A Tale Of Two Stories

The employment numbers came out today, this is the last report before the election, and after listening to every newscast so far this day, one would think the country is going down the tubes.   There's bad news out there.  Things are in bad shape.  That's what everyone heard today, along with some of the cold number stats themselves.  So what's news to the ABC and other 'mainstream' media?

It starts like this:Job Growth Slowed in September. 96,000 jobs were created in September, far below expectations of  150,000, and down from the 128,000 jobs created in August. The 'news story' is 'why was the number of jobs created so low?'  Then analysts focus on things that can have a negative affect on jobs.  Negative this, negative that, and so on.  End of the doom and gloom story.

If this were a Clinton administration for instance, the story would be more like this: 96,000 jobs created in September, not quite the 150,000 that was hoped for.  It should be noted however that September makes 13 consecutive months of job creation.  And since reversing the recession inherited by the Bush administration, followed by the hit the economy took beginning 9/11/01, President Clinton has created 2.5 million jobs, 2 million in the last 13 months.  Analysis: The country is definitely on the right track.

The media has just given up all pretense of being non-biased.  It's more than just not reporting the whole story, it's reporting the story in order to effect the election in 3 1/2 weeks.  The means justifies the end, get rid of Bush.  They may as well be on the DNC's payroll, to wit

Last Job Count Before Election: Always a Political Number. Despite the stimulus from three rounds of tax cuts, the nation has at least 585,000 fewer jobs now than when President Bush took office. By By EDMUND L. ANDREWS. [The New York Times > Home Page]

Job Growth In U.S. Was Slowed in September. U.S. job growth slowed last month as manufacturers, airlines and retailers shed workers, the government reported Friday in its last official snapshot of the labor market before the presidential election. By Nell Henderson and Amy Joyce. [washingtonpost.com - Politics]

© Copyright 2006 Ross Calloway. Last update: 8/30/2006; 1:04:37 AM.