Is Obama intentionally wrecking the economy?

It’s a question, or rather, it’s an hypothesis that my callers have put forth on a regular basis. I think mostly because Rush repeats it often. John Hinderaker at Powerline examines the evidence and like me, he’s not so sure.

At the heart of the argument is a piece at Big Peace by Peter Schweizer that makes the case that Obama must indeed be on a course to wreck the economy, otherwise how do you explain his actions?

As the Wall Street Journal reports today, the Obama Administration may have lifted its ban on drilling in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico, but there are still long delays in getting other permits approved to drill for oil. Why? No one seems to know. We assume that politicians do what is in their own self-interest, but in this case Obama seems to be damaging himself because he is dragging down the economy. As the Journal puts it, “The Gulf coast economy has been hit hard by the slowdown in drilling activity.” And Obama doesn’t seem particularly eager to change that fact.

But John thinks the answer is more basic.

What I think emerges here is President Obama’s astonishing ignorance of economics, which is to say, how the world works. I don’t think he is intentionally trying to damage our economy, simply because he knows that he has no chance of being re-elected unless the economy rebounds. At the same time, I think he is so appallingly ignorant of how wealth is created that he believes killing off jobs, as his administration has done along the Gulf Coast, is no big deal.

There’s much more. Go read.

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Jim Vicevich

Jim is a veteran broadcaster and conservative/libertarian blogger with more than 25 years experience in TV and radio. Jim's was the long-term host of The Jim Vicevich Show on WTIC 1080 in Hartford from 2004 through 2019. Prior to radio, Jim worked as a business and financial reporter for NBC30 - the NBC owned TV station in Hartford - and as business editor at WFSB-TV in Hartford for 14 years while earning six Emmy nominations and three Telly Awards.

24 Comments

  1. [email protected] on January 4, 2011 at 4:32 am

    Is the rumor true, that Randy Edsall left CT. due impending tax increase?



  2. OkieJim on January 4, 2011 at 4:44 am

    Obama is a follower of Saul Alinsky, who describes "terminal tactics" such as this in his "Rules For Radicals". Alinsky was a confessed Marxist, which means that he would follow Marx' & Engels' opinion ("Communist Manifesto") that the bourgoise economic foundations have to be blasted away.

     

    If you believe that Obama does what he says, then the future is clear, and the hypothesis of this post is positive: Obama wants this economy destroyed.

     

    I don't necessarily believe that. By dint of being a politician, Obama is a liar, and had no clue about things economic when he first sat in the big-boy chair. I think he's merely incompetent.



  3. Dimsdale on January 4, 2011 at 4:53 am

    Heinlein's Razor: "Never ascribe to malice what can be adequately explained by stupidity (or incompetence), but don't rule out malice."

     

    Until the "intellectual" president releases his transcripts etc. for public viewing, I will have to assume that incompetence is responsible for the bulk of his ineffectiveness, but I am open to other explanations.



  4. GdavidH on January 4, 2011 at 5:31 am

    You are 100% right on IMHO Dims. I haven't yet been convinced of his intellect and felt this way since before his annointment. Even without the transcripts, his history shows he is not what the left is claiming.

    The bigger problem with Obama, and I have commented often to this point, is that he has surrounded himself with radicals since his youth. These radicals and socialists are now with him in the WH running (ruining) the economy and he believes if it is ruined that they can fix it better than it was before. He is not stupid, but he is IGNORANT….. ignorant of the damage his people are capable of.



  5. mynoc3 on January 4, 2011 at 5:56 am

    I agree with the intellect statement.  I think he believes that what he is doing is saving or helping, when in actuality it is hurting.  It's like breaking a chicken out of an egg instead of letting the chicken do it itself.  He is convinced he is helping the chicken.



  6. harpergal on January 4, 2011 at 5:57 am

    I have to say, I LOVE OBAMA!!! Sometimes, instead of getting what you wish for, you get what you NEED. He is exactly what this country needs right now to shake us out of our apathy and head-buried-in-the-sand syndrome and GALVANIZE us to unite and work towards righting the many wrongs in Govt. that have not only happened recently but have been with us for a while. He is effecting the exact OPPOSITE of what he stands for by finally getting our attention and jeopardizing our very ideals. He makes us reach deep inside ourselves and think about what is important and real and dear to us and makes us FIGHT for them. He is affecting change in the exact opposite direction of what he wants because he is making us fight for what WE want – and WE ARE STRONGER 🙂 for it and him. God Bless him – I hope he keeps pushing us hard so we will keep pushing back…It can only strengthen and improve us and our govt. in the long run.



  7. Spectator on January 4, 2011 at 6:10 am

    I don't think that Obama is intentionally wrecking the economy (We should not give him so much credit).

    It is clear that he does have a very strong view of economics and no matter how much evidence or how many suggestions one brings about how his policies may negatively impact our economy, he simply cannot comprehend the fact that he might be wrong. He is supremely economically incompetent yet cannot understand that he could be.

    This is not to say that his end game is not the redistribution of wealth or socialism, but if he somehow manages to accomplish that, it would only be because he somehow stumbled upon it.



  8. Lynn on January 4, 2011 at 6:21 am

    Jim, When people say things that they think is a private conversation they speak the truth. President Obama's comment to Joe the Plumber was just such a comment. He said "I am going to redistribute the wealth". He is indeed redistributing the wealth, and purposely.



  9. winnie888 on January 4, 2011 at 6:43 am

    Obama is dumb like a fox.  He knows exactly what he's doing but will deny that he knew and yet be hailed as a genius.  My head is going to pop.



  10. weregettinghosed on January 4, 2011 at 7:02 am

    Patriots are wise and attentive, it is not just the man in office with whom has brought us to our feet but is the agencies and legislators allowing his agenda and in all cases assisting his agenda to take place. Ah, the agenda is of our concern and discussion, it is a debate of many but of agreement whether it be by ignorance or planning, the economy is failing, falling fast. My assessment of it would be a rather egotistical, smart to a point, man has been chosen by a wide strong group of handlers with whom Mr. Soros is a part but not the head, with the main agenda, to bring down America; weakening it beyond restoration whereas the 'group' shall rise up and take over as they desire. The desire is of what we may debate, any such thought is not a good thought; my thought is a rather Islamic state with much destruction to our way of life, including our beliefs. Is Mr. Obama doing so with malice, in his mind no, our minds yes. Mr. Obama is indeed the chosen one, but certainly not chosen truly by us but by the 'group' who has groomed him since his teen years, they have done well, he has accomplished much destruction since his taking Office of the President.

    Being wise and attentive, act soon enough to thwart our takeover. Step back and view carefully all events, see clearly the path by which he takes us, then direct all citizens to follow the path of freedom by which we were founded upon. You are witnessing, rather experiencing the beginning of a great holy war and we will either be a part of it or our demise a result of it. Such a war has been brewing since WWII, taking its time to gain strength and weaken adversaries, it is time for the Great Holy War to end, we can now become the beginning of the end; not, the great end.



  11. harpergal on January 4, 2011 at 12:57 pm

    I, too, think we are witnessing and being part of a great revolution and it is scary, exciting and interesting all at the same time. He and his govt are bringing out the fighting spirit in us that founded this country. It is about dam'd time.



  12. JollyRoger on January 4, 2011 at 1:28 pm

    Why do pedigrees from Occidental and Harvard create some mystique of intellectuality?  The left has such a love for diversity, but not diversity of thought or life experience.  Only an Ivy League man of colour with so many credits in this and that are somehow qualified to lead this nation?  The nation was founded by better men; they rode horses, had wooden teeth, defecated in the woods and wiped their butts with leaves!  Barry is as intellectually equipped to fix the economy as he is to fix a toilet.  But I digress- Barry is a power broker- he creates instability and uncertainty, and then he offers some veiled power grab as a solution for the crisis du jour!



  13. XYViking on January 4, 2011 at 2:50 pm

    Jim mentioned Rush, but no-one has brought up Glenn Beck's contribution to this issue, which he and his staff have exhaustively researched. Beck might be an emotional guy, be he's got the data. Why else would the Left be so intent upon discrediting him. They don't waste their time on someone who's not a threat. On his show and on his website, Beck has the in-context video and writings to back up every claim he makes. Obama knows exactly what he's doing and he has surrounded himself with the people necessary to help him. He is circumventing Congress and the Constitution on a daily basis. Get your heads out of….the sand.



  14. joe_m on January 5, 2011 at 2:11 am

    He is the President and has access to as many "experts" on the economy as he feels he needs or wants. He knows exactly what he is doing.

    After all you cannot put aside Constitutional rights until you declare a national emergency. He is waiting for the middle class to rebel, so he is making sure more people loose their jobs and then their savings and then their homes.

    Watch what happens as the cost of commuting to work takes a larger percent of one's income and the cost to keep your home (if you still have one) above freezing increases.

    Glen Beck should be mandatory watching.



  15. Lynn on January 5, 2011 at 2:40 am

    Jim, love calling in to your show. For anyone who wants to give it a try, DO. it could not be easier. Also, forces you to think fast. Jim, you are very quick and you spurred me to reading everything I could on Socialism and the Progressive Movement. Differences and subtleties. Education is always best and even when you think you know things, you find out your memory from 40 years ago is faulty. However, am  going to defend my Soros statement. I agree with comments above, he is not the only adviser, of course. Clearly, Obama is his own man and was raised on Socialism and Progressive politics before he met Soros. President Obama, in my opinion is a lazy scholar, he does not care about details and legislation. He passes that on to his very capable political cronies. Unlike Reagan who truly understood both sides of his actions. The One only sees "One Side".

     



  16. Lynn on January 5, 2011 at 2:57 am

    Now as to Soros. In politics there is ONE rule. Look to the money. Soros founded and supports Moveon.org. it funds the Liberal agenda and he is ruthless  at doing anything he can to stifle the Conservative radio and TV. US politics is driven to the detriment by money and greed. Political hacks and pundits (I am not talking about you Jim or Michelle or any of the rest of the hardworking Bloggers)  who work for candidates earn vast amounts of money and the candidates sell their soul to get elected. Few politicians are able to keep their integrity. incumbents are always at an advantage because of voter recognition and incumbents rarely debate and media is difficult and expensive to get exposure. You cannot avoid talking about where the money comes from. That is for all candidates, Republicans, Democrats, Green, Libertarian whatever. Ok, I'm stating the obvious, but I'd rather spend less money on campaigns and get better candidates, just can't figure out how.



  17. PatRiot on January 5, 2011 at 7:26 am

    The day the market tanked in 2008, one of Jim's caller's pegged this situation:  Last night we went to sleep in a Republic and woke up in a Socialist state."

    What is becoming clear is that the banks are pulling most of the strings and they are now in charge.

    The other strings are the socialist Obama and anyone with time in DC.

    The US, and most counrties, are beholden to the banks.  Why? Because of the debt caused by politician's addiction to spending.

    Degrading the country in other ways, (dissing the Constitution) will make it that much easier for a World government to take over and fix what is "broken".

    Can one be called paranoid if they are right in the end?



  18. Lynn on January 5, 2011 at 10:49 am

    I thought I gave up conspiracy theories when I stopped reading Taylor Caldwell and decided there was no industrial military complex. But a World bank…Hm



  19. gaber on January 6, 2011 at 11:32 am

    Yes, Obama is destroying the country in an effort to rebuild it in his image of a socialist utopia…My biggest worry in this regard, is the some 50 or more czars, quietly, behind the scenes, making new rules, regulations, the need for permits and where and when any and all things can be done and/or enjoyed, while spending huge quantities of the taxpayers money, while not having been elected to do so!  I only hope and prey that when we get rid of Obama, the new President and Congress can undo the massive damage that has been done to our country by this group.



  20. David R on January 8, 2011 at 6:09 am

    Reagan didn't like be painted as some right wing nut. He wasn't, and neither is Obama a socialist nor is he trying to foist a leftest agenda on the country. I say this with confidence because the people who control the purse strings, who determine who the candidates are, and who spend billions to have their way with government, run the show for their own best interests, which are to amass as much wealth and power as possible. Corporate rule doesn't take place in a socialist society, neither does massive consumerism, which drives much of the accumulation of wealth in this country. The days of a socialist movement in this country were short lived, and took place in the 30's and briefly in the 60's and 70's, as a result of social and economic crises. Obama a socialist? Ha. How many millionaire socialists can you name? How many surround themselves with Wall Street's usual suspects. I see danger, but it's not that things will change, but that the corporate/government partnership won't



  21. Lynn on January 9, 2011 at 5:32 am

    Sorry David R, I should have said, Govt. Leaders and their supporters Unions, groups such as ACORN are rewarded. Obviously the Media that support the Govt. leaders since Fox news was prohibited from some Presidential Press Conferences.



  22. winnie888 on January 9, 2011 at 6:01 am

    Hey, our comments can be longer than 3 lines now?  rofl



  23. Lynn on January 9, 2011 at 10:26 am

    David R. It’s amazing how much we agree except in our conclusions. President Obama may not be an avowed Socialist and socialists do not even consider him one. You are correct. However, in Socialist nations wealth is still given to the few. It is not corporations, but the Government leaders who have all the wealth and control every aspect of the lives of the rest of the citizens. There are several indications that this inbalance is beginning, My favorite is the waivers in the healthcare bill. Also the unequal treatment of government official who violate the law. Only one being Secretary Geitner.



  24. David R on January 10, 2011 at 6:05 pm

    Conspiracy theories are entertaining and nothing I read here is actually new. Similar things have been said about our government at other times, and they have never come to pass. I am old enough to remember the crazy stuff that was said about Eisenhauer and Kennedy. In the early 60s Dallas was a hot bed of irrational hatred for the president, which I believe, created ideal conditions for the assasination that unbalanced society for at least a decade. Especially now when there seems to be more than the usual amount of anger out there, let's not deal in conspiracy theories without sufficient proof from reliable, independent sources.



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