Only 74K jobs added in December.

[weso1]

That's not a good sign at all. Let's hope it's just a fluke month.

[Krgrecw]

That's not a good sign at all. Let's hope it's just a fluke month.


What an idiot that George Bush was. He left Obama in a ****hole of an economy. Once Obama can implement his vision for America our economy will take off. Just give Obama time

[CK86]

Gotta be the GOP's fault.

[goldfly]

Once Obama can implement his vision for America our economy will take off.

can you tell me when you think that might actually happen?

[BedellBrave]

What an idiot that George Bush was. He left Obama in a ****hole of an economy. Once Obama can implement his vision for America our economy will take off. Just give Obama time


Anybody for a third term?

[zitothebrave]

While I disagree with Obama, I love the humor of both sides. Like it's Obama or Bush's fault. People blaming the president who has little power is like blaming your car salesman when your car blows up.

[goldfly]

Anybody for a third term?

isn't that what Obamas first term was?

we are on the 4th term of W now

do we need a 5th?

[jpx7]

isn't that what Obamas first term was?

we are on the 4th term of W now

do we need a 5th?

Correction: We are on Ronald Reagan's ninth term. Do we really need a tenth?

[Hawk]

At this point Obama seems to be about as much of a colossal lame duck as Bush was his during his last term. Barack is just sitting around spit-shining his pyrite. Will be interesting to see how the media runs with Gates' book that comes out on Tuesday.

[Julio3000]

Correction: We are on Ronald Reagan's ninth term. Do we really need a tenth?

Well said.

[Julio3000]

Anyone want to tell me how this slog of a recovery would be appreciably different under President Romney? Or President McCain, for that matter?

[zitothebrave]

Anyone want to tell me how this slog of a recovery would be appreciably different under President Romney? Or President McCain, for that matter?

It wouldn't. Until we fire all of congress nothing will change. Both the Rs and the Ds are controlled by money, Maybe they're controlled by different sectors.

[Hawk]

Anyone want to tell me how this slog of a recovery would be appreciably different under President Romney? Or President McCain, for that matter?

I didn't support McCain or Romney, but you have to wonder - at least from an economic standpoint - if Romney, especially, was actually the wiser choice in 2012. The broader electorate was typically obsessed with social policy (because it's the only thing black and white enough for most to comprehend) and we only saw fiscal issues addressed vis-a-vis buzz words like 'job creation'.

The Republican primary was, in some ways, more damaging to Romney's image ('vulture capitalism') than the 2008 struggle between Clinton and Obama was to either of those candidates. Somewhere along the line Romney was branded as this greasy executive (and unfortunately, he insisted on dressing/gel'ing the part) instead of what he actually was; a supremely successful corporate strategist and policy wonk. Since when has the American ideal structure shunned money-making? Romney was great at it, and he was legal (perhaps not clean) in his practices. What he did with the Salt Lake City Olympics was nothing short of amazing, but nobody wanted to talk about it. Batman came out and Bain (Bane) became universally associated with evil.

Plus, there was the absolute and utter incompetency of Romney's senior campaign staff, first, for advising him to select Paul Ryan as his VP candidate, and second, for closing him off to the media as much as they did.

I'm really looking forward to watching Netflix's upcoming documentary MITT in a few weeks.

[sturg33]

Anyone want to tell me how this slog of a recovery would be appreciably different under President Romney? Or President McCain, for that matter?

You really don't think Obamacare is hurting the job market?

[zitothebrave]

You really don't think Obamacare is hurting the job market?

Wouldn't for seasonal jobs which are your typical adds in december.

Hate Obamacare but I think it has a minimal impact on jobs.

[Julio3000]

I didn't support McCain or Romney, but you have to wonder - at least from an economic standpoint - if Romney, especially, was actually the wiser choice in 2012. The broader electorate was typically obsessed with social policy (because it's the only thing black and white enough for most to comprehend) and we only saw fiscal issues addressed vis-a-vis buzz words like 'job creation'.

The Republican primary was, in some ways, more damaging to Romney's image ('vulture capitalism') than the 2008 struggle between Clinton and Obama was to either of those candidates. Somewhere along the line Romney was branded as this greasy executive (and unfortunately, he insisted on dressing/gel'ing the part) instead of what he actually was; a supremely successful corporate strategist and policy wonk. Since when has the American ideal structure shunned money-making? Romney was great at it, and he was legal (perhaps not clean) in his practices. What he did with the Salt Lake City Olympics was nothing short of amazing, but nobody wanted to talk about it. Batman came out and Bain (Bane) became universally associated with evil.

Plus, there was the absolute and utter incompetency of Romney's senior campaign staff, first, for advising him to select Paul Ryan as his VP candidate, and second, for closing him off to the media as much as they did.

I'm really looking forward to watching Netflix's upcoming documentary MITT in a few weeks.

Yeah, I tend to agree.

2012 (though less so than 2008) was a tough time to run a mega-millionaire CEO as a candidate, and tout his business experience as his #1 selling point. I thought that the moderate's case for Romney—that, being a successful businessman, he's ultimately a pragmatist who would take input from all sides and be open to non-doctrinaire decisions—was pretty strong. I wasn't going to vote for him and I have major big-picture problems with his view of finance, regulation, etc., but IMO he was far from the worst Presidential choice in either of the last election cycles. I agree that his campaign was bad, I agree at the perplexing choice of Paul Ryan as VP, and I certainly wouldn't exempt him from personal criticism: he didn't connect with voters, he sounded patronizing when selling his own strengths, and he looked pretty f'ing small when the "47%" comments hit, and again with his post-election comments to fundraisers.

[Julio3000]

You really don't think Obamacare is hurting the job market?

It could be having an impact, although that's far from clear at this point. Can you prove otherwise? Do you think that is the difference in a sluggish recovery and a boom?

[weso1]

Wouldn't for seasonal jobs which are your typical adds in december.

Hate Obamacare but I think it has a minimal impact on jobs.

Sounds like seasonal jobs weren't the issue with this jobs report. Retail wasn't too bad.

[weso1]

Anyone want to tell me how this slog of a recovery would be appreciably different under President Romney? Or President McCain, for that matter?

I think there could have been several significant policy implementations that might have made a difference. Maybe we'd be debating the Ryan budget as opposed to the Obama budget. I think there's a significant difference there. McCain had a completely different stimulus package that might have been more impactful. McCain wouldn't have been wasting time on a turrible healthcare bill and perhaps truly pursued a jobs bill. Dodd/Frank bill possibly doesn't get passed and loans would be easier to obtain. Maybe things would have been worse or maybe it would be better. It's hard to say.