Saturday, June 4, 2011

HnC Vault: What's That?

Originally published February 20, 2009


Wouldn't it be nice if none of us had stepped in it? Feel free to scrape your shoes while you still have them...

Update 6/4/11

More than two years after this cartoon originally appeared, we all know that Barack Obama's "stimulus package" didn't stimulate squat. Oh, a lot of money ended up in the pockets of the president's friends and political supporters, and added further bloat to the size and scope of government. But in terms of creating jobs or bolstering the economy...not so much.

Yet even in the face of horrendous new job numbers, Barack Obama is out on the campaign trail telling the "Big Lie" - and claiming that his policies have created robust job growth across the employment spectrum. Well, not really across the whole spectrum, but certainly in manufacturing jobs. And not all manufacturing jobs, but at least auto manufacturing jobs. In the companies that the government took over. At a loss of $14 billion dollars to taxpayers.

And while speaking at a Chrysler plant in Ohio, the president also touted the fact that "Government Motors" cars (our term, not his) recently showed increased market share over foreign imports! Wow!

What he didn't mention is that the increase in market share came from the fact that the Japanese have been unable to build and ship many cars after their disastrous tsunami and ongoing nuclear nightmare. But hey, if Mr. Obama can spin all that death and destruction into a personal campaign talking point, why not?

Frankly, we think taxpayers would be well served if GM came out with a new product line which added airbags to teleprompters...and wire them to go off when reality and campaign rhetoric collide this violently.

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11 comments:

Suzy said...

I'm confused...I thought the airbag was who was READING the teleprompter....

niteowl said...

@Suzy -

Airbag, douche bag, scum bag, gas bag - what's in a name?

Chuck said...

Quote from AP article in this morning's paper: "But the recovery is starting to weaken 17 months before the 2012 election, which could hurt President Barack Obama's re-election prospects."

I've got a couple take-aways from this. First is the old adage that it is an ill wind that blows no good. If the suffering of the economy and the people of this country can prevent the One's re-election, then it was worth it.

Second is that the Media (and the One) see this as a problem for Obama. Not the people of the country. Not the unemployed and under-employed. Not the failing businesses. Just Obama.

I'll bet Obama is of the belief that the private sector is DOING this to HIM on purpose because they hate HIM because, of course, they are racist.

John the Econ said...

Remember the quaint days when we were told that if we didn't spend $800-billion we didn't have, we'd have 8% unemployment and <3% growth? Scary stuff then!

Of course, the new narrative since this cartoon was originally published is that things now would be even worse had we not proceeded with the porkulus. In fact, they say that instead of $800-billion, it should have really been $1.5 to $2-trillion!

Then the issue wouldn't be about avoiding "stepping in it", but being up to your neck in it.

Pete(Detroit) said...

What's astounding to me is the people who a) refuse to accept that the deficit / debt (let's not EVEN get started on people who don't get the difference) is a problem, or b) don't think it's that BIG of a problem.
Yeesh

Stilton Jarlsberg said...

@Suzy- Funny!

@Niteowl- Sometimes "All of the Above" is the right answer.

@Chuck- Good observations. I have to laugh (you know, that ugly creepy laugh) that the media thinks the "recovery" is starting to weaken. These are the same morons who have claimed to be surprised by bad economic news every month since Obama was elected. And you're absolutely right that the mainstream media isn't seeing this story for the way it impacts Americans, but only Obama.

And it's more than a theory that Obama believes that the private sector is deliberately refusing to hire in order to make him look bad. He's voiced such an opinion in the past, and his recent admonition that businesses need to "step up" confirms that he believes they're operating out of vindictiveness rather than financial necessity. So of course they're racists.

@John the Econ- While it looks like the stimulus didn't work (and made things worse), the heavily revised calculations of how bad things would have been now seem to include plagues of locusts, widespread leprosy, and rivers changing to blood.

@Pete(Detroit)- I'm with you. It's like a majority of people still can't answer the question "If you have no money - what can you buy?"

pryorguy said...

You know, guys, even though Obama's record of actual accomplishment (for the GOOD of the country)...his record SHOULD be enough to lose him the election next year....yet....there's this sinking feeling I get like when I see him speaking at an auto plant touting the wonderful results of his stimulus spending...because I know TOO many people will believe it. I want him gone sooo badly, guess I am just afraid that, as in 2008, when I actually kinda felt a little sorry for him and his destructive ideas, thinking he is so far out there, he'll never make it....and then he did....well, we'll just have to wait and see what happens next year. We here have educated ourselves, but we are definitely in the minority there!

Stilton Jarlsberg said...

@Pryorguy- I share your fears. When the positive news reports surrounding Mr. Obama are...how best to put it?...total bullshit, I despair about the public's ability to make an informed decision. And that's even assuming that the public wants to make an informed decision instead of just trying to steal whatever bribes Obama is offering them.

I will say that though we're in an educated minority here...there are always more students than teachers in a classroom. So it's going to be up to those of us in the minority to spread the word and get clear, incontrovertible information to the majority. And if they don't understand, well, maybe we should start whonking them on the heads with wiffle bats.

Pete(Detroit) said...

HMMMMmmmmm, do I smell a line of 'official' "Hope'n'change" CluBats in the offing? Hmmmmmm

Chuck said...

I'll buy one! (Better get 2 in case the first one breaks)

Stilton Jarlsberg said...

@Pete(Detroit) & Chuck- I hadn't really thought about offering Hope n' Change wiffle bats, but the idea is growing on me.