President Bush is having a press conference on the economy this morning. For the life of me, I can't imagine why. No one is exactly waiting with bated breath for his crack assessment of the nation's economic problems--this is not what we pay the president for. And he's not going to do anything about them, because he's already a lame duck. Nonetheless, I, like all the other reporters, will dutifully discuss this press conference as if it mattered.
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Department of useless exercises
29 Apr 2008 10:31 am
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Comments (20)
Isn't it actually more interesting that this surprise press conference is given at 10:30 A.M. today before the FOMC meeting got well underway and before the announcement of rate changes tomorrow afternoon at 2:15 P.M.?
And he's not going to do anything about them, because he's already a lame duck.
By this logic, why should a president or, for that matter, any member of an administration ever hold a press conference during the lame duck year of the term? Admittedly, this is kind of a strange point view for a journalist to take: not wanting the government to tell you what it's doing or otherwise commenting on world events. On the other hand, what a drag it must be to have to cover a sitting president when all you really want to do is lay palm fronds in the path of the Obama caravan.
Actually, I'm much busier listening to John McCain sell his health care plan today.
Actually, I'm much busier listening to John McCain sell his health care plan today.
Cool, so you passed on covering a sitting president discuss policy proposals that will never happen in order to hear a presidential candidate discuss a policy proposal that will never happen. I apologize, it sounds like your time is right on the risk/reward efficient frontier.
Because if he didn't you and the rest of the press would report that Bush was out of touch and ignoring the economy.
Megan-
Good points on the useless nature of this press conference. Still, I think your criticisms should be more directed at the media - if President Bush staged pseudo-events and no one showed up, pretty soon he would stop staging pseudo-events.
And Martin, you should really stop parsing Megan's words. She offered several criticisms of the press conference:
-President Bush has nothing new or relevant to say about the state of the economy
-It isn't Bush's job to have something new or relevant to say about the state of the economy
-He probably won't do anything about the problems
-The press knows all this, but covers him anyway
Even if your contentions about the lame duck status are true, that leaves Megan's criticisms 1, 2, and 4 intact.
Martin Gale is a natural comedian, and his humour contains a good bit of truth.
Let's take bets. I bet it'll be chiefly to remind us of his brilliant economic incentive tax rebate --the single most Socialist thing I've ever seen a Republican pull. The one that runs in contradiction to whatever he managed to pick up at his Harvard MBA program. They're mailed or deposited this week. Economically, it doesn't make sense, politically it might let some of the air out of the 'tax breaks for the wealthy' meme that Liberals propound so fondly. The rest will be buck up, recessions are mostly a state of mind.
I see Charlie From Colorado beat me to it.
The President is effectively required to waste time on stupid press conferences on things he can't really do anything about, because if he doesn't, the press and opposition will crucify him for not "caring", or "ignoring the issue" - even if everyone involved knows that he doesn't and can't control the economy, and his show of paying attention to it will have roughly zero effect.
Let's take bets. I bet it'll be chiefly to remind us of his brilliant economic incentive tax rebate --the single most Socialist thing I've ever seen a Republican pull.
And Ben Bernanke isn't a Republican? Does he believe in free markets? The Bear Stearns bail out is bigger because of the implications down the road.
Sigivald:
When is the last time the press crucified the Boy King on anything. If they were doing their job, he would have been impeached by now.
I've got news for people - Bush was never a supply sider. He always believed in big government. He was never a Reaganite. If you can prove otherwise, supply the links. All I remember in 2000 was "I'm a compassionate conservative", which is code for big government socialism. Just not as big as the Democrats.
Sigivald:
When is the last time the press crucified the Boy King on anything. If they were doing their job, he would have been impeached by now.
Posted by Joe Klein's conscience | April 29, 2008 1:20 PM
Another BDS-inflicted case. Bush was elected. He's not a King. Get over your hate.
Since when are you a "reporter?"
Another BDS-inflicted case.
Funny how you guys are so quick to point out alleged Bush Derangement Syndrome cases, but so stubbornly fail to recognize Clinton Derangement Syndrome in yourselves.
Bush was elected.
Revisionist history.
Revisionist history.
Election frothing -- especially after Bush became one of the few presidents in recent history to take a second term with a solid mandate -- is prima fascia evidence of BDS. Next time, try the red pill, and then restructure your concept of reality accordingly. If you don't, you'll exit the '08 election wondering how the exact same bus could have hit you three consecutive times.
aMouseforallSeasons:
With the Boy King at 28% approval ratings? It seems a great many people are suffering from BDS at this point. Solid mandate? While he might have gotten more votes than any President in history, he also had the most votes against.
I thought this was going to be about jogging. Also, Megan, you must really be burning out if you need to vent about the President making some bs speech about the economy.
With the Boy King at 28% approval ratings?
This is relevant to the '04 election results...how? Shifting tides of opinion during a term are nowhere near as relevant as what the people decided upon when they were actually asked to vote. Revealed preference, and all that.
It seems a great many people are suffering from BDS at this point.
Anyone who tries to channel the spirit of Gore Vidall by repeatedly using trite and mildly assinine pejorative like "boy king" probably does have more than a touch of it, yes.
Solid mandate? While he might have gotten more votes than any President in history, he also had the most votes against.
He got a bit more than fifty percent. That's pretty much the definition of a "solid mandate" in this particular political system. Arguing against that for one's own ends might be construed as dishonesty, possibly even lying. Bush-style lying. And presumably an avid non-Bush fan such as yourself would never do that...
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He's not giving the press conference for you, he's giving it to all those voting mouth-breathers out there who think the economy is controlled by levers installed in the Oval Office. Although if you want to make a game out of it, count how many times he trips over a word. My guess is 8.
Posted by Esher Fern Gamble | April 29, 2008 10:52 AM