Cashin' In, the Fox "News" weekend program hosted by Eric Bolling features several GOP pundits and the lone sane Democrat or two, who are always railroaded by the vociferous right-wingers on the panel. The people at this network are desperately trying to minimize any and all accomplishments of the Obama Administration, whereas similar tribulations by a GOP White House would be shouts from the rooftops. When it's a Democratic administration, the rules simply don't apply.
Ex-MASH star, Wayne Rogers began with his take on the fact, according to Bolling's graphic, that median household income, since 2007, is down 6.5 percent. You can't argue with those facts, they both agree. Then comes the questions for Juan Williams, the Liberal pundit. He asks him what, if anything is better off now than we were 8 years ago? Williams says,
"Oh my gosh, do you want me to go through the numbers? As Wayne says, let's look at the statistics. The unemployment level, 5.1 percent. I think Mitt Romney said he was hoping to get it down to six. Let's talk about gas prices.'
At that point, Bolling felt compelled to interrupt and explain to Williams that the figure 5.1 percent doesn't include all the people who have given up, or are underemployed. Williams reminds him that the way the unemployment figures are determined have not changed, even though the standards applied to Republican administrations are far more lenient. Bolling and Rogers were proud of the following graphic that went back to 1978 to match the same low workforce participation rate. What they fail to mention was the range of the graph is only 4.5 percent difference max.
Bolling tries to negate the facts of the unemployment phenomenon that this administration has overseen. He also doesn't want to talk about gas prices, because it is only open for discussion when the prices are at record highs, and only if it's a Democrat who happens to be there. If a Republican is in office, the low prices are, once again, touted as a massive win and it's shouted from the rooftops.
Michelle Fields chimes in that the unemployment is not any better because everyone has just given up looking for work. What she meant is that the "welfare president" encourages people to simply go on welfare. The lower rates of uninsured are a direct consequence of the forcing "Obamacare" on people and thus, employers aren't hiring as much. Williams already provided evidence that her assumption is completely baseless, but they are of the opinion that if you say it enough, it will become true.
Jessica Tarlov, who is sort of a liberal, says that the weak recovery
is fit for the kind of economy he inherited.
The right-wingers moaned and groaned at this comment, and she said, rather comically,
"I'm sorry to bring up George Bush (crosstalk and groans) so much of this IS George Bush's fault."
The problem Bolling has is that Obama is sending out tweets to the effect that things are much improved, and Tarlov caved and said that bragging about that is not a good idea, as many people aren't feeling the recovery.
Jonathan Hoenig agreed, and said that the poverty rate, food stamp usage, all types of entitlement costs, and black unemployment went up. Bolling asked Juan, of course, to offer his opinion on Black unemployment. He tried to explain that the rate of Black unemployment is no worse than it was, in proportion, to other times. Then the group asked Juan why the "first Black President" didn't help Black Americans and of course, Juan tried to explain that the president adhered to a Reagan principle that a rising tide lifts all boats. If the president specifically helped only Black people, could you imagine the cries of outrage and favoritism from the Right?
Finally, Michelle Fields, as per usual, talks about "the failed policies of this administration" and his attempts at raising the minimum wage are hurting the economy. She bases this on something she pulled out of her posterior. There are no indications that exist that the minimum wage being elevated causes any economic hardship. Thank goodness they had to leave it there.
