Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Ya-ta Boy]

"We have sort of become a nation of whiners," Gramm said. "You just hear this constant whining, complaining about a loss of competitiveness, America in decline" despite a major export boom that is the primary reason that growth continues in the economy, he said.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080710/ap_on_el_pr/candidates_gramm



Did the Phil Gramm just shoot McCain in the foot?

The one bright spot in the economy is exports and that's largely the result of the administration devaluing the dollar so much that countries are switching to the Euro after 60 years of depending on the US dollar. The decline has been engineered by the policies of this administration.


Obama can probably go on vacation until November and still win the election.

[Milwaukiedave]

Ya-ta,

I still think it's going to be a hard fight to November. McCain has been made to look downright dumb by Gramm's comments. Essentially Gramm is saying the American economy is in the tank because we are not willing to see jobs exported to 2nd and 3rd world countries. Maybe if we exported John McCain's job (I mean he's only shown up a few times since March) he'd understand how average Americans feel.

[bucheon bum]

well Gramm didn't say it tactfully, but I do agree with him.

edit: nevermind. I misread it the first time. After reading dave's comment, I had the idea that Gramm was saying Americans whine about free trade, which he wasn't. Those people "whining" are right: America is losing its competitiveness. Anyone who disagrees needs to go abroad and see for himself.

[agentX]

Oh, like Phil Gramm is one to talk....
It was HIS dumbass that got us into this mess in the first place.
Subprime mortgage disaster...his fault.
Enron...his fault. AND his wife's fault, too.
The "Enron Loophole" that is causing the oil market speculation...his fault.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036677/25252591#25252591

So he calls us the whiners, even though most of the mess is his personal doing? AND he wants to be Treasury Secretary as well.

This is the McCain campaign at it's finest. Callous, disrespectful, greedy, elitist, corporate fascist, murderous (re: the Chiquita CEO who paid money to FARC, now a McCain fundraiser) and flipfloppy.

So why doesn't a story like this get traction? The Mainstream Media is almost completely wedded to his campaign, either by lobbyist contributions, conservative trickery (FOX News), and the urge to make it seem like it's a horse race. Why kill the fun now? The networks have money to make!

[RufusW]

Well said agent, the media need to manufacture a race.... McCain should shoot himself in the foot enough in the next few months though..

[saw6436]

America IS a nation of whiners. The truth shall get you unelected.

[Ya-ta Boy]

[bucheon bum]

Bob Herbert wrote about Gramm's remarks today

[Ya-ta Boy]

If you want to see just how weak a response McCain/Gramm backers are on this issue, read this from the Washington Post:

Phil Gramm Is Right

Campaign Econ says the American economy is a certain way because Americans think it is. Campaign Econ competes with real economics and often wins -- with damage that extends way beyond, say, the political career of either Phil Gramm or John McCain.

Consider what happened this week. While speaking with the Washington Times, Gramm said that the country was not in a true recession but a "mental recession." He also said, "We have sort of become a nation of whiners" and "You just hear this constant whining, complaining about a loss of competitiveness, America in decline."

Gramm was right about the recession and stood by his recession comments on Thursday. A recession is two consecutive quarters in which the economy shrinks, and last quarter it grew. But no matter. Voters feel they are in a recession, and so they are, at least according to Campaign Econ.

Gramm's second sin was political. Calling voters whiners is to shame them. He later rephrased this comment, saying it was not voters he meant but politicians. That's because shaming voters is something American politicians simply don't do. Campaign Econ is unabashedly populist, and to seek to elicit shame is regarded as unpardonably elitist. Earlier this year, the McCain team was already terrified of seeming elitist. His advisers convinced themselves that the closeness of the primary contest was due to a lack of generosity. In January, when the McCain folks were desperate to win the Michigan primary, they ground their teeth down as Mitt Romney pandered to the auto industry. Romney's promise of unlimited support for carmakers won him that primary -- but not the nomination. Still, since then, McCain's advisers have sought to prove that he understands Campaign Econ; consider their proposal of a summer gas tax holiday.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/11/AR2008071102543.html

The issue is not about the technical definition of recession. The issue is the overall condition of the economy and the effect that is having on people's lives.

For example, if you are looking for a job, how much easier is it to get a job when the economy is growing at 1% than when it is shrinking in a recession? Well, you are better off, but only marginally so. Gramm doesn't seem sensitive to that.

With all the bad economic news of the last several months they've now added the Fannie Mae thing. I don't understand it, but they are saying there is the possibility of adding $5 TRILLION to the problems we were already facing.

Shouldn't people be concerned? To quote Senator Dirkson, "A billion here, a billion there. Sooner or later we're talking real money."

[Kuros]

Ya-Ta, you posted that on Saturday.

But by the 10th in the States, McCain had already backed away from those comments and thrown Gramm under the bus.

[pkang0202]

Phil Gramm was stating the obvious. He said what everyone was thinking, but didn't have the balls to say.

[bucheon bum]

everyone thinks we're a bunch of whiners?? That it is all a bunch of hype? That the economy is doing just fine? That the US isn't losing its competitive edge? Everyone thinks that huh? Hmmm, not sure where you're living but certainly is from where I am.