Leadership, Messaging, Speeches, Views on News • February 25th, 2009

Fact-checking

by Chris Lato

One thing that you can count on is that when given a big stage to speak from, most politicians find it mighty hard to avoid using some creativity in their facts, figures and versions of history.  So, while President Obama knows how to deliver a speech, and every reasonable American should be pulling for him to succeed, it’s always good to do a bit of fact-checking.  

Bottom line: last night’s address to Congress and the nation not detail-heavy. In fact, some may have been disappointed by the lack of detail, but all that comes later. Obama was doing nothing new in that sense. And these deep economic problems won’t be solved overnight, no matter how much some want to believe that all our president has to do is wave a magic wand and our national nightmare is over.

Yet, as is being made increasingly clear, the giant, bold steps that President Obama is taking mean that he will ‘own’ this economy soon enough. As hundreds of billions of dollars are spent under his watch in an effort to spur a quick turnaround, the clock is ticking on the president’s ability to blame his predecessors for the current predicament.

In a poll taken before last night’s speech, President Obama’s approval rating is taking a bit of a dip. We’ll see soon what the public made of Obama’s address. Even some Wisconsin Democrats are getting mighty impatient with the president failing to live up to his campaign promises on Iraq/Afghanistan. Post-campaign reality can be tough to swallow, particularly for those who assumed that Obama was somehow above that reality.

Also, as more naysayers line up against Obama’s mortgage bailout, is it just me or does it seem as though the public was perhaps more accepting of a big-money bailout for banks and the auto industry? Yet, the idea that your fiscally irresponsible neighbor may get a piece of the stimulus action is more than a lot of people can bear.

Is it that people are trained to believe politicians only look out for their big-business cronies? They’re mythic in size, while you know the guy down the street who may get a handout for buying a bigger house than you, with the nice marble counters and the fully furnished basement and the concrete driveway.

Don’t get me wrong: the housing bailout IS deeply troubling. On the face of it, it appears to reward those who made terrible decisions – using your taxpayer dollars to tell them there are no consequences for their actions.

The scope of these bailouts - the huge amounts being handed out while lacking perceived oversight - is now sinking in. People are starting to see through it, or at least ask more questions.

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