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Obama's Goose is Cooked
Townhall Finance ^ | July 7, 2912 | Larry Kudlow

Posted on 07/07/2012 6:14:31 AM PDT by no dems

Obama needed a filet mignon in the June employment report. But instead he got a rubber chicken.

Only 80,000 new jobs were created last month, way below Wall Street expectations. It’s the fourth consecutive monthly disappointment. For a few months last winter, jobs were rising at an average of 225,000 a month. But that has sloped way down to only 75,000. The unemployment rate continues at 8.2 percent, which is the forty-first straight month above 8 percent. The U6 unemployment rate, which includes discouraged workers, is just under 15 percent.

As voters finalize their election impressions this summer, all of this is bad news for the Chicago incumbent.

In a campaign stop in Ohio on Friday, Obama actually said we’re still “heading in the right direction.” Is he kidding? As a stagnant GDP drops below 2 percent, employment falters, retail sales decline, and the ISM index for manufacturing drops below 50 (signaling contraction)? No objective observer can deny that the economy is headed in the wrong direction.

I don’t like playing the pessimist, but the numbers are the numbers. This is exactly what former Clinton advisers James Carville, Doug Schoen, and Stanley Greenberg have been warning Obama about. People just don’t believe the economy is getting better. So he’s gotta change his message.

But what change? Taxing rich people won’t create jobs. Neither will bashing Bain Capital. Obama is surrounded by leftist campaign advisers. And it’s hard to see them shifting gears to something constructive like making a summer deal to extend the Bush tax cuts for a year, or heaven forbid backing off the 20-some-odd tax hikes embodied in Obamacare.

In other words, Obama’s goose may already be cooked.

The Joint Economic Committee (JEC), spearheaded by Texas congressman Kevin Brady, put out a report saying that the Obama recovery now ranks dead last in modern times. That’s a real milestone in the post-WWII era. It’s ten out of ten for both jobs and economic growth. According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, real GDP has expanded only 6.7 percent over the eleven-quarter recovery since the recession ended. The Reagan recovery at the same stage had increased by 17.6 percent. The Clinton recovery by 8.7 percent.

As for jobs, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the number of private-sector jobs has grown by only 4.1 percent since the cyclical low point. Reagan’s record was 10.7 percent.

So much for Obamanomics. Didn’t work. Still isn’t working. As the JEC put it, spending stimulus, housing bailouts, auto bailouts, financial bailouts, cash for clunkers, cash for caulkers, and $5 trillion in deficit spending left the Obama recovery dead last in modern times.

Whatever happened to the great boom of the ’80s and ’90s, when the animal spirits were strong and the American economy wasn’t held hostage by Europe or China? In an odd twist, both Obama and his top economist Alan Krueger blame “problems built up over decades.” Does that mean they blame Clinton? Reagan?

For nearly 25 years -- during those bad old decades -- the economy increased 3.3 percent annually. Unemployment dropped from 11 percent to 6 percent to 5 percent to below 4 percent. Obama would swoon for numbers like that. But those statistics come from the era when big government was over, when pro-market forces stopped the expansion of Leviathan, and when marginal tax rates were slashed to grow the economy.

Now the question is, with Obama’s economic goose cooked, does Mitt Romney have what it takes to win the election and provide a pro-growth economic model that will restore prosperity at home and America’s number-one position around the world?

Some powerful figures -- including Rupert Murdoch, Jack Welch, and even my brothers and sisters at the Wall Street Journal editorial page -- have taken shots at Romney in recent days. But I am more optimistic. In response to his critics on the day of the bad June jobs report, Romney talked about expanding energy resources, approving the Keystone pipeline, cutting taxes, and increasing trade with Latin America. He reaffirmed his intention to cut federal spending and eliminate programs.

Basically, Romney is promising a return to free-market, supply-side policies on taxes, trade, regulation, and spending. Hopefully he will embrace a sound and stable dollar as well. I still believe Romney is the most underrated politician in America today, and that he’s the most conservative Republican standard bearer since Ronald Reagan.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Editorial; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 2012issues; bho2012; bhoeconomy; economy; elections; goose; kudlow; layoffs; obama; romney; taxes
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To: no dems

No trash talking. Romney is better than Bambi, only because he doesn’t intentionally want to destroy the country.

On the other hand I don’t think he will put together a hard core team, and we will end up with RINO output too often.

The Congress will have to be a cost cutting machine and Romney will need to sign a lot of spending cuts and bureau eliminations for the USA to get back on the rails.

The Departments to be eliminated or merged and the federal staff to be fired is huge. You could spend 4 years just on that, and maybe not get us back to pre bambi levels.

And a reminder on how LONG the recovery took after Reagan took office. A delay in action at the start of his term, will delay the recovery.

It doesn’t matter at this point, he has to win first. My vote won’t matter, the area I live in doesn’t even have Democrats on the ballot, the real election was the primaries where we kicked RINOs out and put Tea Party people in. No one here votes Democrat.


21 posted on 07/07/2012 6:39:11 AM PDT by King_Corey (www.kingcorey.com -- OpenCarry.org)
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To: mountainlion

Because the “good” Conservatives don’t run. (DeMint, Palin, Ryan, Jindal......)


22 posted on 07/07/2012 6:39:11 AM PDT by no dems (On June 28th, they shoved ObamaCare down our throat. On Nov. 6th, we'll shove it up their ass.)
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To: 1rudeboy

Exactly!!!


23 posted on 07/07/2012 6:39:46 AM PDT by no dems (On June 28th, they shoved ObamaCare down our throat. On Nov. 6th, we'll shove it up their ass.)
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To: ballplayer

Now how in the hell am I supposed to answer all you friggin’ questions? I don’t know. I’m not inside the head of the Romney team.


24 posted on 07/07/2012 6:41:41 AM PDT by no dems (On June 28th, they shoved ObamaCare down our throat. On Nov. 6th, we'll shove it up their ass.)
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To: mountainlion
Btw, “conservative” and “liberal” are idiotic labels that are designed to confuse the masses as well as neuter debates over specific issues.
25 posted on 07/07/2012 6:43:03 AM PDT by rollo tomasi (Working hard to pay for deadbeats and corrupt politicians)
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To: ballplayer

Since you asked me a litany of question in your Post #13, let me ask you one question:

HOW THE F**K CAN WE SURVIVE FOUR MORE YEARS OF OBAMA?


26 posted on 07/07/2012 6:43:39 AM PDT by no dems (On June 28th, they shoved ObamaCare down our throat. On Nov. 6th, we'll shove it up their ass.)
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To: 1rudeboy

“Because 10% say their guy is more conservative, 10% say their guy is more conservative, 10% say their guy is more conservative, and 10% say their guy is more conservative.”

You nailed it!


27 posted on 07/07/2012 6:48:35 AM PDT by caver (Obama: Home of the Whopper)
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To: All

A simple question:

‘If America were a corporation, would you let this president keep his job?’

http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2012/07/06/if-america-were-corporation-would-let-this-president-keep-his-job/


28 posted on 07/07/2012 6:52:43 AM PDT by Hotlanta Mike (Resurrect the House Committee on Un-American Activities (HUAC)...before there is no America!)
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To: Paladin2
roooooost....
29 posted on 07/07/2012 6:53:43 AM PDT by Hotlanta Mike (Resurrect the House Committee on Un-American Activities (HUAC)...before there is no America!)
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To: Travis McGee

30 posted on 07/07/2012 6:55:23 AM PDT by Hotlanta Mike (Resurrect the House Committee on Un-American Activities (HUAC)...before there is no America!)
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To: no dems

Im as Frustrated as you are,I have a Beautiful 2 year old Grandaughter and another on the way and I am Beside Myself with Fear and frustration,I could not understand why Romney was Chosen or maybe I do, the Country has been Playing out the String for decades,read Whitaker Chambers Book “Witness” you will see all the Strategies of the Communists being played out,I read it and I see it right in front of me and am Helpless to stop it. Create Chaos,then come riding in on your White Horse and say you have all the Answers,we are Seeing what Obamas answers are and they are ALL ANTIAMERICAN,but no one is saying it.


31 posted on 07/07/2012 6:56:12 AM PDT by ballplayer
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To: King_Corey
"Romney is better than Bambi, only because he doesn’t intentionally want to destroy the country."

So true, but it's good enough for me.

32 posted on 07/07/2012 6:57:11 AM PDT by DeaconRed (My vote in Nov will be dictated by my extreme hatred for ZERO and what he is doing to our country.)
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To: no dems

Im as Frustrated as you are,I have a Beautiful 2 year old Grandaughter and another on the way and I am Beside Myself with Fear and frustration,I could not understand why Romney was Chosen or maybe I do, the Country has been Playing out the String for decades,read Whitaker Chambers Book “Witness” you will see all the Strategies of the Communists being played out,I read it and I see it right in front of me and am Helpless to stop it. Create Chaos,then come riding in on your White Horse and say you have all the Answers,we are Seeing what Obamas answers are and they are ALL ANTIAMERICAN,but no one is saying it.


33 posted on 07/07/2012 6:57:19 AM PDT by ballplayer
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To: no dems
Taxing rich people won’t create jobs. Neither will bashing Bain Capital.

I'd love to see Romney use a line similar to this in a debate. That would be a hell of a lot better than when Clinton bit his lip and quietly said, "No attack ever fed a hungry child" after Bob Dole tore into his record.

34 posted on 07/07/2012 6:58:07 AM PDT by GenXFreedomFighter (Breitbart was right: If you don't vote for the Republican nominee , you are on the other side.)
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To: no dems

“heading in the right direction.”

The Obama said ~5 words.
His opposition is saying millions of words in response.
He has moved on, while his opponents talk themselves to death.


35 posted on 07/07/2012 6:59:05 AM PDT by ctdonath2 ($1 meals: http://abuckaplate.blogspot.com)
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To: no dems
Romney is promising a return to free-market, supply-side policies on taxes, trade, regulation, and spending.

I noticed that Kudlow didn't mention free-market for health care. So why is that? What makes health care different?

The problem with our health care system is the lack of free market policies.

36 posted on 07/07/2012 7:00:01 AM PDT by MulberryDraw (That which cannot be paid, won't be paid.)
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To: no dems

It is like Mark Levin says we have NO CHOICE...it is Mittens or hell....We need a conservative wing in the RINO Party...and that wing must have a convention before the primaries start to pick one candidate to run against the RINO..otherwise we lose every time..Reagan won it was one on one


37 posted on 07/07/2012 7:01:58 AM PDT by Hojczyk
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To: no dems

For a couple of months now, we’ve only been seeing the number of jobs created - no hoopla or reporting of the number of people that have applied for unemployment. I’m not saying it isn’t reported, but prominently in the news? No. Obama just goes back to his “4 million jobs created in 28 months crap” regardless that this number doesn’t even account for population increase....

My guess is those numbers are evern worse. He is probably the epitome of the affirmative action - incompetence bolstered by racial preference.


38 posted on 07/07/2012 7:04:01 AM PDT by Gaffer (NOVEMBER !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
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To: ballplayer

“Obama is going to sign on to the UN gun Ban Treaty on July 27th,decimating our second ammendment rights”

Impossible.

Rights cannot be decimated by a simple treaty.

Now, enforcing a treaty is another story. It will need to be clearly stated what any enforcement of said treaty will mean, and the Senate should be smart enough to know they should be keeping their dirty hands off the “rights” of the American people, but I’m not holding my breath on that one.


39 posted on 07/07/2012 7:08:56 AM PDT by wita
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To: mountainlion

You posted in part: So why has there never been a conservative candidate for the 40%?
****

There are two possibilities as I see it: 1) The conservative message is not accepted by enough people or 2) The conservative message has not been accurately or effectively presented.


40 posted on 07/07/2012 7:09:17 AM PDT by NCLaw441
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