Obama On The Economy - Please Applaud

Andrew Ross Sorkin goes back to the West Wing to listen to Obama whinge about the lack of respect he gets for his brilliant management of an epic recovery from a mostrous economic disaster. My goodness - so much to mock and so little time.

Obama has a couple of theories as to why the public has disappointed him yet again by failing to grasp his greatness. First, he was so busy being awesome that he didn't take the time to communicate his awesomeness:

Asked if he was frustrated by all the criticism, Obama insisted that he wasn’t, at least not personally. “It has frustrated me only insofar as it has shaped the political debate,” he said. “We were moving so fast early on that we couldn’t take victory laps. We couldn’t explain everything we were doing. I mean, one day we’re saving the banks; the next day we’re saving the auto industry; the next day we’re trying to see whether we can have some impact on the housing market.”

The result, he said, was that he lacked the political capital to do more. As his presidency nears its end, this has become an increasingly common refrain from Obama, who, despite his prodigious skills as an orator, has come to seem more confident about his achievements than about his ability to promote them. “I mean, the truth of the matter is that if we had been able to more effectively communicate all the steps we had taken to the swing voter,” he said, “then we might have maintained a majority in the House or the Senate.”

Ok. Marijuana is decriminalized in DC, so we see where that is coming from.

Obama's then blames evil Republicans, Fox News and that nasty Rush Limbaugh:

“How people feel about the economy,” Obama told me, giving one part of his own theory, is influenced by “what they hear.” He went on: “And if you have a political party — in this case, the Republicans — that denies any progress and is constantly channeling to their base, which is sizable, say, 40 percent of the population, that things are terrible all the time, then people will start absorbing that.”

Hmm. If only Obama had a media that would be willing to cheerlead for him a bit. But all he had going for him was the NY Times, the LA Times, ABC, NBC, CBS, MSNBC, CNN, and all of Hollywood. The Republicans had Fox, Rush and Sarah Palin's Facebook page, so what's a poor guy to do?

And of course, Obama's theory kind of overlooks the fact that we have a major party screaming that most of us have been left behind while in this rigged economy the income gains go to the 1 percenters. Sorkin explains that to his readers and seems to have mentioned the Occupy/Sanders critique to Obama as well:

But as Obama also acknowledged, the public anger about the economy is not without empirical basis. A large swath of the nation has dropped out of the labor force completely, and the reality for the average American family is that its household income is $4,000 less than it was when Bill Clinton left office. Economic inequality, meanwhile, has only grown worse, with the top 1 percent of American households taking in more than half of the recent gains in income growth. “Millions and millions and millions and millions of people look at that pretty picture of America he painted and they cannot find themselves in it to save their lives,” Clinton himself said of Obama’s economy in March, while on the campaign trail for his wife. “People are upset, frankly; they’re anxiety-ridden, they’re disoriented, because they don’t see themselves in that picture.”

Sorkin even addresses a bit of Obama's rich fantasy life:

It is this disconnect that haunts Obama. He has, by his own lights, managed the recovery as well as any president ever could, with results that in many cases exceeded his own best hopes.

The recovery exceeded expectations? Who can forget the famous projection of unemployment maxing out at 8 percent? Not Sorkin!

At first, the results of the stimulus were just as feeble as a stalwart Keynesian might predict. The economy needed a big injection, but it got only a medium-size one, so it continued to falter. A January 2009 report from the president’s Council of Economic Advisers projected that the stimulus would keep unemployment below 8 percent. Instead, it climbed to 10 percent in 2009 and only fell back below 8 percent in 2012, leading to criticism that the stimulus was ineffective.

Well, yes, critics gonna critique. And since the topic is failed economic forecasts from Team Obama, let me reprise yet again the Mankiw-Krugman smackdown of 2009-2013. Briefly, Mankiw wondered whether the CEA forecasts were overly optimistic, Krugman denounced Mankiw, tossing around words like "evil" and "obtuse", Brad DeLong explained that slumps are followed by recoveries, Mankiw suspected that DeLong's evidence was somewhat ironic since it was primarily driven by the Reagan tax-cut boom of the early 80's - oh, it was a jolly brawl.

And yes, years went by and Mankiw's suggestion of over-optimism panned out, so score on for obtuseness. As to whether Obama was alerted to this, well, he doesn't like Fox News so who knows.

Comments

[Captain Hate]

Imagine how upset Zippy would be if the MFM catamites were honest about the economy. The imbecile is too stupid to know how much they've sheltered the pathetic dunce.

[henry]

can I fart in his direction instead of applaud?

[henry]

Natch: Ap- US economy weakest in years.

Those giant ears must be reality deflectors.

[NK]

TomM- HELLO, HELLO. No condemnation of the disaster that is Obummernomics is complete without reference to the $11TRILLION in NEW debt he'll leave behind for the rest of us to pay % on. Cretans like Krugman, well OK Krugman is by far the worst cretan, DeLong seems a bit chastened by being SO WRONG, a bit anyway, BS'd back in '09, that the debt is 'meaningless' it's just a number that magically creates wealth. Debt = National Wealth? Talk about voodoo. So Obummernomics gets you the worst of all worlds, flat wages, real job destruction (replaced by p/t) to avoid ObummerCare, exploding welfare for SNAP, disability, Medicaid expansion, no GDP growth, and its evil twin QE gave us high energy/food prices which robbed consumers, and add in the terrible triplet the regulatory/crony state which bankrupts small businesses (and prevents start ups) and drives big corps off shore. Can I say anything 'good' about Obummernomics? Well there has been no big 'bust', of course when there is no growth is hard to have a bust. Frikkin' 8 year disaster.

[Old Lurker]

"Well there has been no big 'bust', of course when there is no growth is hard to have a bust."

The western world and all of its intelligence agencies believed there had been no bust in the Soviet Union either, until it ceased to exist.

China manages to maintain the same facade.

"Honest numbers" and millions of eyes used to protect free economies from similar delusions. Operative phrase is "used to".

Welcome to the Ledge. Cocktails at 6PM.

[James D]

Reposting from the last thread, words of wisdom from our President:

“But one of the things that I’ve consistently tried to remind myself during the course of my presidency is that the economy is not an abstraction. It’s not something that you can just redesign and break up and put back together again without consequences.”

Apparently the health care system, though, IS an abstraction, and can be redesigned and broken up and put back together without consequences, right, Zippy?

[henry]

Apparently the health care system, though, IS an abstraction, and can be redesigned and broken up and put back together without consequences, right, Zippy? -- James D last thread.

Health care, banking. the Constitution, global alliances, gender, physical laws of energy all fair game... as long as he remembers once in a while that the economy is not abstract.

[NK]

JamesD-- Obummer actually said that? it's true enough of course, in what context did he say it? Because, as you note ObummerCare simultaneously FUBAR'd both the jobs and healthcare insurance markets.

[Miss Marple 2]

What I have noticed about the economy is little market for antiques and collectibles unless they are at rock-bottom prices. I am slowly moving my inventory to bargains in practical items, such as bargains in small appliances, specialty cookware, etc. which I often see at estate sales.

[James D]

NK, here's the larger context (he's criticizing Bernie Sanders):

“It is true that we have not dismantled the financial system, and in that sense, Bernie Sanders’s critique is correct” — a reference to the Vermont senator and presidential aspirant who regularly calls to break up America’s biggest banks. “But one of the things that I’ve consistently tried to remind myself during the course of my presidency is that the economy is not an abstraction. It’s not something that you can just redesign and break up and put back together again without consequences.”

[Jim Eagle]

MM,

The estate sales every weekend are packed out here in The Hamptons. These are really full scope yard and garage sales but clean-outs of mansions. Even the 1%er's are feeling it.

[narciso]

well I dubbed him 'alinsky's sorcerer's apprentice, we already suspected sorkin's level of category error, he murdered defenseless trees in a proust length tome, and still missed the point, and we won't even bring up 'billions' except maggie siff,
nuff said,

our host's endeavors to search for the pony is admirable, yet quixotic,

[narciso]

on another front,

http://freebeacon.com/national-security/cotton-white-house-subsidizing-irans-nuclear-program-laughing-matter/

[Miss Marple 2]

Jack,

The auctioneer has commented on it. Roseville pottery (normally highly collectible) never goes for more than $40, and often for $10-15.

Ten years ago those pieces would have gone for hundreds.

The auctioneer is feeling it as well because his fees are a percent of the sales.

I have noticed that they are introducing new items that I think they buy from a wholesaler to auction and get 100% of the sales. I don't blame them. They are a family business and the entire family is dependent on what they earn.

[common man]

A legend in his own mind.

[narciso]

winning the future,

http://www.aei.org/publication/the-30-year-fixed-mortgage-should-disappear/

who are these people, and what moon of ceti alpha 5
did they come from

[NK]

JamesD-- thanks. So he was discussing the 'financial system' yes, Obummer left the financial whales intact to be a source of $$$$ for OFA campaigns disguised as 'fines/penalties' Mayor Bane is being measured for an orange jumpsuit for doing that on a much smaller scale in NYC.

[James D]

From narciso's link:

“Sen. Cotton is certainty no expert when it comes to heavy water. I’m confident that he couldn’t differentiate heavy water from sparkling water,” Earnest said at Wednesday’s briefing.

Just when you think they can't get any more juvenile, or loathsome, this White House finds a way.

[narciso]

what is the german word for this kind of blindness,

http://www.dw.com/en/thilo-sarrazins-new-book-a-case-of-wishful-thinking/a-19222156

[Buckeye]

Zero should quit bitching, he doesn't appreciate how good he has it.

He could be Maduro, trying to sell the idea to the Venezuelans that wiping your ass without toilet paper is a luxury.

[Old Lurker]

Maduro?

I would rather see him end as Mussolini.

[NK]

Buckeye-- it's worse than that. Nicki M will be introduced to some Caracas Lamp post (or a military firing squad) and Mayor Bane will wear an orange jumpsuit for a while. Obummer? he brags about pay for play bribes in the NY Times. Disgusting.

[NK]

OL-- great minds, see my 09:58.

[narciso]

I don't think we're that lucky,

http://babalublog.com/2016/04/28/obamas-feckless-foreign-policy-enticing-russia-to-deploy-rockets-in-cuba/

[Old Lurker]

MM & JiB...

Many of us here are fans of the car renovation shows on cable. As a male growing up in the days of Hot Rod Magazine and then muscle cars, I confess to enjoying seeing the restoration of my dream cars of the 60's, and I appreciate that today I could actually afford to have that car which was out of my reach back then.

Then I wake up and ask who in the world is going to buy those cars once the Boomer males are all gone?

Talk about a bubble!

[Old Lurker]

NK, my 9:56 was ambiguous. The "him" I mentioned was Obama!

[maryrose]

By my count, with November as the end have 6 more months of Hussein
Obama and his dummy Josh Earnest.

[Old Lurker]

Does John Boehner realize how many votes he just sent to Cruz?

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2016/04/28/boehner-unleashed-ex-speaker-calls-cruz-lucifer-miserable-son-b.html?intcmp=hpbt3

[Buckeye]

So he was discussing the 'financial system' yes, Obummer left the financial whales intact to be a source of $$$$ for OFA campaigns disguised as 'fines/penalties' Mayor Bane is being measured for an orange jumpsuit for doing that on a much smaller scale in NYC.

Probably going to take a serious revolt to clean that crap up.

[NK]

Dear NSA--

I have no information regarding this person of interest 'OL'. Regards,

[NK]

OL-- Boehner after a few cocktails. Shouldn't JOMers all jump on the Cruz bandwagon, that attack by GOPe is a major endorsement, no?

[narciso]

I referred to jeffrey stephens set of thriller, he's a lawyer in Greenwich, who has this as his hobby,

[henry]

Ryan puts ACA pre-existing conditions thing in play. Yes, this is one big price driver for policies. Next needs to be all the first dollar contraceptives crap.

[henry]

They are lining up to replace Prosser. Walker's appointee won't face voters until 2020.

[narciso]

how workable is that really as an alternative, we didn't start having shortages in doctors, till the hmo bill came along, is that about right

[Buckeye]

I am slowly moving my inventory to bargains in practical items, such as bargains in small appliances, specialty cookware, etc. which I often see at estate sales.

I found out a few months ago how expensive specialty cookware can be, and even not so special.

I was washing a large Corning Ware baking dish and it slipped out of my hands and smashed into a gazillion pieces in the sink.

Now since it was part of a matched set, I knew I had one option, replace it or suffer the wrath of Mrs. Buckeye.

Of course the local stores don't sell individual pieces, so that meant hitting Amazon and Ebay.

I found it, but ended up paying nearly $100 for one stinkin' dish.

I had no idea what that kind of stuff was that expensive.

[narciso]

when we think of what drove some white house reactions in the past, we can't forget this fellow,

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/jihadi-grover-wild-bid-to-push-norquist-off-nra-board-ridiculed/article/2589529

although beck's recent jeremiads may prove unhelpful in the past, yes, vince cannistraro, who kept scrutiny of the afghan arabs, and was a bugle corps leader in the plame imbroglio,

[narciso]

OT, what so soon,

http://observer.com/2016/04/spacex-will-send-dragon-vehicle-to-mars-in-2018-to-prepare-for-human-colony/

[Old Lurker]

Dear NSA.

All of my records are stored in the basement of my lawyer's house in CT. His name is NK.

[Miss Marple 2]

Buckeye,

Corning Ware pieces are always dependable items for resale, whether vintage (the old cornflower blue on white sets) or newer.

Also, vintage Pyrex casseroles are highly collectible still, because a lot of people collect them both for use and display. Pyrex just celebrated their 100th anniversary.

[narciso]

still drifting into category error,

http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/04/what-comes-next/480249/

what he deserves, is to be kicked (redacted) for how he's behaved in the last seven years,

[Buckeye]

narciso

I lose no sleep over the idea that DC think tank types, journalists and even NRA board members are engaged in circular firing squad behavior.

In fact, I would favor arming them.

Grover probably already has a firearm;)

[Old Lurker]

Henry, I am so distrustful of Paul Ryan that I wonder if his putting pre-existing conditions into play is a poison pill in the whole "tear Obamacare out by its roots" movement. Why attack it one ornament at a time, particularly when some voters actually like that one?

[James D]

narciso @ 10:31

David Frum is definitely on my list of people who would have a date with Madame La Guillotine, were I in charge of the world.

[narciso]

we're right to be cynical, specially after that last continuing resolution, has he figured out what happens when the coyote goes over the cliff again?

[henry]

OL, it wont get anywhere this year in any event. Yes, Ryan aims to "fix" government rather than return it to within Constitutional limits.

[narciso]

what was your first clue,

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/blog/live/2016/apr/28/labour-has-serious-problem-with-antisemitism-peers-claim-politics-live?page=

[NK]

OL/henry-- I am sure henry has met Ryan a number of times. I only met him once in '12. He's a wonk, and he believes government can 'work'. I like the man, but gov't works least worst when it's smallest as possible. Ryan refuses to get that.

[jimmyk]

On the topic of TM's post,
Mankiw wondered whether the CEA forecasts were overly optimistic, Krugman denounced Mankiw, tossing around words like "evil" and "obtuse"

Krugman has subsequently moved the goalposts, and has ridiculed critics of QE and porkulus for their fears of inflation, while neglecting to acknowledge the failure to produce the growth that might have accompanied the inflation. In other words, the critics were saying to the extent these policies produce growth they will be inflationary, and since they didn't produce growth, they didn't cause inflation (yet).

Of course Krugman likely falls back on the "flexible counterfactual": Growth would have been even slower without the policies. Very scientific.

[Buckeye]

gov't works least worst when it's smallest as possible

NK wins post of the day honors.

[narciso]

we're all full up on crazy, you go now,

http://www.weaselzippers.us/268785-farrakhan-navy-seals-killed-bin-laden-to-stop-him-from-exposing-the-truth-about-911/

[James D]

I posted on the last thread about emotion vs. reason, and everything i read from and about GOP leaders and policymakers just emphasizes all the more that they Do Not Get It, and maybe are simply incapable of ever getting it.

They are not going to win many, if any, national elections ever again with complicated legislative maneuvers, or with long, detailed policy proposals, or with a grand new philosophy. Or with compromise and a message that "hey, we're only 45% as racist and sexist as everyone thinks we are!"

The only way to win with the electorate we have is by reaching the feelers, by providing them with an easy to absorb narrative with a human face attached as hero and another as villain.

The Dems "war on women" is a simple narrative. They tell women that the GOP wants to see them, personally, forced to obey an abusive husband who makes them have a dozen children, and then will dump them for a younger, hotter model. And the GOP wants to see their daughters raped by a rich, sneering, lacrosse-playing frat boy when they go to college. It's very simple, and very personal, and totally emotion-driven (and utterly contrary to reality, but that DOES NOT MATTER).

And the GOP hasn't yet figured out how to counter it. Not talking about social issues has failed; caving in has failed; even pointing it out when the narrative is clearly false has failed.

The way to combat it is with a counter-narrative that's just as personal. The campus rape hysteria is accusing YOUR SON of being a rapist, just because he's a boy. It doesn't matter what he does, he stands accused, and he won't be allowed to defend himself. YOUR SON. Any manybe your brother, or your cousin, or your husband, too. Is YOUR son a rapist? Of course not!

The next time a GOP candidate or official is on some news show and the host brings up the war on women, he/she should ask the host, "Let me ask you, George Stephanopoulus, are YOU a rapist? Did you ever rape any girls in college? Do you think it's fair that you're presumed to be one just because of your gender?" Make it personal. Emotional. Screw the philosophy and the facts and the policy arguments. The voters are NOT LISTENING to that!

I don't know how much more evidence the GOP needs of that, after seven years of Obama.

[jimmyk]

I'll give Ryan credit for going after the 3rd rail of preexisting conditions, but his proposal is to subsidize the high risk pools, which simply transfers the burden to taxpayers. At some point grownups are going to have to say: Just as you can't wait till you have a terminal illness to get a life insurance policy, you can't wait till you're sick to get health insurance.

[Porchlight]

Bringing this over from the last thread:

In the middle 70s I helped commission several large scale automation projects for GE Plastics (got to meet Jack Welch during all of that).

Buckeye, my dad worked for GE and did some work with Plastics in the 70s in Louisville. Did you ever go down there? He used to bring back "sculptures" from the factory - drips of plastic from the molds or extrusions or whatever they used - that hardened into fantastic shapes. He even had a few of them mounted. I wonder what happened to those.

[Buckeye]

Absolutely on point James D.

And I would add that 1) Trump completely understands this, and 2) he has zero qualms about "going there", even if it means maryrose thinks he is a bully.

He understands that first you have to win, and if that means slitting the other guys throat, well, sometimes that is what it takes.

Ugly as it may be.

[Porchlight]

I agree, jimmyk, but that may be a political price we have to pay. IMO subsidized high-risk pools are still better than the current system, and calling them by that name at least may provide some educational value to the many people who now believe that "health insurance" = "free government health care."

This horrific thing is never going to be unwound to the satisfaction of all, sadly.

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

A narcissist is always revealed when it is either time to apportion blame, in which case he was only standing around minding his own business when disaster, over which he had no control and that was totally caused by others, some of whom intentionally kept him in the dark and all of whom almost certainly ate the strawberries, struck;
or when it is time to take credit, in which case, he was abandoned by his cowardly underlings and he stood alone against the forces of darkness and saved the day, thank you very much you may now make your kow-tow.

[narciso]

heh:

http://www.samizdata.net/2016/04/just-in-canada-will-force-usa-to-pay-for-a-wall/

[Truthbetold]

Trump Jumps Into Bed With Putin

http://www.aim.org/aim-column/trump-jumps-into-bed-with-putin/

[Neo]

Just last week ...

Yellen’s secret meeting at the White House followed an emergency secret Federal Reserve Board meeting. The Fed then held another secret meeting to discuss bank reform. These secret meetings come on the heels of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta’s estimate that first quarter GDP growth was .01 percent, dangerously close to the official definition of recession.

Thus the real reason for all these secret meetings could be a panic that the Fed’s eight year explosion of money creation has not just failed to revive the economy, but is about to cause another major market meltdown.

Establishment politicians and economists find the Fed’s failures puzzling. According to the Keynesian paradigm that still dominates the thinking of most policymakers, the Fed’s money creation should have produced such robust growth that today the Fed would be raising interest rates to prevent the economy from “overheating.”

LUN

[James D]

He understands that first you have to win, and if that means slitting the other guys throat, well, sometimes that is what it takes.

It also means telling people what they want to hear, and playing on fear.

Negative campaigns work. Appealing to fear works. Demonizing the other side works. It's distasteful, and it's bad for long-term governing, but if you lose the election because you refused to do those things while the other side did them to you, YOU WON'T BE GOVERNING ANYWAY!

[clarice]

Enjoy the laughs:http://www.dangerandplay.com/2016/04/27/worthless-why-political-pundits-are-frauds/

Be appalled at the non disclosure.

[derwill]

Our little town of McCall, Idaho (pop 3000) just made the finals in a contest for best small town in America, sponsored by Frontier Communications and Dish, among others. The towns (have to be under 20,000 pop) were judged on quality of life and civic volunteerism. For making the finals we get $100,000, and the grand prize, to be awarded next year, will be $3 million. That would be a huge boon for a little resort town like ours.

Wish us luck!

[DebinNC]

Movies I like today: 4 p.m. "Kingdom of Heaven" - Ridley Scott crusades epic re Saladin's seige of Jerusalem, beautifully shot and well acted ... 6 p.m. "Bye Bye Birdie" because Paul Lynde's performance will lift anyone's spirits ... 8 p.m. "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" so funny and never grows old ... 10:30 p.m. 1988 gem "Midnight Run" with Robert DeNiro and Charles Grodin.

[James D]

Good luck, derwill!

Is there a public voting component of this? Anything we can do to sway the judges?

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

--The western world and all of its intelligence agencies believed there had been no bust in the Soviet Union either, until it ceased to exist.

China manages to maintain the same facade.--

The only countries in the world who have not built this facade entirely financed by gargantuan debt are......one'll come to me in a minute.

Here is the saddest thing of all; after the world is near unto death at the expiration of this current debt orgy, it will set about creating a new one within a few years, or a few decades, at most.

"That men do not learn very much from the lessons of history is the most important of all the lessons of history."
Aldous Huxley.

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

--"Bye Bye Birdie" because Paul Lynde's performance will lift anyone's spirits...--

He shoulda got an Oscar.

BTW, the overdue library book episode of Seinfeld was on yesterday. The library cop shoulda got an Emmy.

[Buckeye]

Porchlight

I don't recall whether GE had an extrusion plant in Louisville or not, but it wouldn't surprise me.

The plants I was involved with were in Indiana, New York, Holland, Japan and later a really large one in Alabama.

If your dad flew to Louisville to go to a GE plant, it could easily be the same one in Indiana, as Louisville was the closest city with commercial air service.

By this time, I was a pilot and had access to an aircraft the company owned, so I flew to Evansville. It was the closest airport with an asphalt runway.

[jimmyk]

IMO subsidized high-risk pools are still better than the current system

I agree, but it's a matter of degree, and there's the old slippery slope. Republicans can set up a plan with a modest subsidy, and with various checks and balances to keep it from ballooning into a SS/Medicare-type debacle, but when Dems get back in power they will turn it into something much bigger and more damaging. I would hope Ryan would build in something to prevent that, but I'm not confident.

[narciso]

well his first link, jeet heer, is a professional idiot, who transitioned to knave, he had an otto level understanding of strauss, so naturally the new republic picked him up,

[narciso]

douthat is nearly as clueless, he must be using that flat earth ptolemaic maps,

[James D]

"Midnight Run" is a fun movie. And very applicable to the 2016 election...

You and that other dummy better start getting more personally involved in your work, or I'm gonna stab you through the heart with a (redacted) pencil!

I think we can all imagine Trump saying this to his underlings.

Because you're a (redacted) criminal and you deserve to go where you're going and I'm gonna take you there and if hear any more (redacted) outta you: I'm gonna (redacted) bust your head and I'll put you back in that (redacted) hole and I'm gonna stick your head in the (redacted) toilet bowl and I'm gonna make it stay there.

I think we'd all love to be able to say that to our current President, the leading candidate for the Democratic nomination, and far too many other politicians to count.

Why are you so unpopular with the Chicago police department?

The first question at every Rahm Emanuel press conference.

You ever had sex with an animal Jack? Remember those chickens on the Indian reservation? There were some good looking chickens there Jack. You know, between us...

Yeah, there were a couple there I might've taken a shot at.

Overheard at any Bernie Sanders rally.

I don't like this. I don't like anything you do, to tell you the truth. Nothing.

Overheard at any Trump rally, in reference to the Republican Party.

I've known you for all of two minutes & already I don't like you.

A phrase Lindsey Graham hears probably on a daily basis.

[Buckeye]

Thus the real reason for all these secret meetings could be a panic that the Fed’s eight year explosion of money creation has not just failed to revive the economy, but is about to cause another major market meltdown.

All I can say is the guy who manages my portfolio has been selling stuff and buying new stuff at a frenzied pace for the last few weeks.

Sure hope this young whippersnapper knows what the hell he is doing.

I think he does, but I also thought that in 2008.

[Janet]

Again, James D. @ 10:51 is spot on!

The phrase "What a load of crap" should be used a lot more often.

I got a thrill up MY leg when Rep. Wilson yelled out, "You,lie".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qgce06Yw2ro

and like your post pointed out...ask THEM questions. Make THEM explain their insane ideas. THEM = the MFM & Dem. politicians & "nonpartisan" activists

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

That Paul Bedard story on Grover Norquist and the NRA was disgracefully incomplete, amounting to something near a whitewash.
Daniel Pipes provides a somewhat wider context of Grover's long standing, dubious contacts and causes, both personal and professional.

[derwill]

No public voting, James D--thanks for offering, though. The final judgement is going to be made by a board made up of the grantees. We have to do a big presentation explaining why we deserve the three million and what we'll do with it. Beyond that, I don't know the particulars, as I'm not involved in the contest.

[jimmyk]

The library cop shoulda got an Emmy.

That was Philip Baker Hall, who more recently has played an elderly version of that character on "Modern Family."

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

Well, since I'd rather be dead in a ditch than watch Modern Family I'll take your word for it, jimmy.:)

I did see him playing a judge on an old Miami Vice the other day.

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

Secret Service Plans to Raise White House Fence by 5 Feet.
Huh. I guess if you don't have a good fence criminals and terrorists can get in.

[narciso]

wonderful news, derwill,

groden had great timing as the straight man, thens came the nineties and he was an insufferable (redacted) on cnbc, there's a lot of that going around

[jimmyk]

Much to my surprise, "Modern Family" is very funny and actually fairly un-PC.

[narciso]

yes why admit, grover was taken in by alamoudi and al arian, it spoils the narrative,

http://www.jewishworldreview.com/0416/hanson042816.php3

[Janet]

Have you stopped using a car?

Do you walk everywhere?

Is your daughter gonna kill her baby & sell the child's scalp & eyes?

Is your son a rapist?

To Dem. politicians - How do I know that you aren't a woman?

Do you let people trespass on your property?

Do you have a fence or wall around your property?

Why don't you send more of your personal money to the federal government? No need to pass a new tax law...you can just DO IT.

Financial gifts can be made by check or money order payable to the United States Treasury and mailed to the address below.

Gifts to the United States
U.S. Department of the Treasury
Credit Accounting Branch
3700 East-West Highway, Room 622D
Hyattsville, MD 20782

How much of your own money do you send to Planned Parenthood & PBS?

Have you ceased doing ALL personal business with evil Wall Street, evil pharmaceutical companies, evil banks, evil fossil fuel industries? Have you sworn off their products & services?

[Truthbetold]

“A Republic, if you can keep it.” Donald Trump and the Tyranny of the Mob…

http://www.floppingaces.net/2016/04/27/a-republic-if-you-can-keep-it-donald-trump-and-the-tyranny-of-the-mob/

[Buckeye]

Secret Service Plans to Raise White House Fence by 5 Feet.

Huh. I guess if you don't have a good fence criminals and terrorists can get in.

But Iggy, "regular guy" hasn't done anything (like getting elected) to deserve that level of protection.

Our betters are only too happy to spend our money on theirs.

[GUS]

Hey everybody!!! Megan McCain is on OUTNUMBERED!!!

VOMIT.

[pagar a bacon, country ham and sausage supporter]

Might cause one to wonder if Sen Cruz could get any of his plans implemented.

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2016-04-28/john-boehner-calls-ted-cruz-miserable-son-bitch-lucifer-flesh

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

A second poll has Hilly And Donny neck and neck.
A couple more like this and guys who say polls are really accurate and really matter will be switching to saying they're useless and should be ignored.

[cheerleader]

Wow, Clarice, that was an amazing link. One of the real eye-openers in this primary season has been learning how many "conservative" pundits are on the take. I'd like to see a similar study of Mark Levin & the Conservative Review. There are also situations like Rush. The first ads I heard for Cruz were on Rush's show, and of course he's not going to badmouth one of his high-paying sponsors. Both of those guys have lost a lot of audience and trust.

[DebinNC]

“How people feel about the economy,” Obama told me, giving one part of his own theory, is influenced by “what they hear.”

That explains why he talked so much during the first year. I don't think his 9-09 speech before a joint session of Congress can be beat for economic ignorance, blatant lies, and narcissism. Joe Wilson's "You lie!" came right after BOzo claimed illegals wouldn't be covered under Bozocare. There are so many lies in that speech, but it's still unbelievable that such a thoroughly vetted, nationally televised prime time speech included "I've insisted that like any private insurance company, the public insurance option would have to be self-sufficient and rely on the premiums it collects. But by avoiding some of the overhead that gets eaten up at private companies by profits and excessive administrative costs and executive salaries, it could provide a good deal for consumers." ... "And one more misunderstanding I want to clear up -- under our plan, no federal dollars will be used to fund abortions, and federal conscience laws will remain in place."

[narciso]

a sample of the deeply stupid, and/or mendacious,

https://www.mail-archive.com/ctrl@listserv.aol.com/msg106270.html

[NK]

First of all Obummer just reads this stuff and has no idea. But events proved that all of those 9/09 speech statements were such staggering lies. Who ever wrote that stuff needs to be dragged to the nearest lamp post and get a neck stretchin'.

[narciso]

even more, shameless idiocy,

https://newrepublic.com/authors/jeet-heer

[Beasts of England]

Yes, DebinNC, I hate it when profits eat up my overhead. I should hire King Putt as an economics consultant...

[cheerleader]

one of the comments at Clarice's link:

"50% accuracy is being way too generous to pundits. The Anti-Trumpers have been closer to 100% wrong on every successive step of the campaign and the inevitable Trump "implosion". The more cynical view is that they aren't delusional idiots, but shills for they paymasters. It's probably a combination of both."

They are wrong in the same way that crazy economic ideas always fail. And why stupid fp ideas from people like Lindsey Graham fail. The "elites" are always telling the people, "don't believe your lyin' eyes." They believe their whacky ideas are above common sense. It's time for that to end.

[narciso]

slightly higher evolution,

http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2016/04/trump-foreign-policy-speech-why-i-hosted-it-213858#ixzz478hj7Dl5

[cheerleader]

The same people who constantly said Mr. Trump would implode in the primary are the same people who are saying he can't beat Crooked Hillary. And the people who think that he's going to throw the race to Crooked Hillary are the craziest of all, totally out to lunch.

[narciso]

their divining rods are broken and leaking fluid,

did you catch the SJW level pitter patter withpinnette, yes the new majority wlaho employed mean girl moira bray didn't quite pan out, but the atlantic, did, as well as the basilisk, he still doesn't realize he was a not insignificant part of the problem,

[Captain Hate on the iPhone]

Has OrangeDrank had a good weeping session over his good friend Denny?

[henry]

the left eating its own via racial foghorn.

more popcorn, please.