The First Two Years: Obama vs. Trump

[Logician Man]

Who had the better first two years as POTUS, and why ? Obama or Trump ?

 

[JANFU]

Who had the better first two years as POTUS, and why ? Obama or Trump ?

How can you compare their 1st 2 years. Obama had an economic mess on his hands, and Trump did not. Just one major issue.

 

[Skeptic Bob]

I guess it depends on your metrics. But overall I would say Obama had a better first two years. I definitely know that I would prefer to be Obama two years into his term than Trump two years into his.

 

[Captain America]

Obama... next.

 

[Cardinal]

Obama ended his two first years without his own DOJ concluding that he was an unindicted co-conspirator to a crime, without 17 investigations swirling around him and sending associates into guilty pleas and convictions, without a Special Counsel almost certain to conclude that he committed obstruction of justice, and without the country plausibly suspecting that he was effectively an agent for a hostile foreign government. This really isn't hard.

 

[Jetboogieman]

Obama ended his two first years without his own DOJ concluding that he was an unindicted co-conspirator to a crime, without 17 investigations swirling around him and sending associates into guilty pleas and convictions, without a Special Counsel almost certain to conclude that he committed obstruction of justice, and without the country plausibly suspecting that he was effectively an agent for a hostile foreign government. This really isn't hard.

You know which part I love, how Obama was accused of going on an "Apology Tour" in his early days.

But Trump says this less than a month into his presidency:



And those same people didn't even bat an eyelash.

 

[Perotista]

Who had the better first two years as POTUS, and why ? Obama or Trump ?

Obama had larger margins in congress, 257-178 Democratic advantage in the house and a 59-41 advantage in the senate. For around six months in his first two years prior to Senator Kennedy's death, the Democrats had a filibuster proof senate. Yet, the only significant legislation passed was the ACA which most Americans disapproved of at that time which led to a 63 seat loss in the house along with 6 in the senate. I almost forgot the stimulus packag

Trump had a 241-194 advantage in the house and a slim 51-49 advantage in the senate. Trump's major legislation was the tax cuts which most Americans still oppose. Trump failed in his repeal of the ACA and with replace and repeal along with his AHCA. Trump ended up losing 40 seats in the house, although he had a net gain of two in the senate.

Obama could have accomplished many more things with his huge majorities if he hadn't got tied down with the ACA. He had the votes for immigration reform and chose to do nothing. Trump really didn't have a legislative agenda. Obama started out with a 67% job approval, fell to 49% in Nov of 2009, rose back up to 51% in Feb of 2010 only to fall again to 45% in Nov of 2010 ending the year at 47%. Trump started out at 45%, dropped to 38% in Nov of 2017, climbed to 45% in June of 2018 ending at 39%.

Both achieved their major objective, ACA for Obama, Tax cuts for Trump although Trump failed to repeal the ACA. Trump also has failed thus far on his wall. I suppose numbers wise, Obama has the edge. We know Obama would recover and win reelection in 2012. But for two years, I won't argue with the numbers, they're impersonal and non-partisan.

Still, with the huge numbers the Democrats had, their advantage in congress Obama could have accomplished much more on almost any front if he and the Democrats in congress hadn't got tied down for a year with health care. Perhaps one could look upon Obama's first two years as what might have been. Trump's was more of a downer. That's me talking there, not the numbers.

 

[Cardinal]

You know which part I love, how Obama was accused of going on an "Apology Tour" in his early days.

But Trump says this less than a month into his presidency:



And those same people didn't even bat an eyelash.

What do you suppose a venn diagram would look like between "Things that Russian agents do" and "Things that Trump does"?

Trump just said today that the Soviet Union was right to invade Afghanistan and everybody yawned. We've now become so conditioned to our President spouting Russian propaganda that it's become boring.

 

[Lovebug]

Obama had larger margins in congress, 257-178 Democratic advantage in the house and a 59-41 advantage in the senate. For around six months in his first two years prior to Senator Kennedy's death, the Democrats had a filibuster proof senate. Yet, the only significant legislation passed was the ACA which most Americans disapproved of at that time which led to a 63 seat loss in the house along with 6 in the senate. I almost forgot the stimulus packag

Trump had a 241-194 advantage in the house and a slim 51-49 advantage in the senate. Trump's major legislation was the tax cuts which most Americans still oppose. Trump failed in his repeal of the ACA and with replace and repeal along with his AHCA. Trump ended up losing 40 seats in the house, although he had a net gain of two in the senate.

Obama could have accomplished many more things with his huge majorities if he hadn't got tied down with the ACA. He had the votes for immigration reform and chose to do nothing. Trump really didn't have a legislative agenda. Obama started out with a 67% job approval, fell to 49% in Nov of 2009, rose back up to 51% in Feb of 2010 only to fall again to 45% in Nov of 2010 ending the year at 47%. Trump started out at 45%, dropped to 38% in Nov of 2017, climbed to 45% in June of 2018 ending at 39%.

Both achieved their major objective, ACA for Obama, Tax cuts for Trump although Trump failed to repeal the ACA. Trump also has failed thus far on his wall. I suppose numbers wise, Obama has the edge. We know Obama would recover and win reelection in 2012. But for two years, I won't argue with the numbers, they're impersonal and non-partisan.

Still, with the huge numbers the Democrats had, their advantage in congress Obama could have accomplished much more on almost any front if he and the Democrats in congress hadn't got tied down for a year with health care. Perhaps one could look upon Obama's first two years as what might have been. Trump's was more of a downer. That's me talking there, not the numbers.

Finally more than a one liner.

Let us not forget the many many disgruntled, even threatened, Republicans who came out in force against him. The media who started their anti Trump campaign before he even became president. The fact that Obama is a young biracial, at the time modestly well to do, male, while Trump is an old rich white guy.
Yet, Obama, and the policies of previous administrations, left a bad enough taste in many mouth. So many in fact, that he won against a woman who was to assumed to be the next leader of the free world. Frustration, not Russian interference, made it happen, imho.
We let a cat out of the bag, one that rattled not only our own country, but makes many other countries take a long look at themselves.

Did I ever mention that our 2 party system sucks?

 

[Puigb]

History will be kind to Obama, IMO.

 

[Perotista]

Finally more than a one liner.

Let us not forget the many many disgruntled, even threatened, Republicans who came out in force against him. The media who started their anti Trump campaign before he even became president. The fact that Obama is a young biracial, at the time modestly well to do, male, while Trump is an old rich white guy.
Yet, Obama, and the policies of previous administrations, left a bad enough taste in many mouth. So many in fact, that he won against a woman who was to assumed to be the next leader of the free world. Frustration, not Russian interference, made it happen, imho.
We let a cat out of the bag, one that rattled not only our own country, but makes many other countries take a long look at themselves.

Did I ever mention that our 2 party system sucks?

It was clear to all who paid attention that most Americans didn't want Hillary to begin with. In a February 2016 poll, 56% of all Americans wanted the Democrats to nominate someone else other than Hillary Clinton. Of course the Democratic Party didn't listen to all Americans, just Democrats which is 100% their right and nominated her anyway. I pay a lot of attention to independent voters, I basically know how Republicans and Democrats will vote. But even in February of 2016, independents expressed their dislike for Hillary by giving her a 42% favorable vs. 52% unfavorable rating. This alone should have told Democrats Hillary was going to have a hard time winning independents.

In the end, on 8 November 2016 independents had a 27% favorable/70%unfavorable view of Hillary vs. 40% favorable/57% unfavorable of Trump. Independents voted for Trump and thus he won. It was more of a vote against Hillary than for Trump, a vote for the candidate they least wanted to lose as 54% of all independents disliked both candidates and didn't want neither one to become their next president.

Hillary helped out Trump with her laziness, letting Trump both out work and out campaign her by a huge 116-71 margin in campaign visits/stops. Did she think she had the election in the bag and didn't have to work at it? It was this laziness more than the Russians that helped Trump win. No doubt about that. Many other reasons, but the overall dislike of independents for Hillary by independents and her laziness, plus angry Sanders voters, those are big reasons why she lost.

 

[Xelor]

How can you compare their 1st 2 years. Obama had an economic mess on his hands, and Trump did not. Just one major issue.

A passage in a children's book alludes to what moves one to contemplate such a comparison as sought by the OP-er.

“Is everyone who lives in Ignorance like you?" asked Milo.
"Much worse," he said longingly. "But I don't live here. I'm from a place very far away called Context.”
-- Norton Juster, The Phantom Tollbooth​

 

[tres borrachos]

Who had the better first two years as POTUS, and why ? Obama or Trump ?

I voted for McCain in 2008, proudly. I didn't want Obama. But his first two years were far, far better than Trump's in so many ways. Obama inherited a terrible economy. Trump didn't. Obama inherited some really unpopular wars that were in full swing. Cadet Bone Spurs didn't.

Obama absolutely had a much better first 2 years than Trump is.

And most of Trump's problems were absolutely self imposed.