Political JUNGLE

Why do the media, economists, and various politicians seem so convinced that our economy is sinking into the depths of a 1929 style Great Depression?  Of course the economy isn’t booming, but you’d think we were running out of food tomorrow.  A slew of economists expected the GDP report from the first quarter of the year to be in the negative, and much to their chagrin it was not.  USAToday.com reported with the headline, “Weak 0.6% Economic Growth In Q1 Is Better Than Forecast.”  They can’t even temporarily put aside their disgust for the current administration and write a positive headline for once.  I can just see them sitting around figuring out how to get the word “weak” in the headline and downplay any growth.  

Granted 0.6% is not a huge increase, but it’s also not the massive recession that 2/3 of the 52 surveyed economists predicted. (Survey taken by USA Today)  Of course the housing market is still in disarray, and consumer spending only rose roughly 1%, but there are positives.  For example, exports grew 5.5%.  The point here is that the bias media coverage does affect people’s outlook.  It is true that the more devastating it sounds, the better the ratings.  In fairness, this quick online article was actually quite moderate and reasonable.  However, it’s still an example of how, with a republican in office, it’s like pulling teeth for major media outlets to report positively, or at least honestly.  

As Larry Elder, radio talk show host based in Los Angeles, exclaimed today:  The economic news is severely slanted based on the party of the President in office at the time.  He cited the 1992 economic study that documented how 80-90% of media coverage of the economy during George Herbert Walker Bush’s presidency was negative. Then the election takes place, and by November of that year, before Bill Clinton had even lit up one of his cigars in the oval office, 80-90% of economic news was suddenly positive.  The answer? Sort it out for yourself; don’t just take Katie Couric’s word for it (or any other major media talker).  Also, read posts like this and respond.  Healthy discussion also helps us make up our minds and search out the truth.     

Visit: www.larryelder.com 

USA Today cited: http://www.usatoday.com/money/economy/2008-04-30-gdp-positive_N.htm

Obama’s response to Rev. Wright was right, for once.  Obama chose to finally denounce his former pastor, and just plainly answer the barrage of questions  in very calm and respectable manner.  His responses didn’t seem rehearsed or elaborately planned, but just honest.  Well, honest as can be expected from a politician in the race for president.  That brings up the issue that now seems to be the hotly debated topic among conservative talk show hosts.  Is Obama dismissing his former pastor simply because its the politically expedient choice?  Or, is this his liberal heart bleeding the truth?  Its hard to tell, as he is an extraordinary orator/teleprompter reader.  The criticism now seems to focus on Obama being a member of the church for 20 years, and how could he not know about this? People are wondering why all of the sudden he’s up in arms.  Obama claims he had never heard Wright speak this way and with such venom.  I personally applaud Obama for simply answering questions, and admitting what Rev. Wright said was offensive to him, and Americans.  I applaud him for not speaking about race once again.  However, I do not applaud him for apparently falling asleep in the pews of the church for the last 20 years.  I’ll just assume he wasn’t an every Sunday attendee as opposed to thinking he just lied to us today.  I’m not going to judge whether Obama is being truthful, and at this point think we should take him at his word.  Yes, the unfavorable media coverage probably forced him into this press conference, but to declare him a liar, is at this point premature.  Until an “America plotted 911″ conversation between Wright and Obama surface, or video of Obama nodding off at one of these inflammatory sermons is leaked, we need to believe the guy.  At this point lets stop raking Obama over the coals, especially regarding a pastor who just proved he is indeed off his rocker. ”I am outraged by the comments that were made and saddened over the spectacle that we saw yesterday,” Obama said.   That’s good enough for me.  Don’t get me wrong, I think its important to know our president, and I believe this is a crucial issue, but Obama cannot be faulted any more for the future rants of Rev. Wright.  As always its politics, and time will tell.  

When race, politics, and religion get intermingled in the public arena things are bound to get ugly. Today Barack Obama’s former pastor, Rev. Jeremiah Wright, delivered a poignant yet cocky, and as he so aptly described, bombastic speech. Despite political disagreements with Rev. Wright, it was my hope that instead of another divisive rant he would choose to make some attempt to bridge the gap between his critics and his inflammatory statements. I didn’t expect an apology, but I did expect him to take the higher ground. He had the platform. He had the chance to make this about something more, something positive. Instead he chose to make this about slavery and the black church. This was a classic example of spinning the topic into something entirely different. He argued, “Any criticism surrounding his sermons is an attack on the black church itself.” That was the fundamental flaw in his speech and was actually incongruent with his supposed point in all this. The media coverage, citizen distaste, and pundit discussion was never against the black church, blacks, or any one group. It was against this one man, who is associated with a potential future president of our country. Rev. Wright rambled on making a crucial mistake in his characterization of America. He unfairly compared his church to the United States, claiming all the magnificent things his church has done, and all the horrible atrocities our country has committed, again avoiding and changing the real issue. As someone given the very stage for these remarks he should at least respect the country for that opportunity, an opportunity not granted in many other countries. That “free speech” was no doubt ringing through Obama’s ears as he sunk deeper and deeper into his chair, quivering inside, while his camp whirled in circles trying to come up with the proper public statement in reply. As Rev. Wright professed, Obama is a politician, and must act as one. The question then remains, if this is he as a politician, who is he as a person? This is really what its all about. A candidate supposedly above the fray, above Washington politics, now being referred to as that stuffy politician. Is his own pastor claiming that he leads these two separate life’s? What are Obama’s real opinions, ideas, beliefs? That’s the concern for many Americans. It’s just unfortunate that Rev. Wright turned this into a discussion about black churches only further creating racial tension. He began his speech with a litany of examples, declaring “Different, not Deficient.” I don’t think any reasonable Americans were ever arguing that the black church, or any racial group is deficient. He reiterated these points as the crowd cheered, but for what? This was never the issue. Yet he seemed to relish the opportunity to make this an issue. That’s what troubles me, especially in a world where we are so past this racial divide in many ways, albeit not in every way. Slavery was horrible, but it’s in the past. We are all Americans. Of course the country isn’t perfect, but lets not compare us to, or actually call us terrorists, as he did today. Rev. Wright had a chance to uplift, and really overcome this, and tell people this isn’t about him or his church. I guess with his mocking and condescending attitude, he showed us who he really is; just further muddying the perception of his 20-year friend, and possible Democratic candidate, Barrack Obama.