# Lies, damn lies, and unemployment statistics **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [February 11, 2011, 7:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lies-damn-lies-and-unemployment-statistics/571001 "2011-02-11T07:52:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![terryobrien80](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/85f322/32.png) [@terryobrien80](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terryobrien80)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2011, 7:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lies-damn-lies-and-unemployment-statistics/571001/1 "2011-02-11T07:52:18Z")
**LIES, DAMN LIES, AND UNEMPLOYMENT STATISTICS** **By Dick Morris And Eileen McGann - 02.7.2011** LINK\> [http://www.dickmorris.com/blog/lies-damn-lies-and-unemployment-statistics/](http://www.dickmorris.com/blog/lies-damn-lies-and-unemployment-statistics/) The drop in unemployment the Obama Administration reported for January is totally phony. Real, unweighted data showed an increase from 9.1% to 9.8% in joblessness rather than a cut in the highly weighted figure from 9.4% to 9.0%. Put those weighted numbers on a diet! ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2011, 7:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lies-damn-lies-and-unemployment-statistics/571001/2 "2011-02-11T07:59:02Z")
> [@terryobrien80](#): > > **LIES, DAMN LIES, AND UNEMPLOYMENT STATISTICS** > **By Dick Morris And Eileen McGann - 02.7.2011** > > LINK\> [http://www.dickmorris.com/blog/lies-damn-lies-and-unemployment-statistics/](http://www.dickmorris.com/blog/lies-damn-lies-and-unemployment-statistics/) > > The drop in unemployment the Obama Administration reported for January is totally phony. Real, unweighted data showed an increase from 9.1% to 9.8% in joblessness rather than a cut in the highly weighted figure from 9.4% to 9.0%. > > Put those weighted numbers on a diet! How many jobs were we losing per month when Obama took over. How many jobs are we losing now? ---
**Author:** ![terryobrien80](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/85f322/32.png) [@terryobrien80](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terryobrien80)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2011, 8:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lies-damn-lies-and-unemployment-statistics/571001/3 "2011-02-11T08:22:59Z")
The key word is “losing”. Obama says we are not losing jobs. Ergo, Obama is a liar and a failure. ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2011, 8:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lies-damn-lies-and-unemployment-statistics/571001/4 "2011-02-11T08:29:41Z")
> [@terryobrien80](#): > > The key word is “losing”. > Obama says we are not losing jobs. > Ergo, Obama is a liar and a failure. Well someone here is. ---
**Author:** ![terryobrien80](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/85f322/32.png) [@terryobrien80](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terryobrien80)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2011, 8:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lies-damn-lies-and-unemployment-statistics/571001/5 "2011-02-11T08:38:11Z")
> [@Lobohan](#): > > Well someone here is. Indeed. Fortunately my name is not “someone”. And by the way: I guess that’s why the voters gave the House of Reps. back to the Repoublicans, because Obama is doing such a bang-up job, right? LOL ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2011, 8:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lies-damn-lies-and-unemployment-statistics/571001/6 "2011-02-11T08:51:42Z")
I’m guessing you’re not a fan of Obama and happy to quote people who share that view, but do you have any original insights to bring to our attention? ---
**Author:** ![terryobrien80](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/85f322/32.png) [@terryobrien80](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terryobrien80)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2011, 10:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lies-damn-lies-and-unemployment-statistics/571001/7 "2011-02-11T10:02:08Z")
I find it fascinating that the economy was doing just fine until the Dems took over Congress in 2006. I guess people choose overlook that little factoid. ---
**Author:** ![terryobrien80](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/85f322/32.png) [@terryobrien80](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terryobrien80)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2011, 10:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lies-damn-lies-and-unemployment-statistics/571001/8 "2011-02-11T10:03:13Z")
> [@terryobrien80](#): > > I find it fascinating that the economy was doing just fine until the Dems took over Congress in 2006. I guess people choose overlook that little factoid. > **[File:Chomage-oecd-t3-2009.png](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Chomage-oecd-t3-2009.png)** > > ref OCDE website > Click on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. > You cannot overwrite this file. There are no pages that use this file. ---
**Author:** ![terryobrien80](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/85f322/32.png) [@terryobrien80](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terryobrien80)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2011, 10:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lies-damn-lies-and-unemployment-statistics/571001/9 "2011-02-11T10:04:31Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > I’m guessing you’re not a fan of Obama and happy to quote people who share that view, but do you have any original insights to bring to our attention? Its all been said before, hasn’t it? I have insights, but I doubt if I am the first to come up with them ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2011, 10:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lies-damn-lies-and-unemployment-statistics/571001/10 "2011-02-11T10:10:59Z")
Well, at least try to put some personal spin on things. How have Obama’s policies affected you personally? _Have_ they affected you personally? ---
**Author:** ![terryobrien80](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/85f322/32.png) [@terryobrien80](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terryobrien80)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2011, 10:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lies-damn-lies-and-unemployment-statistics/571001/11 "2011-02-11T10:25:21Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > Well, at least try to put some personal spin on things. How have Obama’s policies affected you personally? _Have_ they affected you personally? That’s a good question. I have been out of work for six months. I suppose I could say that is Obama’s fault, but unlike your average Liberal, I don’t talk out my ass to score points. Maybe it is his fault, maybe it isn’t. Its anecdotal evidence at best. I do not like Obama’s POSITION on most issues - social, military, etc. But regarding this thread, the statistics speak for themselves. Unemployment has gone up. And here is an insight: I find it interesting that nobody takes note of the fact that the economy was doing fine until the Democrats took over Congress in 2006. People keep saying Obama inherited Bush’s mistakes, but Bush was doing okay until the Dems took the Hill. What Obama has done is inflame what the Democrats started. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2011, 10:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lies-damn-lies-and-unemployment-statistics/571001/12 "2011-02-11T10:48:44Z")
> [@terryobrien80](#): > > nd here is an insight: I find it interesting that nobody takes note of the fact that the economy was doing fine until the Democrats took over Congress in 2006. Well, I guess that’s why the voters gave the House of Reps. back to the Democrats, because Bush was doing such a bang-up job, right? Uh… LOL, I suppose. Perhaps more generically, I’d speculate that it takes several years for a president’s economic policies to be felt. Thus the early part of Clinton’s administration was affected by the Reagan and Bush41 policies. The later Clinton years were affected by the early Clinton years. The early Bush43 years were influenced by the later Clinton years. The later Bush43 years were affected by the early Bush43 years (which included starting the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan without a corresponding tax rise to pay for them), and Obama is feeling the effects of these policies. We won’t know the outcome of Obama’s early policies, I figure, until the end of his first (possibly only) term. ---
**Author:** ![terryobrien80](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/85f322/32.png) [@terryobrien80](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terryobrien80)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2011, 10:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lies-damn-lies-and-unemployment-statistics/571001/13 "2011-02-11T10:55:50Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > Well, I guess that’s why the voters gave the House of Reps. back to the Democrats, because Bush was doing such a bang-up job, right? Look at the stats. They are why the voters have NOW given the House BACK to the Republicans. ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2011, 11:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lies-damn-lies-and-unemployment-statistics/571001/14 "2011-02-11T11:08:23Z")
So where are the bills about jobs, as opposed to suspensions they can’t even pass and grandstanding about abortion? ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2011, 11:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lies-damn-lies-and-unemployment-statistics/571001/15 "2011-02-11T11:13:39Z")
**terryobrien** , I already told you about copying whole articles into your posts. It’s against our copyright policy. DON’T DO IT AGAIN. ---
**Author:** ![terryobrien80](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/85f322/32.png) [@terryobrien80](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terryobrien80)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2011, 11:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lies-damn-lies-and-unemployment-statistics/571001/16 "2011-02-11T11:16:18Z")
> [@asterion](#): > > So where are the bills about jobs, as opposed to suspensions they can’t even pass and grandstanding about abortion? Your question reveals the real problem, the idea that Government is supposed to create jobs! Government policy is supposed to create a friendly business atmosphere so that private industry creates jobs. For example: Do you know we have the highest corporate tax rate in the world? Is it any woinder that businesses leave and set up shop in foreign countries? Government must make America an inviting place to do business, because businesses create jobs. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2011, 11:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lies-damn-lies-and-unemployment-statistics/571001/17 "2011-02-11T11:22:45Z")
> [@terryobrien80](#): > > Government policy is supposed to create a friendly business atmosphere so that private industry creates jobs. For example: Do you know we have the highest corporate tax rate in the world? Is it any woinder that businesses leave and set up shop in foreign countries? Yeah, sure. :rolleyes: America is notorious for how it sucks up to corporations and the wealthy and how little they pay in taxes. Nor do tax rates have a great deal to do with where they situate themselves anyway; many communities have given tax breaks and outright handouts to corporations only to see them leave anyway. ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2011, 11:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lies-damn-lies-and-unemployment-statistics/571001/18 "2011-02-11T11:32:35Z")
Yeah, ask New London, Connecticut how _Kelo v. City of New London_ turned out for them, especially now with Pfizer having closed their New London facility after the Wyeth merger. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2011, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lies-damn-lies-and-unemployment-statistics/571001/19 "2011-02-11T11:46:52Z")
The OP has been banned, so I’m closing this.