Obama's Penny-Ante Leadership
Ricochet member Aaron Miller, who has one of those WSJ-like sketches as his icon, posted a link to this video over in the Member's Section. I found the video on YouTube -- for some reason, the only videos we can embed on Ricochet are YouTube videos; hoping that will change soon -- and it's a great way to visualize both the size of the federal budget and President Obama's silly, pointless, and pathetic claims to "cut" it:
It's almost two years old, but the impact is still there. It's from something called the Political Math Blog, which seems to be worth paying attention to. I think it's from Lee Doren, who is at the Competitive Enterprise Institute. I've just discovered him, and he's got some great stuff posted over on his YouTube account, called How the World Works.
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Aug '10
Re: Obama's Penny-Ante Leadership
Why on earth are his poll numbers jumping with Independents?
Jan '11
Re: Obama's Penny-Ante Leadership
I asked Lee point-blank on online chat one time, because I too, had thought it seemed like his stuff but he denied it. For whatever it is worth, he said, "No, but I really like that."
May '10
Re: Obama's Penny-Ante Leadership
Keep in mind that of all the money represented here none of it is the government's own. It all came from productive, private enterprise.
May '10
Re: Obama's Penny-Ante Leadership
I received a link to that video in an email last week, and it struck me as a great example of how Republicans should make their arguments. It's short, simple, humorous and hard-hitting.
Simplicity is important; not because citizens are idiots, but because not everyone can or cares to fit a doctoral thesis into his day, and not everyone is familiar with the inner workings of D.C. politics. A typical statement from a Representative should not sound like something from academia or a board meeting. Nor should it be a grand show. It should be clear and concise.
If the gist of a proposal or public argument can't be summed up in a minute or two, it's probably not worth saying.
Re: Obama's Penny-Ante Leadership
Good point.
May '10
Re: Obama's Penny-Ante Leadership
A further point about this video... The "punchline" is so good because it teases and surprises. The conclusion is drawn out to make it memorable.
He picks up one penny, and you think that's the end.
Then he cuts the penny in half, and you think it's the end.
Then he cuts the half into quarters, and you think it's the end.
Then he puts three-quarters of the penny back.
Now, imagine what the video would have been like if it didn't show him picking up the penny, cutting it, cutting it again, and putting most of it back. What if he had simply shown you a fourth of a penny and said, "Here it is"?
Dec '10
Re: Obama's Penny-Ante Leadership
This is how I responded when this YouTube came around again from my conservative friends recently:
Or, another way to look at it: at the current rate of spending, the national debt increases 100 million every 34.5 minutes of every day... on average. Have a nice day.
My calculation is based on Ed Hall's figure of an average $4.17 billion additional debt per day since 2007. This may be a little high, but let's not quibble. I'd guesstimate U.S. taxpayers accumulate another $100 million in debt every 30 to 45 minutes of every day, on average.
The other sour news is that cutting $100 billion out of the budget, as recently proposed by the GOP(?), only reduces the pennies by 50 stacks of 5 (at $2 billion/stack). Still, it's a great video.
May '10
Re: Obama's Penny-Ante Leadership
Rob Long
Good point. · Jan 24 at 4:20pm
Thanks, Rob. Please also keep in mind that it's not an original idea of mine. I copped it from Prof. Walter E. Williams. One of the best little economics lessons I've ever had.
Dec '10
Re: Obama's Penny-Ante Leadership
This video was made by Matthias Shapiro. You can follow him on twitter: @politicalmath
This visualization on Obama's deficit spending vs. W's is also great: http://www.youtube.com/user/10000Pennies#p/u/7/P5yxFtTwDcc
Sep '10
Re: Obama's Penny-Ante Leadership
Great post. I hadn't seen that video before.
Aug '10
Re: Obama's Penny-Ante Leadership
His other videos are good as well but dated.
http://www.youtube.com/user/10000Pennies
May '10
Re: Obama's Penny-Ante Leadership
"Why on earth are his poll numbers jumping with Independents?"
My guess is that the Presidency is like a meter calibrated on a scale of 1-100, but with the meter normally resting in the middle--50-- due to the ethos of the office. Whether it deflects up or down (towards 0 or 100) is determined by events, and the President's response to those events.
If Obama's popularilty has "risen," it's a function of a perceived lack of events in the public's consciousness right now; the "meter" is simply close to its resting state. The SOUA will possibly make him go up a bit further.
In addition, may, or most of those polls are Dem-friendly.
Re: Obama's Penny-Ante Leadership
Alfredo Delgado: This video was made by Matthias Shapiro. You can follow him on twitter: @politicalmath
This visualization on Obama's deficit spending vs. W's is also great: http://www.youtube.com/user/10000Pennies#p/u/7/P5yxFtTwDcc · Jan 24 at 7:46pm
Thanks! These are great videos. Do you know anything about this guy? Shouldn't he be a Ricochet member?