The Only Thing Faltering With Economy is Media Objectivity

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette ^ | 4/4/04 | Jack Kelly

[Wolfstar]

In his story March 26 on the likelihood that National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice would testify again before the commission investigating the Sept. 11 attacks, Adam Nagourney of The New York Times wrote: "With the economy faltering and Democrats so united, Mr. Bush's terrorism credentials are portrayed by his supporters as the strongest assets he had going against Mr. Kerry."

[Wolfstar]

Looking around here in Southern California, with home prices at astronomical, record-breaking highs — and people paying these prices, and with stores packed, I keep wondering what economy the so-called mainstream media is talking about.

[Wolfstar]

Pinging you to a useful article.

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[Grampa Dave]

We have the same "terrible" ecnomic conditions in Northern California you are suffering from in Southern California.

Last week, I was in Medford, Oregon, and that area is having the same terrible economic conditions.

I think that the rats in house economists have told them that GW has won the economic war with them. So they have created the scam that GW is the cause of 9/11 which is not going over with the American voters of the middle and our side.

[hometoroost]

Maybe the Democrats and their allies in the press could use another Fleetwood Mac song as their rallying cry for the next convention. How about "Tell Me Lies."

It was tailor-made for Bill Clinton and Al Gore but with the left - the hits just keep on coming.

[Redbob]

"...to take an unconscionable liberty with the truth."

Is that some fancy Yankee way of saying "lying?"

[My2Cents]

Good find. I suspect that by July or August, the economy will be doing so well, the claim that the economy is "faltering" will be laughable, even to the guy on the street.

[cwb]

"Journalists described a 5.6 percent rate then as "low," which it is in historical terms."

There was a time when anything between 5-6% was considered full employment. It is unvelievable the effort that the media and democrats are making to talk down this economy. When you consider the Dot.com bust, the corporate scandals...and lawsuits filed by Clinton's DOJ on compaines like Microsoft and tobacco, plus 9/11...the fact that we didn't have a depression is pretty impressive.

None of our economic indicators came close to the misery index numbers of the mid/late '70s, and yet we have the mediacrats talking about Bush in comparison with Herbert Hoover. This is exactly the same thing they did to Bush 41, when in fact, they knew the economy was in a recovery from that recession.

These people scolded GW for talking down the economy in 2000 when all economic indicators showed a slowing economy...and now they are doing exactly the same thing, when everything shows improvement. In other words, republicans aren't allowed to tell the truth...but liberals are allowed to lie.

[My2Cents]

Maybe the Democrats and their allies in the press could use another Fleetwood Mac song

You mean like Clinton's '92 song, "Don't Stop Stinking Up Tomorrow"?

[GailA]

I live in a small town pop 10,000 about 20 miles outside of Memphis. We've had only a little job and building growth in the past 15 years.

Super Walmart and Ingram Micro are the major employers. A new bank was added about 3 years ago along with a medical group.

Between last year and this we've added 2 new churches (2 existing ones built new larger ones), 2 small business with new buildings, Lowes is nearly finished, Walgreens half way up, 5 bay store front half way up. Land being cleared for more businesses.

This in a county with one of the highest property taxes in Tennessee. Surrounding counties growing, MS is getting plenty of 'tax/crime' flight people and they are having to build new schools.

[donozark]

I was in Tunica last month. Had to elbow my way to the men's room. And most of gamblers were 'lil 'ol laddies in tennis shoes! Bookings are 2-3 weeks backlogged for most casinos. Vegas booming as well.

Trucking booming. 4 columns of trucking jobs in local paper. Construction booming. Can't speak for all areas of the USA of course, but only people not working hereabouts are the sick,lame, and lazy...

[My2Cents]

The Democrats and their media lapdogs have pulled out all stops this election. They are completely out of control, even for them. The media has shed every pretense of being "objective." They are in full-throated rage to defeat Geo. W. Bush. Thank goodness the BC'04 campaign has about $150 million on hand. They need to collect another $100 million to enable them to talk over the press, since the news media refuses to report the truth.

[My2Cents]

only people not working hereabouts are the sick,lame, and lazy...In other words, the Democrats' base.

[My2Cents]

only people not working hereabouts are the sick,lame, and lazy...

In other words, the Democrats' base.

[gakrak]

You see the RAT's have reached critical mass-distruction, they don't have a clue to where fantasy ends and reality takes over. Maybe a remedial course in Econ 101 or less might help.

[Ciexyz]

I'm sick of the major media's "unconscionable liberty with the truth", which is why I hang on Fox News and FR!

[workerbee]

A survey of consumer confidence March 16 by ABC News and Money magazine indicated it had fallen for the fourth time in five weeks, to a 10-month low.

What exactly is a survey of consumer confidence? Is it just ABC calling up and asking people "do you feel like you have enough money?" Or is it based on sales of certain products (automobiles, homes, etc.?) Is there an actual "government-approved" consumer confidence survey that is different from one done by a private entity? I've never understood what they mean when they quote this kind of survey. It seems too easy to fling out the name and the number from it and skew it to fit whatever you want it to mean.

[Wolfstar]

...which is not going over with the American voters of the middle and our side.

Sure hope you're right about that. The notion that Kerry might actually win in November is too terrible to contemplate.

[Wolfstar]

Yeah, the author was being a bit too polite for my tastes. "Lying" just about covers it for me.

[My2Cents]

You have a point. The Dems may be suffering from ignorance. But I think it's more than that: they suffer from mental illness.

[My2Cents]

...they suffer from mental illness.

...and a shocking level of immorality.

[Wolfstar]

This is exactly the same thing they did to Bush 41, when in fact, they knew the economy was in a recovery from that recession.

Yep, sure is. It worked back then, so they must figure it will work now.

[Wolfstar]

I'm hoping that common sense will prevail among the general population as regards the economy. I mean, all people have to do is look around and see the booming economic activity all around them. True, there are some weak spots, such as gas prices and outsourcing, but on balance someone's buying all those houses for sale at record prices, and someone's going to all those malls and other stores, and someone's buying all those cars, etc.

[Grampa Dave]

If al Querry becomes president, we can kiss our country and families goodbye!

[Wolfstar]

I know what you mean. I work in the computer/high-tech field which has been slow to recover due to the outsourcing phenomenon. But even in this field, things seem to be turning around.

[Wolfstar]

Hi, M2C, my move's over (as of the 27th), am settling into my new digs, and am now mobilizing on behalf of the President. (It's been a loooong and unhappy two months, but it's over now. Whew!)

[Grampa Dave]

I think that you have summed up the lunacy of the left in this statement:

You see the RAT's have reached critical mass-distruction, they don't have a clue to where fantasy ends and reality takes over.

A younger and very conservative relative feels that all of the local rats he runs into in N California suffer from Adult Attention Deficit Disorder. All they can remember and focus on is the hatred of conservatives, Christians and GW. Their so call logic is a collection of their inane mantras.

[Badeye]

I see this the same way you do. Fact is, unemployment below 7% is not a political issue, hasn't been at any time in our history.

You can't "spin" the last six months of growth into something "negative" as I watch the Dems try to do this past weekend.

As for average Americans...a large percentage of them get quarterly statements from their 401(k) plans, and the like. They all show a big time recovery from three years ago.

Democrats have no way of countering that, just like next month they won't be able to explain away the big jump in consumer spending thats coming due to the tax refunds, or the next six months of six digit growth of new jobs.

The economy as a political issue is working against the Democrats, pure and simple.

Because only fools and Democrats bet against this economy...

[Wolfstar]

I'm sick of the major media's "unconscionable liberty with the truth"...

Yeah, ain't it a kick whenever they pontificate about how important "objectivity" is to the reporting business. What a hoot!

[Wolfstar]

Good questions. I suspect this "survey" is just another phony poll purchased by "objective" big media.

[My2Cents]

Good to see you W-S! You've been missed.

[Wolfstar]

But I think it's more than that: they suffer from mental illness.

This notion too easily lets them off the hook for their blatant anti-Americanism and other Leftist horse-puckey. We must never forget that the Marxist-Leninist creed, in all its many guises, has been the bloodiest political movement in the history of mankind. While it's true that the post-WWII Euro-style "Democratic Socialism" practiced by modern Western Left-wing political parties (including our own Dems) is a "tame" version, it is, in it's own way, nearly as destructive and corrosive as it's more virulent cousins, communism, facism and nazism.

For example, despite all the modern Dem/Euro Left's pieties about human rights, if it were up to them, the vicious Talian would still murdering thousands of people in Afghanistan, and that Stalin sychophant, Saddam Hussein, would still be filling mass graves in Iraq.

[My2Cents]

The thing about '92, the recovery came late in the election cycle, and wasn't as strong as this one. I don't expect the Dems to continue to be able to lie about the economy into the late summer and fall. Part of the reason consumer confidence is depressed (as the article points out) is that the Dems have kept up a drumbeat of the "faltering" economy, and most Americans haven't started to really pay attention to the issue.

When Ohio and Pennsylvania are suppose to be swing states where Bush is "in trouble" because of jobs, and yet Bush has a lead in both states, it tells me 1) the economy isn't as bad as the Dems and the media are playing it, and/or 2) there are more issues in play and high in voters' minds beside the economy.

[Wolfstar]

If al Querry becomes president, we can kiss our country and families goodbye!

Absolutely! I just hope enough American voters realize that come November.

[oceanview]

jobs offshoring is hitting the republican base - white collar middle and upper middle class private sector jobs in tech, large companies, etc. that's the republican bread and butter base, something like a 30% margin (normally) over the Dems. by being in favor of offshoring, the Rs are killing their own base. this is the single issue reason why Bush isn't up 10-15% on Kerry - ITS THE OFFSHORING!

the recent jobs report was good, but for the particular sectors being hit hard by offshoring, that jobs report is doing nothing to stem the bleeding of those sector's jobs offshore.

[John Jorsett]

News: 300,000+ jobs created.

Spin: Bush economy creates underpaid, no benefits, dead end employees

[Wolfstar]

I work in the computer/tech field, in the automotive industry. While it's true that some jobs on some projects have been outsourced to Canada and then India, results have been decidedly mixed. Also, the outsourced jobs — mostly support work (Canada) and lower-level progamming (India) — do not appear to have cut into staffing levels here. Of course, I can only tell you what I see with my own eyes, and can't extrapolate it out to all other companies.

[oceanview]

actually, the news reports of last week jobs numbers did not spin that. the story was simply under-reported, and now with this recent Iraq stuff, its totally off the radar.

[oceanview]

perhaps where you work. but we have other freepers reporting offshoring is still a significant part of their companies business plans, still moving forward, nothing is being done to provide any kind of tax dis-incentive, so the jobs (that can go) are going to where the labor costs are lower.

[cwb]

"The thing about '92, the recovery came late in the election cycle, and wasn't as strong as this one."

I agree...and unfortunately, as always, employment hadn't quite caught up with the rest of the good economic news. Fortunately, this lagging indicator seems to be moving in the right direction and hopefully won't be an issue. That still won't stop the dems, however, as they already have their talking points about these jobs being low-pay, unprofessional, partime jobs. As you say, Bush has the money and hopefully he'll be giving some Economic 101 lessons to the populous.

[cwb]

PS...did you notice how just about every month from here to November, we're going to have the release of liberal books attacking Bush....from Woodward to Plame to Clinton, etc. Of course, the authors will be allocated all the time they need on their favorite morning, news and magazine shows. And to think...these people have the nerve to talk about a vast right wing conspiracy.

[My2Cents]

Yes. This is a clever way to get by the federal campaign finance reform law. Since the Dems have a sympathetic media, they have a free outlet to bash Bush. So far, the hit by Paul O'Neill, and I think by Richard Clarke, have been busts. Frankly, I think the American people have bonded with Bush on the issue of terrorism and national security. The more the left wants to attack Bush on 9/11, the more it reminds the American voters what stellar work he did in the wake of 9/11. The only thing that would shake the public's confidence in Bush on terrorism is if someone digs up phone logs of a 9/10/01 phone conversation between the White House and bin Laden.

[My2Cents]

Spin: Bush economy creates underpaid, no benefits, dead end employees

The ultimate spin is that the government creates jobs, or is responsible for job losses.

[new cruelty]

Adam Nagourney of The New York Times wrote: "With the economy faltering and Democrats so united..."

Well come on Mr. Kelly, considering the source is a house of lies, this little barb from adam should come as no surprise. None the less, I am glad you took the time to point it out.

[Wolfstar]

It's possible the trend may slow if other companies are experiencing similar difficulties as this: On a recent very big, high-visibility project, implementation was a huge screw-up thanks to the piss-poor quality of programming, testing and oversight done in India. I have no way of knowing the cost-benefit analysis regarding costs of paying workers from the get-go here vs. costs of having to clean up poor-quality work done overseas, but I'd sure love to see the data.

[Wolfstar]

The only thing that would shake the public's confidence in Bush on terrorism...

I sure hope you're right, but am something of a pessimist where the average voter is concerned. The extent to which the 9/11 commission, Left-wing book authors, and major media have put the focus on the 7 1/2 months of the new Bush administration leading up to 9/11 vs. the 8 years of the monumentally negligent Clinton administration is just breathtaking. If the general public winds up believing the nonsense that Clinton did all he could and it was Bush who dropped the ball, then we, as a nation, will deserve what we get in the upcoming Kerry years.

[THX 1138]

What amazes me is that this article appeared in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, which is a totally degenerate left-wing rag.

Thank God for the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review!

[GailA]

I forgot that we also got a Perkins. Our malls are loaded. Despite the high gas prices (ours are lower than national avg) no one is sitting home. Food places are busy. Even Memphis is getting new businesses despite the high taxes. Super Walmart is always crowded.

[Tamzee]

am settling into my new digs, and am now mobilizing on behalf of the President

Now THAT is terrific news :-)

Congrats on having survived the move and it's wonderful to see you back!

[Tamzee]

...they suffer from mental illness.
...and a shocking level of immorality.

--


Yep... I'd say that sums it up.