Stephanopoulos: Economy Last 4 Years 'More Down Than Up'

Photo of Noel Sheppard.

On Saturday, Ben Stein accused the media of whipping the nation into a frenzy concerning how the economy is doing. On Sunday, ABC's George Stephanopoulos proved his point.

While talking to California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger on "This Week," Stephanopoulos actually said of the economy, with a straight face no less, "In the last four years it's gone more down than up."

I kid you not (photo courtesy ABC):

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GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS, HOST: Four years ago you spoke at the Republican convention. Your most memorable line was about the economy.

(VIDEOTAPE) ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER, GOVERNOR: And to those critics who are so pessimistic about our economy I say, "Don't be economic girlie-men."

STEPHANOPOULOS: The pessimists turned out to be right, didn't they?

SCHWARZENEGGER: Not at all. I think the economy goes up and goes down. It's the way the rhythm works, not only in America, but worldwide. And I think it is important that we go and...

STEPHANOPOULOS: In the last four years it's gone more down than up.

So, let me get this straight, George: Folks that were pessimistic about the economy in the 3rd quarter of 2004 were right? And the economy has been more down than up since then? Based on what statistic?

Let's start first with Gross Domestic Product. In Q3 2004, it was up 3.6%. Since then, the quarterly percentage growth rates have been: 2.5, 3.1, 2.8, 4.5, 1.2, 4.8, 2.4, 1.1, 2.1, 0.6, 3.6, 4.9, 0.6, 1.0.

See any declines, George? More down than up? I only see up!

How about jobs? The unemployment rate when Arnold made that statement was 5.5%. Today, it's 5.5%. At the time, there were 139.6 million people employed in this country. Today, it's 145.9 million. And, employers added jobs to their payrolls in 41 of the last 47 months since the 2004 RNC.

More down than up, George?

Hardly.

To paraphrase Ben Stein, I wish people like Stephanopoulos would stop shouting "Fire" in a crowded theatre.

—Noel Sheppard is the Associate Editor of NewsBusters.


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George has no shame...

George has no shame. He remains a dishonest shill for the Progressives. You would hope that he could develop some pride in becoming a journalist, but that would require honesty in his reporting. There is no danger of that happening.

Progressives =

Progressives = ProgessNOTS

The more Liberals believe in doom and gloom, the more they head back to the future of Communist early to mid 20th century boom years.  Ah yes, the good old days of well meaning mass murder, starvation, jailings, torture, censorship, futility, inertia, etc..

Bite me, (Georgie) Staphylococcus. 

George Stephanopholous - Tool!

Why would anyone watch a ex-staffer for Bill Clinton and expect balanced and fair jounalism?  This short little tool is the classic "stab everyone in the back" to get what they want type of person that everyone loves.

He epitmizes the "over-educated, under-smart" talking heads that the MSM loves.  I wouldn't watch him for a second.  And, believe it or not, I don't like him!

Jeff Lebowski

www.angrywhitedude.c...

4 MONTHS, HE MEANT 4

4 MONTHS, HE MEANT 4 MONTHS.

"Forget change, I want improvement!"

This is what I mean when I

This is what I mean when I say that the news media creates an alternative reality for those who depend and trust in it for all their information of the larger world. Plato's shadows would be admiring this.

McNotObama '08

Corporate tax revenue tells a different story, George..

 Corporate tax revenue tells a different story, George..

Federal Corporate Income Tax Revenue - In millions of $'s 

1992 - 100,270
1993 - 117,520 - Clinton seated (during a recovery).

[..]

2000 - 207,289
2001 - 151,075 - Bush seated (during a historic crash).
2002 - 148,044
2003 - 131,778 - Bush tax cuts are in place.
2004 - 189,371   Re
2005 - 278,282         cov
2006 - 353,915                er
2007 - 370,243                      y  

Corporate tax revenues soared 155% in 4 years following the Bush tax cuts.

Why don't the guests think of these things?

why don't the guests think of these things?

they probable do, but if they raise the issue they won't be invited back.

Lefties lie; it's all they

Lefties lie; it's all they have.  They certainly can't run on their economic "accomplishments", can they?

Mind control...

It goes deeper than just lying, it's knowing that they are lying and are comfortable doing it because it furthers their agenda. These folks are dangerous to the overall health of our country.

45 Communist Goals for America http://www.nationmakers.com/com_goals.htm

Just like all Democrats,

Just like all Democrats, they either don't understand how the economy works, or purposely mislead because if they showed people how it really worked, they'd figure out that the worst people to have in government are Democrats. 

____________________________________________________

"The only way that has ever been discovered to have a lot of people cooperate together voluntarily is through the free market. And that's why it's so essential to preserving individual freedom." ~ Milton Friedman

lbz

This isn't the economy the Democrats want. It's based on capitalism and capitalism is wrong. It hurts more people than it helps and it's up to the elite (TBD by socialist-democrats) to control the economy in order that it help all of us and create a society that is equal (except for the elites of course -- the Al Gore School of Do as I Say Not as I Do) and that has no winners & losers -- we start with dodgeball in school and work our way up.

Of course Geo. S. hopes (and expects) to be included in the Elites -- he even has his eye on your property.

 

My first thought was "did

My first thought was "did he provide any numbers to illustrate it?

"Liberal" means never having to back up your claims with facts.

 


Shoot 'em all; let God sort 'em out! - Marge Simpson

Summing it up

If you'll let me just sum this up in short order.. Steph is just a lying sack of shit.

 The TRUTH DOESN'T Matter to Lefties like him!

Barak, We don't need no stinkin CHANGE!

 

no more George

This bona fide liberal, Clinton mutant no longer holds my attention.  He's shilled for the clintons and the left for so long that I no longer even pay any attention to stories about him.  they are all the same....Republicans bad, Bubbahill and dims saintly.  He should stick to biting off the heads of chickens at the local fair.

Oh, guys, Georgie boy is

Oh, guys, Georgie boy is telling his truth, the one that is so myopic it sees only what immediately touches his very small world.  The MSM is in recession and Georgie boy is right to say at least 4 years.  That's why they blame George W Bush.  

Hey Georgie boy, if you and your other so called journalists would stop being mouthpieces for the Dem party you just might find keeping your jobs a little bit easier.  Yes, Georgie boy, the People of America are firing your worthless propagandizing tripe.  Thousands of MSM propagandists are loosing their jobs.  For both terms of W's administration you in the MSM have be propagandizing and the American People have had it with you clowns.  Connect the dots MSM, your loss of jobs started when you overtly propagandized against George W Bush. It was bad enough just being a mouthpiece for the Dem party, you guys took it up another order of magnitude. Don't give us your lame excuses of blaming internet competition, you made your industry into a propaganda outlet and suffered the consequences.  Like the typical liberals you are, you can't and won't take responsibility for your bad ideas destroyed which your own industry.

If it was the internet then why is the New York Post doing so well????  Why is FNC doing so well?  So it's not the internet, it's you!!! 

Let's look at California shall we, suffering the effects of liberal ideas... High Unemployment, a massive welfare caseload, swamped with tens of thousands of illegal aliens, an imploding economy, a massive budget deficit, a failing medical care system... Shall we go on???  All of this is a direct result of liberalism.  But of course you liberals won't take responsibility and therefore can't fix the problem.  Until CA removes libs of all stripes from it's legislature it will continue to have problems and that includes RINOs like AAAAArnold. 

The economy is slowing down due to high fuel prices, again, directly as a result of a Dem policy in pursuit of a panacea, an oil free economy.  Once again libs are refusing to face that it was their policies harming Americans with high fuel prices.  The libs and their allies the environmental fanatics constrained oil and gas drilling and refinery building, not only did they do it, they crowed about it.  Otherwise why are they insisting on not drilling?Their reasons???? 

 Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid, starving the poor one gallon of ethanol at a time. Fill your tank with E85 and cull a village.  

dscott...

You missed an important item in your run-down of California.

It's because of liberals that their state is burning up! Specifically, the enviro-whacko liberals.

45 Communist Goals for America http://www.nationmakers.com/com_goals.htm

Just another example

We certainly have no one, in the media, willing to tell the public the truth about the economy.  They make fun of Senator Gramm's statement, but aren't willing to have him on and debate it.  As usual, McCain (the economy's not his strong suit) wouldn't defend the comments, on their face, and phrase them differently. 

The beauty of the Phil Gramm thing, for McCain, was he had the opportunity to take a swipe at the Democrats, in Congress but, instead he decided to attempt to ingratiate himself with the media by nailing Gramm. 

Just imagine if he'd said that, "Of course the public feels there's a recession.  There is if, when the Democrats took over, you were paying $2.30 per gallon for gas and now, after less than 2 years, they have it up over $4.00.  Well, that's something that will go down, if I'm elected, and will go up should Senator Obama get elected."   Well, another opportunity lost for the McCain campaign.

Democrats: Stuck on Stupid since 2000.

Thanks for your report on

Thanks for your report on Europe, George.

 

Denial

Need any more proof that even high level democrats live in a state of denial, or they are all too stupid to walk and chew gum at the same time. They can't seem to remember the booming economy killed by the Democrats taking over congress in 2007.

It least some (Dowd, NYSlimes) are figuring out the lies Hussein O's staff is telling about 'where' the $200 million in campaign contributions came from. I had a question myself  'how do people who are mostly on welfare contribute that much money'? It seems they don't, but the terrorist and terrorist states do both have it, and are sending it to Hussein O. Democrats want the best POTUS the terrorists can buy them, so someone named 'Barack Hussein Obama' (all Islamic names) was their only choice.

 

Old, Retired and glad of it.

It's the economy stupid

It worked for the liberals in 1992 so they're right back @ it - talking the economy down, painting Republicans as insensitive to the "hardships", and ignoring &/or twisting the facts (not even 1 quarter yet of negative growth). Shameless. I'm sure someone in the MSM will correct G Steph though.

4.8, 2.4, 1.1 = down, down, etc.

It's the same way they define a budget cut: if it's less than we asked for, but more than last year, it's a "cut".