Record stock market highs; Healthy GDP growth; Real wages increasing; but the Chron says it’s the economy, stupid! : Lone Star Times

Record stock market highs; Healthy GDP growth; Real wages increasing; but the Chron says it’s the economy, stupid!

by Owen Courrèges · 11/08/2006 7:58 am

The Chronicle has a staff editorial out today (which I won’t deign to link to) that repeats a common refrain among Democrats and their not-so-clandestine supporters lately — that Republican woes are, in part, driven by the economy, despite robust economic numbers.

I’m not saying this characterization is wrong, mind you, but it’s really about perception of the economy, not the economy itself. During the Clinton years the media was screaming (in effect) “the economy is batsh** crazy good!” at every turn. Today, the media reports the numbers, and then turns around an runs op-eds and editorials such as the Chronicle’s saying that the numbers mean nothing because millions don’t have health insurance, there’s wage disparity, blah blah blah…

Of course, the same problems existing during the Clinton boom, and nonetheless Clinton reaped the political benefits of presiding over a good economy (that he had done little to foster, I might add). On the other hand, the media is trying its damndest to downplay this economy, and behave as if an election best viewed as a referendum on Iraq and Bush’s foreign policy has anything to do with the economy.

Bush isn’t the greatest president, and Iraq hasn’t turned out well, but give credit where credit is due — the left may not like Bush for many reasons, but they look silly when they attempt to claim that the economy isn’t doing great.

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Comments

9 Responses to “Record stock market highs; Healthy GDP growth; Real wages increasing; but the Chron says it’s the economy, stupid!”

fasternu426 on November 8th, 2006 at 8:12 am

“(that he had done little to foster, I might add)”

Foster….. Didn’t Clinton have him killed?
dowjones25k on November 8th, 2006 at 8:14 am

hey - where can i subscribe to the mecico city chronicle - are they not a conservative paper?
Robert on November 8th, 2006 at 8:33 am

People are too busy to really think about certain things. They rely on the media for a capsule report. Unfortunately for the Republicans, the liberal media says things are bad even if they are not. The Republicans lost because they became generic Democrats. Power got the best of the Republicans, so now the Democrats get back into power and with that the corruption and we start the cycle all over again. Let’s see if the Democrats can lead.
Definitely Blonde on November 8th, 2006 at 9:02 am

It started with Trent Lott - when he GAVE the power to the dems because republicans couldnt or wouldnt lead, then we gave then a bigger majority and they still refused to lead and began to act like dems, so in 2004 we have them an even bigger majority and they still refused to lead and became more liberial, more like the dems.

That is why they lost yesterday - they did it to themselves - they refused to lead!
Kevin Whited on November 8th, 2006 at 9:06 am

I’m not saying this characterization is wrong, mind you, but it’s really about perception of the economy, not the economy itself.

The Administration has actually done a terrible job TALKING about the economy. Rove/Mehlman hitched their election hopes almost entirely to the war on terror, and neglected the great economic news. Obviously, that didn’t work out too well, although there were all sorts of other factors at play as well in this election, including the traditional drag that the party in power sees during a midterm (but that Rove/Mehlman avoided four years ago).
vlou on November 8th, 2006 at 9:06 am

Let’s all blame someone else…typical Democrat strategy. However, if we win, we get all the credit. Get a life. There is no one to blame but ourselves.
stomer on November 8th, 2006 at 9:16 am

My question is, once the Dems assume power, will the economy suddenly be booming (according to the MSM)?

Also, for the guy that called in to Edd Hendee this morning happy about the election results because it was the “wake up call” he had hoped for with his protest voting… Are you going to pay my higher tax bill for me? Are you going to help pay my bills when the cost of living goes up due to the Dems increasing the minimum wage? Are you going to help pay my increasing medical cost because of liberal policies that pay for health care of illegal immigrants (or even worse, increased taxes if they get universal health care)?

I didn’t enjoy having to hold my nose and vote for the Republicans, but I am aware that RINO season is in the spring, not the fall. But, now we have a Dem majority that has pledged to stick it to us within the first 100 hours of their governing!

I cannot stomach someone telling me that they stuck to their “principals” by allowing Democrats to take office!!!! If so, your principals must be: Higher Taxes, weak on security, weak on the border, Universal Health Care, On Demand Abortion, Liberal Judges writing laws (New Jersey anyone?), Bashing Christians, Environment over Economy, etc.!!!!
Owen Courrèges on November 8th, 2006 at 9:50 am

Kevin,

You’re right of course, but I’m not sure Bush has the ability to influence public opinion about the economy with the problems in Iraq clouding the picture. In any event, it’s kind of absurd for the media to take advantage of the vacuum by emphasizing factors that have always been around to discredit the economy.
Rahman Golddigger38 on November 8th, 2006 at 8:18 pm

All those good news you have mentioned are fabricated to produce an election result in favor of the administration.
It is a well kept secret that Govt maintains 2 books , one for the general public and the other with real figures.
Don’t you find interesting that as election approached , more good reports started coming out from Govt sector, AND
oh yes, Govt can manipulate our Stock Market too by buying US treasuries with our tax revenues.