Obamateurism of the Day
posted at 8:06 am on August 10, 2009 by Ed Morrissey
Share on Facebook | printer-friendly
As Barack Obama continues to roll out his economic policy, he keeps demonstrating that he got his college degrees in law. Last week’s statement on the GDP numbers for the second quarter betrayed a lack of understanding of the data on which he was commenting. While the damage that the recession has done slowed in Q2, Obama tried passing that off as an improving economy:
“Last week, we received a report on America’s Gross Domestic Product — a key measure of our economic’s [sic] health — and it showed marked improvement over the last few months.”
The report showed that the GDP actually decreased by an annual rate of 1% in Q2. Now, that number isn’t as bad as Q1, but it shows that the economy got slightly worse in Q2, not that it improved — at all. It just didn’t get worse at the same rate as it did the previous quarter. Obama may want to take credit for slowing down the damage, but he’d be better off making that argument than trying to claim that a -1% GDP shows an improving economy.
However, Obama then went the opposite direction by making this statement in the same speech:
“As far as I’m concerned, we will not have a true recovery as long as we’re losing jobs, and we won’t rest until every American that is looking for work can find a job.”
As far as he’s concerned? As far as anyone’s concerned, Obama can’t claim political credit for recovery while we see significant net job losses. In 2003, while the media and the Democrats assailed George Bush for his “jobless recovery,”, the US had a net gain in jobs — just not a significant jump, only 100,000 for the year. And if Obama is setting the bar for success as a 0% unemployment rate, he’s giving his opposition a big bat with which to beat him in 2010 and 2012.
As an economist, Obama makes a passable … lawyer. (h/t HA reader R.S.)
Got an Obamateurism of the Day? If you see a foul-up by Barack Obama, e-mail it to me at obamaisms@edmorrissey.com with the quote and the link to the Obamateurism. I’ll post the best Obamateurisms on a daily basis, depending on how many I receive. Include a link to your blog, and I’ll give some link love as well. And unlike Slate, I promise to end the feature when Barack Obama leaves office.
Addendum: Normally I’d put a link to Chris Muir’s Day by Day site here, but today I want to do more than that. Chris has a fundraising drive to keep his excellent cartoon alive. Be sure to drop a few dollars in his collection to keep one of the Rightosphere’s most talented warriors in the fight!
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Blowback
Note from Hot Air management: This section is for comments from Hot Air's community of registered readers. Please don't assume that Hot Air management agrees with or otherwise endorses any particular comment just because we let it stand. A reminder: Anyone who fails to comply with our terms of use may lose their posting privilege.
Trackbacks/Pings
Trackback URL
Comments
Comment pages:
Trial lawyer, maybe…certainly not a Constitutional lawyer!
jgapinoy on August 10, 2009 at 8:10 AM
he’s saying the GDP improved.
Phoenician on August 10, 2009 at 8:14 AM
This is the same mindset that causes liberals to claim that a decrease in the planned increase in spending is a cut.
SKYFOX on August 10, 2009 at 8:15 AM
ed, why don’t you get a job writing for TOTUS? bambi can read, can’t he?
kelley in virginia on August 10, 2009 at 8:15 AM
This makes perfect sense, coming from the party that considers a reduction in the rate of growth of government as a cut.
rslancer14 on August 10, 2009 at 8:15 AM
more like a sh*thouse lawer.
SHARPTOOTH on August 10, 2009 at 8:15 AM
The question is how many have given up looking for a job? A half million would be my guess.
jbh45 on August 10, 2009 at 8:16 AM
Obama is being intentionally deceptive here. He knows the economy isn’t improving.
Same goes for the “journalists” who have said things are “improving” because were going downhill a little more slowly.
forest on August 10, 2009 at 8:18 AM
Obama’s lying to this generation, while stealing from the next, sure didn’t slow down in the Second Quarter.
Loxodonta on August 10, 2009 at 8:18 AM
forest, yes, we know he is deceptive. but we are UN-American, so which is worse?
kelley in virginia on August 10, 2009 at 8:19 AM
It’s always ‘I, I, I, I’
the absolute arrogance of this man is bloody unbelievable…
cmsinaz on August 10, 2009 at 8:19 AM
I don’t think this is an example of his ignorance of economics. I think he is just patently dishonest.
TXMomof3 on August 10, 2009 at 8:21 AM
But that was precisely what the filthy liar in the White House was doing on Friday. The unemployment rate dips by one percent with a net loss of jobs and the bastard is out there declaring the recession is over and happy days are here again. It was a disgusting partisan display by a disgusting partisan street thug.
highhopes on August 10, 2009 at 8:22 AM
they would have been the opposite when Bush was in office, we would have been doomed
cmsinaz on August 10, 2009 at 8:22 AM
on the 19th of August, i’m going out to be Un-American.
kelley in virginia on August 10, 2009 at 8:24 AM
I don’t know. What do I need to do to become an American again? Hopefully I won’t have to go beat up any seniors at a town hall meeting.
forest on August 10, 2009 at 8:24 AM
“economic’s” would catch on like “internets” has it not been Messiah.
Marcus on August 10, 2009 at 8:25 AM
forest, to regain your Americanism, you must not only whip up on some “mobsters” at a protest, you must also join the militant arm of a union.
kelley in virginia on August 10, 2009 at 8:26 AM
Did our president just lift a line from the movie, Dave?
WV736 on August 10, 2009 at 8:29 AM
Maybe TOTUS is a movie buff.
highhopes on August 10, 2009 at 8:31 AM
I agree.
ladyingray on August 10, 2009 at 8:34 AM
That would be too funny.
Cindy Munford on August 10, 2009 at 8:34 AM
He must be measuring the GDP in terms of how many lies are told by our elected officials. By that measure, there has been a considerable increase in output.
backwoods conservative on August 10, 2009 at 8:34 AM
I think the latest estimates on that (from the “is the BLS fudging the numbers” last week) was between 700k and 800k.
Midas on August 10, 2009 at 8:36 AM
The Bamster obviously knows nothing about business, finance and economics. Can’t tell a spreadsheet from a bed sheet.
This little goof is just the most recent show of ignorance.
As outlined in Little Green Footballs:
petefrt on August 10, 2009 at 8:37 AM
Obama lied to the south side community of Chicago. Improvements to that community were started, yet never finished. And yet, he was an outstanding success in ginning up outrage. He played to their base emotions and all the while masked the truth. When one is expertly skilled in deception, paying attention to facts is secondary.
sherry on August 10, 2009 at 8:38 AM
President Obama is an economic illiterate.
BadgerHawk on August 10, 2009 at 8:38 AM
Ha Ha — De Dems saved us. Good thing that we passed the Porkulous.
As Bpb Becker said “We were at the edge of the cliff…” And Barry saved us. Wow.
IlikedAUH2O on August 10, 2009 at 8:40 AM
Do you mean Meet Dave? I just bought that, haven’t seen it yet.
jgapinoy on August 10, 2009 at 8:41 AM
I agree with TXMom. Obama is not being ignorant, but rather dishonest. And the enchanted media, whose job it is to keep him honest, instead are enabling him.
jwolf on August 10, 2009 at 8:42 AM
I was thinking more along the lines of Forrest Gump (1994):
Stupid is as stupid does.
Loxodonta on August 10, 2009 at 8:46 AM
Movies? Dave was about some average guy who became POTUS, I think.
America Underground was the free monitor show playing on a (United) flight I took yesterday. It concerned Chicago. The most frequest words were :
Crime.
Corruption.
Gangsters.
Politicians.
Money.
Murder.
The Levee district and political corruption.
The city wants to bury the past. You get the idea.
IlikedAUH2O on August 10, 2009 at 8:49 AM
how ’bout “frankly, America, i don’t give a damn (about you”
kelley in virginia on August 10, 2009 at 8:53 AM
What about deadbeat welfare sponges who will not look for a job?
davidk on August 10, 2009 at 8:53 AM
Mere semantics here, when the 2.5 million people currently unemployed run out of unemployment benefits things are going to get very ugly.
doriangrey on August 10, 2009 at 8:57 AM
New name for “Hope and Change” — “Smoke & Mirrors”
DuctTapeMyBrain on August 10, 2009 at 9:05 AM
Doubtful. Congress will just pass an extension to benefits.
BadgerHawk on August 10, 2009 at 9:07 AM
On September 12th, I plan on being the ultimate Un-American. Here is to hoping Obama doesn’t have law enforcement turn the fire hoses on us.
TXMomof3 on August 10, 2009 at 9:08 AM
This is the same stategy used by Bill Clinton with the dot.com bust in the stock market. Surely this society isn’t so damn stupid to buy this sh*t hook line and sinker are they?
bluegrass on August 10, 2009 at 9:25 AM
I think bait & swich is more accurate. Not for those of us who saw the filthy liar for what he was from the beginning but there truly was a moronic portion of the electorate who thought that a Chicago street thug with questionable dealings, a vague Islamic past, and a long history of being a racist….. That this was the ideal person to become a post-racial and post-partisan leader.
highhopes on August 10, 2009 at 9:25 AM
I disagree, Obama getting canned would be the best thing that could happen to the economy.
NoDonkey on August 10, 2009 at 9:27 AM
I agree, and I add that his malignant narcissism propels his belief that he’s WAY smarter than anyone else in the room. The man makes my blood boil.
anniekc on August 10, 2009 at 9:41 AM
Well, with the people he has advising on economics, his lack of knowledge doesn’t make much difference.
johnsteele on August 10, 2009 at 9:53 AM
Obama: Things are getting worse more slowly. See how great I am?
Steve Z on August 10, 2009 at 10:04 AM
Just wait until the Trotskyite “free bread” meme turns into Leninite actions of shooting people in the bread lines.
One way or another, that’s where political logic like this always leads.
bluelightbrigade on August 10, 2009 at 10:08 AM
I agree with your premise however their “savings” or “investment income” could be tax deferred. I don’t think you can infer lack of economic understanding based on this alone.
luckybogey on August 10, 2009 at 10:21 AM
He also claims that if you refinance your mortgage via the government program he set up, that’s the equivalent of a “tax cut”.
Uh, no… that’s refinancing a mortgage.
Cutting taxes is the equivalent of a tax cut.
jana on August 10, 2009 at 10:29 AM
When the GDP is decreasing, and they say it is “going in the right direction”, what are we supposed to conclude?
Kenosha Kid on August 10, 2009 at 11:01 AM
Those are just snippets from the article. I made about 1/8 what the Obamas made in 2004 and generated more savings interest. They have a stunning lack of understanding of how both finance and the economy function. It’s scary.
BadgerHawk on August 10, 2009 at 11:10 AM
Another A+++ in affirmative action economics.
Seriously if you do not think that a 1% drop in GDP is not an improving economy you are a racist….and probably have swastikas in your house.
jukin on August 10, 2009 at 11:30 AM
Jailhouse lawyer that is.
chemman on August 10, 2009 at 12:10 PM
“The economy sucked only slightly as bad this month as it did last month. Fixed it! Please, no applause is necessary…” – B.Obama
Wyznowski on August 10, 2009 at 12:12 PM
My guess is that the average IQ of Hot Air posters would be nose bleed territory for the “0″
chemman on August 10, 2009 at 12:13 PM
He’s sort of the father of lies.
Christian Conservative on August 10, 2009 at 1:02 PM
Woohoo, I captain the Titanic brilliantly. Look how slowly we’re sinking now.
All Praise Me!
We were sinking very quickly, but under my amazing leadership, we’re sinking half as fast. Who could ask for better?
All those people who jumped off on life rafts will be feeling silly very soon. This boat will hardly be sinking at all in another week or two. We can level off after only a few fathoms.
Everything is going according to plan.
gekkobear on August 10, 2009 at 1:25 PM
During the 30s all Soviets had jobs. They sucked…paid little, but they had jobs. This is what Obama has in mind for us.
Small house, small car, small job, small pay, small America.
When the movie “Grapes of Wrath” came out, illustrating the pain and economic hardship brought on by the Depression, the film was banned in Russia.
Why? This destitute American family had something that no Russian could dream of. A vehicle. Whilst the unemployment rate was around 20 percent here in the US, the jobless rate in Russia was zero…yet no Russian family could even dream of owning a car. Only party members even had access to automobiles.
If the people of Russia had seen that flick, they would have freaked out and perhaps realized that MARXISM SUCKS! Something our President would do well to recognize, but that ain’ happenin’. He embraces what will destroy us as an economic titan. He believes that we need to be “brought down a peg or two”. He speaks of leveling the playing field when what he really wants to do is lower it…and us.
Obama is a liar and Truth
is killing his agenda. Spread it!
Army Brat on August 10, 2009 at 6:56 PM
Comment pages: