12 Comments Add your own

• 1. Kaus  |  April 7th, 2008 at 12:44 pm

  I would like to see a comparison of Democratic Presidents to equivalent ‘democratic’ leaders in other countries….like Robert Mugabe and Hugo Chavez.

• 2. Pat Cunningham  |  April 7th, 2008 at 5:32 pm

  What’s your point, Kaus? What do Mugabe and Chavez have to do with the subject at hand? Why do you call them “democratic leaders”? Why don’t you try to dispute the point about Democratic U.S. presidents vs. Republicans with regard to the U.S. economy? Why don’t you bring up Rev. Wright again? You usually do. I could write a post about the sex lives of llamas, and you’d find a way to bring up Rev. Wright. Why not here?

• 3. Kaus  |  April 7th, 2008 at 6:56 pm

  I’m all talked out regarding Rev. Wright till at least September. In the mean time, let’s talk about the statistics your Daily Kos clown did on the Democratic leaders being better for the economy.

  First…this is the second time you’ve brought this subject up. Almost as many times as I’ve brought up the true story of Reverend Wright hating white people.

  Second…have you ever heard of Inferential statistics which are used to model patterns in the data, accounting for randomness and drawing inferences about the larger population?

  Your buddy who did the analysis needs more patterns. By using political ideology more resembling Obama and Hilary, I’ve recommended Chavez and Mugabe as additional patterns. How long will it take Chavez to destroy his country’s economy? 2 years, 4 years, 8?

  I like your idea regarding the llamas.

• 4. Pat Cunningham  |  April 7th, 2008 at 7:53 pm

  Show me the data proving that Republican presidents do better than Democrats with the economy. I’ll be waiting.

• 5. Pat Cunningham  |  April 7th, 2008 at 7:55 pm

  By the way, Kaus, what Daily Kos clown are you referring to? I didn’t cite anything from Kos in this post.

• 6. Kaus  |  April 7th, 2008 at 8:28 pm

  I\’m still waiting for you to refute my statements on rising sea levels and global warming. I don’t know about Republican presidents…because we don’t have enough test cases and haven’t identified all the factors that may be coincidence. I do know in my heart and soul that capitalism is better than socialism. My pocket book does too…the tax rate in Europe should be a warning to you.

• 7. Mike Carroll  |  April 8th, 2008 at 9:27 am

  Pat-I’ve seen you make this claim for years and I still don’t buy it. The numbers always assume that you measure the performance of the economy in a static method, ie, the performance within a given timeframe (in this case administrations) without taking into effect the economy inherited or bequeathed. As an example, Reagan inherited a disaster of an economy from Peanuts (remember stagflation?) and the cure was painful. Nixon adopted a favorite liberal economic theory with price controls and shot himself and the economy in the foot. W inherited the aftermath of a bubble (dot com) and a recession from Bubba and it looks like he may bequeath the same to his successor. Thank you Federal Reserve.
  Sorry, the measurement you rely on is too simplistic.

• 8. Pat Cunningham  |  April 8th, 2008 at 9:35 am

  Michael: The bequeathing factor you mention is covered in Kevin Drum’s analysis in the piece to which I linked. He writes that “the evidence that Democratic administrations provide higher growth is surprisingly robust. And it’s not just growth: Democratic presidents also provide lower inflation, lower unemployment, higher stock market growth, and lower inequality — and they do so regardless of whether you build a lag time into the analysis to account for the time it takes for economic policies to have an effect.”

• 9. Mike Carroll  |  April 8th, 2008 at 10:42 am

  Pat-Your favorite economist, Paul Krugman, doesn’t buy it either-much as he might like to.

• 10. Pat Cunningham  |  April 8th, 2008 at 11:06 am

  By the way, Mike, your comment No. 7 above was the 1,000th comment this blog has received (including my witty rejoinders) since Applesauce launched on Jan. 6. I’d like to say we have a wonderful prize for you, but we don’t. You’ll have to settle for this sincere expression of gratitude.

• 11. Mike Carroll  |  April 8th, 2008 at 12:27 pm

  That’s OK Pat-a one year paid subscription to The Nation would be lost on me. Glad to see that your site is attracting more and more commentary. I think I have even spotted another Conservative or two.

• 12. Pat Cunningham  |  April 8th, 2008 at 12:42 pm

  Hey, the more conservatives the merrier. The contrast they provide makes me look even smarter.

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