“Four years ago, America stood on the brink of a depression. Despite incredible odds and united Republican opposition, our president took action. And now we’ve seen 4.5 million new jobs.”

— San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro, in the keynote address

Castro takes a debatable talking point from the Obama campaign — that 4.5 million private sector jobs have been created since February 2010 (a year after the president’s stimulus bill was passed into law) — and makes it ridiculous.

First, this statistic only includes private sector jobs, which means the decline in government jobs is simply excluded. Total jobs created in the United States from February 2010 is 4 million — and it is actually still negative if you start counting from the beginning of Obama’s presidency.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, job creation in Obama’s entire presidency is either minus 300,000 or plus 160,000, depending on whether you date his presidency from January or February. (NOTE: This is an corrected figure from an early-morning post.)

Second, February 2010 is a cherry-picked month that puts Obama’s job creation record in the best possible light. The end of the recession, June 2009, would be a more logical date from which to start counting jobs created; that would reduce the total to 3.4 million (for private sector jobs) or 2.7 million (for all jobs).

Finally, the U.S. population keeps growing, meaning the economy has to keep creating more than 100,000 jobs each month just to keep pace. By that measure, Obama is in a hole no matter when you start counting.

*Just a snippet of the whole text.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/fact-checker/post/fact-checking-the-opening-night-of-the-democratic-convention/2012/09/05/ec50ad84-f73d-11e1-8b93-c4f4ab1c8d13_blog.html?wpisrc=nl_politics

First, this statistic only includes private sector jobs



so its not actually a 'lie'?


If I cooked a dozen cookies and my family ate four

would I then be lying to say I 'added' a dozen cookies?

Everyone bends facts for power and glory. That is why I trust NO statistics or polls. most exclude necessary facts. And trusting the GOP and DNC... I have beach front property in Montana if anyone is interested in a time share!

I do agree with the thread title though

lying is not a political issue, its a human issue, and humans with every political label do it,,,

We should just change our whole system to single term. If no one is concerned about reelection then Maybe they can do a good job.

I'd say, when they are speaking, connect them to 440 volts. If they lie or stretch the truth, they fry.

But, IMO, Hussein has perfected the art of lying.

thats actually a good idea except things are so partisan that candidates would shift their focus from winning a second term to destroying the 'legacy' of the previous term

No worries.
The Hussein legacy will make for great party jokes for decades to come.

as Ive said a dozen times before

healthcare reform
osama
troops out of Iraq
averting a second great depression
START treaty
repeal of DODT
Gaddhafi
Mubharaq
economic stimulus (if he can stay in long enough for the next guy not to get the credit for positive effects)
consumer protections
immigrant policy


..there will be plenty there for serious conversation,, but the clowns will always find something to laugh about,,

Reform that over 50% of the country doesn't like
The troops got Osama
You can't prove a depression was averted or that he was the reason.
He gets credit just for signing a bill that was started before he ever took office?
How many Americans like his immigration policy?

1. Reform splits the country pretty evenly, in favor and against'
2. The troops got Osama, but as far as PRESIDENTIAL HISTORY, it will be credited to OBAMAS term, the same way they credit presidents when they start or end wars, even though the 'troops' actually are doing the fighting
3. HISTORIANS will discuss whether a depression was averted
4. HE gets credit/blame equally, it happens for things that started before he came in office.
5. By the time HISTORIANS record his term, when affects are obvious through REFLECTION, the numbers who support it might be quite large

Nice way to dance around it, " Total jobs created in the United States from February 2010 is 4 million — and it is actually still negative if you start counting from the beginning of Obama’s presidency."


"Finally, the U.S. population keeps growing, meaning the economy has to keep creating more than 100,000 jobs each month just to keep pace. By that measure, Obama is in a hole no matter when you start counting."

Spin that. Oh and if something is not the truth, it's not a lie? What buzzword is there for it this week? I was brought up on the principle that if you don't tell the truth, then you're lying.

there is no spin, I have conceded that numbers can be nitpicked to prove any point

this very point, that the growth is still NEGATIVE (depending upon what standard we use to 'count') could be applied just as well to the argument about how much the DEBT has increased,,,


we either take one number and look at IT, or we look at it WHILE considering other factors ( in the case of job creation the other factor is job loss, in the case of debt the other factor is economic policies which often add debt OVER time as opposed to instantaneously,,,)

is there good surfing there?

I disagree. President's declare war and treaties Thus I agree to stating that is more related to government. Missions however when it comes to information gathering and actually doing them, that is the people in the field.

even if they did create jobs, nobody is saying how many jobs were lost during that same period... i read every day how companys are laying off thousands of people at a time, and i personally know of 4 major corporations that went out of business since then.... and chevy packed up and moved to mexico, so does that count too?

presidents also AUTHORIZE missions,, so its not different at all

OBAMA DID NOT AVERT ANYTHING!!! it was bush that set up those bailouts, and obama jumped on the bandwagon and started patting himself on the back for what a great job he thought he did...


read the first paragraph...http://mingle2.com/topic/show/335633

and this is the nitpickery I talk about


we pick and choose dont we? we give credit for accomplishments where we want to but we dont always consistently accept BLAME for consequences of those actions when they involve FINANCES

so in the fiscal year of 2008 which ended october of 2009

if we are going to try to hold on to BUsh as responsible for policies enacted under OBama, why do we not go the distance and hold him RESPONSIBLE for the resulting addition to the DEBT

why is the FINANCIAL portion OBamas fault, but the policy results BUshs credit?



2009 was tricky because it in volved BOTH bush and OBAMA,, but people pushing their candidate dont want to aknowledge any positive in the other candidates or any negative in their own

so great, if we are not going to give CFEDIT to OBAMA for the result of the bailouts, why continue to BLAME him for the addition to the debt that resulted?

i have no idea what your talking about, bush was blamed for everything... don't even try to deny that