Cavuto Claims the Terrible Jobs Report and the Doom & Gloom About the Economy Are Myths Perpetuated by Democrats & the "Liberal" Media
Reported by Melanie - April 4, 2008 -
Roughly 20 minutes into his "business news" show, Fox business honcho, Neil Cavuto got around to reporting about (well, sort of) the 80,000 jobs lost last month.
He opened the segment with video of Hillary Clinton saying she feels "like Paulette Revere — the recession is coming, the recession is coming!"
Cavuto's response? "Maybe, but technically, not yet senator. Ah, Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and Harry Reid jumping all over today's jobs numbers. They were dropping last month; unemployment rising slightly. Matt McCall says the Democrats aren't getting their wish. He is with Penn Financial Group. Amaya Smith says the numbers don't lie. She's a Democratic strategist. So you, Amaya, you're saying these numbers confirm we're going to hell in a handbasket?"
Amaya said no, "but if you're one of the few people who don't think this economy is in trouble, I think you're extremely out of touch with the American people. All you have to do is look at the mortgage crisis, look at the record numbers of foreclosures. These recent job numbers show unemployment is at a high for two years..."
Cavuto interrupted: "Amaya, could I ask you, could I ask you a question? How many mortgages do you think, in this country — percentage — are being paid on time?"
Amaya: "Well, I'm not sure onthe specific number Neil but I think this shows..."
Cavuto, yelling, interrupts again: "I ask you that question — I ask you that question Amaya because 95% are!"
(Over talk between Cavuto and Amaya.)
After making Smith look like she doesn't know what she's talking about, Cavuto turns to McCall (who he doesn't interrupt) and asks whether we have "the numbers" to "back up the doom and gloom talk?"
McCall, a regular "contributor" to Fox News said, "No, I don't think they do. This is such a short term snapshot...that's not the way the world works. Look at this in the grand scheme of things. We've created a ton of jobs. Over 500,000 over the last 12 months..." (We need to create 100,000 per month to keep up with population growth.)
Cavuto said, but the "perception is not what it was."
Then Fox showed a graph reflecting one question of a New York Times/CBS News poll in which 72% (compared to 27%) said the financial situation in their household was good. Cavuto turned to Smith and said when people talk "about themselves, they're okay. What do you make of that?"
Smith said in a New York Times poll (apparently not knowing Cavuto just showed a result from that same poll) showed that, "81% of people think this country is going in the wrong direction." She said most people don't see themselves as poor, a little like most people dislike congress but like their own representative.
Cavuto turned it over to McCall. McCall said the New York Times is taking a "small percentage and they're taking the liberal media and the Democrats and they're accentuating the small percentages to, obviously, help the candidates...and they're doing a great job doing it."
Among the chyrons that alternated during the segment were these: "Economy Sheds 80,000 Jobs in March," and "Economiy Gains 536,000 Jobs in Past Year."
Comment: Don't forget - this segment was all about spinning (out into the stratosphere, never to be seen again) the loss of 80,000 jobs last month (check the link above for news about downward revisions to job losses in January and February). Fox's psychologists, who obviously specialize in devious, mind bending, brainwashing tactics, earned their pay on this one. They can pat each other on the back tonight and say, TGIF. Job well done. We've suckered "the folks" again!
