The economy is terrible. But this is a major improvement over what it was when bush left office. There is simply no accurate term to define the state of the economy in December 2008, maybe fall of Rome or black death could come close. In bizzaro world however, time began in January 2009 though and any attempt by reality-based commentators to point out that republicans blamed the first bush 43 recession (and every other calamity) on President Clinton is met with eyerolls from the tea bag crowd. Their excuses never really stick in anyone's mind, mostly because the same self-victimization/bullying/lying strategies are used any time these trolls need to explain something away and try to "revise" history. "Just keep lying, eventually they'll see things our way." Unlike hysterical humans in the present though, historical humans leave a trail. Just use a condescending tone and pretend everybody knows that 2+2=5 and the objectors will wander off to a Starbucks. If you never let reality intrude, this big lie formula is the gift that keeps on giving.
So what happens when they slip up and a little reality does enter the conversation? Steve K at Salon.com wrote a bit on this inconvenient event today, while his usual hack job leaves holes big enough to drive a supertanker through, the sliver of sunlight is worth checking out.
Basically, Romney's mole people have been pulling his strings to say "Obama bad, Obama not doing anything about it" for every issue. Let's leave aside republican obstructionism for a moment and state flat out that no, Obama hasn't done nearly enough to change the permanent depression faced by the 99%. "It’s a simple game plan: Take whatever issue is on the table, connect it to the economy, and blame Obama for not fixing it. Rinse and repeat." Thanks Kornacki, you're worth every penny for that analysis.
But if the president is presiding over an economy that voters believe is improving, the magic vanishes. Which explains the awkwardness the Romney campaign faced this morning, when the most encouraging jobs report of Obama’s presidency was released. With a net increase of 243,000 jobs in January, the unemployment rate is now down to 8.3 percent, marking the fifth straight month it fell and bringing it to its lowest level since Obama’s first full month in office.
Faced with such obviously good economic news, the Romney team took its time responding, first churning out a press release on an unrelated topic (“President Obama’s attack on religious liberty”) then finally putting out a statement that read in part: “We welcome the fact that jobs were created and unemployment declined. Unfortunately, these numbers cannot hide the fact that President Obama’s policies have prevented a true economic recovery. We can do better.” A series of negative economic statistics then followed.
Besides the acknowledgement that “jobs were created,” the statement was no different than anything Romney has been saying for the entire campaign. But juxtaposed against the big news of the morning, it read as petty, and almost absurdly comical. If — and, to be clear, it’s a very big if — the good economic news continues in the months ahead, Romney’s rhetoric will only fall flatter.
Clearly, Leviathan got wired crossed somewhere. MMFA reported that the right wing water carriers stayed on message, but Romney's people let a squeaker out in the crowded elevator. Though I'm sure it will get cleaned up in the spin cycle. For bizzaro world to work, THE PUPPETEER MUST NEVER ADMIT HE DOESN'T CONTROL ALL THE STRINGS. The passive voice "jobs were created" is really puzzling, why did they spend all that time prattling on about "job-creators and their onerous taxes" if you attribute job growth to nature?
So what is a gloomy historian to do? My first thought was that "holy cow, in spite of everything the business cycle still exists." It seemed for a moment that jobs were actually being created despite the best efforts of the "job creators." After all, for a couple years it looked like the fortune 500 finally and for all time had the economy locked down. DC was open for business, even if the Ds were superficially in charge, and handouts for billionaires were forthcoming aplenty with borrowed money. Profits were stratospheric and the astroturf pitchforks were aimed at... teachers. Huh? Government spending is the problem, unemployment insurance makes people lazy and not yet desperate enough to sell themselves into slavery, and the financial collapse was the fault of unions. "Look at all these redneck beerbellies with tea bags on their silly costumes, it must be how the whole country feels, maybe I just don't get it."
Back to the real world. Coincidentally, the water carriers have had no trouble remaining in lockstep on this aspect of bizzaro world. The emergence of OWS, a movement that may be disorganized but at least they have their pitchforks pointed in the right direction, has the scaredy-cats going into paroxysms of horror. Evidenced by the massive misinformation campaign (no, they really aren't all pooping on cop cars) and intense police brutality. What if it is not enough?
If I am to maintain my rep as the gloomiest member of OAH this situation calls for some heavier speculation. It came to me as I recalled how gas prices magically went down just in time for election day the last few times around. What if, and I am simply trying to place myself in the 1%'s sinister shoes for a moment, the positive economic news is just a concession to defuse all the real anger out there? If we employ a few ringleaders, the rest of the serfs will simply melt away. The right-wing noise machine can drown out any residuals.
Alternatively, these positive jobs numbers could just be a way of raising expectations before crushing them again. Marlin fishing. Let the monster run after you've hooked him so he's all tired out before you pull him in. So many OWS protestors have a protrusion of barbed steel somewhere, bad health, credit cards, underwater mortgage, student loans on their final deferral. Sometimes the angler lets you run a bit; feel a bit of confidence that this time the job is real, stable, and long-term; before crushing your head agains the rocks. Repeat this cycle long enough and we'll be begging to sell ourselves into slavery.
At least I can laugh at how clueless Romney and his minions are today.
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