Post-election lessons are everywhere in the media, as pundits either try to explain how Mitt Romney lost or what Obama must do in his second term.
My favorite example of this came on the front page of USA Today (11/8/12):
If you think it’s somewhat odd that Obama would need to “soothe Wall Street,” then you’ll never make it in big media.
On Sunday, NBC Meet the Press host David Gregory (11/11/12) was offering similar advice alongside CNBC host Jim Cramer (the one whose prediction of a massive Obama landslide doesn’t prevent him from being a political pundit):
GREGORY: Jim, I always thought that one of the big mistakes of the first Obama term is that he never had a moment in the Rose Garden where he was flanked by the biggest business leaders in America and said, “Look, we’re going to work together in common cause to deal with this economy, to deal with our fiscal position, and ultimately affect America’s influence in the rest of the world.” Can he have that moment now?
CRAMER: Yes, because this time…
GREGORY: Will he?
CRAMER: …the leaders need him. The CEOs need him, because their businesses are going to go down. Their stocks are going to go down. This is what they care about. They care about their own compensation, and they care about higher stock prices. You’re going to get declining compensation and I’m giving you lower stock prices for certain without a deal.
One could identify all kinds of failures in the first Obama term. The failure to do much of to alleviate the problems in the housing market. Unemployment. The escalation of the war in Afghanistan. You could see any of these as the big problems in the first Obama term…or maybe it’s the failure to have a photo op with CEOs.
Gregory’s point doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. Obama picked a rather high-profile CEO–Jeffrey Immelt of General Electric, which still owns part of Gregory’s network–to head a jobs task force (which led to a controversy over why a CEO known for outsourcing jobs would offer much help on job creation, at least in this country). The administration has been stocked with people with deep ties to Wall Street like Tim Geithner, while Morgan Stanley director Erskine Bowles was picked to co-chair Obama’s deficit commission.
**UPDATE: Ace labor reporter Mike Elk noted on Twitter that Honeywell CEO David Cote appeared at the White House with Obama to promote the stimulus bill on the day the House was set to vote on it. He was there along with IBM CEO Sam Palmisano. Here’s a photo of the kind of event David Gregory wishes had happened in Obama’s first term–it happened January 28, 2009, eight days after his inauguration:
But it’s been an article of faith among right-wing pundits and Republicans that Obama has been uniquely hostile to corporate America. There’s not much to go on here, but the repetition has paid off, since reporters like Gregory now seem to think that Obama’s neglect of CEOs was a “big mistake.”
Either that, or Gregory knows that this is the kind of criticism you’re allowed to make in the corporate media. It’s likely no one put him up to saying something like this. But if David Gregory were the type of person who thought Obama should have embraced the labor movement or championed a crackdown on corporate tax-cheating…well, he wouldn’t have the job he has today.
No one pimping this narrative actually believes it.
The point is to get us to believe it.
And the undeniable evidence is that there are many ignorant enough, and let’s be frank, stupid enough, to do so.
And that’s some scary shit, I tell you what.
Doug I think your wrong; they believe in it because they need to believe in it, to get us to believe in it. Recall the inner party thinking,
“…
“It is precisely in the Inner Party that war hysteria and hatred of the
enemy are strongest. In his capacity as an administrator, it is often necessary
for a member of the Inner Party to know that this or that item of war news is
untruthful, and he may often be aware that the entire war is spurious and is either
not happening or is being waged for purposes quite other than the declared
ones: but such knowledge is easily neutralized by the technique of doublethink.
Meanwhile no Inner Party member wavers for an instant in his mystical belief
that the war is real, and that it is bound to end victoriously, with Oceania the
undisputed master of the entire world.
All members of the Inner Party believe in this coming conquest as an article
of faith. … George Orwell, War is Peace 1984.
This is war, they are war with the people.
Padremellyrn, it may be that some do mindfuck themselves into believing their own propaganda, but in candid moments, others have admitted their full cognizance of reality, haven’t they?
But in the end, it’s immaterial, isn’t it? Whether you’re Ross Barnett, who may well have actually believed his vomitous views of black folks, or George Wallace, who courted their votes after being the poster boy for racist Southern governors, it’s the actions that matter.
My larger point is that none of them are acting out of ignorance, that confronting them with the incontrovertible facts of the falsehood of their pronouncements would not in any way alter their behavior.
Whether they “believe” it or not, the harm is done, and they are culpable regardless.
Does that make sense to you?
Where are the pundits on how badly they predicted the election?
How could all the major media get the election so wrong? What’s ahead for the major media outlets that got the election so wrong. How about looking at the media? They said over and over it was too close to call – but it was a blowout. How could the media – all the major media – get it so wrong? How about the media talking about that as part of the election results?”
How credible is media that puts fake drama and entertainment ahead of facts?
Every time I see David Gregory, the picture that enters my mind is that one of him and Karl Rove dancing together at the correspondents ball a few years ago–I think he is still dancing.
Gregory is a political hack,right wing leanings,should not be host of MTP constantly leaves Obamas accomplishments out of conversation,
needs to acknowledge economy in deepest ditch in 75 years, Republicans left economy in disasterous condition and Obama clear steady leadership is got us climbing out slowly..FIRE GREGORY & I will tune in again to MTP
David Gregory…pure shithead from the top of his head to the bottom of his feet. Billionaires, millionaires, psychopathic CEOs have not had it better than with Obama in office, and unlikely anyone else as Prez would have made them richer. Sunday talk shows…so goddamned useless.
musea, accuracy isn’t the news. all of them together caring little for honesty or accuracy which is their goal as folks then give them undue attention, negative but who cares.FOX noise has set the standard for discourse and the more outrageous the lying and wrong gets more attention than right. Months ago a writer, I won’t say journalist, actually wrote a piece on whether or not journalists should do factchecking for their articles…???!!!Hell, they should not write…before getting their facts checked.
I get the feeling that some on this sight are trying to use liberal judo to explain that Obama has NOT really been hostile to business.Lets cut that at the quick.Yes he has, and you need only ask anyone who is in business.Did you see the poll on the percentage of the vote Obama received from people who own their own businesses?Horrific.That said he won.He can rape and pillage now at will.Either suck it up or move to Canada while the government still allows that.
People like Gregory & Cramer [Cramer is by far the worst “business hawk”] do NOT get it: life & humanity are NOT all about their career subject one-up-manship, nor about MONEY, or POWER, or CONTROL.
Their crass elitism & arrogance & abject & adamant militancy are sickening; that people think like & worship at the feet of “people” like this, & too many others like them, does not bode well for a just/fair & moral humanity to exist into the future which will treat each & every one of us with respect & humility as a fellow human being.
Why is David Gregory even given attention on this site? (Oh right. Peter Hart.) The only ones who take him seriously are the various incarnations of David Gregory, himself. Waste of minutes from my life …
“It’s likely no one put him up to saying something like this.” The narratives (across MSM) are so close to being completely controlled that it may as well be absolute. In relation, David Gregory has, for years, exemplified himself as an example of a puppet who will promote any talking point or angle — as directed. As a result, it is considerably disturbing to see FAIR providing him (blatant) cover.
Facts have little chance to flourish in a sea of lies, reinforced by a compliant or co-opted media. Not only manufactured consent, but manufactured points-of-view even in our media saturated environment. But when at least 90% of says the same general thing it is hard for the average viewer to contradict without lots of time taken out of their lives to find it.
Now Michael-e what proof do you have that Pres. Obama has done anything that would hurt business? The propaganda says it is and there are people like yourself and those business leaders who do but where is the proof? This isn’t a Reich wing site so show us the proof.
Night gaunt you dont need me to tell you anything.Just ask any small businessman you can find if this government is helping his /her business to flourish.Then remember the bigger the business …..the more that sentiment is magnified.It is kindof funny that all around you you are seeing business struggling to keep up on governmental pressure on their bottom line.You seem to believe these businessmen are being hoodwinked by rightwing lies.As if they dont know their pown businesses.How arrogant.What do you think of Applebees cutting all full time workers to get “in line’ with Obama care.Personally I see having a practice with 22 people working as a probable place where I will drop everyones insurance to let government to pick it up- saving a boatload of money by just paying the fine.Is that wrong?Is applebees wrong?Raise taxes on a pizza place …you simple raise the price of the pizza.No no middle class tax hike in that is there?Everyday brings new amazement at how little this president knows about business.
Hmmm michael e:
Re: your take on reality. From your prior posts we have learned that you work in health care, are a surgeon that has done unneeded operations, and now you tell us that you employ 22 persons and that you will cut their health care.
If this is true, you will have to wait and see if “YOU built that, or that maybe those employees helped build your business too. Perhaps they will decide that if they work in health care for an uncaring surgeon, that they might look for other employment if you cut their health coverage. However, if their presence contributes nothinig to your business, then maybe you should cut them too.
As to the comments on pizza places, especially Papa Johns, I do have to ask, WHY he would want to deny them health care? Most of these workers are hourly and part time. Should they become sick, they will have to come to work to survive. Who will ever order a Papa Johns Pizza again, knowing that it’s very possible that sick people are preparing their food?
It also might be a good idea for businesses to wait and see how health care coverage will affect them.It seems that it would be a poor business person who screams disaster, without really knowing the facts. Social Secuirty was originally set up for widows and orphans, but it has changed a lot since then. and for the good of a lot more people. Times change and nations change, and those businesses who are not able to change…disappear.
I honestly hope that you are making up your health care business just to make a point; however, if it is true that you are performing operations that are UNnecessary, then that is a crime, and I hope that the AMA will be able to ferret you out, because you are a menace to the American public.
Gloriana I am just making a point.To be honest Im one of those people who does not care enough about the money side of things as I am fortunate /lucky/or good enough to be happy with what i have.I AM one of those saps who will take the hit for others, because I can afford to do so.I have always given a percentage to charity.When I was a kid dad said make ten bucks ;Four goes to you….three to savings….and three to others.Obamas dad said keep it all.But I digress :)But do you really believe you can run a country,a business,or your home depending on boobs like me and their charitable spirit?Asked my niece if she would give up her straight”A “for her girlfriend.In doing so raise her girlfriends Cs to Bs.Lower her own “A” to a lovely B.she looked at me like was nuts.”I worked hard for that uncle.She parties.So what says I.You voted for Obama now give it up.Gloriana how charitable were you today?But charity is a personal life decision.Not business one.Except with boobs like me.How much kindness or charity of spirit have I received on this sight.?This sight …the home of the rulers of such beliefs.None!!!!!Look at you love.Saying I do unnecessary operations.You know nothing about me-believe me.You know less about business.About the same as the man you just elected
One more thing.STOP telling people who do OWN THAT THING that they should just wait for a loving government to show them how much they care.It will all work out.Stop being a dumb ass spokesman For what in effect is another hardship on business.And that is coming from the businessmen.Stop listening to people like OBAMA who have as much experience in business as my 13 year old nephew.Academia running the local hardware store.
I wish Obama was this scary black militant threatening to bring down the white capitalist power structure but this regularly-perpetuated myth of the business-hostile Obama serves only to take pressure off of him to do real things in the public interest. Keep up the pressure and force him to work for us instead of for the financial/business elite.
Who let the troll out? Best not to respond to him since it just results in more lies and obfuscation.
I agree with everyone else that David Gregory is nothing but a dancer in the dark.
Wall Street has benefited greatly during Obama’s first administration and will continue to do so. The stock market is currently at 12746…not bad.
Max the stock market does not represent the feelings of businessmen unless it is a positive for their growth.When it is negative (as it is now) they move in other ways to maximize investments.That is where we are now.Stock markets can rise or fall on winners OR loosers.That is why they hedge their bets.And why they are so hated.Wall street has learned to swim in the murk of Obama lake.Just as they did with Bush.You need to ask small business men anywhere….everywhere.Does this government help or hurt your business.Listen to them.
Now for my less “agreeable” side.Why is it with you libs that you can’t be happy with winning and being able to exert your will.You demand the people love you and agree with you for doing so.You demand everyone see your wisdom and logic.You really do want it all.Opinions are still our own.So move on
Remember, Max, this is about business, not democracy or fairness or any of those liberal bromides. Got that?