Wall Street hardly delivered a rousing welcome to President-elect Barack Obama on Wednesday, dropping by the largest margin on record for a day following a U.S. presidential contest.

The following table shows the percentage rise or decline in the Dow Jones industrial average .DJI, Standard & Poor's 500 index .SPX and Nasdaq composite index.

Year Dow S&P Nasdaq President elect

2008 -5.05 -5.27 -5.53 .... Barack Obama
2004 +1.01 +1.12 +0.98 .... George W. Bush
2000 -0.41 -1.58 -5.39 .... No decision: Bush v Gore
1996 +1.59 +1.46 +1.34 .... William Clinton
1992 -0.91 -0.67 +0.16 ....William Clinton
1988 -0.43 -0.66 -0.29 ....George H. W. Bush
1984 -0.88 -0.73 -0.32 ....Ronald Reagan
1980 +1.70 +1.77 +1.49 .... Ronald Reagan
1976 -0.99 -1.14 -1.12 ....James Carter
1972 -0.11 -0.55 -0.39 ....Richard Nixon
1968 +0.34 +0.16 --- ....Richard Nixon
1964 -0.19 -0.05 --- ....Lyndon Johnson
1960 +0.77 +0.44 --- ....John Kennedy
1956 -0.85 -1.03 --- ....Dwight Eisenhower
1952 +0.40 +0.28 --- ....Dwight Eisenhower
1948 -3.85 -4.15 --- ....Harry Truman
1944 -0.27 0.00 --- ....Franklin Roosevelt
1940 -2.39 -3.14 --- ....Franklin Roosevelt
1936 +2.26 +1.40 --- .... Franklin Roosevelt
1932 -4.51 -2.67 --- ....Franklin Roosevelt
1928 +1.20 +1.77 --- ....Herbert Hoover


Is this a picture of things to come?

It's Bush's fault.

This appears to be projected norm for this president, and his party, especially with his stick it to you tax remedies, and tax plans! Perhaps, the coal industry will do better, and will help out the market? Hmmm .... just can't bankrupt it first!

Yeah because the stock market was so stable and strong lately anyway???

Funny how nothing is Bush's fault but Obama hasn't even been sworn in and this is his fault. At least be consistant.

Wait, the stock market going down the shitter the last month or so was because Obama was leading in the polls...right?

Move on people, some of us have.

x2

Sorry Bro - the current economic status is not Bush's fault... not this time. The economy has been growing steadily since he's been in office (except for the ripple-effect experienced after 9/11).

Who's to blame:

• OPEC. Greed - pure and simple. Once the price of oil started running higher, the schemes ran freely on how to keep the prices up there... in their favor.
• Oil & Commondities Speculators. They've had the single-most significant impact on the economy in ages. Price of oil rises, everything else gets more expensive, some people suddenly can't afford to play the stock market and sell before they lose too much money.
• Internet Traders. The more people trading online and doing it for themselves, the greater risk of the market panicking and dumping at the bat of an eye... as we've been seeing lately.
• Democratic Majority Congress. Thanks to them and their whacked 'de-regulation' policies, people who should never have qualified to purchase anything worth more than a 1999 Pontiac Sunfire have been buying half-million-dollar homes... and now they're actually expected to make their payments, much to their surprise.
• Greedy Finance and Banking Executives. See above regarding the Democratic Majority Congress.

Unfortunately, this downturn in the stock market IS Obama's fault, indirectly... kinda. The people who are left that can afford to play the stock market are dumping their slow stocks so they'll have enough liquid assets to pay their much-anticipated higher income taxes next year.

Don't take it personal - Obama's going to have to put up with the same kind of crap Bush's has been force-fed since Day One - might as well get used to it. Except tha Bush has been much more accomodating and welcoming to Obama, than Clinton ever was to him. There's a lesson in there somewhere that I'm sure would fall short with those who would most benefit.

I also 'don't get' how Congress remained intact and actually gained seats. That boggles the mind. Bush is called one of the most un-popular presidents of all-time, and Congress can only muster approval ratings ranging in the not-quite-half numbers as Bush - yet they're allowed to remain?! Something fundamentally wrong here.

This is a good time to buy stocks. Lots of smart people will get rich from this crisis. You do need to have a strong stomach to be in the market but it will pay off big when you triple your investment.

I agree 100% that the economy is not Bush's fault. He, like Obama is more a figurehead that anything. The Congress holds the most blame. You have some great points and just to note...I voted for McCain. I also listened to his speech and it is time to put all this aside and get to work getting America back on track.

Why they hell congress stayed pat...or actually may have gotten worse...is beyond me.

I for one don't think Bush was the worst president ever. He is a victim of the time he was in office, although there are things that he did not to help himself out.

I would just like to see all the crap drop and see what they can do.

Well Bull, now we agree 100%

Agree with you both above! Congress has a very low likability rating at this time-even so, there are people on both sides of the political divide that can help with this situation. Still, hold that even if the gasoline prices drop to .50 cents a gal. for national defense, and security-in addition to maintaining low prices, all that we have in national resources needs to be tapped, and used. Again, just with the energy issues, millions of jobs will be needed, the big three will make new cars, and hopefully they will get off of their classic kick of engineered obsolesce. That is now designed into cars, and their subsidiary products that promotes future sales when they expire.

There is much work to be done, and 'make work should be out', i.e., just to hire a person till the money grant is depleted. Clearly, under the new incoming administration in terms of incentives and inducements to jump start the economy, these efforts (make work-without substance) would not needed, and quite ill advised. E.g., notice that the joint military services need a complete make over, including most of the vehicles, planes, and ships now in use. Did not notice any talk about this major expansion, and replacement work that would put many more millions to work, in addition to rebuilding towns, and collectivities near these bases, and work installations-result simply, an end of the current housing problem, with the new building of homes, and factories.

Of course, it would be great to keep a hold on Hedge fund, irritable manipulative market speculators, and others-currently, banks that decide banking for stock holders is a better way to spend some of the 700 billion. E.g., rather than doing loans-that is, instead of buying other banks with this money, or attending to the letter of the law while braking the spirit of the law-or, why the money was given to these eight balls initially! Then, perhaps even reorganize congressional laxity, in terms of just tossing money at these concerns blindly, and by circumstance. In many instances, with out very much accountability-unless they want to toss me a few billion too? So, gents many places to start-but do insist that just giving the loot away with-out much in return is nuts, and looney-toon! Df.

Ace, that may just be a first in this area.