October 6, 2011

"Restoring 2006 levels of policy uncertainty would yield an additional 2.5 million jobs over 18 months."

Impressive.

And yet the government is always scrambling to help us out with new policies. And only today, Obama said:
“If Congress does nothing, then it’s not a matter of me running against them. I think the American people will run them out of town, I would love nothing more than to see Congress act so aggressively that I can’t campaign against them as a do-nothing Congress.”
Reconsider the amazing value of nothing.

39 comments:

traditionalguy said...

Nothing doing.

coketown said...

Like duh.

garage mahal said...

A major factor behind the weak recovery and gloomy outlook is a climate of policy-induced economic uncertainty

The Policy Uncertainty Confidence Fairy strikes again.

Scott M said...

President 57 States also said we live in a democracy. One would think someone who thinks a corpseman is a medic might realize it's a republic.

Scott M said...

The Policy Uncertainty Confidence Fairy strikes again.

The owners of our company have not hired any additional truck drivers, which we dearly need, for the exact reason of uncertainty. A lot of the freight companies I deal with regularly are telling me the same thing.

That's a very potent fairy, GM.

coketown said...

Now that garage mahal and I have chimed in, nothing more needs to be said. The entire debate has been condensed for your consideration: To the right, "regulatory burden kills jobs" is an axiom; to the left, it's a fairytale.

Unknown said...

Obama: "I know I suck, but they suck worse."

Hope and change.

I'm Full of Soup said...

Is JAC at risk of becoming a conservative?

Anonymous said...

Hmm. Odd. 2006...2006...why does that year ring a bell with me? What happened in 2006 that created a climate that led to an increase in policy uncertainty? A real stumper. Hmm. If only we could identify and isolate some significant change that took place in 2006 that effects policy, we might be able to undo it and get back on track.

I'm Full of Soup said...

Re oppressive policies and regulations, why do we have federal unemployment taxes and fed UEC tax returns? These seem like perfect examples of things we could do away with.

In future recessions, the Senate could authorize block grants to the states so the individual states can spend as they see fit.

RichardS said...

The Seinfeld campaign?

garage mahal said...

Now that garage mahal and I have chimed in, nothing more needs to be said

Haha.

The owners of our company have not hired any additional truck drivers, which we dearly need, for the exact reason of uncertainty.

Our company has done the opposite. But we've had a large increase in demand the past two years, I think it has more to do with that. Who would hire new workers based solely on policy continuity? There's always policy uncertainty in our political system.

Anonymous said...

Most of us don't work for rent-seeking companies.

Mick said...

Or the Usurper can be prevented from running in the general election, since he is ineligible (born British, of a British subject, thus not natural born).

As for the rest of the cretins that inhabit the halls of Congress, and have committed treason, by helping the Central Banks install an ineligible Usurper---- throw them all out--- every last one--- I spit on all of them.

Gridlock is designed into our system, for just this occassion, so the idiots can do no more harm.

Scott M said...

Why can't you answer the question, Mick?

How can your plan to prevent Obama from seeking a second term simultaneously include wanting him on all the ballots, but require getting him removed from all the ballots?

John Althouse Cohen said...

Is JAC at risk of becoming a conservative?

I had a feeling that somehow, this would lead to yet another discussion of how liberal I supposedly am.

BJM said...

The Policy Uncertainty Confidence Fairy strikes again.

Unexpectedly!!

ricpic said...

There's always policy uncertainty in our political system.

And the wind is always blowing. But the number of boats that dare the open sea varies considerably depending on whether the wind is blowing at 6 or 60 miles an hour.

Michael said...

I believe we would be well served by compensaating members of congress based on the number of laws they have repealed. I think if we paid one million dollars for voting successfully to repeal a law we would be ahead of the game. The congress would het rich quick and we would be relieved of a lot of unnecessary b s

Anonymous said...

The Policy Uncertainty Confidence Fairy is the Jobs Created or Saved Confidence Fairy's evil twin.

SteveR said...

Seems like Obama has nothing to run on except to run against Congress. Not the democratically controlled congress of 2009-2010, and not the democratically controlled senate since then.

Obviously he thinks voters are stupid which he took advantage of in 2008.

edutcher said...

Isn't it the Democrats that have been making the most noise about sitting on the "Pass This Bill" jobs bill?

PS The Do-Nothing Congress meme having tanked, GodZero wants to tie the Republicans to the objects of the OccupyWallStreet protests.

Well, it isn't working yet. Rasmussen has had his approval index at -24 all week and below 20 most of last week

David said...

Uncertainty about Obama's policies is not the issue. While nothing about Obama seems to be certain, the direction is clear: more taxes, more mindless regulation, more bashing if it serves his political purpose, more government intervention in markets, more counterproductive labor policies, more failure to deal with energy issues realistically, more flirtation with protectionism, etc. etc.

The details of some of these policies may be uncertain, but the overall tilt is unmistakable.

I'm Full of Soup said...

Jac- since I assume you grew up in Madison, you can't fault me too much for making that assumption can you?

Bender said...

“If Congress does nothing"
_______________

Again with the intentional fraudulent deceit of accusing his opposition of "doing nothing" when, in fact, Congress, and the House in particular, have done plenty -- more than Obama in fact -- presenting multiple plans, passing multiple bills, and seeing them all die on the vine.

Barack Obama, the walking lie, is unworthy of the office.

Mick said...

Scott M said...
"Why can't you answer the question, Mick?

How can your plan to prevent Obama from seeking a second term simultaneously include wanting him on all the ballots, but require getting him removed from all the ballots?"



None of your business-- you should be concentrating on the FACT of his ineligibility, not what I will do about it. What I will do doesn't change the FACT that he is ineligible.

Scott M said...

What I will do doesn't change the FACT that he is ineligible.

Granted. But it sounds like your net effect will be zero. Not on the ballots/on the ballots. Net effect, zero.

Please tell me you're not wasting a whole lot of time or money, or neglecting your family and friends over this, Don Quixote.

Address the discrepancy. A couple months ago, you said you were going to keep him off the ballots, all the ballots. Your words. Now, you say you want him on the ballots. I think yo even added "duh".

Can you explain the obvious problem with that?

Kirby Olson said...

David Brooks has a wonderful editorial in yesterday's NYT about Romney as a guy who can quietly get things done without creating such a hullabaloo as the Latin dancing master we have had who put a thrill up the leg of so many in the left and then screwed the country.

Anonymous said...

I would love nothing more than to see Congress act so aggressively that I can’t campaign against them as a do-nothing Congress.”

Let, me help you out, Barack.

"I'd love nothing...more...

That way, Congress would save me from myself-- further tanking our economy, world financial standing, and obvious failed amateurish theoretical economic policies. Hell, if I just left everything alone, the economy might just start to cure itself--

But, then I'd be a "do nothing"...seems like I ought to do something.....and by something I mean talk".

DADvocate said...

I'm from the federal government and I'm here to help you.

Scary, scary words.

Jose_K said...

Miss me yet?

Anonymous said...

Three Simple Rules To Live By:

1) If you are doing something, and it is working...keep doing it.

2) If you are doing something, and it is NOT working...do something different.

3) If you don't know what to do...DON'T DO ANYTHING.

Jeff in Oklahoma said...

10/6/11 1:40 PM

Oh that was funny. Well played BJM.

Anonymous said...

Kirby Olson said...

"David Brooks has a wonderful editorial in yesterday's NYT..."

I wouldn't trust David Brooks to recommend a pizza joint, much less a presidential candidate, given his track record.

Mick said...

Scott M said...
What I will do doesn't change the FACT that he is ineligible.

Granted. But it sounds like your net effect will be zero. Not on the ballots/on the ballots. Net effect, zero.

Please tell me you're not wasting a whole lot of time or money, or neglecting your family and friends over this, Don Quixote.

Address the discrepancy. A couple months ago, you said you were going to keep him off the ballots, all the ballots. Your words. Now, you say you want him on the ballots. I think yo even added "duh".

Can you explain the obvious problem with that?"



Don't really care what you think. Obviously you aren't smart enough to decipher. Fact is he is ineligible, and if you don't care, then you participate in the Treason. I will do what I will do. Many are getting educated by my posts.

Here is the SCOTUS PRECEDENT definition of natural born Citizen:

Minor v. Happersett:

"The Constitution does not in words say who shall be natural-born citizens. Resort must be had elsewhere to ascertain that. At common law, with the nomenclature of which the framers of the Constitution were familiar, it was never doubted that all children born in a country of parents who were its citizens became themselves, upon their birth, citizens also. These were natives or natural-born citizens, as distinguished from aliens or foreigners."


If you don't care, then stand aside. Obama, born British of a British Subject father, is ineligible. Those that are awake will take care of it.

Chip S. said...

Policy uncertainty is bad, but under Obama it's the policy certainty that's killing jobs.

Economist Casey Mulligan lists thirteen different employment-reducing policies that are already in place and working their magic.

Thirteen ways in which doing nothing might have been a better idea, all made in Washington.

The Wall Street dipster-protesters are a few hundred miles off-course.

Carnifex said...

Its all moot now. Dingy Harry has done away with the filibuster we're down to mob rule. All I can do is wait for the next election, and then watch Mitch stick it up Harry's ass, and then break it off. Speaking as a constituent of Mitch's, Ive seen him do it hundreds of times to a lot more astute pols than Whorehouse Harry

Scott M said...

Don't really care what you think. Obviously you aren't smart enough to decipher.

Explain it to me then. You're all about educating people about this, you say, so educate. You either want him on the ballot, which you've said, or you're going to prevent him from being on the ballot, which you've also said.

John Althouse Cohen said...

Jac- since I assume you grew up in Madison, you can't fault me too much for making that assumption can you?

No, that was wonderful -- I love being reduced to a cultural stereotype.