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Will the “Great
American Experiment” survive?
That’s My Opinion
By Bob Robinson
The conventions are over; the latest jobs report shows yet another
devastating month for jobs.
The Economic Populist says that although it fluctuates some from month
to month, we need a little over 100,000 new jobs a month just to keep
up with population growth. In August we posted 91,000. Yet the national
unemployment rate dropped from 8.3 percent to 8.1 percent.
If I remember right, that’s 43 straight months of unemployment over 8
percent. Regardless, how can unemployment be better when new jobs can’t
even keep up with the population?
It’s because 368,000 working age American citizens – many of them our
nation’s youth – finally gave up trying to find phantom jobs and simply
dropped out of the system. They no longer count. They’re history. We
can put them on some form of subsistence and stop worrying about them.
No biggie, I guess.
So how are we viewing the current administration that has worked so
hard to create the economy we are currently blessed with? There is
always a lot of discussion about “surges” following a party convention.
I checked three pollsters to find out what they have to say…
Rasmussen (the one I typically trust the most as it polls those most
likely to vote) says sitting president Barack Obama “surged” two points
following the DNC convention AND the jobs report, basically wiping out
the 2-point surge of his challenger, Mitt Romney, following the GOP
convention. Obama keeps his marginal 2-point lead nationwide.
Gallup (the one the mainstream media loves to quote… it polls
“registered” voters whether or not they are likely to vote) says Obama
surged to an unbelievable 52 percent following the convention. I found
it interesting that a third poll, Reuters, showed no bump for Obama
prior to his speech on Thursday night.
As of Sunday morning, neither Gallup nor Reuters had released a poll
following the jobs report. However, since unemployment has stayed
consistently horrible throughout the president’s entire term, it is
evidently a non-issue for a huge number of voters.
So what is the issue? The president’s oratory skills?
I receive dozens of conservative and/or anti-Obama emails every week. I
glance at them – some are quite humorous – but typically trash them.
Not my thing, and for the most part not worthy of space on County News
Online.
There is one, however, that I’ve seen several times and has
consistently come to mind. It depicts our president as the fabled Pied
Piper leading a nation of lost sheep to who knows where… call me nuts
if you want to, but I’m really beginning to wonder what we can possibly
be thinking.
It is unfathomable to me that a sitting president can garner the
support of nearly half the nation’s voters (or over half, depending on
the poll) when over a third of our working population can’t find
gainful employment (CNN… 63.5 percent is either fully employed or
actively looking – a 30-yr low).
I posted a column from The Darke Knight on Saturday. After months of
submissions that I discarded for a variety of reasons, we finally came
to an agreement where as long my as guidelines were followed, I could
ethically agree to publish the articles.
“He” (the editorial “he”) is a lot edgier than I tend to be these days
with my columns, but his conclusion gave me considerable discomfort.
There is a strong possibility that he might be right. I’ve posted the
link to his column below.
Maybe I am nuts, because there are many people I respect, especially in
Darke County, who disagree with me. One of them took me to task over
the opinion I posted last week, “Fuzzy Math is Alive & Well.”
He pointed out to me that the links I used to support my case
(especially one of them) were misleading and based upon an error on my
part. He was absolutely correct. I used a link showing annual
unemployment numbers, forgetting that the government fiscal year goes
from October 1 to September 30, not the typical calendar year that we
personally use.
And I also forgot that the 2009 jump to 9.3 percent was largely due to
the Lehman Brothers bankruptcy filing on Sept. 15, 2008. It resulted in
the loss of 2.6 million jobs in the last four months of 2008. This
occurred under President George Bush’s watch, not Obama’s.
I stand corrected for that error.
So when Obama said the problem was a lot tougher than he anticipated
when he started running, he had a point. However, he certainly was
aware of the bankruptcy two months prior to the election. It was a
great incentive to vote for “Hope & Change” and he used it. He knew
what he was getting into… as Romney knows what he is getting into with
his bid to fix what the current president has been unable to fix in the
balance of his four years at the helm.
This gentleman and I went back and forth on a variety of issues, most
of which resulted from our differing political perspectives. I will bow
to his research as far more comprehensive than mine at this point in my
life. And frankly, I would love it if he became a regular contributor
to CNO.
I want to provide balance on our site but my brain simply isn’t wired
that way. It has to come from someone else. Below, I also have the link
to my column from last week; plus many of the links he provided to take
issue with it. Some on the right might find them illuminating.
The ongoing employment disaster must be fixed. We can’t continue
shrinking the American workforce… this trend cannot be passed onto
tomorrow’s leaders.
Vice President Joe Biden said, “We’ve turned the corner.” His point,
Obama’s point… even Clinton’s point? They want another four years to
finish the job.
My question is, “What corner? Finish what job?” Frankly, another four
years under Obama scares the hell out of me.
My detractor disagrees. He said at one point: “Cheer up. It’s not going
to be bad. It certainly won’t be the end of the world.”
Maybe not the end of the world, but I believe this trend will
inevitably result in the demise of the “Great American Experiment”…
A nation of free people creating and guiding their own destiny.
That’s My Opinion. What’s Yours?
Referenced links…
Robinson opinion: Fuzzy Math is Alive & Well, click here
The Darke Knight: Take the Easy Way Out, click here
The Freddie & Fanny Mae mess: Stance on Fannie and Freddie dogs
Frank, click here
January 2009… Worst year for jobs since ’45, click here
Case Study: The Collapse of Lehman Brothers, click here
Regarding former President Bill Clinton’s DNC speech, click here
For additional information on my “Great American Experiment” comment
see The National Center for Constitutional Studies article. Note in
particular Ben Franklin’s purported comment. Click here
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