Raw numbers mean nothing. The worst recession since the great depression and we respond with slightly lower taxes and a small amount of spending. Of course, the deficit will automatically increase either way thanks to stabilizers such as food stamps and unemployment. Look at our potential GDP. The pathetic Obama stimulus was far to small, and after the bush stimulus, which actually improved things, we literally did nothing until then, when the evidence showed the bush stimulus worked! Yet, we sat back and allowed us to sink further, until the obama stimulus which helped, but wasn't large enough, hence, our pathetic recovery.
It was the biggest intervention by the gov't in the economy in history. And it failed. Totally and completely. We ran record deficits for years. They're still higher than before the recession. Biggest stimulus ever and biggest failure ever.
In History? Bullshit, go back to the 1900's.
World war 2 was an example of massive government spending, and it pulled us out of the depression.
The stimulus didn't fail, ask any economist:
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/30/u...ts-agree-the-stimulus-lifted-the-economy.html
You can't argue with data either! In fact, many agree the stimulus was to small to handle the loss from the recession!
Yes, and the deficits helped save the private sector from continuing to spiral downward.
Now these idiots want to cut deficits and force the private sector to start building up debt again..