Romney: Obama worst for small business since Carter

@CNNMoney May 7, 2012: 6:48 AM ET
Mitt Romney continues comparing President Obama to Jimmy Carter, saying his policies have made it more difficult for small firms to succeed.


NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- Mitt Romney last week called President Obama "the most anti-small business" president since Jimmy Carter.

The presumptive Republican nominee said the Obama administration has made it "harder and harder for small business to thrive."

The Romney campaign did not reply to a request to elaborate on its criticism of Obama's small business policies. In the past, though, Romney has pointed to federal regulations in general and the president's health care reform in particular.

So, what is Obama's record on small business?



The issue of regulation is complex. Obama pushed for and signed the Dodd-Frank financial reform law -- something community bankers say makes it tougher to lend.







Tech companies stand to benefit from the recent startup-funding law that makes it easier for them to raise money through public offerings. The president's push on job creation comes with a focus on advanced manufacturing, a group he seeks to give tax deductions.


The economy continues to recover at a sluggish pace. And entrepreneurs aren't as optimistic as they were before the recession, according to monthly surveys conducted by the National Federation of Independent Business.

Still, if the NFIB's optimism survey is any indication, entrepreneurs don't feel anywhere near as bad as they did when Carter lost re-election to Ronald Reagan in 1980.

Julian Zelizer, a political historian and Princeton professor who wrote a book on Carter's presidency, said things aren't as dark now as they were back then.

In the Carter years, the number of startups dropped and remained low, U.S. Census data shows. The same happened at the beginning of Obama's term, but 2011 data isn't yet out to show whether the number has picked up.

"There was a strong sense during Carter that things were as bad or maybe worse. There was a sense of regression, not progress," he said. "Not that things are good now, but there's some sense of forward momentum." To top of page
