In her mulligan with Fox News the other day, Sarah Palin claimed she reads The Economist. Wonder how she liked this story . . .
AS THE financial crisis pushes the economy back to the top of voters’ concerns, Barack Obama is starting to open up a clear lead over John McCain in the opinion polls. But among those who study economics for a living, Mr Obama’s lead is much more commanding. A survey of academic economists by The Economist finds the majority–at times by overwhelming margins–believe Mr Obama has the superior economic plan, a firmer grasp of economics and will appoint better economic advisers. …
Regardless of party affiliation, our respondents generally agree the economy is in bad shape, that the election is important to the course of economic policy and that the housing and financial crisis is the most critical economic issue facing America.
The detailed responses are bad news for Mr McCain (the full data are available here). Eighty per cent of respondents and no fewer than 71% of those who do not cleave to either main party say Mr Obama has a better grasp of economics. Even among Republicans Mr Obama has the edge: 46% versus 23% say Mr Obama has the better grasp of the subject. "I take McCain’s word on this one," comments James Harrigan at the University of Virginia, a reference to Mr McCain’s infamous confession that he does not know as much about economics as he should. …
Perhaps not so much his direct confession as the evidence he sprinkles about every time he opens his mouth underlies what’s manifested in this graphic (click to enlarge):
Is that a wink or a blink, Governor?
Speaking of reading, I rarely read Clark Hoyt, NYT’s “public editor” (ombudsman), but his report today on “political scorekeeping” is interesting to say the least.
ONE MORE TIME. Fox News has done an excellent and even-handed special report titled SAVING OUR ECONOMY which examines the current economic crisis, which has roots tracing back to the late-1970s.
The second 15-minute segment of the report has a university professor explain how the financial instruments went from sub-prime mortgages to the problems we now have, and why no one knows the value of the financial instruments.
He also points out that this has already happened SIX times in US history, and that it was totally predictable.
It airs again on Fox News Channel on Sunday, Oct. 5, at 9:00 PM, and on Monday, Oct. 6, at 12:00 AM.
Tivo it!
AND MAY GOD BLESS YOU ALWAYS!
I still say McCain’s only chance to win would have been propose a Huckabee-like solution to this crisis:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_uPjSlIU8A
Huck’s new show on Fox is on Sunday’s at 7 pm. I highly recommend it.
I am hearing Hannity will be addressing Obama’s history on Sunday night at 8 PM CST on Fox of course. He promises to cover issues the press has not touched. Might be interesting.
IAG-report back, please, I confess I just don’t have what it takes to watch. Somehow I can read reports of this stuff and remain sane but I just can’t stomach watching it-feels a little bit like voyuerism.