Big Media Distorts Bush Economic Record

I'm not so sure.

1. Bush was unlucky? Maybe. Or maybe those tax cuts helped get us in a recession?

2. Bush's best numbers only hit Clinton's average. So we had 4+ years of job growth. Barely eking out a gain for so long is nothing to brag about. Those tax cuts really didn't seem to generate the jobs that they were supposed to bring.

3. Bush as a Conservative? He fails in every way except for socially. It is a joke.

4. We're currently looking at deficit problems with Social Security in 2049. Interestingly enough that's 8 years more than it was 8 years ago. And that could be even better if we had had decent jobs growth. Which makes the youngest baby boomers 84 when that happens, so making this a "problem" with the baby boomers is a crock. Then again I had already realized that 8 years ago. Health care is a problem, and the Medicare Part D crap certainly didn't do a thing to alleviate that either.

5. Overestimation of the rate of inflation? You only figure that if you are on drugs. It gets figured x-food, x-energy, probably other x-things and with generous amounts of "this improved this much, so we're only going to account for %x of the price in the figures". It is in the best interest of the government to underestimate inflation.

6. So buying at Wal-Mart can be compared to shopping upscale, like at Macy's? Just because their goods can be bought cheaply (with corresponding crap jobs) there's no inequality. Buy a Korean car, it's just as good and comparable to buying a German car. There's no difference!

7. It's not just the last 7 months. The past 8 years have not been as great as people think it has been. An audit should be done as soon as possible when the new president takes office. Why? I just don't believe any of the figures that come out of the Bush II administration. They worked so hard to make the argument for invading Iraq (and forgetting the reason why we invaded Afghanistan) and for stifling anybody that had anything to say about global warming, I think they just make lies to fit what they want things to say, and it's all things and it's all lies.

The bottom line is that the next president already has his hands full just in dealing with Bush has left us with. Two wars with the threat of a third, cronies everywhere and an ever increasing deficit that I'll certainly never live long enough to see paid down let alone paid off.

Bryan Price of FL @ Jan 15, 2009 01:42:13 AM

Mark of OH -

Nobody argues that Hoover was a great president or that his policies were good - raising taxes and trade barriers in 1929 was hugely damaging. That doesn't absolve FDR from implementing policies that sounded good but were damaging to economic recovery.

Re: Clinton - you are right, Clinton deserves credit for lowering cap gains taxes and lower trade barriers. That said, just because the bubble burst once he had left office does not wash his hands clean of responsibility either. The tech bubble is not some revisionist creation - it was real, it happened, it popped. Same goes for the artificially low inflation rates the Fed had for too long.

Sarcasm isn't going to convince anyone when you haven't any substance

http://ultimaratioliberarum.blogspot.com/

Adam Smith of NY @ Jan 14, 2009 17:51:02 PM

Well done

This is a very nice and evenhanded assessment of Bush's economic record. It has gotten so trendy or ingrained to blame anything and everything on the man. Am I a big fan? No. That said, the man gets unfairly killed in the media, way more than his due.

http://ultimaratioliberarum.blogspot.com/

of NY @ Jan 14, 2009 17:45:02 PM

It's the new twilight zone

What we know as reality is actually the myth that Bush was right all along and things are realy wonderful and if we stay in Iraq for 100 years we will win something or other.

Economy? John McCain wouldn't lie to us would he? No, not really. He just didn't hava a clue.

But cheer up. Everything will be alright if all the people that no longer have jobs or homes just go out and spend all that money they don't have.

Boy, this twilight zone stuff is really great!

Hillbillybill of TN @ Jan 14, 2009 15:50:41 PM

Bush's Economic Record

I love to cool aid comment. I have to say the DummyU talk down the economy so much in the 2000 election that I guess he fooled all the cool aid drinkers into thinking we had a recession before he took office.

As I remember it there were jobs to be had, oil was at a high (for then) but reasonable rate, people were not losing their homes, and the economy was doing pretty well after 8 years of Clinton. All of this revisionist garbage that the Clinton economy was really the Bush 41 or better yet the Reagan economy is bull crap. I lived through all of them and I can say that times were tough durning Reagan and Bush 41. Times have become Hooveresq under Bush 43.

Oh thats right I forgot Hoover was really a great president and FDR was terrible; he actually made the depression go on longer than it would have if the government would have continued Hoovers policies. Where is the Cool Aid Man from the old school commercials to gives a really sarcastic OH YEA to these right of center idiots.

Mark of OH @ Jan 14, 2009 09:33:17 AM

The Kool-Aid you drink must be refreshing

Ha Ha of TN @ Jan 14, 2009 08:01:24 AM

Ha Ha Ha

concerned reader of Pethmeth of @ Jan 14, 2009 07:45:01 AM