I thought this quick analysis from Rachel Maddow on how to judge the Obama administration’s progress is worth remembering:
- The Romney Standard: Mitt Romney said during the 2012 campaign that if Americans elect him, he’d get the unemployment rate down to 6% by 2016. Obama won anyway and the unemployment rate dropped below 6% two years faster.
- The Gingrich Standard: Newt Gingrich said during the 2012 campaign that if Americans re-elected the president, gas prices would reach $10 per gallon, while Gingrich would push gas down to $2.50 a gallon. As of this morning, the national average at the pump is a little under $2.38.
- The Pawlenty Standard: Tim Pawlenty said trillions of dollars in tax breaks would boost economic growth to 5% GDP. Obama actually raised taxes on the wealthy and GDP growth reached 5% anyway.
Romney’s prediction was as good as predicting the sun will come up in two years if he’s elected.I don’t know anyone who predicted the gas price swing. Pawlenty’s prediction was made possible by the first Obama administration. Without the Bush/Obama Stimulus packages, we would be far behind now. I look forward to seeing how Dinesh D’Souza’s predictions turn out in 2016.
