The Big Fail: “Smoke And Mirrors”

With Americans Still Struggling After Four Years, Obama Has Failed Bill Clinton’s Test Of Leadership

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In 2009, Former President Bill Clinton Said At The Same Location Obama Will Campaign At Today That The Only Thing That Matters Is “Whether People Are Better Off….” “In the end, when you get done with these public jobs, the only thing that matters when they’re all over is whether people are better off when you quit than when you started. The rest of it’s all smoke and mirrors and don’t forget it. That’s all that matters.”(Former President Bill Clinton, Remarks At A Campaign Rally For Terry McAuliffe, Roanoke, VA, 4/27/09)

FOUR YEARS LATER AND FAMILIES IN VIRGINIA ARE STILL STRUGGLING IN OBAMA’S ECONOMY

Unemployment: Virginia Has 241,862 Unemployed Seeking Work. (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Accessed 6/8/12)

Median Household Income: Since 2008, Virginia’s Median Income Has Fallen $559.(U.S. Census Website, Accessed 10/17/11)

Food Stamps: Since Obama Took Office, The Number Of People In Virginia Receiving Food Stamps Has Increased By 48 Percent. (“Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program: Number Of Persons Participating ,” Food Research And Action Center, Accessed 7/2/12; “Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program: Number Of Persons Participating,” USDA Food And Nutrition Service , Accessed 7/2/12)

Poverty: Between 2008 To 2010, 93,938 More People In Virginia Fell Into Poverty.(“Poverty: 2007 And 2008,” U.S. Census Bureau, 10/11; “Poverty: 2009 And 2010,” U.S. Census Bureau, 10/11)

College Tuition: The Average Student Graduating From A Four-Year College Institution In Virginia Has $23,327 In Debt. (Project On Student Debt, Accessed 5/4/12)

JUST LIKE FAMILIES ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY

Jobs: Since President Obama Took Office, The Nation Has Lost 473,000 Jobs And The Unemployment Rate Has Remained Above Eight Percent For A Record 41 Straight Months. (Bureau Of Labor Statistics, Accessed 7/6/12)

Unemployment: 23.4 Million Americans Are Unemployed, Underemployed Or Have Given Up Looking For Work. ( Bureau Of Labor Statistics , Accessed 7/6/12)

Long-Term Unemployment: Since Obama Took Office, The Average Duration Of Unemployment Has More Than Doubled From 19.8 Weeks To 39.9 Weeks. (Bureau Of Labor Statistics, Accessed 7/6/12)

Government Assistance: “49.1%: Percent Of The Population That Lives In A Household Where At Least One Member Received Some Type Of Government Benefit In The First Quarter Of 2011.” (Phil Izzo, “Number Of The Week: Half Of U.S. Lives In Household Getting Benefits,” The Wall Street Journal’s “Real Time Economics,” 5/26/12)

Food Stamps: Since President Obama Took Office, The Number Of Americans Receiving Food Stamps Has Increased From 31.9 Million To A Record 46.4 Million, A 45 Percent Increase. (Department Of Agriculture, 5/1/12)

Poverty: 97.3 Million Americans Now Qualify As Low-Income And Another 49.1 Million Are In Poverty; Together, 146.4 Million Americans Or 48 Percent Of The Population.(Hope Yen, “Census Shows 1 In 2 People Are Poor Or Low-Income,” The Associated Press, 12/15/11)

Median Household Income: “Real Median Household Income In March Was Down $4,300 Since Obama Took Office In January 2009 …” (Mike Dorning, “Obama Fails To Stem Middle-Class Slide He Blamed On Bush,” Bloomberg, 4/30/12)

College Tuition: Since President Obama Took Office, The Average Cost Of In-State Tuition At A Four Year College Has Risen From $6,585 To $8,244, A 25 Percent Increase. (“Trends In College Pricing 2009,” College Board, 2008; “Trends In College Pricing 2011,” College Board, 2011)

Health Care: Under Obama, The Average Cost Of Family Health Care Premiums Have Increased From $12,680 To $15,073. (“Employer Health Benefits, 2011 Annual Survey, Exhibit 1.11” Kaiser Family Foundation , 2011)