What Will Obama Do Now?
So the May jobs report is out. It's very bad. The consensus on Wall Street, as of yesterday, was to expect a report of 150,000 new jobs and 8.1% unemployment.
The report, instead, was of 69,000 new jobs and 8.2% unemployment. April jobs were also revised down to just 77,000 new jobs. U-6 (the broader unemployment rate) surged to 14.8% from 14.5%. The number of long-term unemployed (jobless for 27 weeks and over) rose from 5.1 to 5.4 million in May. And as James Pethokoukis points out, the unemployment rate would be 10.9% if labor force participation was the same as when Obama took office
A really bad report.
I'll share three tweets. This one from John Podhoretz refers to Mark Zandi, the Obama administration's favorite "independent" economist who always spins economic news so it's funny:
Oh. My. God. RT @chucktodd Mark Zandi said on @dailyrundown there was little redeeming in this jobs report. All bad news.
Yeah, it must be bad if Zandi is unable to find any positive spin.
Jonah Goldberg reminds us how the Obama administration has attempted to handle the economic news thus far:
Obama responds to jobs numbers: This just shows the GOP war on women and birth control has taken a terrible toll. Oh, and Bain!!1!
Podhoretz also notes how the news is being spun:
And this is why CNN has 3 viewers now. "CNN Political Ticker @PoliticalTicker Republicans blame Obama for job numbers"
This led to a discussion at the Hemingway house about what happens now. I figured that the mainstream media would prefer to talk about the "War on Women" and any other distraction they can find rather than ask Obama about his policies that harm or inhibit the economy.
My wiser half said that even if it's true, there is nowhere for him to hide. Even if the incompetent media will play their games, the American people will want answers about how things have gone so wrong.
So, what do you think happens now? What will Team Obama do? More attacks on religious liberty? Or what?
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Comments:
Sep '10
Re: What Will Obama Do Now?
Bain and Co. is the real source of evil in this election. Don't forget it.
Dec '10
Re: What Will Obama Do Now?
Kill a few terrorists? Report a few foiled terror plots? All he has going for him now is what Bush left to him.
Sep '10
Re: What Will Obama Do Now?
He'll blame the Republicans, of course. He'll say again that he inherited a bad economy from President Bush--as Allahpundit said the other day on HotAir, President Bush is the eternal scapegoat for the Democrats--and then he'll try to pin blame on Romney, somehow.The real question is, will the voters believe him?
Oct '11
Re: What Will Obama Do Now?
Maybe he can get PolitiFact to declare the jobs report "Mostly False" the way PolitiFact Wisconsin just declared the Wisconsin jobs numbers.
http://www.politifact.com/wisconsin/statements/2012/may/24/scott-walker/gov-walker-says-wisconsin-has-added-33200-jobs-he-/
Sep '10
Re: What Will Obama Do Now?
It was interesting watching Steny Hoyer on CNBC this morning. There was two themes; it's still all Bush's fault (seriously!), and "I've talked to business leaders and they are looking for long term stability" (paraphrased). Well thanks, Captain Obvious!
He was asked specifically about the Democrats plan, and Hoyer just repeated the two themes. The Democrats are adrift with no rudder.
Apr '12
Re: What Will Obama Do Now?
Blame Herbert Hoover
May '12
Re: What Will Obama Do Now?
He might try to refocus a little attention on Congressional Republicans, and attempt to pin the dismal numbers on Republican "obstructionism." A good number of House and Senate races are looking pretty good for us. Or is he too vain to care about anything other than his personal re-election?
May '11
Re: What Will Obama Do Now?
Listening to the radio on the way to work this AM. They talked about how the economists expected 150,000 new jobs. They DID NOT talk about how there were only 69,000 new jobs created.
If you don't like the numbers, just ignore them.
Dec '10
Re: What Will Obama Do Now?
I am actually looking forward to the Summer Olympics as a distraction from this mess.
Jan '11
Re: What Will Obama Do Now?
We know these things come in waves. They'll probably get a few upticks, and try to manipulate the numbers before the election. If they get anything positive in September and October, they'll sprint to the microphone to (once again) proclaim that they've turned the tide.
So let's remember this moment now. This is the second month of downturn following their last round of assurances that they've turned the tide.
The bottom line is that their economic agenda doesn't work. They've tried everything they can think of, at the cost of a few trillion dollars wasted. When it comes to recovery, they're waiting for Godot. As it is, they really haven't done anything at all for the last two years, but what difference has it made? The results are the same.
And they want to continue this pointless futility ... for four more years?
Romney should just put up a giant backdrop of the 8.2% number, point to it, and ask "four more years?"
Mar '11
Re: What Will Obama Do Now?
You guys don't understand how this guy thinks. He'll blame the GOP House for "blocking my sensible programs".
The liberal meme will be "the GOP is holding the recovery back... we need a 4 more years and a completely Democratic Congress to help the President. "
Jun '10
Re: What Will Obama Do Now?
I think "Seamus on the roof of the car" is about to be re-released.
I agree with K.C. that this a big opportunity for Romney--perhaps a chance to begin to create some separation in poll numbers and make a serious move in the swing states.
Dec '10
Re: What Will Obama Do Now?
I put nothing past the Obama campaign. They'll do anything to win, up to and including provoking some international crisis requiring the US to "stay the course" with the current administration. They're addicted to power, even though they have no clue how to wield it in a way which produces good results. KC's right. The bottom line is that their (economic) agenda doesn't work.
I'm very hopeful that all the spinning and distraction will only further discredit the administration and the complicit media with voters who are living the reality of this disastrous application of a failed ideology.
Jul '11
Re: What Will Obama Do Now?
He'll leak to the NYT that he is reading more Catholic theologians. Another trip to Letterman is probably in the works too.
Jun '10
Re: What Will Obama Do Now?
If only Obama hadn't started his War on Catholics, he could become ChristianTrinityMan, protecting America and the Holy Trinity from living prophets and "magic underwear." He muddied the message he might need in his final shameless desperation--"Joseph Smith was a weird dude, so vote for me."
Aug '10
Re: What Will Obama Do Now?
He'll blame everything on Republican obstructionism. He'll pick out every failed idea he had in the last 4 years, and say things would be so much better if only those evil Republicans stopped opposing him, and started "working together for the people".
Aug '10
Re: What Will Obama Do Now?
A world crisis is all that can help Obama now. Axelrod is certainly working at it. Carter saw his approval ratings shoot up 25 points when the Tehran U.S. Embassy was seized, and American diplomats were held hostage. Obama and the Dem Machine will do anything to hold onto power.
Remember the "October surprise?" On October 26, 1972, Henry Kissinger announced that "peace is at hand" in Vietnam. Dems went ballistic. McGovern was buried in a landslide - but that probably would have happened anyway.
In October 1980, Reagan and his people were sweating that Carter would try something like that with the Iranian hostage crisis, which by then was over 400 days old. Ayatollah Khomeini handed the election to Reagan by announcing there would be no release of hostages in the foreseeable future.
May '10
Re: What Will Obama Do Now?
"All I did was allow George Bush back into the White House for a couple of hours for that portrait ceremony and just look what he did to the economy when I wasn't looking!"
Jun '11
Re: What Will Obama Do Now?
In a few months he'll blame it on the advice given by the picture when he asked "what would Bush 43 do"?
Sep '10
Re: What Will Obama Do Now?
You're probably right, BlueAnt. So Romney and the GOP should just point to his budgets. Even the Democrats wouldn't vote for it. That's a way to counter his excuses and demonstrate how out of touch he is with reality.