Later, speaking to House Democrats gathered at the Kingsmill Resort, Mr. Obama strayed from his text to express frustration with the barrage of criticism that has bogged down the plan. The plan’s opponents say, “‘This is not a stimulus bill, this is a spending bill,'” Mr. Obama said. “What do think a stimulus is? That’s the whole point! No seriously, that’s the point! Now I’m getting carried away.”
Thus, spending = stimulus. By this logic, the President is claiming there is no reason to limit government spending. It’s all stimulative! The American people sense this is at best hyperbole, at worst, a falsehood, no matter what the content of the bill, so it follows that support for it is waning.
Worse, still, is if anyone looks at the contents of the bill. Is it any wonder that Reid and Pelosi and the President want a vote on it without Congressional debate?
The voters want a stimulus bill that has a chance of actually stimulating the economy beyond the momentary pop one gets by shoveling dollars from helicopters. There’s plenty in the current bill worth enacting, but the bulk of it is politically-driven government largess.
Taxpayers know this.
It seems that rather than engage the actual economics-based arguments it’s easier to focus on polishing one’s one-liners.
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p>This accounts for Sarah Palin’s popularity on the right. No clue about policy, but great at pushing one-liners.
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p>The following lines are well-written with a nice rhythm, and very catchy.
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p>Excellent invective. Palin would be proud.
…that it’s exactly right – spending IS how you stimulate the economy!
Spending is necessary when you cannot lower interest rates any further.
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p>In general, deficit spending is not a good idea because it eats up credit. The recession we’re facing does not fall under the rubric “in general”, though.
Yes, the stimulus has lost some support, but it’s not because of a quote from yesterday. It was prior to that, when the President did not yet counter the stupidity. Let’s see where the numbers go toward the end of next week. I say they go back up, President Obama will be making another speech on Monday.
Add to that, that the Democrats seem to be hiding from television cameras. This analysis from Think Progress looks at who’s appearing on TV. For example CNBC.
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p>Republicans
Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) 2/2 8:48 am
Sen. Kit Bond (R-MO) 2/2 12:13pm
Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN) 2/2 7:20pm
Sen. John Ensign (R-NV) 2/3 11:24am
Sen. Richard Shelby 2/3 8am
Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) 2/3 7:28pm
Sen. Judd Gregg (R-NH) 2/4 11:44am*
Sen. Mel Martinez (R-FL) 2/4 1:20pm
Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) 2/4 5:45pm
Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) 2/4 8:45pm
Sen. Jon Kyl (R-AZ) 2/5 8:10am
Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) 2/5 5:30pm
Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-GA) 2/5 7:37pm
Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA) 2/5 8:07pm
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p>Democrats
Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA) 2/2 11:25am
Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY)2/3 10:50 am
Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) 2/4 8:45 pm
Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI) 2/5 7:50am
Sen. Evan Bayh (D-IN) 2/5 7:30pm
Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD) 2/5 8:10pm
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p>Notice, too, that Landrieu and Bayh are not exactly reliable Democratic votes. This chart says it all.
They say they will work on this.
The media continues to think that conservatives represent political opinion. The polling you quote below indicates that is false and the under-representation of Democrats on the airwaves indicates how easy it is to believe that misimpression.
Sad…
What passes for “discussion” is usually hack politician talking points on this site. Sad.
has been shameful.
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p>If you don’t want to join the discussion, you don’t need to wreck it.
What is it about you that just can’t accept a different point of view? I’ve certainly received more than my share of 3’s for expressing views that are different from yours. I am not calling those who disagree “shameful.”
If you have a different point of view, share it. Otherwise, you’re not being helpful — not even to your sadly underrepresented point of view.
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p>BMG is not the whole entire world. There are plenty of venues where the views expressed here rarely appear. Why don’t you go some place where you can spread happy dust rather than ashes and wormwood?
coming here and sprinkling your 3s around like pixie dust. And while you might think it’s “truly sad” for a “group of clones” to “get off” by agreeing with each other, I would argue that you, similarly, must “get off” by coming here and dumping your anger. Which guy is more pathetic? The uninvited bully who crashes the birthday party and takes a shit on the living room rug or the people who were invited to the party in the first place?
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p>You behave like a bully on this site, so it is reasonable to suspect that you are a) a bully in your daily life b) lacking appropriate social outlets for your anger c) lacking appropriat social outlets for anthing d) just a loser or e) all of the above.
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p>My selection is “e.” Sad, indeed.
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p>
Your use of vulgar insults and ad hominem attacks reflects poorly on you and your soulmates. Why are you guys so intolerant of other points of view? Classic bigotry, I’d say.
I’ve never seen you express a point of view much beyond “liberals suck.”
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p>Why are you surprised that people take umbrage?
You’re joking, right? This from the guy who suggests people “get off” by posting here? Is it possible you don’t know what that expression means or are you really a caricature of a human?
“Your sophistry doesn’t work with me.”
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p>Sophistry comes from the Greek route sophia, meaning wisdom. So apparently you prefer ranting and downrating to the wisdom provided by many who post here.
Otherwise, why bother coming here?
Here are some polls indicating otherwise, along with some analysis.
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p>(Hat tip – Lynne via Left in Lowell)
Those polls from Gallop show that the approve/disapprove levels on the stimulus have been
Conservative rhetoric is full of “everyone thinks” followed by some imagined agreement between public opinion and conservatives. That’s fantasy. If you look at polling, “everyone thinks” conservatives are idiots.
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p>It might surprise you to know that Nancy Pelosi shows a net positive and that Mr Boehner, that hero of American Americans, polls at 19% favorable.
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p>Let me repeat that.
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p>19% favorable.
…to the Republican “if you repeat a lie enough it becomes true” strategy.
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p>It would be interesting to see polling on Bush’s bank bailout as a counter.