My studies

Tuesday, October 23, 2012


1933 THE LAST FANDANGO


Got home yesterday afternoon- had a few buddies that were waiting for me at the house.

Yeah- they hunted me down!

Actually I told the guys the other day [homeless bro’s] that we were gonna do another all nighter this week.

I get with them- we hang out for the day- I pick up bbq and we have an all day fellowship- then they crash out on the floor till morning.


So- they ‘picked’ last night! 

No BBQ- but they ate left over home made meatballs [they did come good!] and a plate of Mac’s- I think they liked it better than the BBQ.

Henry’s crashed on the couch- we both watched the debate and fell asleep.


Okay- howd’ it go?

A few points;

I think they both pretty much pleased their base- after the poor showing by the President in the 1st debate- his base wanted him to ‘go after Romney’.

And that’s what he did.

The political team of Obama chose to use the word  ‘you are a lair’ or ‘you are simply not telling the truth’.

This became a mantra for Obama.


After saying it once or twice- I found it tiresome.

The president did in fact say this- when he was the one who was ‘factually wrong’ [sounds better than liar- don’t you think?]

Last night the president accused Romney of not wanting to help the auto companies during the bailout.


At the time Romney wrote an Op-Ed and said he felt the auto companies should go thru bankruptcy- and then the fed govt. could at that point bail them out financially.


Last night Obama said that Romney did not want any fed money to be used.

Romney replied that he was wrong- he did indeed call for fed money- Obama said he was lying.

It took 5 minutes to Google the op-ed- yes- Romney was right- Obama wrong.

The problem?

He was using the accusation ‘liar’ when he himself was doing it.


He must know he is doing it.


Then why do it?


He made the political calculation that this was the best way to raddle your opponent- you lie about him- and call him a liar at the same time.

What about the people who will find out that Obama lied?

That’s part of the calculation- only so many will find out the facts.


I don’t like it when a sitting president does this- most candidates fudge the numbers on stuff- but to actually outright lie in a public forum is rare.


He did this in the last debate as well.


Romney said that oil drilling/permits on public [govt.] lands went down the last 4 years.


Obama said Romney was ‘lying’- huh?

Romney tried to be careful- he said that oil permits/drilling went down on govt. land- but up on private.


Now- as a news guy- I have known this stat for a few years now.


But- Obama repeatedly said Romney was lying- and that drilling/permits went up on govt. Lands in the last 4 years.

Huh?

It took 5 secs to find out that drilling/permits have gone down- 39%- on govt. lands the last 4 years.


Okay- while the pres was being ‘factually wrong’ at the same time- he is saying ‘your lying’.

I just found the whole ‘you’re a lair’ strategy to be condescending- your making the calculation that the other guy will get really mad [wouldn’t you?] Because you are the one actually lying- numerous times- while making the accusation.


Romney never took the bait- many supporters of the president- who only watch MSNBC- will never find out he was indeed wrong- and for the others who did find out he was wrong- he could care less.


So- that’s the big story- Obama never really laid out any plan- anything he would do that would be different than the last 4 years.


The tax plan ‘the rich paying their fair share’ will increase taxes on individuals making more than 200 thousand a year- couples making more than 250.


In many areas of the country- that’s not rich.


So why do it?

If you simply 'tax millionaires’ you won’t make enough revenue.


So- you say ‘tax the rich- they are not paying’ but you mean ‘tax many in the middle class- but don’t say it’.

That’s the only real ‘plan’ the president has- and that’s not really a plan.



When I was in N.J.- I caught some news.

In the beginning of the year we knew that in order for the unemployment number to go down- under 8%- you needed to create at least 300 thousand jobs a month- for a few months in a row.


At one point- it looked like that might have happened- and all the pundits- liberals and conservatives- agreed that the only way unemployment would go under the 8% mark was for this to happen.


But then- not only did the monthly jobs never make the above 300 mark- they did not even keep up with the 150 thousand mark- which meant that the rate would go up- to around 8.5. [you need around 150,000 a month to keep up with population growth- new people entering the workforce for the 1st time].


So- as the year rolled on- what could the media do?


Some said- just watch- they will get the number they need- somehow they will simply say ‘the new unemployment number is now under 8’.

But how?


Last month’s jobs number came out- they were once again below 150,000- and nowhere near 350,000 or higher.

Yet- as the labor dept. put out the new employment numbers for the month- they reported unemployment at 7.8%.

This would mean that the jobs/economy is doing better than it has in many years.


This simply was not true- yet they got the magic number- somehow?


How did they do it?


There is lots of speculation- but there was a little note at the bottom of the report.

When the labor dept. does these numbers- they collect all the data from the sates and average it out.


In the reported states- one state was left out.


Was it a little state- say like Rhode Island?

No- it was California.


The largest state- economy wise- in the country.


They used to be the 8th largest economy in the world- they were just passed by Brazil for that rating.


But- they are also the worst state- economically- then all the others.


If you leave out Cali- then you get the magic 7.8 number.


Sure- they will later revise the number- after the initial effect wears off- but they got what they wanted- that initial effect of ‘unemployment is the lowest it has been in years’ the month before the election.


Even though that stat is unreliable.



So- as we end the debates and head towards the election- one guy kept saying the other guy was lying.


And time after time- in many ways- we were all lied to.


Vote your conscience- look at the facts- don’t let others form your opinion of either man- simply look at the track record for yourself.

O- and may God help us all- we will need it.

Note- Do me a favor, those who read/like the posts- re-post them on other sites as well as the site you read them on. Thanks- John. Don’t forget to scroll down on the timeline [Facebook] - I have posted lots.







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