Why Aren't There Hundreds of Economists on My TV Explaining the Stimulus Package?
I'm sure you've heard about the hundreds of economists that are either for or against President Obama's stimulus plan. My question to the media is: Where are they? Thankfully, Paul Krugman goes on This Week and usually destroys the panel when they regurgitate disingenuous economic talking points that they probably don't understand.
But that's not enough. One man can't do it. FOX seems to depend on Dick Morris as their economic consultant, so we know where they stand on this issue, but enough already.
Why do I have to see Republican and Democratic consultants (whatever that means) debate the same points over and over again on every show throughout the day? Why doesn't CNN, MSNBC, FOX, ABC, CBS, CNBC and NBC reach out and invite panels of economists on to discuss this important issue? Where are they hiding?
The networks like to have the same tired debate format with the same hired analysts debating with "sound and fury" that usually "signifies nothing" to most of America. Last week the media chose to have Republicans like John Boehner, who helped create the situation we're in, dominate the airwaves, which does nothing but muddy up the discussion on our rapidly failing economy. And which leads Villagers like Chuck Todd to proclaim that Republicans have won the spin wars. It's a "spending bill" now.
Chuck Todd just said that the Republicans have won the spin war on the recovery bill and says that Claire McCaskill even admitted it when she said the Democrats had larded the bill up with spending. He says it's now known as a "spending bill" not a stimulus bill. (He doesn't say "who" now sees it that way.) But I would guess it's gasbags like Matthews who are going on and on about condoms and wondering how the Democrats didn't understand that their job is to write a Republican bill.
Why is it called a "spending bill"? Because the Villagers have decided that the Republicans have won the PR war over the stimulus package. How does that tired argument help this country in a time of crisis? I know the spin wars play a role when messaging is concerned because Americans get a lot of their news through the TV and the elitists get aroused by all this nonsense, but it's killing us. Please Stop It. C&L and many other bloggers have often documented how the media tries to elect our politicians, (They chose Bush over Gore, how did that work out?) but now they are trying to decide how this very important stimulus package will be dealt with.
I wish part of the stimulus plan included money to be sent to the failing print journalism industry so good journalists can keep reporting on things of substance which the public desperately needs. If the networks are forced to lay off 20% of their on-air news departments (I would hope not) because of bad revenues, then maybe they will start to treat this bill seriously.
Please, where's the meat? Stop playing games with our lives. Put people on who can explain it coherently. Economics is complicated. Sound bites aren't enough. Obama was elected to bring change to the economy, not to debate the merits of tax cuts all over again. We had that discussion for 18 months and Obama won. Tax cuts lost. Why is the media ignoring that fact? John McCain ran on tax cuts to save us and he lost. Now he's telling his supporters that he's going to vote NO on the stimulus plan and wants them to sign a petition. You lost the election badly. Democrats have solid majorities everywhere you look, but not when it comes to the media that is supposed to inform us and not play "spin wars' with the country.
Finally President Obama is telling it like it is:
In the past few days, I've heard criticisms that this [stimulus] plan is somehow wanting, and these criticisms echo the very same failed economic theories that led us into this crisis in the first place, the notion that tax cuts alone will solve all our problems, that we can ignore fundamental challenges like energy independence and the high cost of health care, that we can somehow deal with this in a piecemeal fashion and still expect our economy and our country to thrive..
I reject those theories. And so did the American people when they went to the polls in November and voted resoundingly for change
Chuck Todd reports that the Republicans want more tax cuts in the stimulus. Who gives a damn except the Villagers?
John Amato is the founder of Crooksandliars.com.
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"I'm sure you've heard about the hundreds of economists that are either for or against President Obama's stimulus plan. My question to the media is: Where are they?"
Hopefully hiding from humanity where they belong. The question isn't where ARE they it's where WERE they for the past 5 years? A few good ones were warning us on alternative media, but most in the mainstream were spewing free marketeer propaganda.
FINALLY! I feel like there is another voice of reason out there now.
I've always felt that our media works too small - meaning that they take small details and manifest them into larger problems. What happened to independent panelists and looking at both sides of an argument? The news media just goes after whomever is talking the loudest and longest, regardless of their validity. I'm sick of it.
Of course the Republicans hate the bill. Did anyone think they were actually going to work with the Dems? All they care about is steamrolling over this administration so that they can be in power again. They are trying to look relevant to the discussion and the media is playing into their hands.
The Obama administration needs to step up and tell me what this plan will do for my life in the next two years. The media needs to look beyond the talking heads and find some real experts so we can have a serious debate for once.
Obviously, the media doesn't want to give any time to people who might talk about reality.
I stopped watching the Sunday morning talk shows when I could no longer stand Sam Donaldson's ignorant pronouncements. This was long before Stephanopolos took over. I thought he might be an improvement, but apparently he had to check his brains at the door in order to be let into the studio.
Nobody on that panel besides Krugman has a clue as to how the economy works. Why they should even be debating him is a mystery.
Poli-Sci/journalism pundits arguing economics with Kruegman..
The MSM has failed us on EVERY ISSUE that I can remember.
What else is new?
Anybody with critical thinking abilities doesn't take them seriously.
The American People are waaaaaayyyyy ahead of the MSM.
So true, Mr. Amato. it is very frustrating to hear the same old ideas debated now as if they were some new bit of advice no one had heard before. The Republicans are just bizarre. REALITY CUTS NO ICE WITH THEM. Their policies, as Obama finally pointed out, are the exact ones that got us where we are. How can we seriously talk about more "tax cuts for the corporations". IT IS ABSURD. IT IS IDIOTIC.
Republicans need to bow down and ask everyones forgiveness for what horrible, devastating pain and grief they have visited on others. But no-in their arrogance and intransigence they are obstinately sticking to their guns. Well, if people want go continue along this path, I suggest they watch film clips from the depression of the 30's.
If a rich person, an executive or a corporation get money from the federal government, it is called a TAX BREAK or an INVESTMENT that will stimulate the economy...
kill your tv
It really doesn't matter how good a job the president and his party do in explaining the bill, for the same reason you don't see economists on your TV machine. It's not in the interests of transnational media conglomerates to do either. Their job is to pretend the Rethuglicans are still in charge and their ideology is vaild, in hope the rest of us will believe it. Seems to be working.
The only place I have not seen them shoving Republican talking points down our throat is on Keith and Rachel. I saw Rachel respectfully disagree with a Repub Congressman (Don’t remember who) and call him on the Pork label for re-sodding the National Mall. She make the point quite well that someone would get paid to do the work, and that someone would get a contract to supply the sod and on and on. He was unmoved. Repubs no matter what you say, can stay on point.
I for one, am sick and tired of everyone giving even equal time to blatant lies, from the Right. Sometimes the dissenting viewpoint is a crock of s#it and should be treated as such.
why is carly fiorina on this show? couldn't they find a business or economic expert?
Failed executives who manage to rape their companies of millions on the way out the door are the new In-crowd among Network moguls.
Sleazy CEOs like Fiorina are today's White-collar equivalents of the Bonnie & Clydes and John Dillingers of the 1930s.
As they did in the '30s, the media worships and promotes these modern-day bandits and works hard to prop them up to the rest of us as people to be admired.
If the Networks laid off 100 percent of their "News" staffs, we'd all be better off.
Especially if they take the money saved and donate it for scholarships at quality University journalism schools.
Of course, we'd have to wait a generation before reaping the benefits as real journalists begin to repopulate the media, but that's far better than living with idiot talking heads for eternity.
MAINSTREAM MEDIA NEWS STAFF=THE PROPAGANDA MATRIX.
Economists make people's eye's glaze over and turn the channel because so few people understand what they are saying.
I don't believe it has to be that way.
If the Science Channel can make me understand the Large Hadron Collider in less than 30 minutes, I think this stuff can be explained, too.
Richard Feynman (the famous quantum physicist/
That's supposed to say "so a freshm@n could understand it"
(Not sure why the m0ds changed that!)
freshman
Who the hell wants a tax cut if they don't have a job?
Small businesses for one should be getting a bigger tax cut than what is in this bill, they create most of the jobs in this country.
I will agree with Small Business Tax cuts but that is not the only thing Repubs are pushing for. They also want tax cuts for people. If you reduce my federal tax rate by 5 or 10 percent it might be an extra $10 or $20 a week. Some might spend it for lunch once or twice a week but me I would have to put it toward bills. And people without jobs would get nothing. Not much help there. And Big corporations pay accountants millions to lessen their tax liability and we have seen that any monies they ‘Save’ will go to profit not to new projects or hiring new employees.
If no one has money, it doesn't matter what the amount of small business tax cuts are....no one has money to spend!
Geez, people... it's not rocket science!
It doesn't matter how big or small the tax cuts are for small business.. if no one has money, no one can buy anything..
We elected the best communicat
How about a series of talks, 15 minutes per night on YouTube:
1) The Economy and Where We are Today
2) How My Program of Government Spending On Infrastructure, Combined With Tax Cuts Will Work
3)Why We Need New Policy on Energy, Health Care and Education to ReInvent Our Economy
Let the idiot talking heads respond to that. And for God's sake, have Krugman and a ton of other economists who support this stuff out there to explain it.
"Let him wonk out a little, Ross Perot style with some charts and graphs"
He is a great speaker but the man has never gotten down and dirty with any specifics, he is better asaying we are going to create 4 million jobs . . . it would be nice for them to explain how a lot of the stuff in the bill does so though.
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