Tampa Bay Times: Obama has earned second term

October 20th, 2012 by Gloria Shur Bilchik

Although economy recovery since 2008 has been far worse than could have been imagined, says the Tampa Bay Times

“…conditions would be far worse without the president’s steady leadership. This is not the time to reverse course and return to the failed policies of the past. Without hesitation, the Tampa Bay Times recommends Barack Obama for re-election as president. ”

The editorial reviews President Obama’s record and the positive developments of the past four years in the economy, jobs, housing, health care and foreign policy. Regarding economic factors, the Tampa Bay Times notes that:

…there have been 31 straight months of job growth, and more than 5 million private sector jobs have been created. The unemployment rate is down to 7.8 percent — not great, but the same as when Obama took office. The stock market has come back, new housing starts are the highest in four years and housing prices in Tampa Bay and other areas are rising.

Commenting on the economic stimulus package, which Romney and his political allies opposed and called a failure, the Tampa Bay Times reminds us that:

It preserved or created up to 3 million jobs, and it invested in smart projects such as expanding U.S. 19 in Pinellas County and connecting the Port of Tampa with Interstate 4 in Hillsborough County. The auto company bailout, which Romney opposed, preserved jobs and rejuvenated the industry. The Dodd-Frank financial regulations, which Romney would repeal, protect consumers and force banks to act more responsibly. Undoing those reforms would be a mistake and invite the abuses that contributed to the economic crisis.

The editorial praises President Obama’s Affordable Care Act, noting that a national plan for universal health care has been a goal of presidents for decades:

The Affordable Care Act, Obama’s signature legislative achievement, offers sweeping health care reform that presidents from both political parties unsuccessfully pursued for decades. More than 30 million uninsured Americans will get health coverage. Millions of young adults can stay on their parents’ insurance policies, and insurers no longer can refuse to cover children with pre-existing conditions. In 2014, insurers also will have to accept adults with pre-existing conditions, and most people will be required to have health insurance or pay a penalty. This is a historic step toward universal health care and a fairer sharing of costs, and it should be improved upon rather than repealed as Romney promises.

On foreign policy, President Obama has been steady, level-headed and courageous, says the editorial, which contrasts the President’s sure-footed approach with the saber-rattling stances taken by Mitt Romney.

Romney suggests Obama has been too timid on foreign policy, but it took courage to order the raid that killed Osama bin Laden. The Republican’s saber-rattling about the violence in Syria and Iran’s efforts to develop a nuclear weapon is particularly concerning. This nation has neither the resources nor the appetite for another discretionary military adventure. Obama’s mix of diplomacy, coalition-building and tough economic sanctions remains the smarter approach.

The differences on social issues between President Obama and Romney are stark, says the editorial. In contrast to Romney’s immigration policy emphasizing “self-deportation,” President Obama “took the initiative to let young undocumented immigrants of promise stay in this country legally if they are in school, high school graduates or serve in the military…Any hope for broad immigration reform to keep and attract the best and the brightest regardless of their birthplace lies with the incumbent Democrat.

President Obama’s support for expanded civil rights is a point in his favor, too, says the Tampa Bay Times. President Obama rescinded the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, and expressed support for same-sex marriage.

And on women’s issues, President Obama is the clear leader:

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