Posted on 07/10/2008 7:32:51 AM PDT by SmithL
America's sky is falling. A Los Angeles Times/Bloomberg poll conducted last month found that 78 percent of Americans think that the country is heading in the wrong direction.
Of course, almost 4 in 5 Americans think the country is heading to heck in a handbasket. The news media are stuck in one gear when it comes to reporting economic news - Armageddon.
As Hillary Rodham Clinton supporters so aptly noted, many journalists are besotted with Barack Obama. That makes them open to any bad news that can be tacked onto Republican George W. Bush.
But it's more than liberal bias. Journalists are convinced that the American economy is collapsing and going down the tube, because our industry is collapsing and going down the tube.
So if you say the economy is "slowing," as Republican presidential candidate John McCain has said, you're insensitive. If you are in touch, you are supposed to ignore the 0.6-percent GDP growth in the fourth-quarter of 2007 and 1 percent growth in the first-quarter of 2008, because that belies the belief that the U.S. economy is in recession.
Remember the "misery index" - the combined rate of unemployment and inflation that peaked at 22 percent under President Jimmy Carter? Forget it. Not enough misery. In 2004, Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry had to throw in extra statistics to inflate the Bush misery index,
...Lately, news stories report on American fears about inflation, without reporting the rate of inflation. It's about 4.2 percent. With the unemployment rate at 5.5 percent, the "misery index" is just under 10 percent.
Yes, gasoline prices are up.
...After years of arguing that greener energy policies don't hurt the economy, but instead create jobs, Democrats and talking heads should be cooing about the new economic horizons unfolding.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
After years of arguing that greener energy policies don't hurt the economy, but instead create jobs, Democrats and talking heads should be cooing about the new economic horizons unfolding.I notice that Nancy Pelosi is no longer promising to lower gas prices, either.
time to call her office and demand lower gas prices.
Campaign promises. I'm sure she kept all of those that she intended to.
Yeah, from a great source......
These very same 78% couldn't name The Speaker of The House, but I am sure could tell you who got kicked off the Survivor Island last week.
Well the media including FoxNews is fueling this also. Look on their business page on the website, oil goes up a penny and they are all over it with news alerts, heralding the end. When it drops 10 bucks a barrel like it has good luck finding even the current per barrel price anywhere on their site. Liberals and media types are genrrally miserable negative people whose lives are filled with orgasmic delights of shadenfrude.
Fed is in front of capitol hill right now on CNBC. That idiot Barney Franks is up their grandstanding for his housing gambler and bank bailout bill.
CNBC mercifully went to commercial in the middle of Barneys “Look everyone, I’m on tv!” moment.
I came of "business" age when a health insurance benefit was a regular benefit offered by businesses to help recruit a quality workforce.
It took some intellectual discipline for me to realize that it was indeed a perk.
Employer provided health insurance or at least low cost employer provided health insurance causes health care costs to rise.
Almost any fool knows that if one can get medical care for little or no cost one will seek a lot of it. Imagine if your employer said that part of your pay is all the steak your family can eat. Would your family eat more steak?
If you are in touch, you are supposed to ignore the 0.6-percent GDP growth in the fourth-quarter of 2007 and 1 percent growth in the first-quarter of 2008, because that belies the belief that the U.S. economy is in recession.
I thought a recession is defined by two or more consecutive quarters of Negaitve growth???
This, plus figures on unemployment decreases out today, are what inspired Phil Gramms comments.
Lots of economic experts are puzzled and frustrated by the malise of consumers in polling data.
I’m starting to think that polls are what is messed up. Too many unemployed, unhappy people answering the phone. Happy folks use caller ID. ;->
I’ve always thought the “ country going the wrong way “ figures were near meaningless. They are used to flog the incumbent executive ( if Republican ) not the legislature. More important, however, is that half or more of the dissatisfied electorate feel the country is getting too liberal, not too conservative.
Campaign promises. I’m sure she kept all of those that she intended to.
She didn’t keep them because President Bush wouldn’t let her. Ole Meanie! /s
Employer provided health insurance or at least low cost employer provided health insurance causes health care costs to rise.
It is useful to understand why employer provided health insurance became the norm. Group insurance makes the same coverage cheaper than when bought outside the group and tax laws allow health insurance to be paid for with pre-tax dollars. In other words, I am not taxed for the health insurance benefits my employer provides, but would have to pay for my own insurance with after-tax income. Hence an employer can offer you higher net compensation (net pay plus the value of your health insurance) if he pays for the insurance than if you pay for it yourself.
What's that about.
Interesting. I am seeing a lot more liberal papers talking about no more socialism. Too bad they supported the socialists for all those years and help them get elected with ‘Bush lied’. They might have thought about balanced news coverage. Now they are covering something alright. There own asses.
Yeah well let’s hope the President keeps listening to Paul Volker. The ulterior motive of Frank and Paulson should be becoming obvious by now.
A shame a standing U.S. President has to watch his own back while trying to fight a war and potential nuclear 911, deal with economic woes and the mass media all at the same time. The President got a big *hit sandwich and these people who worked against him are beyond traitors. They are maggots. The counter-culture, legalistic, ivory tower maggots. Guess we’ll get to see how people in Cuba really live for a short time and the Dems will get to see if We the People including our military put up with it.
I was in Candada meeting with some very sharp business people. Even the Canadians think we have gone off the liberal deep end.
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