McCain Adviser: The Press Want To ‘Convince Everyone That The Economy Is In Recession’ To Hurt McCain
McCain Adviser: The Press Want To ‘Convince Everyone That The Economy Is In Recession’ To Hurt McCain
In his Bloomberg column today, Kevin Hassett of the American Enterprise Institute charges that the news media is guilty of a “politically motivated pessimism” when it pushes “the idea that the U.S. is in a terrible recession.” Hassett, who is an economic adviser to Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), argues that the “Democratic-leaning press” may be trying to “influence the election” against McCain:
The bias has an easy explanation. Yale University economist Ray Fair has shown that a weak economy hurts the incumbent party. If a Democratic-leaning press can convince everyone that the economy is in recession, then it can influence the election.
Our analysis indicates that the treatment of the economy would be much different if there were a Democrat in the White House today.
To support his argument, Hassett cites a “highly flawed” study he conducted with John Lott that claimed to show that newspapers “give more positive news coverage to the same economic news when Democrats are in the Presidency than for Republicans.”
But he also neglects to mention that the candidate who he claims would be hurt by the purported “bias” hasn’t been shy about describing the economy as in a recession. In fact, on April 14, when McCain was asked directly, “Are we in a recession?” he responded, “I certainly think so.” Watch it:
McCain’s comments to the Associated Press in April weren’t an isolated incident or a mere slip of the tongue. On March 8, he told reporters that it was “very likely” that America was “probably, quote, ‘in a recession.’”
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does he think we’re that stupid?
June 9th, 2008 at 6:08 pmrecession is a technical term?
June 9th, 2008 at 6:09 pmNot us, only his base 23%ers, who will believe anything they are told by Faux NoNooz to believe.
June 9th, 2008 at 6:10 pmThere’s no arguing with the price of a gallon of gas.
June 9th, 2008 at 6:13 pmI don’t need McBush’s monkeyboy or the press either to convince me- filling up our two cars to get to work is convincing enough.
June 9th, 2008 at 6:14 pmOther press stories out there only to hurt McCain.
1. Gas is over $4.00 a gallon.
June 9th, 2008 at 6:14 pm2. More American soldiers killed and wounded in Iraq.
3. Torture uncovered in Guantanamo.
4. Unemployment rates are up.
5. Home foreclosures are going up.
And per #5- How’s this for convincing? In my smallish zip code area there are, as of today, 39 homes in foreclosure.
June 9th, 2008 at 6:15 pmThat might be true. But John McCain is only engaging in “politically motivated pessimism” because he’s a “maverick” — it doesn’t really mean he thinks it’s true.
June 9th, 2008 at 6:19 pmAnd something tells me he’ll deny ever saying it.
Damn I miss KKKarl. KKKarl was an understudy of Joseph Goebbels and was very good at propoganda and Orwellian BS. These liars are just too obvious. Come on McCatatonic, buy some better bullshit.
June 9th, 2008 at 6:20 pmGet used to the lies, folks. Its gonna get very ugly between now and November. The 22%r’s - I am looking at our trolls - have nothing firm to grasp onto anymore. Think of them losing their grip while perched on a ledge. Their entire survival depends on the next lie, then the next, and so on…
When the lies stop; they fall from the ledge. A nice idea too, I might add.
June 9th, 2008 at 6:21 pmthere’s no arguing with the current value of the US Dollar
June 9th, 2008 at 6:21 pmthere’s no arguing with the 300,000 foreclosures of 2008
there’s no arguing the rise in unemployment!
Yeah, who you gonna believe, your lying eyes, or the “honorable” Mr. McCain.
Pay no attention to the $4.00+ gas prices, and the tremendous inflation in grocery prices, or the fact that your house is not worth as much as it used to be, or that you can’t get credit, or afford medical insurance. The economy is just swell, and don’t you let the damned “liberal media” tell you that you aren’t just hunky dory.
Lying republicans, just don’t seem to be able to help themselves. It’s like a compulsion. Like committing crimes or taking bribes. They just can’t help it.
June 9th, 2008 at 6:22 pmSo the economy isn’t weak it’s just a media conspiracy? Then I haven’t lost all that money in mutual funds and I don’t really have to take money out of savings to pay my bills. Wow, I feel so much better now.
June 9th, 2008 at 6:27 pmHassett cites a “highly flawed” study he conducted with John Lott that claimed to show that newspapers “give more positive news coverage to the same economic news when Democrats are in the Presidency than for Republicans.”
Could that be due to the fact that “the same economic news” when Democrats are in office tends to be better than when Republicans are in office? Y’know… job growth, poverty rate, wage growth, stock market, those kinds of “same economic news”.
Once again, reality shows its liberal bias.
June 9th, 2008 at 6:28 pmI don’t care what you call it.
Are gas prices going up?
Are food prices going up?
Are foreclosures going up?
Are house (but not rents) prices going down?
Are the number of unemployed going up?
Are wages stagnant or decreasing?
Then what the hell difference does it make if, technically, GDP hasn’t declined for 3 quarters (but come VERY, VERY CLOSE)? Oh yeah, Bush doesn’t want the official record of having 2 recessions on his watch, as if nothing ELSE he has done would tarnish his standing in the history books.
June 9th, 2008 at 6:28 pmHey ralph, don’t be trying to convince the rightie tighties of any theories, we all know how they feel about theories.
June 9th, 2008 at 6:29 pmWho can make the most absurd statement knowing it is a lie? Not one of those little lies, but one where everyone listening knows the piehole is leaking credibility with each word?
Do you get the impression it is a contest to see who can do and say ridiculous things to the press? Anyone know what the advantage of doing this is?
The bus has left. The deck has 51. The elevator doesn’t go to that floor any more.
June 9th, 2008 at 6:30 pmIt’s a 2 pound bag but it only holds so much shit, technically. (R-Incarcerated)
If a Democratic-leaning press can convince everyone that the economy is in recession, then it can influence the election.
If the “Democratic-leaning” press is against McCain then what does that make Obama and Clinton? They couldn’t be Democrats, not after all the ridiculous crap thrown at them by the press.
http://progressiveworldreview.com
June 9th, 2008 at 6:31 pmMcCain Adviser: The Press Want To ‘Convince Everyone That The Economy Is In Recession’ To Hurt McCain
I think McCain’s ably handling that task, with the aid of a gang of advisors who most resemble a political F Troop, with Winton McCain calling the shots.
June 9th, 2008 at 6:33 pmMcCain told the press were in a recession so he would hurt his own campaign?
Solid Gold!
June 9th, 2008 at 6:35 pmhe’s so stupid,… you know how stupid he’s gonna look in history books??? o-m-g! not kidding. he’s gonna make any past idiot look perfect.
June 9th, 2008 at 6:37 pmAEI ~ says it all.
Hasset makes everyone around him look like virtual Einsteins.
June 9th, 2008 at 6:42 pmIf a Democratic-leaning press can convince everyone that the economy is in recession, then it can influence the election.
if the repukelican-leaning press wasn’t FauxSnooze or Message Force Multipliers, maybe he wouldn’t be in the mess he’s in.
June 9th, 2008 at 6:43 pmDon’t need an economist to know which way the economy blows…
June 9th, 2008 at 6:43 pmWhat I can’t believe these morons don’t know is that 75% of America finds these statements horrifically stupid and beyond moronic. As for the other 25% . . . we should pass laws prohibiting them from having progeny.
June 9th, 2008 at 6:44 pmgood Dylan reference RU.
June 9th, 2008 at 6:45 pmIts official, neocons are the stupidest things on the planet.
June 9th, 2008 at 6:50 pmMcFlipFlop needs to replace his 60 some odd lobbyist advisors with ones that have brains.
No scratch that, Mcinsane, keep them all.
hellina, too bad you can’t hear the harmonica solo that goes with it!!
June 9th, 2008 at 6:50 pmLOL
June 9th, 2008 at 7:00 pmOh, yes - telling voters that they just don’t understand their own situation is a well-tested approach to campaigning.
What next? Does Senator McCain think he can convince enough voters that they aren’t paying more for less and owing more than ever?
June 9th, 2008 at 7:02 pmHassett must surely be referring to the same “Democratic-leaning press” that was trumpeting our wonderful economy during the last months of the Carter Administration in 1980? Isn’t that why Carter won in a landslide?
See how simple this is? Your cost of living isn’t increasing faster than your income.
This is just another one of the lies conveyed to you by the Corporate News Media (who have slavishly carried McCorpse’s water for decades). One interpretation could be that the Ccrporate News Media is attempting to blame negative perceptions of the economy on progressives, betting that they will create enough backlash in favor of McCain to outweigh any negatives that could arise.
See, there is absolutely nothing to worry about, so go shopping, spend lots of money and have fun.
See how wonderful life can be if you just believe and hop aboard for a ride on the Straight Jacket Express?
June 9th, 2008 at 7:23 pmGood point RUC, the economy definitely blows.
June 9th, 2008 at 7:39 pmRUCerious Says:
Don’t need an economist to know which way the economy blows…
And this economy blows, too.
June 9th, 2008 at 7:40 pmThey really should keep this up. It’s not like we don’t know the economy is in the $hitter. All we need to do is to take a look at our income and outlay and most Americans know that we are in deep trouble. Trying to blame the failing economy on the “liberal media” isn’t going to work. Besides, anyone with an IQ out of the room temperature range knows that there is no such thing as the “liberal media”.
June 9th, 2008 at 7:54 pmI really doubt that it takes the press to convince anybody we’re in a recession. While the economists argue about the literal definition of the term, ordinary Americans are finding it’s getting harder to fill their gas tanks, buy groceries, sell their house, hang onto their job, pay for medical care, etc. They’re saying, “call it what you want, but it’s hurting!”
June 9th, 2008 at 8:04 pmFrom today’s NY Times:
“The economic crisis in the U.S. caused the dollar to drop sharply and the threats against Iran heightened geopolitical tensions,” Mr. Khelil, who is also Algeria’s oil minister, said, according to Bloomberg News. “If it wasn’t for these factors, the price of oil would probably be $70 a barrel; the depreciation of the dollar alone is adding $40.”
$70 a Barrel. Oil is now almost TWICE that.
Investors are fleeing the Dollar, largely because of the Enormous Debt run up by Bush and the Republicans. Tax cuts during Wartime….borrow and spend .
Add some Sabre rattling at Iran and the straights of Hormuz, and we get a BUSH TAX that is doubling the price of oil.
June 9th, 2008 at 8:24 pmThe economy is MUCH harder to lie about than a foreign occupation. Keep the BS coming. Even the U.S. isn’t that stupid.
June 9th, 2008 at 8:27 pmThis is a disastrous tack for the Mcainites to take.
June 9th, 2008 at 9:31 pmPeople may hate black people and Mexicans.
They may think libruls are traitors. They may think democrats are everything that’s wrong with the US.
But if they’re drowning, if they are losing their homes, if they can’t afford to drive, if they are scared to get sick and the McCain camp says “all this i overblown and the Democrats say ‘”This s how we’re going to help you”–
–who you gonna call?
That’s it JinJin! I will smack the shit out of you any place any time. You are a big PUSSY!
June 9th, 2008 at 10:03 pmDon’t know if anyone caught it, but tonight on NBC Nightly News in an interview with Brian Williams, McCain responded to a question from Brian addressing the claim that his presidency will be a third Bush term.
His response? An Obama presidency will be a Carter second term. “Why,” asked Williams? “Spend, spend, spend” came the response.
Is this the best he can do? Reach back 32 years to find something to link Obama to? Can you imagine Ford arguing that a Carter presidency would be a third Truman term?
June 9th, 2008 at 10:20 pmWow! And he wants to debate Sen. Obama.
How are people hurting mcchimpy? What is your definition of “hurting people?” (Oh it’s ok to use the noun “hurting” but not bitter???)What are you going to do about it mcchimpy? Economics isn’t the only weak point you have.
Hidden mics won’t work this time. Believe me there are people ready to intercept mcchimpy’s transmission and broadcast it over the intercom. No more planted people or mics!
mcchimpy doesn’t have a chance against Sen. Obama.
June 10th, 2008 at 12:53 amBad Eye I saw his terrible attempt at snarkin Sen. Obama. It was a sad, sad childish attempt. Besides Pres. Carter was an honest gentleman.
Spend, spend, spend on what mcchimpy? Was it over trillion dollars? What was the dollar worth back then? How was economy doing back then mcsorryattemptatsnarkin?
mcsmartass
June 10th, 2008 at 1:09 am.
CORRECTION:
Kevin Hassett of the FASCIST Enterprise Institute
.
June 10th, 2008 at 1:57 amIt’s curious, because regular Spaniards don’t read USA newspapers, but we have been dragged to a recession thanks to the idiotic policies of the GOP in the Middle East. We are suffering truckers’ strikes right now. I only have to look through the door of my office and see them demonstrating over the price of oil!
June 10th, 2008 at 7:36 amThe degree to which the right wing thinks perception trumps reality is truly incredible. It doesn’t matter what the economy’s really like, just how perceptions of it will affect Republican’s chances in the election.
No wonder they can’t solve any real problems.
June 10th, 2008 at 8:52 amCiting a “highly flawed” study is par for the course for Hassett. This is the same guy who co-authored “DOW 36,000!” with James Glassman. This book was laughable at the time it was published for it’s own use of highly dubious “research” and reaching assumptions. That McCain has “WRONG-WAY HASSETT” as an economic advisor explains why McCain’s economic proposals range from the insane (maintaining Bush tax cuts for the rich and other failed Bush policies), to the idiotic (gas-tax holiday).
August 4th, 2008 at 2:45 pm