In my line of work one of the more prevalent adages is, "figures lie and liars figure".
I have read and heard some comments recently comparing some of Bush's current economic statistics, namely the unemployment rate, with previous administrations.
Now granted, the current unemployment rate is 4.8 percent, which is a very good, if not excellent, unemployment rate. But it sometimes has to do with how you got there-or in this case, how long it took you to get
back there.
Media Matters
points out that Sean Hannity said to Bob Novak on Hannity & Colmes the other night, "If you look at the jobless rate, it is literally -- the percentage -- lower than the '70s, '80s, and '90s".
-- That statement is flat-out wrong.
Sometimes these commentators will slip in the word 'average' and try to refer to an entire decade, like the "70's, 80's and 90's" -- like a president serves 10 years or something...and terms do overlap decades.
Let's look at a bar graph to get the correct perspective on unemployment during the last 16-17 years;
Whoa! Look at those Clinton years! That graph just goes down steadily every year. Also, notice what Clinton started with - over 7.5 percent unemployment.... And, look at what George W. Bush started with, - 4 percent!
Now, you can talk all day long about 'averages' during various 'decades' but when you're talking about unemployment during a particular presidential term in office, Hannity needs to sit down and shut up.
So you say, well, what about unemployment during the Reagan years? Well, I just so happen to have an interesting graph of that comparison too;
Holy Jimmy Carter! What happened??. In the first couple of Reagan years the rate jumped into double-digit unemployment! - Unemployment
averaged 7.54 percent during Reagan's eight years in office. Although Reagan did bring it down somewhat in his last two years....you can easily see, Reagan doesn't come close to matching Clinton on unemployment either.
I don't think any president does... School's out.
Source for second graph;
Whoa! Look at those Clinton years! That graph just goes down steadily every year. Also, notice what Clinton started with - over 7.5 percent unemployment.... And, look at what George W. Bush started with, - 4 percent!
Now, you can talk all day long about 'averages' during various 'decades' but when you're talking about unemployment during a particular presidential term in office, Hannity needs to sit down and shut up.
So you say, well, what about unemployment during the Reagan years? Well, I just so happen to have an interesting graph of that comparison too;
Holy Jimmy Carter! What happened??. In the first couple of Reagan years the rate jumped into double-digit unemployment! - Unemployment averaged 7.54 percent during Reagan's eight years in office. Although Reagan did bring it down somewhat in his last two years....you can easily see, Reagan doesn't come close to matching Clinton on unemployment either.
I don't think any president does... School's out.
Source for second graph;
