Clinton on Obama’s Economic Performance: ‘Got a Very Difficult Hand to Play’

Waiting for an uptick in the economy during President Obama's first term? Former President Bill Clinton says don't hold your breath:

After reading a quote from President Clinton's former adviser James Carville, suggesting that President Obama take a complete change of direction and "fire a lot of people," President Clinton countered Carville's assertion that things are not going well with:

"He became president just a few months after the financial crash. Now, keep in mind, even before the financial crash, in the eight years before the financial crash, we had almost no new jobs. Only 10% as many as we had when I was President.... Historically these things take five years to get over. And a year after the President took office, the final figures came in and it turned out that the crash was even worse than anybody thought....There's no American alive except the people who are old enough to remember the great depression, and there are not many of them, who remember what it's like to go through a financial crash, which normally takes four to five years to get over. So he's got a very difficult hand to play. "

After telling Americans that the President was dealt a harsh hand, and that these things usually take four to five years to turn around, he commended the President's current economic plan, saying "I think he finally got a plan that people can gravitate to."

When asked by David Gregory if President Obama can be reelected if unemployment does not come down significantly from 9.1 %, President Clinton responded;

"Yes, If people believe that he had a credible plan, and the Republicans thwarted it, either because they were wrong or they just wanted to beat him. That's the problem they're facing."

When asked about the Republican field of presidential candidates in 2012, Clinton said it appears to be a two-man race between Perry and Romney, but wouldn't count anything out.

"It's likely to be an unpredictable year because it's an unpredictable time."

President Clinton's full interview on NBC's Meet the Press:

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