When will the economy stop dropping because of the recession and start dropping because of the harm Obama’s cure to the recession is inflicting? There will likely be a seam that will run through the polling and recession statistics in the next few months when the symptoms of the disease abate and those triggered by Obama’s program begin to kick in. In short, when will the Bush recession become the Obama recession? In fact, it may already have happened.
Obama’s popularity and the economic statistics fell, pretty much in tandem from his inauguration until early April. During this period, unemployment rose by two points, consumer confidence fell, and over 2 million jobs were destroyed. Over the same term, the president’s approval ratings (as measured daily by Scott Rasmussen - www.rasmussenreports.com) fell from a post-inaugural level of 65% to 55%.
Then both the economy and the president’s approval ratings started to climb. The former was fueled by pre-mature claims that consumer spending was rising (it turned out to be only a January post-Christmas blip) and that jobless claims were falling (they resumed their upward march in May). The stock market, impelled more by wishful thinking than by mature analysis, had its first positive month in April and optimism spread.
This good economic news combined with media hype about Obama’s first hundred days and helped push his ratings back up over 60%.
But now both the economy and Obama are back on a downward trend. Could it be that the false dawn of late April was the seam we are awaiting? Could it have been the moment when the economy did what it would always naturally do and begin its recovery only to have the momentum squashed by Obama’s policies?
Perhaps it was. But whether it was or not, the moment is likely to come when the after-effects of the cure overcome the recovery from the economic disease.
The signs of a negative economic reaction to Obama’s program are already quite visible. Interest rates on ten year Treasury bills have risen by 50% since January in anticipation of the coming bout with inflation. Capital has been diverted wholesale from new businesses into channels that do the economy no good. The treasury’s debt is soaking up funds. So is the sale of toxic assets from banks. The demands for capital set in motion by Obama’s spending spree and his bank bailout plans are already blocking investment in economic growth.
Then, last week, in a breath-taking demonstration of presidential chutzpah, the president warned that the deficit (which he caused) is growing too large and that inflation (as a result of his policies) might be looming ahead. His peroration was likely to prepare the way for tax increases. Just as Reagan drove down taxes while increasing military spending and then used the resulting deficit to stymie liberal spending plans, Obama is increasing spending and the deficit to force tax increases.
But the president’s belated recognition of the damage of his policies is scant compensation for the havoc they will increasingly cause.
And, at some point, soon, the public will get it that we are now in a recession caused by Obama’s programs not by the shocks of 2008. His ratings will probably resume their stately descent and sink further. The key moment, of course, will be when his presidential approval score drops below his vote share of 52%. At that point, he is shedding votes and the political impact becomes serious.
Whether we have entered this phase or the seam has yet to come, the transition from the Bush recession to the Obama recession will be an historic moment with huge political consequence for this Administration.
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Comments
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Don’t ya know that every wrong by a Democrat, is actually the fault of a Republican?
The Democrats in government, sure are a bunch of idiots that are so easily tricked and coerced into this and that and everything in between, this and that. And they have no idea how to fix, this and that, once they get control of, this and that.
hmm… I say, we need a third party to fix, this and that.
Debra J.M. Smith
of
Informing Christians
This president’s approval ratings will drop once he makes his legislative move to raise taxes. Even though he will disguise any tax increase as a tax on the wealthy, voters will quickly understand the game. One needs only to look at California and the election tomorrow where there are four measures to raise taxes, and all are losing in the polls. I have always had faith in the American voter to understand what their government is doing. It may take them a little longer when they are mislead by their representatives, but they eventually catch on. I think this is why Ronald Reagan was so admired by the American people. He understood them and he had faith in them. In this regard, he was much closer to Abraham Lincoln than President Obama is, though the President seems to want the public to think of him as Lincolnesque.
“The signs of a negative economic reaction to Obama’s program are already quite visible. Interest rates on ten year Treasury bills have risen by 50% since January.”
Yeah, 10-year yields are at whopping, 3%, big deal! But the stock market’s up 12.5% and that’s a good thing.
“Capital has been diverted wholesale from new businesses into channels that do the economy no good.”
Oh really? Such as? The fact is, many companies in some of the hardest hit industries are feeling the most confident they have felt in a long time.
“The treasury’s debt is soaking up funds.”
Soaking up funds?? Take the blindfolds off, Dick!! Private savings are at record highs!!! Government spending is PROVIDING funds. That’s a basic accounting identity straight from Macroeconomics 101.
“The demands for capital set in motion by Obama’s spending spree and his bank bailout plans are already blocking investment in economic growth.”
Is that your opinion, Dick, or is it a fact? If it is your opinion you should state so. If it is a fact, then prove it! But I’ll save you some time–you won’t be able to prove it, because it’s not true. It’s just the same, tired, old, Dick Morris propaganda!
As a small business owner, over the course of the years under President Bush, price increases from manufacturers were very infrequent. We are now seeing price increases almost on a daily basis. Some of the increases are small, however, some are on the order of 20%. This is called inflation and is just the beginning.
Sales are also down because of the recession. By thw way, our gross sales do exceed 250,000 dollars which will probably cost more taxes.
I have three employees and have told them if a combination of tax increases or drop in sales totals a 20 percent reduction, one person will be laid off.
I have said before, this adminstration is a repeat of Jimmy Carter only worse.