Yeah....and Hillary can hurl an ashtray at hypersonic speeds....
Be afraid
Posted on 04/11/2015 7:40:14 AM PDT by Kaslin
WASHINGTON - Why is it that many of the Republican presidential contenders are dodging issues the voters say are among their highest concerns?
Go to the Gallup Poll's website that lists the issues that trouble Americans most and you'll find the economy and jobs are far and away the "most important problems" they face, according to the pollster's recent surveys.
I know why the nightly news shows don't deal with this, because for a very long time now they've been trying to convince us that the Obama economy is doing fine and people are doing better. It isn't and they aren't.
Republicans should be relentlessly pounding this issue with all they've got. Not only the GOP candidates but rank and file leaders in Congress, each and every week. I'm not hearing or seeing them do that.
Fully one third of Americans tell Gallup that "economic problems" are their chief worry, whether its the "economy in general", unemployment and jobs, the "gap between rich and poor," "lack of money," flat wages, taxes, the cost of living, and the federal deficit and debt that undermines economic growth.
Among non-economic problems, "dissatisfaction with government" comes in a strong second -- mentioned by 18 percent of Americans.
Everything else falls into the low single digits: including crime, religion, morals, gay rights, terrorism, foreign aid or illegal immigration.
The conservative candidates running or planning to run deal with "big government," promising to slash spending and abolish federal programs. But with few exceptions, their promises lack specifics or any indication they have the skills to get a serious budget-cutting plan through the obstacle course in Congress.
I don't mean that all GOP candidates aren't making the economy an important part of their campaigns, but most aren't turning it into the overwhelming issue that will likely decide the outcome of the 2016 election.
Talking about "liberty," "freedom" and the Constitution are fine and deserve their rightful place in the conversation about where are country is headed. But it doesn't address the bread-and-butter issues that Americans are worrying most about.
I'm all for expanding liberty and getting the government off our backs and out of our wallets. But I want to hear how they're going to create more full-time jobs that pay a living wage; how they're going to accelerate economic growth; how they're going to unlock needed capital investment, the mother's milk of business expansion.
The time for the Republicans to deal with this issue with both guns blazing was April 3 when the Labor Department announced that job growth slowed to a crawl in March.
In a labor force of nearly 160 million people, employers hired only 126,000 workers, and previous monthly job data estimates were revised downward significantly.
Hourly wages rose a meager 0.3 percent, but the hours worked fell slightly so incomes remained essentially flat.
"Millions of Americans who have been too discouraged to look for work because of weakness in the labor market largely remained on the sidelines," the New York Times reported. And the labor force participation rate (those who have jobs or those actively looking for one) shrank to 62 percent.
Why aren't Republicans hammering the Democrats on these and other job figures showing the sluggish Obama economy is weakening further, hurting the people they say they want to help most at the bottom of the income scale.
Black unemployment has risen under his policies over the past six years and presently stands at 11 percent. The jobless rate in "black communities is at a crisis level," says economist Valerie Wilson at the liberal Economic Policy Institute.
Long-term unemployment remains a persistent problem for older workers, too. The AARP Policy Institute released a study earlier this month that said on average 45 percent of job seekers age 55 and up were jobless for 27 weeks or more last year.
These are among the harsh economic realities of Barack Obama's failed presidency. But if the Republicans do not begin to pound them into the political consciousness of the American electorate, who will?
The television news networks? Forget it. CBS, NBC and ABC and their highly paid anchors won't touch the issue.
There are growing indications, however, that the voters increasing focus on looming economic troubles, and other issues, could be hurting Hillary Clinton in her unimpeded march toward the Democratic presidential nomination.
Gallup reported Wednesday that the former secretary of State's favorability rating among voters has slipped to 48 percent -- down from 55 percent last summer, and from 59 percent a year ago.
"Not only is this Clinton's weakest favorable rating in the past year, but it is the lowest since 2008 when she was competing in that year's Democratic primary elections," says Gallup polling analyst Lydia Saad.
Certainly a driving factor in Clinton's declining polls is last month's controversy over her secret use of a private e-mail server for all official business as secretary of State -- instead of the department's system which could eventually be open to public scrutiny.
Worse, it was revealed she erased everything from her account except what she alone deemed official e-mails. That raised suspicions she had destroyed documents that could be relevant to the congressional investigation into her bungled handling of the deadly terrorist attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi.
Gallup's April 3-4 poll showed that her favorability rating among independents plunged from 56 percent a year ago to 43 percent. And from 87 percent to 79 percent among Democrats and voters who lean Democratic.
Notably, 38 percent of Democrats, including leaners, say they would prefer "someone else" as their nominee.
Clinton has yet to level any criticism of Obama's inept economic policies, and indeed supported them during her four years in his administration -- making her eminently beatable on this issue.
The Republican who makes the economy and jobs his paramount issues, and ties her to Obama's failed policies, will be our next president.
Hey people, the real issues are things like gay weddings being catered to or transgender counselling or banning gay conversion therapy (do I have to put in the sarc?)
Little picture...Economy.
Big picture...Communists/Islamists in the WH and Senate.
How can some widely abused mischaracterization of a supposed ‘economy’ of Obama’s doing be a factor?
How can a woman and political partner who have never had a real job yet profited wildly from their ‘service’ to the people commanding sums for each so-called speech that would buy the average American’s home? Further, what are the hundreds of millions that have been donated to the Dynasty Foundation amount to anything remotely related to “for the people”.. What about Haiti? What about any of it? Economy? They don’t even know what that is.
Wow, so Hillary will have to run against all of Obama’s policies. Crazy. The Democrats running against Democrats to win over Democrats, in order to win the Democrat nomination. And they said the Republicans were weird.
What’s going to happen when Hillary is denied the nomination again? I would sure hate to be anyone associated with that campaign because the wrath of Hillary is nastier than a hurricane.
If you like your inflation you can have more, but we're gonna LIE about it!
PS We still don't know who his parents really are! All we know is what HE has told us and he......... LIES!
Here? Yes. The R candidates who understand what is most important will have a chance at the nomination.
How many get that the voluntary cooperation of free market economy, the creator of wealth and the best anti-poverty program know to man, works in the ABSENCE of government interference?
What will it take to put the feds back into its constitutional cage where it belongs so the voluntary cooperation of the free market economy, which is freedom at work, can do what it does best, create wealth?
How many get that we don't need government to fix the problem, that government IS the problem?
Hillary, when out in the public, is not a very likeable person. The more she’s seen the less she’s liked. That’s what happened last time she ran. Obama came along and swept the Dems off their feet. Her team apparently knows that and is looking for ways to keep her away from the public.
I can’t imagine that she’s gotten any better, just older and it shows.
I honestly don’t know. It is getting to the point where various former minions are nipping at the ample cankles. It really depends on that the Democrat poweratti are thinking and who they might have in reserve.
Good signs to me are Reid getting re-educated with his exercise equipment and rumblings that Pelosi needs to go - all from their own ranks.
We’ll have to see for the next 6 months but it is a good sign that Hillary is about to open up a campaign from the confines of her gilded palace bunker. The key will be to see if she ventures out into the real world and subjects herself to the masses and reporters that she cannot strictly control for each event.
Obama/Democrat/progressive economics turns economics on its head. For them it’s all about taking rather than producing and contributing. Theft rather than production.
Give and it shall be given unto you. Continually demand that more be given you and you will never have enough.
If you want more, step up and be more. And stop demanding the right to be a parasite. Bake your own pie instead od demanding a bigger slice of somebody else’s pie.
“Talking about “liberty,” “freedom” and the Constitution are fine and deserve their rightful place in the conversation about where are country is headed. But it doesn’t address the bread-and-butter issues that Americans are worrying most about.
I’m all for expanding liberty and getting the government off our backs and out of our wallets. But I want to hear how they’re going to create more full-time jobs that pay a living wage; how they’re going to accelerate economic growth; how they’re going to unlock needed capital investment, the mother’s milk of business expansion.”
It is precisely the principles of Liberty found in the Constitution that provide the foundation and climate for job creation and our once vibrant economy lately destroyed by running an economy on principles in direct conflict with those known to create the climate needed for robust growth.
More could be said but not enough is said about what God given Liberty and Freedom, and those who paid dearly to preserve it, can, and will, do for our great nation. Without them we will struggle to be second class.
fixed correctly
Very true. You can tell who’s sincere or fake almost right away. She’ll run a very scripted campaign at least in the Democratic primaries making few public appearances. I would also think her handlers will limit her debate appearances. This is assuming she’ll breeze through the primary season unscathed. If she ends up in a battle with Warren, O’Malley, or someone else then the riskier it gets for her. She’ll be forced to campaign more and as you said the more she is seen the more people tend to dislike her. She has a very thin margin of error this time around.
Wow, so Hillary will have to run against all of Obama’s policies.
The -itch won’t be able to spin it effectively. She’ll try, though.
And Foreign Policy is going to bite her, too.
The biggest problem is the stupidity of most Americans and that’s what she’ll count on.
The
Older, more testy and certainly not any more aesthetically pleasing. My guess is that she’s also medically debilitated in some fashion. Additionally, she has no (and cannot ever have) common ground with EveryMan or EveryWoman.
The fact is that the Linda/Harry Bloodworth-Thomason fantasy factory can’t compete in this day and age of CGI and ubiquitous versions of DreamWorks available to both sides.. Computers, content and variability are widely available to most anyone on the network - it isn’t limited to carefully constructed love-fests concocted by a TV mogul. There are other more widely accepted outlets for content than 60 minutes, CBS, NBC or ABC, frankly.
There isn’t a ‘there’ there. Most any working person can see it. It’s really just a matter if they want to continue working and contributing or they just want to give up and take what they want from someone else.
Either one is fine with me. However, I will NOT vote for Bush, period. Paul is big question mark to me and Rubio is also problematic. Santorum? Really? Why would he bother? Ben Carson? Not a chance in the world.
What’s going to happen when Hillary is denied the nomination again?
That’s Obama’s plan, (cause Hillary’s not leftist enough) so Warren can get the nomination. Then Bush will get the GOP nod because “he’s the “only one who can beat Warren!”
The fix is in!
Yeah....and Hillary can hurl an ashtray at hypersonic speeds....
Be afraid
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