Posted on 02/09/2009 2:47:02 AM PST by yoe
From crisis to catastrophe. Off a cliff. Dark, darker, darkest. Mortal danger of absolute collapse. Armageddon.
President Obama and top Democrats on Capitol Hill are deploying these and other stark predictions of doom and gloom to push through their economic-stimulus package. In terms not heard in Washington since the late 1970s under President Jimmy Carter's watch, the new president has sought to terrify Americans into supporting the $800 billion-plus bailout bill.
While President Bush was accused shortly after taking office in 2001 of "talking down the economy" - and for saying the economy was "slowing down" - Mr. Obama is using ever-heightening hyperbole to hammer home his message. But the strategy brings great risk for the "Yes, We Can" man, who just three weeks ago told America in his inaugural address that despite "a sapping of confidence across our land," his election meant Americans had "chosen hope over fear."
"Mr. Hope has to be careful not to become Dr. Doom," said Frank Luntz, a political consultant and author of the book "Words That Work: It's Not What You Say, It's What People Hear."
"The danger for him is using the Jimmy Carter malaise rhetoric, particularly for Mr. Obama, who was elected because people thought he was the solution. There's only so much negativity they will tolerate from him before they will feel betrayed," Mr. Luntz said.
Brad Blakeman, a senior aide to Mr. Bush from 2001 to 2004, said the new president's language is immature.
"It's not presidential. An American leader needs to be hopeful and optimistic - and truthful. Everything he says is parsed; everything he says is searched for deep meaning. When he goes to 'DefCon 5' on the economy and says that we're on the brink of catastrophe, it's absolutely insane."
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
Well the Federal Ponzi scheme is doomed. There is absolutly no chance they can pay off without at some point totally devalue the dollar. Inflation is the only exit from the disaster they have created.
Call me suspicious on the news we’re hearing about the economy. I’m not saying we don’t have problems, nor that it won’t become catastrophic if the government doesn’t quit spending money, but I don’t know if we’re in as bad a shape some in government would have us believe.
We made our yearly trek to the outlet mall on Saturday. We only go once a year and specifically to buy my husband shoes at the Rockport outlet.
The mall was packed. It was extremely hard to find a parking place. And people weren’t just window shopping, they had bags so they were buying. One store we were in was so crowded, we left. I counted 10 customers in the Rockport outlet, and it’s a rather small store. Is that a sign of hard economic times, perhaps, maybe people feel the need to seek out better prices and that’s why they’re at an outlet mall, but I don’t think the prices at the outlet mall are that much reduced from regular stores (we go othere for the selection which is greater than at our local shoe stores.)
On top of that I work for an online retailer. We had a better January this year, than last. Our advertising costs were down (google adwords, etc.) yet our sales were up. That says to me, maybe not as many people are looking but there are still plenty of people buying.
I think it’s to 0’s advantage to yell gloom and doom. I think Paulson, Bush, and Bernake did the same thing last fall.
Maybe I don’t understand the economic situation and am in for a rude awakening, but I also know that stating the economy is in the tank can be a self-fulfilling prophecy.
HA HA HA Are these the same folks that criticized Pres Bush as fear mongering?
“It’s not presidential...(Everything he says is parsed”
* * *
Obumbo is the most unpresidential president I have seen in my lifetime. I feel nothing but contempt for him, for his cronies and his agenda.
The dems’ way is to parse their message. They are the party of the trial lawyers, and they are the epitomy of sleazy trial lawyers, who parse facts and statements from the record to persuade the sheeple on the jury to vote for lies, illogical conclusions and unjust results.
May be we could change Ponzi scheme to Pelosi Scheme and make it stick for the rest of history.
Um, Brad, I think you mean "DEFCON 1."
Anyway, yeah, it's hard to tell who's worse--BJ Clinton or Obama. At least with BJ, he'd piss on you and tell you it's raining. With Obama, it seems that if it's raining, he'll run around in circles screaming, "You're being pissed on!"
Very un-leader-like. If only we had known before the election...
I went out to dinner twice in the last week, both times we had to wait for a table. The restaurants were filled up. I’m sick and tired of the doom and gloom from this so-called President.
The politics of fear that the media accused Bush of was just more projection — it is team Obama and his poodles in the media that are pushing this doom and gloom.
Specter, Collins and Snowe should resign or be kicked out of the republican party if they go along with this fiasco.
That's two of us. Maybe I'm insulated or just out of touch but everything seems fine at the Graybeard household. I'm retired but my wife still works and she got a healthy raise recently. Her 401k lost 1.9%, not exactly panic time.
We are not spending loads of money needlessly but we never have, except the not too often splurge for a vacation.
We are about to purchase a couple of major appliances,we'll pay cash, maybe that will help 0bama's economy.
I drove from Tampa to Gainesville and back Saturday. I-75 was bumper to bumper both directions. We took my daughter and her roommate out to dinner to a packed resturant. Many other resturants were busy as well. The mall was very busy and a lot of people buying.
Democrats and the media are trying to use a slowdown in parts of the economy and country to drive us straight into socialism.
I agree...restaurants and malls were packed this weekend...grocery stores just as busy as they have ever been. Maybe they are 'talking down the economy' just to get 'porkulus' rammed down our throats? Perhaps some folks can hit the talk shows today to advance this theory?
Our 401K’s are okay too. We did move the money into a stable fund, so we haven’t lost anything (not getting great interest either, about 1 percent...but we’re happy just not to be losing.)
We are being a little more cautious about spending, but we were never big spenders anyway.
If they want to stimulate the economy, I have an idea. Let us tap our 401Ks w/out taxes or penalties. We’d probably buy a car, as ours is nearly 12 years old and could use replacing. We might also consider a 2nd piece of real estate since we do have the cash and credit to buy one, and it seems like bargains are starting to show up. (I’d like to use my 401K money now especially if they plan to do that crazy exchange program administered by the SS Administration, but I don’t want to take the tax hit.)
No to ‘porkulus’...we just do not need this damn bill. Period.
“Obama is close to a melt down as he tries to take the country into socialism. “
Good! It is up to common conservative Americans to keep the heat on and assist in his melt down. Biden said that Obama will face an international crisis.
Us conservative REAL Americans need to be his REAL crisis. We are in a different war now. All of us need to sacrifice some extra hours, extra $$bucks$$, exta hard drive space, extra phone calls and faxes, and keep the heat on Congress and the president’s office.
Our war goes FAR, FAR beyond this socialist economic package. We are fighting the much broader ideological war, and we cannot afford to lose.
the Democrats can only find opportunity in their fellow American’s misery. Get ready to be miserable!!
obama misery index on the increase.
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