Helen Thomas: "GWB Worst President in American History"

I would say he is more like Maureen Dowd. I mean sure she's on the New York Times, but her columns are entertaining more than anything else. It's not like these journalists who write on the opinion page really do much journalism anymore. Rush is just editorializing in the same way. There isn't a major left leaning talk show host I can think of, but I think Democrats would like to have one..

 

CNN had a Gallup rep on today: 60% (FWIW)

Just to add fuel to the fire

Do you approve or disapprove of the way George W. Bush is handling the economy?

46% approve - lowest number since he was elected.

Do you approve or disapprove of the way George W. Bush is handling foreign affairs?

50% approve - lowest number since Feb 1, 2001 (first poll taken for the Bush admin).

http://www.gallup.com/poll/releases/pr030128b.asp

 

Who's fire?

I was just responding to the claims that his overall approval rating is 60%, not 51%.

(Really doesn't make much difference to me anyway)

 

It isn't his fault...it just explains a lot of the stock market boom that occurred during his Presidency. An entire sector of the market (especially one that fuels the others) being grossly overvalued explains a lot of the change. It isn't like the increase in the stock market was due to Clinton.

BTW...being a day trader has ZERO to do with anything.

Irrelevant for the reasons stated in my previous post.

 

The key difference here being that opinion writers actually do follow people around, ask questions and research their opinion pieces. Guys like Limbaugh take their stuff directly from news broadcasts and stories in newspapers. They don't have to do any of the research themselves.

It's like a sports columnist writing on the Rockets. They go to practices and games, interview the players and ask questions surrounding their concept for an opinion piece. Sometimes, the answers they get lead them in a different direction. That is how they get their stuff. They get their information first-hand, not from books or reports (i.e. second hand) which is how guys like Rush get their info.

Dowd, while opinionated and obviously left of center, is still a journalist. She was a political correspondent, metro desk writer (the reporters who cover crime scenes, accidents, etc) and even a features writer. Not to mention the fact that she won a Pulitzer Prize for opinion writing and was a runner up for the Pulitzer for news reporting prior to that.

Rush has always been a radio guy except for a stint with the Kansas City Royals as the Director of Sales. He's been a talk show host and disc jockey his entire career. There's nothing wrong with that, but it should never be confused with journalism.

There isn't much of a favorable comparison to Rush on the left because, as you pointed out, there aren't really any lefty talk shows - unless you count Pacifica and I just don't.

 

The Dow Jones Industrial Average doubled during Clinton's first term from a little over 3000 to a little over 6000. Even with the technology bubble bursting, the DJIA hasn't fallen much below 8000 meaning that the value added during the Clinton administration is still very real. That means you would still be 100% richer if you had your money in the right investment during Clinton's first term.

 

Of course you also completely fail to account for the effects of:
1. Inflated profits statements due to shoddy accounting.
2. The volume of money added to the stock market through 401(k)s, etc.

 

That is funny. I swear, to this day, I cannot think of Helen Thomas without thinking of the skit on Saturday Night Live where Anna Gasteyer playing her in the apartment of media people said, "I'm Helen Thomas! Where's the crapper in this place?"

LOL!

 

You are right about 401ks, but this was a phenomenon that happened during his administration, and my original point was, people prospered during the Clinton Administration.

I have taken into account the inflated technology bubble and the accounting scandals. I didn't say the DJIA went well above 11,000 while Clinton was president. That's why I said 6,000, but I could say 8,000. The DJIA hasn't fallen far below 8,000 even after the corrections and the latest recession, and 8,000 is still a more than 100% increase.

 

Are you honestly trying to tell us all that Clinton is responsible for the stock market performance in the 90s? And your proof is the Dow's performance? Please, brother. The republican congress which passes spending bills might have played a small part, in addition to major advances in productivity. Alan Greenspan - a Reagan appointee - think he might have played a part? (he's the chairman of the Federal Open Market Committee, if that means anything to you...)

 

You are right, presidents have nothing to do with the economy. President Clinton didn't keep Alan Greenspan in his position. And he definitly didn't sign all of those Republican Billls.

He had nothing to do with anything, what was I thinking, he was only president.