On NBC Nightly News (8/16/11):
ANDREA MITCHELL: Perry’s Texas swagger is his calling card, bred of a hardscrabble boyhood on the family farm and Aggie roots at Texas A&M. Perry’s chief claim to challenging President Obama is the Texas jobs record. Perry says his state produced 40 percent of all the jobs created across America in the last two years, with an unemployment rate at 8.2 percent, well below the national average, partly because of the oil and gas boom, partly because of growing trade with Mexico and federal defense spending in Texas.
Since Perry’s campaign is based almost entirely on his state’s jobs miracle, it’s not too much to ask that journalists get this straight.
An 8.2 percent unemployment rate is not “well below the national average.”The national rate is a little over 9 percent. So, yes, Texas is doing better than the country as a whole–but not by much. Compare Texas to other states, though, and things don’t look so great: The Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that 26 states have a lower unemployment rate than Texas.
I would ask Governor Perry what percentage of those jobs (he created?) pay minimum wage OR BELOW.
I would ask Governor Perry what percentage of those jobs pay minimum wage OR BELOW.
You are missing an important point here. Most of the job gains in Texas are in GOVERNMENT jobs – state and local government jobs.
I almost felt bad, but then looked, and Massachusetts is doing better than Texas and our big banks have been laying off quicker than you can say “protecting profits.” I hope his boots pinch his toes and he winds up at the same hairdresser as John Edwards…
And doesn’t the size of a person’s paycheck provide a more telling tale of their economic situation than the mere fact that they receive one?
How does the Lone Star State rate by that measure?
Even so the “official number” of unemployed is a fabrication. Count the way they did in the 1930’s and we have Great Depression era numbers. Upwards of 18%-20%. Worse if you are Black or Latino.
Are we in a recession, depression, double dip recession, contraction? Lots of words, a range of numbers about unemployment. Its hard to pin down, especially filtering out Texan swagger. I don’t think we fully understand this economic downturn or the options available to the government to help it recover. Too much heated rhetoric from the Republicans and not enough hard facts.
Texas isn’t doing any better than any other state… the jobs created were mostly of the “ah, may I ‘supersize’ that?” genre. Salaries are at poverty levels and there is STILL a higher than average unemployment rate among minorities! Not to mention the small issue of seccessionism (Texas wants to seperate from the rest of the US, AND his ‘gloriousness’ over the top statements of accusing the Federal Reserve Director of treason as well as threatening him with bodily harm. Really now is THIS the kind of person we (collectively) wants to represent the United States of America to the rest of the world?? 8 years of the ignorance and embarrasments of Bush should tell us something!
andrea mitchell is unwatchable. i cant bear to listen to her drivell
Was Perry a stakeholder in ENRON? Is he a stakeholder in Reliant Energy? How is he handling the agricultural losses from the present drought in Texas?
Those of you who voted for G.W. Bush will LOVE Perry. He’s dumber!
Well no surprise here.Conservative pundits have said for weeks how that the response to Perry entering the race would be the same old magic show from the left.In front of you sits a success story.Wether it be a Reagan, or Palin, or Perry the method of destruction is always the same..Now how can we take the known facts, and prove to you that what you are seeing is not what you are seeing?Oh and of course any conservative is dumb…..If they speak with a twang even dumber…..From Texas dumbest of all.Texas is doing wonderfully in a whole host of ways.They simply are nothing at all like their neighbor to the west- California.Snipe and carp all you want.Try to tell texas how raising their taxes,mandating their lives,and cow tying to the fed is good for them.Expect a size 12 boot up your X%#.
Perry is going to be good on the campaign trail.Im thinking a Romney/Perry ticket.Christ looks like a central casting pick for the two top jobs doesn’t it?He is a very experienced governor(and any governor is worth ten senators.).A thousand times more qualified than Obama.Lets get to policies people.Look at his platform and his past job performance of course.Then match it against Obama and his.That is the way you do it.
Bob……….You may think Bush and Perry are dumb.But talk about glass houses…..Obama?Talk about a wrong way Feldon duffus.He is like a drunk bull in a China shop.Cant turn anyway without wrecking something.And Biden????Well we know he is drunk.And you really wanna get in an IQ discussion there?Speaking of Iq’s(I have been collecting this stuff from a number of sources)…..Word is Obamas is 116 though there are other reports it is 126Not sure which one to believe though i would put my money on 126..Bush is 127.Palin 125.Clinton much higher(151).His wife a bit lower than that. Romney in the upper140s.Perry reported to be in that same ballpark.Newt near 160.Carl Rove 161.No info on Ron Paul . O’donell about 112.
So lets not get into a pissing contest .Lets get back to policy.I respect your views on that.On the fact that Texans are dumb as a cow turd………Stick it.
actually in terms of job creation compared to population increases, texas is dead last……
http://www.truth-out.org/texas-ranks-dead-last-total-job-creation-accounting-labor-force-growth/1313595007
the state with the most new jobs compared to population growth with the lowest unemployment is north dakota….no one’s planning on drafting their republican govenor for president.
plus back in june bloomberg reported: “The Massachusetts labor market deteriorated less than in Texas from 2008 to 2010, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Massachusetts was the fourth most-friendly state for employment in the period. Texas was sixth.”
James Galbraith, an economist at the University of Texas, scoffed at the whole “Texas Miracle” narrative, â┚¬Ã…“the notion that our state government is a model is almost enough to beckon the spirit of Molly Ivins back from the shades.â┚¬Ã‚ Galbraith said â┚¬Ã…“Texas has been a low-tax, low-service state since the time of the Republic,â┚¬Ã‚ and noted that it’s â┚¬Ã…“therefore impossible that this fact suddenly accounts for its better job performance over the past few years.â┚¬Ã‚ (Texas’ record of job creation under Perry is the same as it was under former governor Ann Richards, a Democrat.)
â┚¬Ã…“Texas is an energy state benefiting from high oil prices and the incipient boom in natural gas,â┚¬Ã‚ explained Galbraith. â┚¬Ã…“That’s an accident of nature.â┚¬Ã‚ He added that the state â┚¬Ã…“went through the S&L crisis, had major criminal prosecutions and more restrictive housing finance regulations this time around; hence it was not an epicenter of the subprime housing disaster. That’s called a learning experience.â┚¬Ã‚ Tighter regulation? That’s anathema to today’s GOP.
American Independent’s Patrick Brendel noted, “From 2007 to 2010, the number of minimum wage workers in Texas rose from 221,000 to 550,000, an increase of nearly 150 percent.â┚¬Ã‚Â
CNN adds that while Rick Perry was railing against the Democratic stimulus package, the state â┚¬Ã…“was facing a $6.6 billion shortfall for its 2010-2011 fiscal years,â┚¬Ã‚ and â┚¬Ã…“it plugged nearly all of that deficit with $6.4 billion in Recovery Act money.â┚¬Ã‚ The stimulus package created or saved 205,000 jobs in Texas, second only to California.
http://www.alternet.org/story/151325/
is someone keeping an eye on Karl Rove’s directions to Perry?
Don’t know if Perry is listening to old Turd Blossom or cares to. Perry will find out soon enough that running for president is a whole different animal than for a governorship. What do we have to look forward to is poor high paying employment, high poor paying employment, poor medical coverage while we have some of the best hospitals in the country while the corporations make their money selling to the highest bidder over seas. But then Obama is doing that now.
Governor Perry lured jobs from other states to Texas where the average hourly pay is the 44th lowest in the country. As President, will he lure jobs back to America by having us all work for less than they do overseas?
Woodward..Good to hear your input.But remember California also has the “accident of nature “going for her in spades”.She just pisses her blessings away.I think there is a misconception here.No one is saying that Texas is batting a thousand.Or that all the job creation are high paying jobs(as if any job is beneath we americans)What is obvious is that they have used what they do have very well, for a very long time.Also i would argue the myth of Texas accepting and enjoying the blessings of tighter Fed regulations.I would term it an enforcement of the LAWS already now in place.And lets not discount good ol fashioned patriotism and moms apple pie, with a massive self reliance and full blooded,positivity based race for the future.It creates a certain atmosphere in texas that you have to see.No one is ashamed to wear a flag lapel pin there.Well maybe that is going to far.There still are a few Dems in Texas.You see it may be old fashioned to the blame America crowd on the left…but Texans love their state and their country.
Now can Perry translate that into the larger model of the country as a whole?Maybe that is exactly what this country needs.To re dedicate ourselves to a bigger and better America(as opposed to a smaller and less).Does he have the chops?Well he has a thousand times more experience than Obama ,who had little to none.So i guess that question is stupid.Still think he will end up behind Romney.And that ticket may be a hard one to beat for Obama- who’s polls are dropping faster than the stock markets.
Alex Cockburn’s latest column is an excellent profile of Perry’s career and the Texas “jobs miracle.” http://www.counterpunch.org/cockburn08192011.html
I have to say I agree with the idea that at least when a republican is president the american “left” shows some signs of life as opposed to the unquestioning support “liberals” show for the disaster that is Obama. President Perry? No problem, Obama has been at least as bad as his despicably awful predecessor, in some ways worse. American electoral politics is a joke, albeit a terribly unfunny joke.
Disappointing to see that even the FAIR site perpetuates the mainstream media bias that gives Perry extensive coverage and pretends that Ron Paul doesn’t exist.
And given the sort of jobs that define Perry’s “economic miracle”, it seems appropriate to ask …
You want flies with that horseshit?
Doug ask any state how their state is faring, and you might not get a better response than what you would get from Texonians.Ask any state what they think of federal encroachment and you would not get a more combative answer than what you would get from Texas.Those two things say it all.And all the twisted facts in the world about how bad they are “really” doing cant change that.THEY don’t see it that way.THEY don’t share that down in the dumps atmosphere that is the rarefied air of the enlightened blue states.Thank God
Since comments on this site are now predominantly from Trolls who inundate it with off-point political opinions, such as the indefatigable micheal e, I’m outta here.
A final thought, though. We have a Texas governor who walks around in public areas carrying a loaded pistol, and we evaluate his credentials for being President of the United States in terms of job growth in Texas.
The pros and cons when discussing Perry and the Texas Miracle are really not about Perry but about whether you believe in the simple economic model that is passionately defended by libertarians and Tea Partiers even if they themselves are not fully aware of this model and its implications. Here is the model they work with:
1. The foundation of society is private property. It is a natural right
2. The private sector is in business to make a profit.
3. If the private sector is profitable, the economy hums along and people’s needs are met. Companies hire workers; employment is high; and goods and services are distributed
4. Thanks to supply and demand (market forces) this is a self-correcting system
It therefore follows that if the economy is not humming along swimmingly, then it must be due to too much government interference. Particularly by those who want to redistribute wealth and promote far too many entitlements such as universal health care, social security, and a whole host of other things. This is one of the foundations of libertarian thought. This model is passionately believed. Even it’s simplicity is an argument for why it is correct.
However, the model does not explain for example why there is a need for planned obsolescence, why a free economy needs to continually expand (i.e. that there is no equilibrium point between consumption and production), why there are periodic recessions and depressions even with a hands-off policy on the part of the government as was the case with most of the 19th through the great depression, and why total wealth gets concentrated into few and fewer hands over time. It also doesn’t explain the marriage between the private sector and the government, one in which high-ranking members of corporations move freely between the private sector and policy-setting government positions. No, it’s not the government in itself that seeks this relationship, but rather the private sector pursuing item number two in the list above.
Many Tea Partiers claim that Obama is a socialist becasue they think he wants to use the tax system to redistribute wealth. When asked what determines the primary distribution of wealth, they reply that it reflects the natural differences between individuals: some are smarter, better educated, and simply more hard working than others. To redistribute wealth throught he tax system in inherently unfair and counterproductiove. This is the model at work. Of course it runs into a logical contradiction, viz. if 95% of the wealth is this country is controlled by 2% of the population, then you must argue that that 2% are the only ones who have any talent or ability.
A far better understanding of the government over and above its administrative role is that it is a means through which conflicts are mediated between those who have wealth and power over the production and distribution of goods and with those who don’t. The Great Depression was a crisis in capital. It was mediated through concessions such as social security and federal job creation to working people to stave off a greater crisis. Now those who have wealth and power want to repeal those concessions made during the New Deal. They use the simple model described above to purse that goal. That model is at work every time you hear about too much government regulation, too many taxes, too much entitlement, and so forth. It is the model at work and these people believe it is never wrong.
If libertarians and Tea Partiers were consistent in their ideology, they would want to have the government play merely an administrative role and not have the private sector dictating policy.
One more comment. This is to Maynard, who has a comment just above mine. You must let the “indefatigable” michael e speak. You must let him air his views. If you disagree with it, then sharpen your position rather than call him a troll. the first time I posted something on this website, I was asked if I were a troll. I didn’t even know what a troll was.
I’m not quite outta here because I think JB’s postings just above deserve a reply. He or she has provided a thorough, and excellent amplification of the subject at hand, and yes, those who comment here have every right to express their views.
My point, however, is that this is not a forum for political diatribes, whether from the left, the right, or the loony bin.
FAIR, as it’s subhead states, is devoted to “Fairness & accuracy in reporting.” The media, including news reporters as well as professional propagandists, are deliberately misinforming the American electorate to please their billionaire owners, contributors, and advertisers. As a result, far-right political candidates are getting positive coverage while other candidates are being disparaged or ignored. This is not my political opinion; it is an obvious fact, and in my view It constitutes the most important issue confronting us today.
FAIR addresses media corruption directly and exclusively. Yet much of the comment here wanders off point to express belief in the very misinformation FAIR has just identified. In an era of such divisiveness, sharp words are needed to express sharp positions, and to identify those who write such drivel, the word “troll” in its recent usage seems rather mild to me.
Another comment by me. When you recognize the model at work, so much becomes clear. For example, the first principle of the model is, “Private property is the foundation of society. It is a natural right.” It follows as a corrollary from this first principle that the property owner or business man is also the guardian of society. And so when so many people who are untrained in science are confronted with the geophysicist who provides a scientific basis complete with data for global warming, for example, versus members of the business community who say the exact opposite with no scientific foundation whatsoever, those people side with the business community. We’ve seen this time and time again. It is the model at work. Many people abide by its rules–whether business people or not–even though they can not explicity state what those rules are. For this reason, many people even vote against their own self-interest. So to come back on target with the FAIR blog about Perry, those who support Perry are implicitly defending the model. (By the way, I may be repetitive in the future if I post any other comments. This model underlies much of the current political discussion in this country. And so I may repeat myself elsewhere.)
Jb first your outlining of a very very simplistic system and applying it to the tea party is a mischaracterization.And i take it for granted that everything that you believe, we believe in( from your tea party manifesto above)…… is something you don’t believe in at all!.Im having trouble plugging that into the way this country with all its flaws works.
Back to the tea Party.First the tea party is not one cohesive party with one leader espousing their platform.They have-no platform.They have an ideal.That ideal is adherence to the constitution.When you argue against the loose confederation that is the tea party you are simply arguing against people who believe in our constitution.Unless you believe their interpretation is wrong…..you are de facto arguing against the constitution as a dated paper(even though your president takes an oath to it).Beyond that there is a belief in conservative circles that government has reached the tipping point where keneysian economics,and massive government over reach have been employed to the natural result…which is disaster.It is almost Orwellian(Im quoting a paper written in 1976) ” at some point we could reach a point where near 50% pay nothing in Federal income tax ,and the country must fleece its highest earners.They will do this by igniting class warfare.”This was soundly rebuked by the Dems of that time.F lee Buckley said that.And here…..(fast forward)we are.
So you have stated in erroneously simplistic term what you think we believe.What form of government would you have.What do you believe?
I would add a fifth item to my list: 5. The first four points define the only system that is consistent with human nature. Every group seems to have a creation myth about its origins. Tea Partiers are no exception. Michael e has given expression to that myth when he calls the tea partiers a “loose confederation.” According to this myth, the origin of the tea party “movement” lies in a grass-roots, spontanous uprising; just plain and simple folk who had no ideological axe to grind. Choose any statistic you want, and you will find that is not the case. People who became tea partiers were already conservative republicans before they joined, many had already become political proactive (not a complaint) in conservative activities, were libertarian in their economic perspective, and come from the white middle class and believe that their tax dollars are being fritted (is that the right word?) away on social welfare programs from which they don’t benefit. Why would they think otherwise since so much of the news tells them that this is true. To argue otherwise about the origins of the tea party is to be intellectually dishonest. It was simply not a “loose confederation” of people from all walks of life. Now, I’ve added a fifth item to my list of basic principles to the model. I challenge any tea partier to tell me which of these five principles he or she disagrees with and which doesn’t infuse his or her view of the world. I find libertarians to have an inconsistency in their economic thinking. On one hand they don’t want the government to interfere in the economy. For example, they hate the EPA and its ruling on carbon emissions. This is why they argue for states rights. It’s a game of divide and conquer. They castrate the federal government by claiming its Big Government and that it doesn’t have the authority to regulate such emissions. Really, it’s just the model at work. Or better, it’s really the private sector at work trying to maximize its profits (see item #2 on my list above). The same could be said for a single-payer health care system. If libertarians were consistent, then they should argue that the government should not interfere with the economy and the private sector should not interfere with the government. That should be the tea party position. That should be the Constitutional principle you should be fighting for to be upheld. And to bring this back on point, this is what’s a stake when discussing the pros and cons of Perry and the Texas Miracle.
Dev- did you completely miss the very good piece on how the Media is missing Ron Paul? Hell, FAIR even linked to Jon Stewart’s scathing criticism of it.
Jb you are so sure of yourself in painting other people (wrongly i may add).I have been tea party since day one.Actually i was tea party during the clinton years(when i worked for him)before any such name was given.It is common sense American values that the left derides.In saying every tea party member would agree with all your pre-req’s…I would say right back at ya in that any socialist would disagree with every one.
And i never said that tea party members is a cross section.I said loose confederation meaning having no single leader or leaders.Broadly speaking tea party members are made up of those who actually pay the majority of taxes and have skin in the game.That 50% that pays nothing or near the bottom and receive the most a nanny state can offer are less likely to be members.Of course they will vote for the hand that feeds them.Though i have faith that if they could get past the rhetoric from the left they would understand that the basic tea party belief system is what this country at it’s core is.
Now you have not answered the only question i asked you….What system do you espouse for this country?Like most of your friends here you duck that question.
Jb
Put aside perry for a moment.Look at chicago.Obama country.Just posted some of the worst job figures in the country.And in Chicago they are saying that things were trending up slightly…. then came the tax raises.Instant crash.Jobs flew out of state.Obama pissed away 175 million when he was there.Certainly he has his eye on how things are going in his backyard.How are things in his backyard?Worse and getting worserererere!Speaking of that…notice bush always went home to Crawford of vacation?When was the last time BAM was in Chicago?So lets compare Chicago with Texas.Where do you want to start?
michael e: I want to be clear about one thing. When I wrote to Maynard that he must let the indefatigable michael e speak, I didn’t mean just you but anyone, no matter what his or her point of view is. Maynard responded that he knew this and clarified what he meant. Nor was my comment made in your defense becasue one thing is sure, you will speak your mind regardless of the comments and innuendos posted on this blog about trolls and so forth. That’s a given. I do have a response to your response to my response to your response, etc. etc. etc. But I don’t want to post it here. I think we would be going on and on. If that seems evasive I most certainly don’t mean it to be. Let’s always stay on point along with everyone else on what the original post by FAIR was. I think there will be plenty of opportunities to expound on any of these things we have posted.
Sounds good JB.
Perry could also thank Bush for giving Lockheed $1 trillion to build a fighter jet that is not needed in Texas.
I know, but it’s sad! like if people weren’t sad enough to leave their countries to find a job, they’re bad treated! sb should do sth about it!
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