Nina Totenberg: Obama Can Save Economy With 'A Lot of Very Populist Rhetoric'
Stock markets around the world are once again imploding in fear of a global double-dip recession.
Appearing on PBS's "Inside Washington" Friday, NPR's Nina Totenberg said Barack Obama can cure what ails us with "a lot of very populist rhetoric" (video follows with transcript and commentary):
NINA TOTENBERG, NPR: The fact is that the economy does not get better from its illness unless there are in fact more jobs, because nobody is spending, there aren't, people don't have jobs to, who don't have jobs don't have income to spend. And, I mean, I, I think really the only choice Obama has right now is to, to, is a lot of very populist rhetoric to try and get a real budget that has real tax increases and real cuts and real job creation possibilities.
Yeah.
Heck with putting forth an actual plan on paper that legislators, the Congressional Budget Office, and the American people can fully examine and analyze.
What we need right now is more populist rhetoric from the Populist Rhetorician-in-Chief.
This has worked so well for the nation and the economy the past 30-plus months.
Oh, and by the way, with a double-dip recession looming, what we really need right now are "real tax increases" to surely push the economy over the edge.
Yeah - that's the ticket.
Between Obama's rhetoric and some "real tax increases," the economy will be booming in no time.
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Comments
Why is this woman even on the
Submitted by H_Tuttle on Sat, 08/20/2011 - 10:30am.
Why is this woman even on the air?
For sentimental purposes, of course.
Submitted by KyWriter on Sat, 08/20/2011 - 10:37am.
To memorialize the long-passed Anheuser-Busch Clydesdales she resembles.
Why make fun
Submitted by hbnolikeee on Sat, 08/20/2011 - 11:11pm.
of beautiful horses?
PBS puts her on the air in
Submitted by celator on Sat, 08/20/2011 - 11:03am.
PBS puts her on the air in the spirit of diversity; Totenberg occupies the uninformed, batty old liberal slot.
Nina, you are truly a moron.
Submitted by Newsbubba on Sat, 08/20/2011 - 10:35am.
More of Bambi's bull shiite ain't going to fix what ails us, darlin'.
If His blabber would fix the economy, we'd be the richest, most prosperous we have ever been in the history of the world!
Good morning bubba........my
Submitted by killa37 on Sat, 08/20/2011 - 3:10pm.
Good morning bubba........my thoughts exactly!!! We've seen the value of Boy Blah-Blah's 'rhetoric'.........and it isn't just ZERO, but it has proven to be LESS THAN ZERO!!!
This Aryan Hildabeast should put on some farm clothes and go pick some barley and hops to help make some good German ale.
Back at you, Killa man.
Submitted by Newsbubba on Sat, 08/20/2011 - 4:13pm.
How's the soccer team doing?
Oh, I've been out of that for
Submitted by killa37 on Sat, 08/20/2011 - 4:16pm.
Oh, I've been out of that for a long time...........I did 15 years coaching and reffing. But my grandson, who just turned 5, allready had a mini-season...........so I'll be happy to try and keep up with him. Unfortunatly, he lives on another island as me, so I can't just get in my truck and drive over to see him whenever I want to - and the interisland flights are pricey, believe it or not. I could fly to Vegas for not much more than it costs me to fly 100 miles to Oahu!!!
Oh c'mon, man up, Killa,
Submitted by SickofLibs on Sat, 08/20/2011 - 4:34pm.
How much could it be to rent a Hokule'a for a couple days? ;)
I don't know if the Hokule'a
Submitted by killa37 on Sat, 08/20/2011 - 6:03pm.
I don't know if the Hokule'a is in use these days..........it might be some 'historical' item or something. There were a bunch of Polynesian authentic sailcraft down in Hanalei Bay a couple of weeks ago - I checked them out from the beach, and it was pretty interesting.
There were plans for a 'superferry' to go interisland a few years ago.........I could have driven my truck onto it, and gone over to Oahu for the weekend........but it got totally railroaded by the whack-jobs, and it never did pan out.
Well, it's a genius
Submitted by ant on Sun, 08/21/2011 - 12:18pm.
Well, it's a genius tri-fecta, Bambi's BS, Unemployment and Food Stamps, the best stimulus money can buy (or borrow).
Liar-in-Chief
Submitted by Walker01049 on Sat, 08/20/2011 - 10:41am.
Everything that comes out of obummers mouth is a lie. Populist Socialist (lies).
If we could get cars to run
Submitted by Bhaal on Sat, 08/20/2011 - 10:45am.
If we could get cars to run on the hot air coming out of Obama's mouth, we'd solve the energy crisis and get some use out of what he says for once.
Big Oil, Big Pharma, Big Banks
Submitted by Kingfish17 on Sat, 08/20/2011 - 11:24am.
I think that as late as even a few years ago, populist politicians, on both the left and right, could sway people by using the "Big Evil Corporation" moniker to set up a deflective boogey-man argument, pointing people in a direction in an attempt to deflect a level of blame and assuage whatever misfortune that the intended audience might be feeling at any given moment. I think that the vast majority of people have come to realize, beginning with the end of the Bush presidency, but certainly from the start of the Obama presidency, that if there is an entity that can actually effect their lives in a significantly negative way, that that entity is Big Government.
"You can’t go take a trip to Las Vegas...on the taxpayer’s dime." Barack Obama
Obama really knows about jobs
Submitted by ohio granny on Sat, 08/20/2011 - 12:19pm.
Yea, sure Obama knows about jobs.Ha, ha, ha. He knows leftist idiology. He knows all about giving speeches. He knows about punishing his "enemies".He knows about playing the racial card. He knows about playing the class card.
But does he have any idea about creating jobs? Certainly not. If giving speeches and demonizing his opponents could creat jobs then he can creat lots of jobs. Otherwise his is totally clueless.
People are spending
Submitted by CobraMan on Sat, 08/20/2011 - 12:59pm.
"The fact is that the economy does not get better from its illness unless there are in fact more jobs, because nobody is spending, there aren't, people don't have jobs to, who don't have jobs don't have income to spend."
People are spending, and they're spending more and more every day for the same things they've been buying every day of their lives. The costs for even the basic necessities are rising faster than they should, especially food and fuel, and that's what's hurting our economy. Rent is rising, housing costs are rising, the price for clothing, equipment, and even the basic costs for the materials need to produce is rising, faster and faster, with no end in sight. This is having a terrible effect on the economy, both here in America and world wide. So, what's Obama's "plan?" Take money away from someone and give it to someone else to "spend." As if that's going to help. There's no real plan to get people employed, there's no real plan to allow the private sector to expand, there's no real plan to stimulate production, there's no real plan to increase imports of cheap raw materials, no real plan to lessen the impact of over-regulation, so there's no real plan to reduce costs. All Obama's plan will do is exasperate inflation, just as it did in th 70's when Carter tried it.
The Citizens of each State shall be entitled to all Privileges and Immunities of Citizens in the several States. The US Constitution
Unless you're a fetus. The US Supreme Court
Or Anwar al-Awlaki.
Kool-Aid in, Kool-Aid out
Submitted by Rackie on Sat, 08/20/2011 - 1:03pm.
There is something seriously wrong with this woman.
Media is not really reporting
Submitted by clairesolt on Sat, 08/20/2011 - 1:17pm.
Lately, every time I go shopping I run into some apparent monopoly which has replaced the emporiums of choices from around the world. This week it was Wamsutta dominating linens at Bed Bath and Beyond. Previously, I saw GE completely and solely featured at Target. My first hint was shopping for a pruning saw. Every store offered the same one choice made by a co in Madison WI. It was the only choice in the stores, but the internet revealed about 30 competitors. The administration is putting unholy pressure on the big banks and I think BOA will go down soon. Even the financial press is covering up this nationalizing. They are probably scared they will lose their licenses from a very activist FCC.
BOA is set to lay off 3500.
Submitted by ricklail on Sat, 08/20/2011 - 2:38pm.
BOA is set to lay off 3500. They are probably going down. We can thank frank and Dodd for that.
The Frankendodd Monster
Submitted by Galvanic on Sun, 08/21/2011 - 11:47am.
We can thank frank and Dodd for that.
Unfortunately, while Dodd is gone, Frank's constituents will keep reelecting him, an dthe legacy of their misdeeds will stick with us for decades.
Question for Totenberg
Submitted by Jerry Mack on Sat, 08/20/2011 - 2:05pm.
How is it that you can look into a camera and spout such road apple nonsense? For your sake I hope that you do believe it! If you do, please seek help.
Sure we laugh now but judging
Submitted by TerryWest on Sat, 08/20/2011 - 2:14pm.
Sure we laugh now but judging from the Presidents offerings to date her advise might just be the advise he decides to follow.
Not Her First Rodeo
Submitted by stratman on Sat, 08/20/2011 - 2:19pm.
Good grief! Totenberg is nearly unintelligible and all but unlistenable. Painful. To her credit, Nina lasted 36 seconds on a goat named Idiot without needing the other two usual Lib panelists clowns to help out.
Her presence as an opinion maker or authority on most anything the show discusses is evidence of either the corruption of cronyism or Leftist policies run amuck. Maybe both.
Since I am sure Nina is a perfectly nice elitist nincompoop I'll offer some friendly advice: Retire from the show now while you are only believed to be incompetent. Do not wait until after you are known to be dangerously stupid.
How the camera does not continually find Krauthammer facepalming when the rest of the panel speaks is a testament to Krauthammer's self control and judicious use of camera shots by the director.
Hey Nina...
Submitted by SamC on Sat, 08/20/2011 - 2:48pm.
Did you mean he should do it like the speech he gave on August 8th regarding the economy? You know, the one where he spoke and the market tanked as he droned on and on? Yeah, that'll help.
She means political
Submitted by jessieH on Sat, 08/20/2011 - 2:53pm.
She means political bullshtick.
It's just too bad we can't run our cars on BS
Submitted by Dave. on Sat, 08/20/2011 - 4:06pm.
If we could, there is enough of it coming from the MSM and this White House to keep us all on the road for the next 100 years.
As for Obama, he couldn't cure a hangover.
-Dave
Vote for the American in November
Hell Dave, Boy Binge CAUSED
Submitted by killa37 on Sat, 08/20/2011 - 4:17pm.
Hell Dave, Boy Binge CAUSED the hangover...........
Is she stupid?
Submitted by Scott Trent on Sat, 08/20/2011 - 6:41pm.
Is she stupid?
She said...
Submitted by Scott Trent on Sat, 08/20/2011 - 6:42pm.
She said, EAT THE RICH! lol. What an idiot...
This Is a Fact - Our President Is All Fluff and No Stuff
Submitted by Bourbeau on Sat, 08/20/2011 - 7:16pm.
If the President decides to give one of his populist, non-sensical, cheer-leading, disdain for the rich filled, blame the Tsunami, BP Oil Spill, Floods in the South, Congress and George Bush speeches as a "plan to fix the econonmy", the market will drop another 800 points, his poll numbers will be in the teens, and this country will have created it's own, real time, economic tsunami and it will not be pretty. I, for one, assumed this guy was in for eight years simply because the American people were snookered with his smooth talking, blame everyone else, schtick. I didn't think his administration could screw up the way they did. Now, I'm thinking, he's a moron; he has no clue; he doesn't comprehend the severity of the situation, and has no urgency whatsoever. Add that all together and there's a segment in this country, probably more then one, who are pretty pissed off at him right now. Keep spewing the nonsense Mr. President; the more you talk, the more people turn you off. All fluff and no stuff.
And Nina could lower the average temperature on the planet...
Submitted by drsamherman on Sat, 08/20/2011 - 7:34pm.
....just by shutting her gaping, uninformed mouth to shut off the hot air emanating therefrom.
Libs in the media are like bad tenured public school teachers
Submitted by cbeyer on Sat, 08/20/2011 - 7:34pm.
They have no credibility...don't have to perform. Nina Totenburg is a total idiot but she spouts the liberal talking points and that keeps her employed at NPR.
how much is needed
Submitted by RSweeney on Sat, 08/20/2011 - 8:05pm.
I wonder how much of a tax increase businesses need to hire more people?
And shouldn't we be raising the price of energy and perhaps starting rotating blackouts to help them out too?
Maybe more regulations and more paperwork too.
Have progressives ALWAYS been this stupid or are they just feeling their oats and free to speak what they really think.
Never mind. It's both.
Leave her on the air . . .
Submitted by Galvanic on Sun, 08/21/2011 - 6:19pm.
She personifies the shallow, counter-intellectual faction of the Left. When she's not citing months-old talking points, she's uttering gibberish like she did on this episode. Listening to her irritating voice and her silly statements, I wouldn't be surprised to learn that she is the daughter of Professor Irwin Corey and Julia Childs.
It's come to this for many
Submitted by Andrew H. on Sun, 08/21/2011 - 5:04am.
It's come to this for many leftists--arguing for even more class envy, class warfare by using rhetoric to stimulate a call for tax increases... note to Nina: we all are already putting 58% of our wages into a tax of one form or another. We cannot stand more.
What we can stand are cuts across the board of every federal agency except defense... say 25-50% for all those beauracratic collections of people who produce nothing.
The so-called mainstream media is the propaganda arm of the criminal DNC.
Not "except defense"
Submitted by Model850 on Sun, 08/21/2011 - 5:28pm.
Defense cannot be sacrosanct if you're serious about cutting the budget.
There is enough waste in the Pentagon's budget that cuts can be made without gutting the department.
Dod must be included in budget reductions. But.... Cut, don't gut.
Words
Submitted by jacket06 on Sun, 08/21/2011 - 6:50am.
During Obama's election campaigning , one of his phrases for criticising McCain & the Republicans was to say that his opponents were saying "Words, just Words". Little did we know at time that this phrase was his own political strategy! Note that every time he makes a speech, it is "Words, just Words", signifying nothing of substance!
Save
Submitted by Bob K on Sun, 08/21/2011 - 10:17am.
us obama! Just a few more meaningless speeches will do it. LoL. Nina seriously needs to step away from the crack pipe.
Nina, Nina, Nina
Submitted by telecaster on Sun, 08/21/2011 - 11:13am.
More rhetoric and more taxes.......why isn't she president?
Is 'Nina' a man or woman.
Submitted by Soldat44 on Sun, 08/21/2011 - 5:11pm.
Is 'Nina' a man or woman. Looks very manish to me. I don't know...
Obama could do a lot of things if he weren't a communist.
Submitted by Thalpy on Sun, 08/21/2011 - 7:40pm.
So, what is Nina's point?