Obama: Actually, the economy’s not as bad as you think
posted at 8:02 pm on March 12, 2009 by Allahpundit
I assume this is his way of saying that it won’t be quite as bad as the Great Depression, just almost as bad. Hope, for a Change:
Richard Parsons, chairman of beleaguered Citigroup Inc., asked if Obama could offer some help in a national battle “between confidence and fear.”
“A smidgen of good news and suddenly everything is doing great. A little bit of bad news and ooohh , we’re down on the dumps,” Obama said. “And I am obviously an object of this constantly varying assessment. I am the object in chief of this varying assessment.”
“I don’t think things are ever as good as they say, or ever as bad as they say,” Obama added. “Things two years ago were not as good as we thought because there were a lot of underlying weaknesses in the economy. They’re not as bad as we think they are now.”
“And my long-term projections are highly optimistic, if we take care of some of these long-term structural problems.”
Do we get to remind him that he said this the next time he asks for a trillion dollars in spending or is this, like his campaign promise about rejecting signing statements, just more crap that we’re not supposed to take seriously? Exit question: The One says things aren’t as bad as they seem, Specter says they’re even worse than they seem. I don’t trust either of them. Who’s right?
Blowback
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Sounds a little testy doesn’t he. Think things are getting to him?
jeanie on March 12, 2009 at 8:03 PM
Is it still party time at The White House on Wednesdays?
Funny how MSNBC doesn’t like to report on it.
RobCon on March 12, 2009 at 8:05 PM
Judd Gregg called out Geithner and said his budget was a lie. Gregg is a smart man on economics and he knows where the economy is…down the toilet.
jencab on March 12, 2009 at 8:05 PM
This man is never out of character. Yes, it’s all about you Junior.
sherry on March 12, 2009 at 8:06 PM
Fine. Then give us our money back, SUCKA!
HornetSting on March 12, 2009 at 8:06 PM
The stock market has a good couple days and a few banks don’t fail. It’s settled then.
V15J on March 12, 2009 at 8:06 PM
The Porkulus worked!!
Party time! This guy’s friggin’ genius.
progressoverpeace on March 12, 2009 at 8:07 PM
Neither. Things are what they are and much of that depends on public perception and trust in what the filthy liar and rat bastard traitors like Specter say.
I’m at a loss to figure out how public trust and perception can be good when the filthy liar has surrounded himself with tax cheats and other criminals.
highhopes on March 12, 2009 at 8:08 PM
They are all liars. They can’t EVER be trusted. Let’s stop giving them money.
Weight of Glory on March 12, 2009 at 8:08 PM
He’s worried that he’ll have to cancel his Wednesday night parties if things don’t improve…
Realist on March 12, 2009 at 8:08 PM
That’s what America gets for wanting Husseing to do thug thizzlin’.
madmonkphotog on March 12, 2009 at 8:09 PM
What a whiner. He is complaining that he is the “object” of this scorn…could he for one second check out the horrific criticism Bush endured for EIGHT YEARS? I don’t think this waif could stand the heat. Get out of the kitchen, Barack.
Mommypundit on March 12, 2009 at 8:09 PM
Was this a teleprompter or non-teleprompter moment?
sherry on March 12, 2009 at 8:09 PM
So cancel the porkulus already.
Wethal on March 12, 2009 at 8:11 PM
First time the guy has ever been judged on results and he doesn’t like it. I doubt he even thought about that when campaigning.
a capella on March 12, 2009 at 8:11 PM
What is an Object in Chief? That’s a new one to me.
The porklus hasn’t been divided out yet and it’s not as bad as it seems. Congress just passed a bill with 8500 earmarks and it’s not as bad as it seems. Stock Market is down 20%. I thought we were in the middle of a castrophe.
I guess this is hope and change for you.
Brat4life on March 12, 2009 at 8:11 PM
I agree…generally. But, I do have a couple of good ones still in NC. Virginia Foxx is steady and Richard Burr is proving himself to be respondent to the people…at least to me! I call/write these people a LOT. haha
Mommypundit on March 12, 2009 at 8:11 PM
I know what happened. Someone just explained to the idiot messiah what a P/E ratio really is (and how to say it) and now he sees everything clearly. It was that old “profit and earnings ratio” that was screwing up The Precedent’s keen analysis.
progressoverpeace on March 12, 2009 at 8:11 PM
My doubts about whether Obambi would know a good economy if he saw one are being confirmed.
AubieJon on March 12, 2009 at 8:12 PM
The “Crisis” is over! Now I can buy the Rolls Royce I have always wanted.
JoeySlippers on March 12, 2009 at 8:13 PM
That was his campaign platform. He IS the change, The Hope, and the Life…the object.
Mommypundit on March 12, 2009 at 8:13 PM
We’ll be livin’ large once that extra $13 a week kicks in.
JammieWearingFool on March 12, 2009 at 8:13 PM
And I thought Nick Saban had a massive ego. Sorry, Nicky.
AubieJon on March 12, 2009 at 8:14 PM
Happy Meals for everyone!
Mommypundit on March 12, 2009 at 8:14 PM
Great News! Yay for Obama! If things are this good now, imagine how great it’ll be once he finds the 17 other
crooksliarssuckers to staff Treasury!innominatus on March 12, 2009 at 8:14 PM
What, like he didn’t know that ‘words mean somethig’???
Maybe GOP Eric Cantor should remind President TelePrompter ‘He WON’ so it is his J-O-B.
TN Mom on March 12, 2009 at 8:14 PM
The ultimate politician.
He’s only saying this to get the ball rolling on health care and cap & trade. He knows Americans are weary of his constant fearmongering – and the opportunity to get things passed in order to avoid the greatest catastrophe since (insert date here) are slipping through his fingers. So now we will start to hear that the outlook is rosy and bright and unicorns and rainbows – and that means it’s finally time to implement “real change” in America!
BardMan on March 12, 2009 at 8:14 PM
Obama is near panic and doesn’t have a clue . . he appears to be wandering aimlessly in a quasi fugue state. The country is in serious trouble folks, and I’m not talking about the economy.
rplat on March 12, 2009 at 8:15 PM
Would one of those structural problems be the entire upper class?
sherry on March 12, 2009 at 8:15 PM
Depends on whether you still have a job or not.
Tanya on March 12, 2009 at 8:15 PM
Oh. I was reading it another way, as in “I object to that!”
progressoverpeace on March 12, 2009 at 8:15 PM
“I am the object
in chief of this varying assessmentof my affections.”FIFY, Barry.
Wethal on March 12, 2009 at 8:15 PM
Entelechy on March 12, 2009 at 8:15 PM
I was waiting for this. I still think we have been set up deliberately. From 2004 on, funny stuff has been happening in the financial markets. Coincident with the Bush reelection.
God I am mad.
eaglesdontflock on March 12, 2009 at 8:15 PM
You’re not trying to tell me something, are you?
Allahpundit on March 12, 2009 at 8:16 PM
Didn’t you already receive your Rolls from Obama? Check your mailbox.
HornetSting on March 12, 2009 at 8:16 PM
Cue FDR’s theme “Happy Days Are Here Again…”
Wethal on March 12, 2009 at 8:16 PM
Obama, now if he could only find some people to fill the dozens of positions…if he could only find help for his tax evading leaders…and now that “getalife” feels that Obama has saved the economy.
We can now be rest assured that if it drops, it is fully his responsibility, seeing as he has rescued us.
Thanks, getalife, we know have for certain Obama’s to blame
ifwhen the economy goes south.right2bright on March 12, 2009 at 8:17 PM
Bush depression saved.
This guy is addressing problems in his first 50 days that have not been addreseed in the last 50 years.
Get out of his way and follow his leadership.
He is on a roll.
getalife on March 12, 2009 at 8:17 PM
Didn’t he claim like a month ago that we were on the brink of catastrophe and we might enter a recession we might not come out of and we might have multi-trillion deficits for years?
What a freaking loser.
CP on March 12, 2009 at 8:18 PM
Dude, I think he might be the Chosen One.
He who is Prophesied, that is.
Allahpundit on March 12, 2009 at 8:19 PM
What the heck does this means. Can we have a link to his projections? If they are optimistic, does it mean we need to take them with a grain of salt?
neuquenguy on March 12, 2009 at 8:19 PM
ROFLMAO! Man, that was great. Really. You’re killing me.
progressoverpeace on March 12, 2009 at 8:19 PM
What we need is more govt intervention in the marketplace so we can finally break the back of business cycles and move toward a more sustainable and predictable long term growth trajactory.
I give it another week or two until we hear something like this from the Dear Reader.
moxie_neanderthal on March 12, 2009 at 8:19 PM
What’s the difference between Obama and Jesus?
Jesus can build a cabinet.
Chuck Schick on March 12, 2009 at 8:19 PM
You know what, I don’t believe Obama. I’m sure all his pollsters told him to speak up the economy since they are going to ruin it with Porkculus.
Lance Murdock on March 12, 2009 at 8:20 PM
AP, does getalife really exist or is it really a little script you have running in the background?
neuquenguy on March 12, 2009 at 8:21 PM
“And getalife is his prophet”
innominatus on March 12, 2009 at 8:21 PM
You jest, of course…
eaglesdontflock on March 12, 2009 at 8:21 PM
He says, “we have to make sure that every dollar is well spent.” Sure, right. I totally believe you. All those earmarks do indeed signal money well spent. “And if we see money misspent we are going to put a stop to it.” Right on! I see the administration doing exactly that–cutting needless, useless programs left and right. Just waiting for the pig odor money to come to Iowa.
Thank the One, he is in office! Hallelujah!
cyclown on March 12, 2009 at 8:21 PM
This guy is addressing problems in his first 50 days that have not been addreseed in the last 50 years.
getalife on March 12, 2009 at 8:17 PM
Like what Health Care I seem to think that Hillary tried to tackle that and it was a failure.
Social Security oh Yea there won’t be any left after the politicans get done stealing from it.
Education. Please there is nothing that can save education now unless you start all over from the beginning and no way that it going to happen.
The Economy what has he done but put us more into debt and lying to the people about earmarks.
The stock market is still down, unemployment continues to rise
and our 13 dollar a week stimulus will be off set with higher energy cost. So yea he’s on a roll going downhill real fast.
Brat4life on March 12, 2009 at 8:22 PM
I was going to vote for his reelection, based on above. Then I saw AP’s comment. Now I’m back to where I was, plus a couple of tear-inducing and endorphin-releasing laughs.
Entelechy on March 12, 2009 at 8:22 PM
Obama: Attacking himself so we don’t have to.
That’s no way to saves jobs.
Dusty on March 12, 2009 at 8:22 PM
i heard this speech. this was a non-teleprompter moment after telling a group how wonderful cap ‘n trade was going to be. and let me tell you that the other non-teleprompter remarks were intelligible only to a 3 year old.
kelley in virginia on March 12, 2009 at 8:22 PM
Do you even read what you write, or is it just the Thorazine working?
AubieJon on March 12, 2009 at 8:22 PM
Of course, getalife is a HA Capitalist, with an alter e-ego.
Entelechy on March 12, 2009 at 8:23 PM
Does this mean we won’t be getting our checks in the mail?
I want my check and I want it now!!!!!
/
Knucklehead on March 12, 2009 at 8:23 PM
Structural Problems: Filling senior staff possistions?
TN Mom on March 12, 2009 at 8:24 PM
Really Barry… is that what you meant when you said “crisis” 25 times in a single speech?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ke1kvm1ErVc
BTW, I know there once was a number of higher quality versions of this video on YouTube, but I wasn’t able to find them just now… I’m hesitant to jump to conclusions about White House or nutroots flagging or pressuring YouTube to remove the videos, but let’s just say I wouldn’t be surprised.
RightWinged on March 12, 2009 at 8:24 PM
I know, you are a nonbeliever but you have to admit he is going big and taking all these problems head on.
getalife on March 12, 2009 at 8:24 PM
oh wow…that is pretty funny. I’m using it.
Mommypundit on March 12, 2009 at 8:24 PM
AubieJon on March 12, 2009 at 8:14 PM
Ah, now I understand your tag, Auburn fan.
Obama clearly is clueless about economics. What happened two years ago when the economy began to slip, Democrats were given power in Congress. Remember those clips of Barney Frank saying Fannie and Freddie were just fine and didn’t need reforming.
goat on March 12, 2009 at 8:24 PM
I suppose that all the people making derogatory remarks here think that they can find someone that is more qualified than a “community organizer” to run this country. I dare you to find one.
Jeff on March 12, 2009 at 8:24 PM
Name anything he’s accomplished, asswipe…besides tanking the economy.
AubieJon on March 12, 2009 at 8:25 PM
600 Dow points in 3 days? The market looks better than it did on Monday. Of course this is probably just a bear market rally. It may run a little bit before we test below S&P 670 again.
Look for Obama to take credit for any positive developments and assign blame for any negative economic news.
Also, something bad, beyond the financial, is likely to happen with a couple of Eastern European countries before we are through.
dedalus on March 12, 2009 at 8:25 PM
Tomorrow the markets will rise a little and getalife will be back with “give thanks to this new president”.
Entelechy on March 12, 2009 at 8:25 PM
er…every president has/does…it depends on how they view the “crisis,” if there is one at all and/or if it’s something big gov needs its oafish hands all over.
Mommypundit on March 12, 2009 at 8:25 PM
Is this a joke?
Mommypundit on March 12, 2009 at 8:26 PM
Things are so Peachy
Let’s See
Bank of America:
$118 Billion covered by U.S. Taxpayers Backstop
$45 Billion in TARP funds
Another $20 Billion in January.
CITI:
$300 Billion covered by U.S. Taxpayers Backstop
$45 Billion Bailout
SO TELL ME WHERE YOUR PROFIT IS, YOU BUNCH OF IDIOTS
DevilDoc77 on March 12, 2009 at 8:27 PM
This lemming will opt out of the invitation to meet at the cliff, but thanks anyway. Let us know how it works out for you.
moxie_neanderthal on March 12, 2009 at 8:27 PM
Come on doom and gloomers, it will be okay.
Have you checked the Dow the last three days?
The President is right.
getalife on March 12, 2009 at 8:28 PM
Obama voted for the economy being bad before he voted against it.
PercyB on March 12, 2009 at 8:28 PM
He must have been speaking to his base.
sherry on March 12, 2009 at 8:28 PM
Bwahahahahahahaha….. You poor thing.
AubieJon on March 12, 2009 at 8:29 PM
I need a bigger mattress.
TN Mom on March 12, 2009 at 8:29 PM
More like ‘head UP’, needalife.
HornetSting on March 12, 2009 at 8:30 PM
“a smidgen of bad news…”
Yeah, Barry. I wouldn’t call the collapse of Wall Street “a smidgen” of bad news. Does this clown even KNOW a CEO?? Does he know anyone in the private sector who has witnessed the evaporation of their 401k?
gyrations….
stevezilla on March 12, 2009 at 8:30 PM
Well, let’s say I’m not exposed to any media whatsoever and can only answer based on the small town I live in, I’d say Specter…hands down.
We do allot of tourism here so there are allot of Mom & Pops, or used to be. About half are belly up and gone. Some of these guys had been in business 40 years. All of our car dealerships are vacant lots…GM was the first to show up and repo 7 acres of cars. All of these places employed real people, friends I’ve known for years. So if the president says it’s not as bad as it looks…I want the number of the guy he buys his dope from ’cause that has to be some real good sh*t….
repvoter on March 12, 2009 at 8:30 PM
Name one thing he’s accomplished, asswipe, besides tanking the economy.
AubieJon on March 12, 2009 at 8:31 PM
Are we allowed to look outside the daycare?
neuquenguy on March 12, 2009 at 8:32 PM
Back up. Check the DOW for the last three months.
The president is left.
swede7 on March 12, 2009 at 8:33 PM
He is so out of his league. What a disaster.
The thing that really pisses me off is that he has set back race relations 50 years. (I know, last year I was saying 20…I’ve adjusted to the reality of the One’s actual presidency.) Deserved or not, there will not be another black POTUS in our lifetimes. He has so screwed that up by being a complete and utter fool, it just screws up so much…but, hey, the american people wanted hope and change. Hope they like what they’re getting.
JustTruth101 on March 12, 2009 at 8:33 PM
Right to keep himself and Giethner out of the spot light. Have you correlated the days they speak out about their economic plans and the markets? I think it’s what those in the charting business call an inverse correlation.
MB4 on March 12, 2009 at 8:34 PM
You wanted the job.
ddrintn on March 12, 2009 at 8:35 PM
You forgot the /sarc tag, but I fixed it for you.
DFCtomm on March 12, 2009 at 8:35 PM
Problem number one with modern conservative argument….
We pretend the electorate is to0 stupid to see shades of gray when we jump up yelling j’accuse.
Problem two is hypocrisy.
An example from another thread; comments about Hastert pretend that attacking Pelosi for doing what Hastert did is fine because even though no republicans at the time objected to the practice it was/is still wrong.
In this thread we are supposed to rag on the President for injecting optimism into the economic debate as if we hadn’t been calling on him to do that very thing.
As for the rejection of gray… The minute this mini drama over signing statements makes it out of the echo chamber the administration has only to explain this bill was written by the previous congress, and instead of re-fighting a budget bill while critics are urging action on the economy the President issued a signing statement.
Until we as a party admit our errors and argue honestly we will never get back into the good graces of voters.
Despite the wailing and teeth gnashing about conservative principles and values, the electorate wants nothing to do with a party that pretends the past eight years were a success and a shining example of principles in practice.
The American people passed judgment against our party in 06 and 08 and instead of showing an ounce of the remorse and contrition they expect for their perceived breach of trust, too many republicans are acting like they were never punished, like the Republican brand and modern conservatism isn’t in need of a major rebuilding.
It’s perfectly fine to think “Reagan Republicanism” is the future, that the party trying to cater to wishy washy moderates never succeeds long term, but unless we honestly address the reasons the public is currently rejecting those ideas then it sounds like nothing more that intellectual dishonesty, with a side of hypocrisy.
barkolounger on March 12, 2009 at 8:35 PM
What Barry’s campaign manager will tell him on election night, 2012, when Barry is defeated.
Wethal on March 12, 2009 at 8:36 PM
P.S. The rise in the dow is a dead cat bounce. Anybody who has been through 2 or more recessions recognizes this. Of course Obama doesn’t because he believes his own press. That is why he is such an abject failure, and is incapable of making good decisions.
JustTruth101 on March 12, 2009 at 8:37 PM
All Obama is trying to say is that the fundamentals of the economy are strong.
JohnJ on March 12, 2009 at 8:37 PM
You can do it all by yourself. You don’t need any help except for a nudge in the right direction.
Pick up a phone book. Close your eyes. Open up the phone book. Run your index finger down about half way. Open your eyes and read the name.
MB4 on March 12, 2009 at 8:38 PM
You used logic?!? Liberals consider that to be an unfair tactic. needsalife is trying to find wikipedia to get the definition for ‘correlated’. He thinks you accused him of incest.
AubieJon on March 12, 2009 at 8:38 PM
+1, I was thinking the same thing — you beat me to it.
Y-not on March 12, 2009 at 8:38 PM
Well, you’d know if it was a non-teleprompter statement if he said ‘uh’ or ‘um’ at least 5-7 times per sentence.
I’m really glad to see you celebrate your drug addiction. Drops 3000 points..say nothing…goes up 300…YEAH!!!!! Child President has a long way to go.
austinnelly on March 12, 2009 at 8:39 PM
Guardian on March 12, 2009 at 8:39 PM
It’s impossible for me to do anything but laugh when he speaks.
He hasn’t run anything in his life, doesn’t understand economics, foreign policy, the Constitution no less. He’s a little boy in a big suit that wants to sound like he knows things…
He doesn’t know things! He knows NOTHING!
I see him get on Air Force One and I think to myself… What the hell is he doing as President?? He’s a freakin’ community organizer.
Will I ever stop being perplexed?
katy on March 12, 2009 at 8:40 PM
Obama is to economics what Dick Cheney is to shooting. Very erratic to say the least.
MB4 on March 12, 2009 at 8:40 PM
Axelrod had his army each buy a share of stock out of their lunch money.
msmveritas on March 12, 2009 at 8:40 PM
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