Investing: Is it surprising that under "anti-business" Obama that consumer sentiment in the U.S. has surged to 11-Year high?
I would add to that the following: some very vocal business people seem to harbor of profound dislike of Obama. Think for instance of the founder of Home Depot. They usually couch their dislike in very acrimonious terms for reasons that are not so obvious (or even, counter-intuitive). Even though George W. Bush's tenure as president was rather catastrophic in terms of economics, there was a sense among the business elite that he was 'one of us.' Because he certainly was (Yale, Harvard Business School, various boardroom positions, the Bush dynasty etc...)Obama went to Harvard Law, and not as a legacy - which is a somewhat different path. He certainly shows traces of the disdain for Business School that most serious academics have (and this is not limited to so-called 'liberal' professors). Similarly, Obama has proven impervious to the normal socializing that takes place in Washington DC, and has very little patience for the social niceties that come with the job. Hobnobbing with journos, congressmen and CEOs in his spare time is not his thing. He is just not a country club politician, and cares very little for the usual back and forth that most politicians and business people engage in. He is a nerd. So he is rightly viewed by those elites as distant. And it hurts them - what's the point of being a member of the elite if you can't get your pic taken with the president every once in a while, and get a few word in for your pet causes and your concerns? My understanding is that Obama can be rather abrupt in these social situations. I read he can be as dickish and self-satisfied as Steve Jobs. Both kind of earned it, but it does not make it right.
Why do many Americans think rallying speaches gives you the ability to lead a Nation?
You hit the nail on the head. It's like last week's Time magazine article (the issue with Hill and Obama on the cover). They made the exact point you are making. Who has the substance? Clinton. Who has the answers? Clinton. Who has the ability to be inspirational and make people feel like that's all we need? Obama. Hillary Clinton is not a great orator, maybe not even a good one. But she is chock full of experience, substance and has what it takes to get that "change" thing actually effected in D.C. I love inspiration from Obama, from anyone. It's hard to find. But I need more, and what I need to vote for President is what I get from Clinton. Answers, the ability to effect change and not just talk about it, and proven time tested ability and political prowess.
Why is George Soros, Billionaire Democrat, investing 126 Million Dollars in China, instead of Obama's America?
During the Campaign, Soros invested Millions in Obama and the Socialist Democrats. So...... why is he now switching his Confidence to China, when Democrats actually completely Rule the USA? How cool and interesting is that, eh?
2012 U.S. Presidential Election: If you could pick Mitt Romney, or Barack Obama, to invest and manage your own money, who would you choose, and why?
Bain Capital is one of the most successful investment firms of the past 30 years, and Romney ran the company during the years where it has its biggest returns. Romney is one of the best investment managers in modern history. I'm sure he will do a better job managing your money -- at any scale -- than the President, who has no (?) relevant experience.
How high will taxes get under Obama?
OBAMA WILL ONLY RAISE TAXES FOR PEOPLE WHO GET MORE THAN 250,000 DOLLARS (95% OF AMERICA).
What unnecessary barriers should President Obama's Startup America initiative identify and remove to help high-growth startups?
Without a doubt, the single biggest thing the government can do is fix the immigration system. It takes almost 2 months for a startup to hire someone on an h1b. This is an ETERNITY in startup time.It takes 5-7 years for an Indian or Chinese person to get a Green Card. Would you wait 7 years?Talented foreign born entrepreneurs can't easily start companies here because their own startup can't sponsor their visaTalented engineers can't join startups for fear of ending up in limbo if the startup goes under.Because of the delays in the system, unscrupulous employers will exploit the leverage they have and exploit foreign born workers. Unfortunately it happens.The caps on H1b workers don't favor high tech startups. Startups don't just need people in April when the process opens. This causes significant issues when the cap is met because startups are forced to wait till the start of the next application cycle. (courtesy of Brendan Baker from the comments)It's even more messed up when you think about the fact that:We spend $200,000 training immigrants at our top universities only to tell them they can't stay in the US.These are the best possible candidates to start companies because they've already demonstrated tremendous risk taking profiles -- would you pick up and move to Finland if they had the best post-secondary education system and entrepreneurship climate? That takes guts and a high risk tolerance (and belief in yourself).Different studies/surveys peg the number differently but anywhere from 25-60% of startups have at least 1 foreign born founder. Think about how many more startups we would have if everyone else who can't, could start one.Anecdotally/Observationally - I wouldn't be surprised if a very large percentage of startups are started by second generation immigrants who inherit the same risk profile from their parents but just happen to be American citizens.Update at the end of 2011: There's a fantastic discussion in the comments for anyone who is interested.
What policies should Obama propose to help the US economy?
Obama can't "implement economic policies." It requires a certain level of compromise to achieve almost anything in the Congress, and these days the Congress can't even agree on how bad Obama is. There is huge value to be had for some actual improvement on the national infrastructure, and it would create a million jobs or more, but that might make it seem that Obama did something good, so the GOP would rather put our entire country in the dumpster than do anything that might make him look any better.I know this may sound bitter, but just wait til the GOP takes control of the Senate, and you will see a bloodbath for the middle class you cannot imagine. We will see government shutdowns, credit defaults, cancelling of programs, and refusal to confirm any appointments at all. Mark my words, we are about to embark on a revolution that will further decimate the middle class in America, with even more national income going to the top 1%.But if it goes this way, the GOP will NEVER win another national election for a generation.