Remember 2000, when the tech bubble burst and President-Elect Bush had being accused of “talking down the economy!”
Seems the media’s been doing a good job of “talking down” the economy on its own.
I don’t understand why the Bushies do not expound on the 5% unemployment (in 1996 the press called 5.4% unemployment “full” employment) on the housing boom, the good words from Greenspan, the low inflation, the huge tax revenues that are paying down the deficit…but they don’t. They don’t get out in front of any of that - they simply allow the press to define everything - and the press defines everything this (R) President does as BAD.
I don’t understand it. Never will. But then, this president doesn’t consider life an endless campaign, either. Which, given the tenor of the times, may not be wise.
August 19th, 2005 at 12:39 pm
Various economists have argued that the low unemployment figures aren’t the result of increased hiring, but decreased attempts to find work by people who have “dropped out” of the labor force. “Discouraged workers,” as you’ll recall, are not considered unemployed by labor statistics. According to an article in The Wall Street Journal, if we were using our prior “labor participation rates,” our unemployment would appear between 6.4 and 7.2 percent.
August 19th, 2005 at 1:01 pm
Yes, I’ve read that. And I think it’s a very strange, subjective sort of a measure, don’t you?
- You can always find 5 economic theorists who will find 5 different economic theories…then what do we make of the NY Times here, bearing in mind that the whole point of my post was that the press is “talking down” the economy, and “good” economic numbers, as opposed to their habit of throwing confetti and cueing the band whenever the economy was written about through-out the late 1990’s.
- One of the craziest economic recoveries I ever saw was the one in 1992, where, within a matter of weeks - say from November 1992 to January 1993, we went from being in a “Bush recession, worst economy since Hoover” to a “Clinton recovery!” Even some of my Clinton-loving pals on the left will smilingly remember those breathless press reports! Clinton promised a middle -class tax cuts, got elected on it, within weeks declared he’d never worked so hard on anything in his life, but he just couldn’t keep that promise, the economy was too bad, and instead of tax cuts, well, he wuz gonna have to raise, ‘em, sorry, and it’s because of them feckless Republicans!
- I mean…I was a Democrat back then, and I remember rolling my eyes at that one!
- Recall, too, that after the tax cuts were enacted, unemployment rose, the economy went sluggish, and only began to chug back aright at the election of the GOP congress in 1994.
- Which is to say - REALLY - it is not the president but the congress upon whom economic praise or criticism should be heaped. But…the public perception has always been to credit the president or hold him accountable. I’d just like to see the press treat the news the same, regardless of what letter follows the president’s name, be it D or R. That is my almost constant rant, to be honest.
- I am a woman of constant sorrow!
August 19th, 2005 at 2:44 pm
Liberals will be liberals, especially if they got a bully pulpit such as Time-Warner media.
August 19th, 2005 at 4:11 pm
Anchoress said, “I’d just like to see the press treat the news the same, regardless of what letter follows the president’s name, be it D or R. That is my almost constant rant, to be honest.”
-
They do, you just don’t see it yet.
- I am a woman of constant sorrow!
_
You feel too much.
August 20th, 2005 at 11:31 am
BADMOUTHING THE ECONOMY
Thank you very much to Michelle Malkin for allowing me this opportunity to guest-blog at her page. I appreciate the honor. I’m Betsy Newmark of Betsy’s Page, not Michelle. The Wall Street Journal is taking a look on how the…
August 20th, 2005 at 11:38 am
[...] Betsy Newmark guest blogs for Malkin Air America Part III - curioser still Betsy Newmark on Kelo and more Oh, you’re not interesting, sorry This book is filthy dirty! Prepare to be flabbergasted Unusual recruits, unusual article Gotta admire Krugman’s chutzpah I’m so glad Jonah wrote this! “He’s talking down the economy!” It is never easy… Part II of the Air America Investigation What will we do with these Jews? A different perspective on calling and suffering Many summers ago… A quick poll on blogrolling Sr. Bernadette meets Christ Maxed Out Mama’s extraordinary witness The Coors Lite Papal Conclave? Malkin and Maloney: Investigative Report [...]
August 20th, 2005 at 11:42 am
[...] Newmark guest blogs for Malkin Betsy Newmark guest blogs for Malkin Air America Part III - curioser still Betsy Newmark on Kelo and more Oh, you’re notinteresting, sorry This book is filthy dirty! Prepare to be flabbergasted Unusual recruits, unusual article Gotta admire Krugman’s chutzpah I’m so glad Jonah wrote this! “He’s talking down the economy!” It is never easy… Part II of the Air America Investigation What will we do with these Jews? A different perspective on calling and suffering Many summers ago… A quick poll on blogrolling Sr. Bernadette meets Christ Maxed Out Mama’s extraordinary witness The Coors Lite Papal Conclave? [...]
August 20th, 2005 at 11:44 am
[...] Newmark guest blogs for Malkin Betsy Newmark guest blogs for Malkin Betsy Newmark guest blogs for Malkin Air America Part III - curioser still Betsy Newmark on Kelo and more Oh, you’re notinteresting, sorry This book is filthy dirty! Prepare to be flabbergasted Unusual recruits, unusual article Gotta admire Krugman’s chutzpah I’m so glad Jonah wrote this! “He’s talking down the economy!” It is never easy… Part II of the Air America Investigation What will we do with these Jews? A different perspective on calling and suffering Many summers ago… A quick poll on blogrolling Sr. Bernadette meets Christ Maxed Out Mama’s extraordinary witness [...]