# "I haven't received a raise in 5 years. Thanks Obama". **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [October 18, 2012, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-havent-received-a-raise-in-5-years-thanks-obama/638125 "2012-10-18T14:02:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-havent-received-a-raise-in-5-years-thanks-obama/638125/21 "2012-10-18T15:52:39Z")
The OP may want to say to his friend, “Do you believe the President controls the economy? If the President does control the economy, is that a good thing?” ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-havent-received-a-raise-in-5-years-thanks-obama/638125/22 "2012-10-18T16:21:34Z")
Ask him how his 401k has done under Obama. ---
**Author:** ![Enginerd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bcef8e/32.png) [@Enginerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enginerd)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-havent-received-a-raise-in-5-years-thanks-obama/638125/23 "2012-10-18T16:25:09Z")
You get paid market value for your work. STFU or get better at your job. Sincerely, Mitt Romney ---
**Author:** ![Hedda\_Rosa](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hedda_rosa/32/1204_2.png) [@Hedda\_Rosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hedda_Rosa)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-havent-received-a-raise-in-5-years-thanks-obama/638125/24 "2012-10-18T16:27:30Z")
Tell him [this](http://ct.politicomments.com/ol/pc/sw/i51/5/8/15/pc_46929834181ee5b835913e702889a49c.jpg). ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-havent-received-a-raise-in-5-years-thanks-obama/638125/25 "2012-10-18T16:36:22Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > In that case, he should ask his employer how, specifically, Obama is responsible. We can’t read his mind. He should also ask his employer how the manufacturing corporation has done under Obama. There are more than a few companies that are doing quite fine, and whose profits are quite nice. Maybe show him [this page](http://www.businessinsider.com/corporate-profits-just-hit-an-all-time-high-wages-just-hit-an-all-time-low-2012-6) > [@](#): > > 1. Corporate profit margins just hit an all-time high. > > 2. Fewer Americans are working than at any time in the past three decades. One reason corporations are so profitable is that they don’t employ as many Americans as they used to. > > 3. Wages as a percent of the economy are at an all-time low. If his company is not one of the many who are doing just great under Obama, then ask him why it is Obama’s fault that his specific company is failing. ---
**Author:** ![mozchron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c2a13f/32.png) [@mozchron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mozchron)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-havent-received-a-raise-in-5-years-thanks-obama/638125/26 "2012-10-18T17:14:26Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > More than doubled for me. Thank you Obama! Me too. And I was doing pretty well 5 years ago to begin with. Thanks Obama! ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-havent-received-a-raise-in-5-years-thanks-obama/638125/27 "2012-10-18T17:23:57Z")
Personally speaking, I would respond (100% truthfully) by telling him that my freelancing business is doing better right now than at any time since I started freelancing in 2004. I’ve had more clients in the past three months than in the entire year prior to that. Many of the people on my industry-related listserv are reporting similar experiences. So basically, my personal anecdote cancels out his personal anecdote. We’re going to have to ask a whole shitload more people before we can get to the bottom of this one. Either that or look at some actual data, his choice. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-havent-received-a-raise-in-5-years-thanks-obama/638125/28 "2012-10-18T17:27:06Z")
> [@tim314](#): > > Like what? Is Obama his boss? Is he working for a government agency? > > If anything like that were true, do you really think the OP would have omitted it? If it _were_ anything like that, I’d suspect that he would be getting step increases in his basic rate every thirty weeks or so. That’s how it works for me (USPS, but I’d be surprised if other federal pay systems aren’t at least _similar_). ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-havent-received-a-raise-in-5-years-thanks-obama/638125/29 "2012-10-18T17:49:58Z")
> [@harmonicamoon](#): > > This quote is from a friend of mine. He is a blue collar worker. How would you respond to this? “My wife and I have both found new jobs (without losing our old jobs) and increased our household income about 30%. Thanks, Obama!” ---
**Author:** ![Damuri\_Ajashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@Damuri\_Ajashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damuri_Ajashi)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-havent-received-a-raise-in-5-years-thanks-obama/638125/30 "2012-10-18T18:04:37Z")
Was Obama President 5 years ago? No? So maybe he isn’t the reason you haven’t gotten a raise in 5 years but he IS the reason you still have a job. On the other hand, mad max world looks intersting in the movies. ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-havent-received-a-raise-in-5-years-thanks-obama/638125/31 "2012-10-18T19:11:58Z")
Nod your head and back away slowly. It’s the only way you can deal with people like this. The other day some guy was ranting to me about voter ID, “Doesn’t it bother you that anyone can vote in this country without showing ID? Only in a democratic country like here does this stuff happen! WHY DOESN’T IT BOTHER YOU?” You really can’t engage these people. ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-havent-received-a-raise-in-5-years-thanks-obama/638125/32 "2012-10-18T19:20:19Z")
nm… ---
**Author:** ![StusBlues](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@StusBlues](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StusBlues)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-havent-received-a-raise-in-5-years-thanks-obama/638125/33 "2012-10-18T19:22:06Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > “That’s odd. I’ve gotten several raises in the past 4 years. Have you considered the possibility that you’re a shit worker?” This, pretty much. My base pay has increased roughly 40% during the Obama administration, mostly because I’ve had bossed who were convinced I was going to bolt otherwise and wanted to keep me. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-havent-received-a-raise-in-5-years-thanks-obama/638125/34 "2012-10-18T19:26:19Z")
> [@harmonicamoon](#): > > He works as a contractor for a huge manufacturing corporation. Has been working for the contractor for 6 years and at the same location. > It is my guess that when he asked for a raise, his employer blamed Obama for him not receiving a raise. > Go ahead John Mace, bring out the Obama banner. So, the contracting company is too feeble to negotiate higher fees? Or, maybe they did and screwed your friend and pocketed the increase. Anything keeping him there? If he thinks he is worth more, he should find a job which pays more. He shouldn’t blame Obama for him being a pussy. He should be grateful that inflation is pretty low, so he didn’t really lose that much purchasing power. Plus what everyone else has said. ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-havent-received-a-raise-in-5-years-thanks-obama/638125/35 "2012-10-18T19:28:37Z")
> [@Airbeck](#): > > Tell him to blame his boss. I mean is the President supposed to dictate salary structures for private businesses? Well … that depends: [http://money.cnn.com/2009/12/11/news/companies/feinberg\_compensation/index.htm](http://money.cnn.com/2009/12/11/news/companies/feinberg_compensation/index.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Ca3799](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9f8e36/32.png) [@Ca3799](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ca3799)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-havent-received-a-raise-in-5-years-thanks-obama/638125/36 "2012-10-18T19:33:02Z")
Your friend should get a job on Wall Street or for a big oil company- someplace like that. They are rolling in the dough. ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-havent-received-a-raise-in-5-years-thanks-obama/638125/37 "2012-10-18T23:06:39Z")
I’d tell him that if he’s so miserable, he should self-deport. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-havent-received-a-raise-in-5-years-thanks-obama/638125/38 "2012-10-18T23:14:15Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > Well … that depends: [http://money.cnn.com/2009/12/11/news/companies/feinberg\_compensation/index.htm](http://money.cnn.com/2009/12/11/news/companies/feinberg_compensation/index.htm) Since those companies were taking government money to stay afloat and it impacts the high level execs who put the companies in that position, no problem. ---
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-havent-received-a-raise-in-5-years-thanks-obama/638125/39 "2012-10-18T23:31:51Z")
It doesn’t really matter what you tell him. He’ll still blame his economic woes on the government, as will many like him. That’s the way it works. The buck always stops in the White House. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2012, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-havent-received-a-raise-in-5-years-thanks-obama/638125/40 "2012-10-19T01:24:16Z")
There were a couple of very bad growing seasons in England, and food was scarce and expensive. Disraeli’s party was voted out. He is supposed to have said something to the effect that the British voter will not forgive a party that fails to control the weather. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-havent-received-a-raise-in-5-years-thanks-obama/638125.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-havent-received-a-raise-in-5-years-thanks-obama/638125.md?page=3)