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Updated Thursday, August 11, 2011 1:01 AM
Politicians historically not shy about taking credit for another’s deeds
A Herald Democrat reader (my mother) texted me early Thursday afternoon. “Steve (LaNore) says it is going to rain quite a lot. Gov. prayed & got results. Ha! I bet he claims the credit.”
I laughed.
I don’t think Texas Gov. Rick Perry will claim his time of prayer and fasting this past weekend in Houston at an event called The Response: A Call To Prayer for a Nation in Crisis brought rain on Aug. 11, 2011 in the Texoma area. But it wouldn’t surprise me if he did.
I know Steve LaNore won’t take credit, because then he’d have to take the blame for all of these 100-degree days we’ve been suffering through. We can blame the weather, but not the messenger.
Politicians have been known to take credit for a few things they had nothing to do with, and sometimes we the people have been known to give those same politicians credit for getting something good accomplished simply because they said, “I did that.”
For example, I’ve always believed that President Bill Clinton got credit for having a balanced budget when the economic policies set forth in the final years of the George Bush administration to help stimulate recovery from a minor recession in 1991 after Operation Desert Storm. Bush’s biggest problem was he always meant what he said, “Read my lips, no new taxes,” but statements like that didn’t give George H.W. Bush very much wiggle room when he had to … raise taxes.
Now that’s an overly simplistic view, but the point is Bush did what he thought was right, and it cost him re-election. And his administration’s economic policies eventually worked. And Clinton got the credit.
Conversely, I don’t see how President Obama can be blamed for a failed economic policy when he inherited one of the worst financial disasters since the Great Depression. The economy wasn’t at its low point in 2008. That had to come in 2009-10.
Yet in the Herald Democrat comments, a lot of people blame Obama for spending too much stimulus money. And I thought it was George W. Bush who asked for the initial stimulus package to bail out companies he described in 2008 as too big to fail.
Herbert Hoover got the blame because he was president. Shacks were called Hoovervilles and the diet staple the armadillo was called a Hoover Hog.
I think if you go back and take a look, President Franklin Roosevelt took some of the Hoover Administration’s economic policies that were put in place to help bring America out of the Depression, and made them larger, more sweeping programs to get recovery started faster. Consequently in a lot of homes, Roosevelt’s picture was hung on the wall right next to the picture of Jesus.
Hoover believed in lasses-faire government and wanted to cut spending. Congress forced his hand and made him spend more than he wanted to, but Hoover didn’t really understand the depth of the Depression, and didn’t spend enough on aid or public works to kick start a stalled economy.
Roosevelt did spend on massive public works projects, and social programs like Social Security. He realized that consumers needed to earn money to spend on goods and services. Those policies started by Hoover and carried on by Roosevelt eventually primed the economic pump and started to get people back to work in private sector jobs. The public works projects brought electricity into rural areas (Tennessee Valley Authority) and dramatically improved the infrastructure of the United States.
While history doesn’t really repeat itself, it does offer parallels to study. We see the start of an economic recovery just by the numbers. Unemployment is down. Job creation is up. The problem is maybe the Obama Administration did not have enough economic stimulus dollars to spend to make for a faster recovery.
Unlike the Depression, which took about a dozen years to recover from, now we have two wars to pay for while the concept of raising taxes on anyone has become anti-American. When today’s economic pump needed to be primed, the money simply wasn’t there, and this recovery will be slower than it would have been.
The economy will recover. The unemployed will eventually become employed again. The recovery will be because of policies put in place during the Obama Administration. If Obama is re-elected in 2012, he’ll get to take credit for it. If not, I’m sure whoever is president will be quick to take credit for the work put in four years before.
TODD HUTCHINSON is the Web Editor for the Herald Democrat. Contact him at thutchinson@heralddemocrat.com, or 903-893-8181 ext. 2296.
 Comments ... 14 found!
You see it? : 8/18/2011
Perhaps it's worse than you think. This is a video about Ron Paul coverage: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yy8EL3t4MEk&feature=youtu.be
I think this is much bigger than Ron Paul. This is an example of the censorship I've been talking about. There are certain things and ideaa they don't won't discussed in the mainstream. It might get the sheeple to thinking. The sheeple have been conditioned to believe that if it's on TV then it must be true; and it wasn't on TV, it didn't happen.
They called Ron Paul and fringed candidate and says he can't win, but they give the kook Michelle Bachmann all kinds of coverage.
My opinion is Paul might be the only candidate who can beat Obama, but as long as Obama is playing "their" game and if he decides he want to run again, he'll be reelected because they'll run a weak republican against him.
Hafta B. N. d'Club
I see it! : 8/17/2011
I see how everyone in the club treats him. First they tried to ignore him in the 70s,80s, and 90s. Then they laughed at him in the 00s. Now they fear him and try to copy and ignore him again. He scared the crap out of them because he last 40 years he hasn't changed his message, he told of the devaluing of our dollar, he told of the never ending wars we would have, he told of the policing the world would cost us, he told us of everything that is happening now! He knows because he studies history and monetary policy! Go look at you tube videos of him on cspan and other shows trying to warn everyone of this. He knows what has happened and knows how to get us out of this mess if people would just educate themselves on this brilliant man. RON PAUL is our only hope. I hope he will get the nominee, but why would they GOP do that when they still get to control the people and still get paid for it while we all sit here and whine when we could all get together and vote for this great man!
We need to unite and get him voted in! Even if it is as a 3rd party! What have you got to lose. Bush and Obama have done the same thing!
Me
Me : 8/17/2011
If Ron Paul get the nomination I might vote for him.
I'd be mighty suprised if the does. I don't think he's in the Club. Watch how he gets treated by the mainsteam media and by the debate facilitators, that should tell you something.
Hafta B. N. d'Club
All or none : 8/17/2011
Hafta sermoned, "I know we have antitrust laws. We don't enforce them." Too true, nor do we enforce immigration laws, DOMA, welfare fraud laws, etc. Swing a dead cat in Washington and you'll hit a federal law the Obama admin simply isn't or won't enforce...
Bothways Isbad
hmmm : 8/17/2011
Well the president doesn't enforce the law. Eric Holder doesn't do anything unless you mess with the Illegals! lol I don't see anyone on either side that can compete with RON PAUL on any issue. He will probably not get the GOP nomination because they don't think he is a republican, but I'm voting for him anyway. Everyone else is a joke! If we don't get RON PAUL in the white house, it really doesn't matter who we get! They will all keep us in wars, keep devalueing our dollar, keep giving too many entitlements, keep raising taxes, keep the Fed and IRS and nothing will change except words! It's sad! I wish everyone would get educated and just vote RON PAUL! Even if he does have to go on the independent ticket if the republicans decide to be idiots! I have a bad feeling that they won't choose him and he won't run 3rd party and we are gonna get rick perry in there. He'll just keep up the bush and obama works and the US will go down the drain!
At some point people just have to realize that we need to stop playing dem/rep and vote for a real candidate that stands for something and has the record to show for it!
RON PAUL is that man and this should be the time!
RON PAUL 2012! It won't be a wasted vote because I believe that he is the only candidate worth voting for! All others are the same ole crap!
Me
Just a minute.... : 8/16/2011
Believe it or not, I agree with Ron Paul on a number of issues. However, he doesn't have a chance at being the Republican nominee, let alone win the presidency. If by some stretch he did get elected, so much of his agenda would meet a series of stone walls in Congress, and from both sides of the aisle. Actually, if any Republican wins the white house, it is likely he/she will be face a no cooperation, no compromise block of dems in the House and Senate.
Joey
What I said, : 8/16/2011
Me, was he was the only republican I [would] have voted for in 2008.
I know we have antitrust laws. We don't enforce them.
Libertarians tend to have a hands off approach when it comes to regulating corporations. I don't trust big corporations to do the right thing.
I don't have a candidate. Once all the dust settles, the same elite will still be running things.
Hafta B. N. d'Club
Hafta : 8/15/2011
Well we already have antitrust laws. Is that the only reason you wouldn't vote for him? If so, who is your candidate?
Me
Me, Thank you for your comment : 8/12/2011
But I'm well aware of who Ron Paul is. He has several views I like. Out of that whole bunch of Republicans running in 08, he was the only one I would have voted for.
You might have noticed, I mentioned media reform - like applying some strong antitrust legislation - Ron Paul doesn't go that far because of his Libertarian views of government.
Hafta B. N. d'Club
Hafta and all other voters : 8/12/2011
RON PAUL is the change you want. Before you roll your eyes and stop reading, go to his website and read his profile and his stance. They are about the same as what you want. He has written a book called END THE FED, and many books on ending our policing the world. He has tried to end the Patriot Act and NAFTA and wants to bring home our troops and close foreign bases. He wants tax reform and to slash our military budget as well.
Just go look up some of his videos on youtube and his website and understand him instead of listening to the media. Most of the dems like him and most of the reps like him. The elite congressmen of both dems and reps hate him because he wants to shrink government so that we are able to reduce taxes. He is the only one that sticks to the constitution.
Please go look him up. RON PAUL is the only candidate that will give us this change that you want. He has a proven track record. Look at his voting record.
He has never voted to raise taxes.
He has never joined the congressional pension plan.
He gives back money that his district hasn't used.
He was against the wars.
He started legislation to audit the fed.
He voted against the Patriot Act.
There is plenty more that seems to match your needs. Just go look him up.
Me
Hafta and all other voters : 8/12/2011
Thos things you want changed are the same things that RON PAUL has been talking about for years. You need to go research him. I know he is labeled as a republican, but only because he knows that a third party will never win an election due to all the sheep who pull the all rep or dem lever in the voting booth. Ron Paul wrote a book called END THE FED. He has also written many books on ending our policing the world and bringing our troops home. That's one reason reps hate him. He has called for closing overseas bases, dropping the Patriot Act and NAFTA, he has talked about slashing the military budget, election reform, and tax reform.
If you go study his position and stop listening to the media, then you will probably vote for him. Go look at his voting record and his youtube videos and you will understand his stance and stop seeing him as a normal republican. He stands for the constitution and for personal freedom and liberty! Go check him out! RON PAUL is the change we need!
Me
I could go on forever : 8/12/2011
"It called privatizing the profits and socializing the debts"
I agree with Hafta. We socialized GM and Chrysler's debt by giving them money(not a loan as you have to pay those back) and privatized the profits by allowing them to keep the bond holder's money (who are made whole FIRST in a BK) as well as giving a portion of GM to the UAW union and all of Chrysler to Fiat. The UAW and GM/Chrysler contractors got the profits and kept their jobs, the bondholders got the debt, or in this case, the total loss. Good analogy, Hafta!
Leninite
Here's an idea for ya... : 8/11/2011
You keep telling yourself that..."President Barack Obama sought to reassert economic leadership on Thursday by pledging to deliver new ideas every week to create jobs..." Just what we need, more ideas. Maybe he'll appoint an Idea Czar! Unless his idea is a total reversal of his current spend, spend and spend more policies, we're in for alot more pain.
Ideaman
Politicians Taking credit? : 8/11/2011
Well, isn't that what they mean by "playing politics"?
You take credit; lay the blame on the other guy. I see a similar situation happening on a larger scale -
It called privatizing the profits and socializing the debts...., a class warfare tactic.
Todd, you forgot one, JFK got blamed for the Bay of Pigs [and he accepted it). But that plan was concocted under the Eisenhower admin.
I agree with most of what you said. I believe Obama will be re-elected - but not because he's doing a good job, but because the alternatives will be worse.
I am not as optimistic on the economy. I think the word is austerity.
The reason I voted for Obama was because of all the so called front runners, I'd thought he'd be more likely to make "real" changes.[disappointed!] And I believe me this country needs a major overhaul - like taking on the Fed, major election reform, media reform, tax reform, getting rid of the so called "corporate personhood", slashing our bloated military budget and closing most of the overseas bases, rescinding USA partiot Act, getting out of Iraq and Afghanstan, rescinding NAFTA and putting a tariff on suff made in sweatshops, holding corporate criminals and politicians more accountable for the damage they do, etc....
We could use an FDR or a JFK, but... it won't happen.
Hafta B. N. d'Club
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