does that counter this republican argument from mitt romney that barack obama is regulation happy? your direct experience at the gas pump is about to be that this president has gotten rid of regulations. it s a very subtle thing but subtle things like this can have a powerful impact when you re talking about something that sticks with people and affects millions and millions of people. the political impact or the way you personally interact with the government and the way you personally experience a policy change or the affect of something that a politician did, that can affect in a life-long way the way you think about that policy, the way you think about that politician. that individual affect part of politics is something that republicans have long appreciated. in 2008, before the big financial crash but when the economy was slowing down, president george w. bush passed a stimulus act. what? republicans, a stimulus act? yes. george w. bush passed two stimulus acts. he did it in 2001