It's cooooold out there!

According to the World Economic Forum:

The United States now ranks fourth among all nations in competitiveness, down from first just two years ago.

Now let's see, what happened two years ago that might explain this? Oh yeah, we held an election.

Unfair? Perhaps not, when you dig into the details of the WEF's conclusions:

Why did we lose our spot at the top? Broadly speaking, the Geneva-based forum report cites "a weakening of the United States' public and private institutions, as well as lingering concerns about the state of its financial markets."

The group stressed that the U.S. remains innovative with a flexible labor market and outstanding higher education. But its soaring deficits, burgeoning debts and declining public confidence in the nation's leaders and businesses are dragging it down. Finding a way to end the massive federal stimulus of the last two years will help boost U.S. competitiveness, the WEF also said. [emphasis mine]

As the article points out, though the WEF report doesn't mention him by name, it can't be denied that President Obama's policies are at the very heart of the ailments that undermine America's competitiveness.

Then there's this, which the article quotes from a CNSNews.com report:

In the first 19 months of the Obama administration, the federal debt held by the public increased by $2.526 trillion, which is more than the cumulative total of the national debt held by the public that was amassed by all U.S. presidents from George Washington through Ronald Reagan.

Or as put so succinctly in the movie Groundhog Day: "Don't forget your booties 'cause it's cooooold out there!"

Indeed.