If we had a real President, unemployment would be 4.6% and CPI 2.6% - - - - - - what's that? They ARE?

Question

Seriously folks, the economy's benchmarks under Bush are at the peak of the interest rate cycle what they were under Clinton at the trough of the interest rate cycle - - - - and I thought we all agreed, economic performance under Clinton was pretty good.

Is Iraq THAT bad that we overlook the strong economy? And why do people refer to Iraq in the plural - - "failures" - - - even if Iraq is a failure, it's ONE failure.

You mean a small fraction of the population bought bigger and/or better homes than they could afford? Why is that "the economy's fault?"

"Children living in poverty are at an all-time high" - - - not in proportion to the population as a whole - - - and the only reason it's not down dramatically is because of illegal immigrants and their anchor babies.

THIS is what I'm TALKING ABOUT!!!!! Libs referring to total stats, not backing out people who just came here from OTHER, poor economies (where, by the way, they do it your way), and referring to those totals as a reason why something's wrong with OUR economy.

E-mail yes, the Fed sets interest rates - - that's the point. It's more difficult to achieve those benchmarks when rates are higher - - - yet that's what has happened. The numbers are similar to Clinton's numbers even though we're at the opposite end of the interest rate cycle. It's like a runner going uphill almost as fast as another runner going downhill.

"The middle and lower class are still getting screwed."

No, they're both getting richer, and the "classes" are largely not permanent groups of people.

http://www.nytimes.com/specials/downsize/21cox.html
http://www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/1988/05/art1full.pdf
http://www.frbsf.org/econrsrch/wklyltr/el97-07.html#winners
http://www.dallasfed.org/fed/annual/1999p/ar95.html
http://money.cnn.com/2005/05/25/pf/record_millionaires/index.htm?cnn=yes
http://money.cnn.com/2005/09/28/news/economy/millionaire_survey/index.htm?cnn=yes
http://money.cnn.com/2006/03/28/news/economy/millionaires/?cnn=yes
http://www.heritage.org/Research/Labor/bg1773.cfm
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6214022/site/newsweek/

Weapon, there's always a sector or two that are on the outs, and mortgage underwriter is a sales job - - it's like a real estate broker - - you have to have a good personality and be willing to put a lot of hours in but you don't have to be a brain surgeon - which is fine, I'm not knocking that, I'm not a brain surgeon either. But it's a cyclical industry - when things are hot, the business just keeps coming in, you really just have to have the stamina to stay awake all night and book the deals - - - but in those years you do a lot better than most people with your skill-set do - - - and you're supposed to save up to get you through the lean years, like ANY cyclical job. Seriously it's like the 20-something techies who got laid-off in 2000-2001 - - you felt bad for them except that they were the same folks who made six figures right out of college just three years earler - other jobs pay less but are more stable - you choose the waters you surf.

Answer 1

Seriously, we have a "real" President. One that was overwhelmingly voted for--twice--even the ACLU proved that.

Answer 2

The issue, at least in part, is that Bush's leadership is so bad that any positive news gets covered by all the negative.

And it's not just Iraq. It's his inability to deal with Cindy Sheehan.

It's his inability to craft a immigration policy that doesn't make his own party angry.

It's his foolish handling of the Dubai Ports World controversy.

It's his mishandling of post Katrina New Orleans.

It's his bungling of the Justice Department scandal.

It's his nomination of Harriet Miers for the United States Supreme Court, which infuriated his base, while only bothering his usual critics.

And it's a bunch of other things I can't think of right now.

Even if things are good right now, the bush Administration has bungled their public image to make everyone feel like we're in bad times.

The last two years have been a mess for George W. Bush, and the general public is not going to fall back in love with Bush because the Consumer Price Index looks good, and Wal-mart is hiring.

Answer 3

Reagan. In order to minimize the 70s fashion towards hyperinflation, the Fed needed to enact a few very tight financial coverage, which ended in a couple of transient, however vicious recessions (or one as an alternative asymmetric one, relying on the way you appear at it). Unemployment spiked a few occasions within the early 80s. Reagan is frequently given credit score for 'slaying' inflation, and for the following healing (even for the growth within the 90s), and the tax reform he championed quite often did support with the latter, but it surely used to be the Fed that took down inflation, and Volker used to be a Carter apointee.

Answer 4

You shouldn't base an argument on data, you’re only asking for trouble.
Libs and the media will only start defining poverty as "any wage under 81K".

If the unemployment numbers remain under 5%, I expect John Edwards to move that "blue collar" jobs be factored out of the equation to give a truer perspective of the oppressed.

Answer 5

Actually, ideal unemployment is 5%. Less unemployment also means lower wages. And really, what is your definition of strong? It's not matching up with mine. In Missouri, ast least, the levels of children living in poverty are at an all time high--with the exception of the depression.

Answer 6

Does the President really have such an effect on interest rates? I thought that was the Fed.

Iraq is one, really huge, failure. Do you really want to hear more?
No Child Left Behind - failure
Clear Skies Act - not at all
Bush Doctrine - a success if you invested in war profiteers
Katrina - federal emergency failure to lead
War on Terrorism - Osama bin hiding?

Answer 7

For the millionth, gazillionth, bajillionth time:

THE ECONOMY IS *NOT* *NOT* *NOT* STRONG.

Why do you think people are unable to make their mortgage payments? Because they lost their REAL jobs and took service jobs or "downgraded" their employment in desperation. Just took whatever they could when their company went under and/or their job was outsourced.

What the heck is wrong with you that you are apparently able to completely ignore a HUGE, GLARING issue? Like hundreds of thousands of AMERICANS losing their HOMES??????

If you watched some news from around the world and what THEY are saying, it would rock your world.

We are in BIG trouble.

Answer 8

Hey whazzup Truth,

I have a question for you, when the unemployment number goes up because of all layoffs you know in the mortage industries, will you please tell my brother how great everything is? I am sure that you will be pick up his spirits, since as a loan underwriter he lost his job.

Edit: Hey how come you don't have a response for my answer? Come on you know you want to.

Answer 9

If we had a REAL economy people wouldn't have to try and convince us how good it is.. we'd be able to see it. The middle and lower class are still getting screwed.