now know that the Press and Congress gave this guy WAY too much leeway after 9/11. Face it, when you've got the NY Times making up articles to help Bush's agenda, that's a really wierd time in history.

 

But you're right that every president has his stuggles. But I don't think I've seen a POTUS in my lifetime inherit a bigger dungpile than right now. I wish whoever's in office the best. - 'Cause failure means more than "I told you so!" on the internet.

[Recliner Pilot 61]

Things were pretty bad when Reagan took over.

 

Prime Rate

1981: 20.5%

2009: 3.25% (Current)

 

Inflation

1980: 14.8%

2008: 0% (December)

 

Unemployment Rate

1982: 10.8%

2008: 7.2% (December)

 

30-Year Mortgage Rate

1981: 18.5%

2009: 4.96% (Current)

 

Real Gas Price (2008 dollars)

1981: $3.45 per gallon

2009: $1.82 (Current)

 

http://www.britannica.com/blogs/2009/01/th...80s-were-worse/

 

Also, add in the Cold War and Iran Hostage crisis.

 

 

Newbie and the rest of the Demwits would truly love to erase ol' Peanuthead from the history books, wouldn't they.

[NorthernVike 2,113]

Yea, Reagan was definitely dealt a bad hand as well.

 

But Obama's hand is definitely a 2-7 offsuit.

 

 

Well, that certainly explains his bluff of hope and change.

[Vikings4ever 570]

But Obama's hand is definitely a 2-7 offsuit.

And he's going all in.

[kilroy69 1,275]

Lincoln. Hands down. Especially coming into it knowing your election may have just fractured the union. Plus he had to deal with freeing an entire race of people who up until that point were not really even considered to be "people" in some states.

 

Throw in the fact that both France AND England were sending war materials to the south in an effort to keep the union split and you have the worst hand ever.

[GettnHuge 2]

Beer farts or Kool Menthol's?

 

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qi...21205246AA8QrR1

[AsimoV 0]

Between the worst financial collapse (which was at it's early stages, unfortunately) since the 1920's, and the war situation in Iraq, has there ever been a US President who had the odds stacked against him as much as Barrack Obama?

 

Obviously, the mess with the economy was deep-rooted and started long before anyone even knew who Obama was, but he was handed the task of trying to strighten it out.

 

As for the war, by now, 99% of Americans know that we never should have even gone over there, but that doesn't change the fact that we are involved in what could be a worldwide political nightmare if the withdrawing of troops causes international problems and doesn't go smoothly.

The point of this thread isn't to discuss whether we think he'll succeed or not, everyone's opinion on that ois well documented. The question posed is, has any US President ever been handed a more daunting task?

 

Discuss.

 

The democrats have control of the presidency, house of reps and the senate.

 

Yeah, he really has his back against the wall there.

 

P.S. - Do you form all of your opinions by reading the backs of cereal boxes... or just this one?

[edjr 7,127]

Well, that certainly explains his bluff of hope and change.

 

Maybe they were playing a 2,7 bounty?

[pimptastic69 0]

Yea, Reagan was definitely dealt a bad hand as well.

 

But Obama's hand is definitely a 2-7 offsuit.

 

Here's what I don't understand. If things were pretty shiity back in the early 80s, and we got out of it, why not follow the same roadmap? Apparently whatever Reagan did worked, so why do the complete opposite and hope to achieve the same result?

[TD Ryan2 316]

it's a Catch 22 for Obama.

 

if the economy doesn't tank, the presidential election isn't about the economy and Obama doesn't get elected.

 

if the economy does tank, Obama gets elected with a horrific recession looming.

[TD Ryan2 316]

Apparently whatever Reagan did worked

 

Reagan outspent the Russians.

I assure, the new administration will again, oustpend the enemy.

 

so we got that going for us.

[GettnHuge 2]

Here's what I don't understand. If things were pretty shiity back in the early 80s, and we got out of it, why not follow the same roadmap? Apparently whatever Reagan did worked, so why do the complete opposite and hope to achieve the same result?

 

like huge tax breaks for those who employ others?

[tubby_mcgee 702]

it's a Catch 22 for Obama.

 

if the economy doesn't tank, the presidential election isn't about the economy and Obama doesn't get elected.

 

if the economy does tank, Obama gets elected with a horrific recession looming.

 

 

Or if your a left winger.....it's a "WIN-WIN" situation.

 

Sh1t get's fixed it's "tada...see the Messiah fixed it"

 

Sh1t doesn't get fixed it's "well, ya see, Bush had things so focked up...how do you expect the Messiah to fix it? "

[Frank M 181]

woes me

 

 

Woe is me, retard!

 

You've got a job in our government? No wonder shiot is focked up.

[NorthernVike 2,113]

Or if your a left winger.....it's a "WIN-WIN" situation.

 

Sh1t get's fixed it's "tada...see the Messiah fixed it"

 

Sh1t doesn't get fixed it's "well, ya see, Bush had things so focked up...how do you expect the Messiah to fix it in JUST 4 years? "

 

 

fixed

[cmh6476 1,189]

Woe is me, retard!

 

You've got a job in our government? No wonder shiot is focked up.

ebonics