Government

Stumped? Obama Dodges Question on Economy, Defers to Advisors

On Friday, President Barack Obama traveled to tour Thompson Creek Manufacturing, a window manufacturing company located just outside Washington, D.C. In his prepared remarks, the president officially announced that former Clinton advisor Gene Sperling would replace Larry Summers as director of the National Economic Council. Stumped? Obama Dodges Question on Economy, Defers to Advisors

Obama also touted the latest job numbers, noting that the economy added 103,000 jobs in December and that the nation’s unemployment rate “fell sharply” from 9.8 to 9.4 percent. But when a reporter approached him after the teleprompters were turned off, the President was at a loss for words.

Politico reports:

After reading his prepared remarks on the economy at a window manufacturer on Friday, President Obama sought to take some photos with workers when a pool reporter caught up with him and asked him to explain the connection between the drop in the unemployment rate and the lower-than-expected number of jobs added in December.

Obama’s response, according to the pool:

“You know, you’ve got to talk to Austan Goolsbee. That’s his job.”

Obama then posed for some photos.

Comments (134)

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  • krenshau
    Posted on January 7, 2011 at 11:43pm

    The unemployment rate fell because people stopped looking for jobs.

    Report Post »  
  • beebacksoon
    Posted on January 7, 2011 at 11:22pm

    He has to have his puppet masters nearby…otherwise, he can’t function.
    I feel sorry for his children. Did anyone notice, when they finally came back from Hawaii, and exited the plane, the youngest daugher did not want to hold Obama’s hand? She looked at the ground the whole time, and he looked back and grabbed her hand. The oldest daughter is always at her mother’s side. I wonder if the girls know the majority of Americans loathe their father, for his agenda for America. Doubt it. Queen Michelle protects them from the truth.

    Report Post »  
    • JN
      Posted on January 8, 2011 at 1:16am

      Don’t bring his kids into this. That’s low. Focus on the man’s policies, but personal attacks no matter how true will get you nowhere and are in poor taste.

      Report Post » JN  
    • JN
      Posted on January 8, 2011 at 1:17am

      Don’t bring his kids into this. Attack the man for his politics, don’t resort to ad hominem. It’s in bad taste, and should not even be bothered with. You can prove your point more effectively otherwise.

      Report Post » JN  
  • ConservativeFeminist
    Posted on January 7, 2011 at 11:16pm

    Genius? Now we know why he has his college transcripts sealed by his own Presidential Executive Order.

    Report Post » ConservativeFeminist  
  • rvflier
    Posted on January 7, 2011 at 11:01pm

    I think he doesn‘t know or won’t admit that the reason the numbers are improving is that the consumer and business confidence level improved a great deal when the Repubs won Congress back, just wait till they really do what they said they would, the economy will really start to come back strong and the idiot will claim it was all his policy and spending that turned it around. His cool aid crowd will basque in his success. The media all seem to be missing this point alltogether.

    Report Post »  
    • JN
      Posted on January 8, 2011 at 1:15am

      I would have to disagree with you. While it would make sense in the long run for business’s to gain confidence back, there is still plenty of uncertainty in the free market right now and no smart business would take the kind of risks needed to bring unemployment down .04 percent would do this so rapidly, especially since republicans are still recovering from their early 2000′s reputation of spending too much. I’m fairly certain that unemployment has dropped down for another reason or many reasons

      Report Post » JN  
  • LadyIzShy
    Posted on January 7, 2011 at 10:53pm

    what ever happned to the buck stops here?

    I am ashamed of this president.

    Report Post » LadyIzShy  
  • 1admiral
    Posted on January 7, 2011 at 10:47pm

    He should know the figures in his sleep. He is worthless without a script in front of him. He is told what to say every step of the way…

    Report Post »  
  • buckeye0720
    Posted on January 7, 2011 at 10:41pm

    God deliver us from this arrogant communist. He needs a prompter just to put together a coherent sentence. It’s so bad, the thrill doesn’t get past my toe…

    Report Post »  
    • lobster
      Posted on January 8, 2011 at 8:37am

      At his news conferences he uses a teleprompter.. Dumb as a stump.. Oh shoot, I shouldn’t be so hard on the stumps…

      Report Post »  
  • TrueToTheCoreAmerican
    Posted on January 7, 2011 at 10:37pm

    This piece of work of a president couldn‘t answer a serious question without a prepared statement by Soro’s or one of his other socialist buddies. He not only IS a lousy orator but a STUPID one at that.

    This country currently has the most unqualified president it has ever had and the cult zombies that follow him, well, there is no hope for them either.

    Report Post »  
  • Deda1
    Posted on January 7, 2011 at 10:36pm

    This man is so unqualified. I would love to see his college grades.

    Report Post »  
  • Ralmoz22
    Posted on January 7, 2011 at 10:34pm

    WOW. So sad. God help us.

    Report Post » Ralmoz22  
  • Marylou7
    Posted on January 7, 2011 at 10:33pm

    What? Where was his Blackberry or his teleprompter?

    Report Post » Marylou7  
  • Moonbat
    Posted on January 7, 2011 at 10:29pm

    Every President gets pictures taken with people (as evinced by all the pictures of Presidents with people) and no President takes questions from reporters while doing it. This is not a story.

    Report Post »  
    • Rickfromillinois
      Posted on January 7, 2011 at 10:39pm

      Riiiiiiggggghhhht. Nothing here to see. Keep moving.

      Report Post » Rickfromillinois  
    • Moonbat
      Posted on January 7, 2011 at 11:29pm

      @ Rick

      The thing to see is the actual economy, and not what happened at somebody’s photo op. This story is just a political swipe.

      Report Post »  
  • B4B
    Posted on January 7, 2011 at 10:06pm

    I’ve always been amazed how the fawning press calls Pres Obama a “great orator” . He’s lost without his prompter. Perhaps he’d be better suited to reading the local Chicago TV nightly news?

    Report Post »  
    • Marylou7
      Posted on January 7, 2011 at 10:33pm

      I love your response……so true. lol

      Report Post » Marylou7  
    • beebacksoon
      Posted on January 7, 2011 at 11:27pm

      B4B: And BHO doesn’t even WRITE his own teleprompter lies! Who writes his stuff?

      Report Post »  
    • dawgPound
      Posted on January 8, 2011 at 12:28am

      Yep he’s the first and only president of the US to read his speeches from a telepromptor….except for all the other ones who did it too.

      Report Post » dawgPound  
  • Tyrone
    Posted on January 7, 2011 at 10:05pm

    Off Camera: The Messiah to reporter, ” My job is to read this thingamajig, pose for pictures and hurry back to the white house for more instructions from Axlehead.”

    Report Post »  
  • JayJay2888
    Posted on January 7, 2011 at 10:03pm

    So……..after adding 103,000 jobs, unemployment droped four tenths of a percent? By my calculations, that would mean there are only……2.5 million people out of work? But there is another problem, how does 2.5 million people add up to a 9.4% unemployment rate, if the population of the U.S. stands at around 300 to 310 million people? As I see it, there are only two answers to this problem.

    1) There are actually many more jobs out there available, but people have just been to lazy to go get them until now.

    2) Obama once again lied through his teeth to the American people, and thinks that we are all to dumb to figure out the he is full of it.

    I’m going with answer number two.

    Report Post »  
    • Moonbat
      Posted on January 7, 2011 at 10:22pm

      @ JayJay

      Neither, really. Unemployment dropped by more than the number of jobs added — a lot of people have given up looking for work. The numbers were disappointing, and I don’t think anybody, including the administration, is saying anything any different. The analysis I just gave you is what they were saying on NPR tonight.

      Further, the way we count unemployment is pretty faked up anyway. Every administration, D or R, has an interest in lower unemployment, so we keep changing the rules to count fewer people as unemployed, and we’ve been doing it for decades. The nine-point-whatever we’ve got going right now could be functionally the same as much higher numbers in our history.

      Report Post »  
    • CatB
      Posted on January 7, 2011 at 10:24pm

      What I heard today was that 500,000 (around that number) have dropped off the count in the last month .. those who gave up, unemployment ran out discouraged, underemployed … etc. So if they were not counted and there were a few jobs created it is still a NET LOSS. Just looks better on paper .. maybe if more drop off he can get the number up .. BUT the REAL number continues to climb.

      Report Post »  
    • JayJay2888
      Posted on January 7, 2011 at 10:40pm

      @MOONBAT

      I agree with you, I was just being stupid while trying to show how ridiculous Obama is, and that he is nothing but a liar. I realize that the actual unemployment number is well into the double digits, but for Obama to claim he is successful while using numbers that don’t match up is just hilarious to me.

      Report Post »  
    • Moonbat
      Posted on January 7, 2011 at 11:23pm

      But JayJay, Obama’s not claiming success. I think the consensus, even among the most diehard Democrats, is that whatever positive economic indicators we‘ve had recently haven’t translated into meaningful job growth. The Blaze is making an implication here that’s just not true.

      And more importantly, while we’re arguing the politics of the situation, the guy down the street is losing his house. There are deep, deep problems here that we won’t solve by taking shots at each other.

      Report Post »  
    • lobster
      Posted on January 8, 2011 at 8:34am

      Remember the rocket scientists in Washington do not include those in the building industry as they are all self-employed. With a drop of 77% in new housing starts there is an unemployment figure of 77% in the building trades. Since we’ve exported all our manufacturing jobs overseas, 44%+ of our gross domestic product is related to housing…. We are pooped on again….

      Report Post »  
  • Suki
    Posted on January 7, 2011 at 10:02pm

    Anything not written on a teleprompter is above his pay-grade.

    Report Post » Suki  
    • toxic_freedom
      Posted on January 8, 2011 at 1:23am

      I wish I had that sorta pay just to read, if they wanted I would even consider doing accents!

      Report Post » toxic_freedom  
  • NoMoreGray
    Posted on January 7, 2011 at 10:01pm

    Now ask him if he knows what’s in the healthcare law.

    Report Post »  
    • cheezwhiz
      Posted on January 7, 2011 at 10:25pm

      Maybe Bill0 will ask him that when Hussain sits down for interview wearing flame-retardant pants

      Report Post » cheezwhiz  
    • NancyBee
      Posted on January 8, 2011 at 6:14pm

      I know he doesn‘t know what’s in the healthcare bill. He just makes it up as he goes along.

      Report Post » NancyBee  
  • NUTN2SAY
    Posted on January 7, 2011 at 10:00pm

    Not only is this guy an illegal president! He’s an incompetent illegal president! More likely the worst illegal president! But it‘s more like he’s not even a president of any sort legal or illegal. It’s more like he is just a hired spokesperson for a business corporation and a bad one at that too!

    Report Post »  
    • TheRealElvis
      Posted on January 7, 2011 at 10:19pm

      That would be undocumented President. Not illegal.

      Report Post »  
    • benrush
      Posted on January 7, 2011 at 10:49pm

      Likely there was more voter fraud than we realize in the last election.

      Report Post »  
    • benrush
      Posted on January 7, 2011 at 10:50pm

      We really need a more thorough screening of our voting process. This man shows up with no papers and a bunch of union and foreign money, and we bend over and go along with any old marxist tune he cares to sing.

      Report Post »  
    • dawgPound
      Posted on January 8, 2011 at 12:24am

      “BIRTHER ALERT!! BIRTHER ALERT!!” Try not to start a post with a birther statement, it makes everything you write after it completely unreadable.

      Report Post » dawgPound  
  • cat48
    Posted on January 7, 2011 at 9:59pm

    What an absolute, total idiot this BO is. His handlers should not let him run around too much in public. Who in their right mind would want a picture of him???

    Report Post »  
  • chips1
    Posted on January 7, 2011 at 9:58pm

    Obummer was STUMPED. Was that a quote from Michelle.

    Report Post »  
    • Oh, God!
      Posted on January 7, 2011 at 10:41pm

      That was a good one. Had a lot of come backs, but probably would not pass the censor test. thanks for the laugh.

      Report Post » Oh, God!  
  • thejackal
    Posted on January 7, 2011 at 9:57pm

    LOL what a total douce this guy is, “Ask what’s his face, that’s his job…. I’m just gonna stand here and get my picture taken.’ What a total empty suit this POS is. I can’t believe he is our president, it‘s f’n scary!

    Report Post » thejackal  
  • Rn mom
    Posted on January 7, 2011 at 9:56pm

    Another “jobs” debacle. Nothing like our POTUS running his mouth to the beat of the teleprompter to send a thrill UP my leg!

    Report Post » RN MOM  
  • fauxcajun
    Posted on January 7, 2011 at 9:54pm

    Hahahahahahahahahahaha!

    Report Post »  
    • knotaclu
      Posted on January 8, 2011 at 10:55am

      oh come on people, give the guy a break. That question was above his pay grade….

      Report Post »  
  • grandmaof5
    Posted on January 7, 2011 at 9:53pm

    Still clueless in the White House with all his people bailing on him he can’t think for himself. Still maintain he hasn’t run the WH or made decisions from day one. The rats are jumping ship.

    Report Post »  
    • broker0101
      Posted on January 7, 2011 at 10:00pm

      GRANDMAOF5, your beautiful grandchildren really miss you and wish that you didn’t spend all your time glued to your computer chatting online with strangers. They feel like you care more about the computer than you do about them and it makes them very sad. I agree with them and I understand their sadness.

      broker0101  
    • cheezwhiz
      Posted on January 7, 2011 at 10:02pm

      Obama also touted the latest job numbers, noting that the economy added 103,000 jobs in December
      —————————-

      You mean in the Holiday season ?
      No $h1t Sherlock :D

      Report Post » cheezwhiz  
    • Papahall08
      Posted on January 7, 2011 at 10:07pm

      HEY HEY HEY, lay off President Obama, He is swamped right now and hasn’t had a vacation since…

      Report Post »  
    • 8jrts
      Posted on January 7, 2011 at 10:08pm

      BHO reminds me most times of a ventriloquist’s dummy. When the master pulls his hand out of BHO’s butt, his mouth stops moving.
      ______________________________

      the master; one of many such as: spooky dude, gavel girl Pelosi, reckless Reed….the list goes on.

      Report Post » 8jrts  
    • CatB
      Posted on January 7, 2011 at 10:11pm

      broke … I guess you are saying no one is missing you ..

      Report Post »  
    • GeorgieJo
      Posted on January 7, 2011 at 10:23pm

      Grandma
      BHO can make decisions regarding his golf game and shooting hoops
      Plus he gives congrats to Mike Vick
      Billy Clinton is really running the country and we all know what a great job he did (Where is Marc Rich?)
      I’m sure your grandkids are proud of you for fighting for this country
      Let all the libbytards invest their time in whining

      God Bless America

      Report Post »  
    • AzDebi
      Posted on January 7, 2011 at 10:23pm

      Hey Grandma…don’t worry…he’s already made a plan to cover his total “cluelessness”…he’s gonna be on the 24/7 Campaign Trail soon and he won’t be “home” to be bothered with these pesky details anymore!

      Report Post » AzDebi  
    • Rickfromillinois
      Posted on January 7, 2011 at 10:36pm

      Wow Broker, you really are a sleazebag. I wonder how many people consider you a typical example of all progressives? I will give them the benefit of the doubt and just consider you a huge scumbag even for them.

      Report Post » Rickfromillinois  
    • Showtime
      Posted on January 7, 2011 at 10:48pm

      @Grandmaof5 –

      Broker0101 is just jealous because you’re smarter than he is! He likes talking down to people, but he gets upset when he gets smacked back!

      Report Post » Showtime  
    • jbl8199
      Posted on January 8, 2011 at 9:39am

      @broker0101 give it up already. You fail as a troll.

      Report Post » jbl8199  
    • lionslayer44
      Posted on January 9, 2011 at 1:45am

      hey broker was that you running down chris mathews leg?

      Report Post » lionslayer44  
  • CatB
    Posted on January 7, 2011 at 9:51pm

    LOL . “after the teleprompters were turned off” …. ROFL .. typical.

    Report Post »  
    • grandmaof5
      Posted on January 7, 2011 at 10:18pm

      BROKER0101, if it were any of your business, which it is not, I would tell you to worry about your own use of time and brain matter and not worry about me. My grandchildren live hours away from me so I don’t think they care if I am on the computer or not, but thanks for your continuing concern. I thought we settled this a month or so ago but I guess you have been so busy minding other people’s business that you forgot.

      Report Post »  
    • Kurty C Wipe
      Posted on January 7, 2011 at 10:19pm

      Barry, you need another vacation, leave town. Less damage to us the better..

      Report Post » Kurty C Wipe  
    • AzDebi
      Posted on January 7, 2011 at 10:21pm

      Oops…I thought the headline read “Stupid”…not Stumped…Stupid would have been more appropriate!

      Report Post » AzDebi  
    • Showtime
      Posted on January 7, 2011 at 10:43pm

      @Grandmaof5

      Grandma, it looks to me that Broker0101 would have seen enough Maxine cartoons to have learned not to mess with women, especially if we are old!

      @Broker0101, are you STILL trying to work somebody else’s program? You sound like somebody who drinks. You like to criticize others while still drawing attention to yourself by doing so. That is known as a character defect that needs working on.

      I spent this afternoon reading thoughts of George Washington. I was amazed at the emphasis he placed on manners and such. One thing he said was to put your feet together when sitting, not one foot out ahead of the other and the legs were not to be crossed.

      He also said that when one disagrees with another, it should be done in a polite manner. Also, in public, the hands were not to be placed on the body not discovered (not visible). No one was more highly respected than George Washington.

      Report Post » Showtime  
    • jzs
      Posted on January 7, 2011 at 10:50pm

      Dang, Glenn Beck dropped from another radio station because of poor ratings:

      http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2011/01/04/2011-01-04_glenn_beck_dropped_by_new_yorks_wor_radio_station_over_poor_ratings_replaced_by_.html

      Report Post » jzs  
    • MiketheTrucker
      Posted on January 7, 2011 at 11:16pm

      The reason he doesn‘t know is because he’s a communist. He knows NOTHING about free market economy except that it’s a source of money to fund his handouts.

      Report Post »  
    • Ironmaan
      Posted on January 7, 2011 at 11:32pm

      Is is surprising that a socialist knows nothing about the economy in a capitalist society? The answer to the pool reporters question is simple. Because the economy needs 150,000 jobs created per month to keep up with new people entering the work force and only 103,000 were created, the drop in unemployment is due to people giving up looking for a job and dropping out of the work force, thus the “improved” number 9.4%. Its getting worse folks, not better.
      http://guerillatics.com

      Report Post »  
    • Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra
      Posted on January 8, 2011 at 12:26am

      If you listen, you can hear “If I only had a brain” playing in the background. I guess Jeff Dunham wasn’t close enough to throw his voice.

      Report Post » Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra  
    • Curator_JDR
      Posted on January 8, 2011 at 12:38am

      WOW. Obama can’t very well admit that people who are dropped from unemployment rolls are not counted in the job statistics. We might have just as well elected a hot air balloon President — same result.

      This hilarious animated web video lays into the Progressives and gives us a new symbol (weapon) to fight them — the “head-up-the-butt” person. http://www.marcrubin.com/hairmerica.ivnu

      Report Post » Curator_JDR  
    • JN
      Posted on January 8, 2011 at 1:09am

      @JZS He‘s still number 3 in the nation so what’s the big deal?

      Report Post » JN  
    • jbl8199
      Posted on January 8, 2011 at 7:51am

      That’s always the best time to interview Obama, because then he shows his true colors.

      Report Post » jbl8199  
    • mtnclimberjim
      Posted on January 8, 2011 at 8:00am

      He would only be there because it was union. Has he ever supported or visited a non union shop? God help me, I hate the unions so bad.

      Report Post » mtnclimberjim  
    • ubuibi
      Posted on January 8, 2011 at 10:32am

      ROFLMAO @ JZS……Yep, dance puppet dance….you go ahead and believe that a radio station that is owned by a bigtime ******* is cancelling Beck because of low ratings….you’re such a good little puppet. The same with the station in Philly, but go ahead and be a good little puppet and believe the huffpo, instead of looking at the TRUTH (I know this is a strange concept to puppets) for example, the philly station is switching completely from a talk format, and the NY station is replacing Beck with Madcow (showing their ******* idiocy)!!!
      You‘re such a good puppet to believe them when they say it’s because of low ratings, dance, little puppet dance….ROFLMFAO!!!!!

      Report Post »  
    • bostonchris
      Posted on January 8, 2011 at 4:16pm

      http://www.ronpaul2012.net/

      sign petition for ron paul

      Report Post »  
    • ricklap
      Posted on January 8, 2011 at 11:57pm

      Want to stump him again? Ask him about the Constitution. Bet you he has NO clue!

      Report Post »  
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