How long is it supposed to take a "jump start" to jump start an economy?

Nobody has the answer. Our current policy makers have no experience in dealing with the type of economic crisis that occurred in 2007-2008, resulting in a credit cruch and liquidity crisis in our banking system. To prevent the type cumulative deflation that occurred after the 1929 crash, both the Bush and Obama administrations together with the FRB attempted to shore up the financial system through TARP, zero interest rates, and other stopgap measures. In previous post-World War II recessions, the government stimulated the economy with spending increases,tax reductions, and monetary policy. But those recessions resulted from excess inventory build-up by manufacturers in boom times or high interest rates from monetary policy designed to discourage inflation. But our current situation is different, having been caused by a bust of our financial system. We also face a sovereign debt crisis that gives our policy makers little latitude. There is a debate as to whether the Obama stimulus program did any good in preventing a worse depression. The same debate took place in the 1930s under FDR and the advent of Keyensian economics. Many economists believe that FDR's spending programs were merely stopgap and the economy did not really rally until the massive stimulus from World War II. So now we are in a situation where banks are holding a massive inventory of worthless real estate. Because of a massive debt over-hang, business and consumers are de-leveraging. Faced with a debt crisis (caused in part by a fall-off in business activity), the U.S. government is compelled to drastically reduce spending to save the dollar. Ironically, business is sitting on hordes of cash but is not rehiring or making new hires. Their profits are largely due to cost-trimming and layoffs. They are not investing in new plant and equipment because consumer demand and employment are low. So there seems to be a catch 22. In the decade before the financial crisis, they invested heavily overseas where labor unit costs were cheaper. They are not doing so now because world economic conditions are uncertain. So we seem to be in an unprecedented economic morass that may take many years to recover from. I call anyone who claims to have a quick fix a false prophet.

I think anything that has to do with the economy moves in slow motion. I do feel that Obama has helped a lot of people. But, you know, there are times when helping those in need translates to maintaining the status quo. I think Obama, and a lot of us folks, are just trying to keep our heads above water -- without breaking our necks. And, in this scenario, there's not much room to swim.

Yeah...the economy has gotten better...that's why his approval rating for helping the economy was below 30% today!

Ya, I've heard him say that a few times actually or something similar and it always makes me just shake my head. I don't know where exactly the economy has gotten better but surely not in my little world and not in the worlds of most of the people that I know. It's actually kind of scary.

Sure, it's better. That's why I had to raid my savings to pay my bills this month and why I hate going to the mailbox because there will only be more bills. That must be why my lawn guy who was laid off months ago asked me with tears of shame in his eyes to borrow $10 to buy his kid school supplies. We won't get a "jump start" until we get a different president or until this one starts to actually listen to sound advice.

Government does not create jobs. The private sector creates jobs when government leaves them alone, does not regulate and tax them out of business, and does not bail them out for bad practices. Empty words is all we have gotten from Pres. Obama and now he's at it again. Telling the same lies and attacking those who do not agree with him, hopefully we are smarter this time around.

He got his head in the sand and bent on spedning more the SOB