During recent political rallies, President Obama ambitiously claimed that he has delivered 60 percent of his 2008 campaign promises, but the watchdog organization Politfact.com reveals that the President’s assertion is far from accurate. Speaking at two fundraisers earlier this week, Obama recounted a list of “accomplishments” which he has resolved during his first term in the White House, as he rattled off a catalog of completed initiatives, including financial regulation, healthcare reform, and pulling U.S. troops out of Iraq.
Those achievements comprise 60 percent of what he strove to achieve, Obama averred, adding, “Im pretty confident we can get the next 40 percent done in the next five years.” Obama acknowledged that “the economy is still hurting,” while he emphasized how crucial it is that Republicans support his $447-billion jobs plan, which currently lingers in congressional limbo.
During the first of two fundraisers on Tuesday, the President conceded that the 2012 election will be more challenging than in 2008, as he offered this thought to a group of donors: “This election will not be as sexy as the first one.” He added, “Back then, I was it was still fresh and new, and I didnt have any gray hair and everybody loved the Hope posters and all that. But this time its Weve got to grind it out a little bit. Weve got to grind it out.”
According to PolitiFacts data, the stark contrasts between candidate Obama and President Obama may help explain why so many “Hope” and “Change” posters have faded. The government watchdog calculated that of the 506 pledges candidate Obama offered during his 2008 campaign, he fulfilled only 151, or just below 30 percent. Tacking on campaign vows that the President compromised on, his “mission accomplished” score rises to a meager 39 percent. The Washington Times reported on one of Obamas most politically crucial campaign promises:
Among the major items on his “to-do” list is immigration reform. Mr. Obama blames congressional Republicans for the lack of progress, but theres evidence that Hispanics are holding it against the president, too. He hasnt introduced a comprehensive plan, and a recent Gallup poll showed Mr. Obama with a 49 percent job-approval rating among Hispanics, down from 60 percent at the beginning of the year.
The Times mentions that Obamas failure to fulfill his promise on immigration reform could paralyze his 2012 campaign efforts, as the Hispanic vote will be critical in swing states such as Florida, Nevada, and Colorado. Moreover, economic gloom has ravaged the Hispanic community, with Hispanic unemployment hovering around 11 percent, nearly 2 percent higher than the national average. The Times reported further:
Among the other unfulfilled campaign promises are ending Bush-era tax cuts on wealthy Americans (Mr. Obama extended them for two years in a deal with the GOP and has sought to end them when the current agreement expires) and closing the Guantanamo Bay prison for terrorist detainees in Cuba, which he ordered done in January 2009.
Critics note that the Presidents failure to recharge the economy which, consequently, has spurred record low approval ratings has crippled his 2012 campaign efforts. Embellishing the truth with his “60 percent” mantra may just be a desperate plea to achieve the remaining “40 percent,” which includes a myriad of liberal policies. And at the top of Obama’s checklist is a half-trillion dollar, taxpayer-funded stimulus package.
