Unemployment has risen to 6.1 percent, a five year high. In the story, Jared Bernstein observes that this is now, whether you like it or not, officially a recession. I thought it might be instructive to compare the press releases of our two presidential campaigns.
McCain:
We must prepare every worker for the jobs of tomorrow. We will use our community colleges to help train people for new opportunities in their communities. As President, I will enact a Jobs for America economic plan that creates jobs, helps small businesses, expands opportunities and opens markets to American goods. Washington must stand beside the American people, not in their way. .... Sadly there are those who believe that to grow this economy we must raise taxes, impose costly new mandates and isolate America from the global economy. When our economy is hurting, the last thing we should do is raise taxes as Barack Obama plans to do and has done. The American people cannot afford a Barack Obama presidency."
Obama:
John McCain may believe that the fundamentals of our economy are ‘strong,' but the working men and women I meet every day are working harder for less, the typical working age family's income is down $2,000 since George Bush took office, and their purchasing power is as low as it's been in a decade. John McCain's answer is more of the same: $200 billion in tax cuts to big corporations and oil companies, and not one dime of tax relief to more than 100 million middle-class families. If I am President, I will cut taxes for 95% of all working families and provide an immediate $50 billion to struggling states so that they don't have to cut back on health care and education and can rebuild roads and schools. That's the change working families need right now,” said Senator Barack Obama.
Read these and ask, "Which candidate has a more specific answer to these problems, and doesn't wave around vague platitudes?" and "Which candidate honestly characterized the other's plan?" The results may surprise you.
Or not.
--Tim Fernholz
