Brit Hume: 2010 May Look Like ‘94
Veteran newsman Brit Hume says Democrats are in “fairly serious trouble” because unemployment–the most important economic indicator in political terms–is likely to remain above 10 percent through 2010. Speaking at a Dallas luncheon today, the senior political commentator for FOX News (pictured) also said most Americans are more concerned with budget deficits than with reforming health care, especially after passage of the “bloated, reckless,” $787 billion stimulus bill. While President Obama has bet the ranch on health reform, Hume said, the public believes the reform tab will only worsen the deficit at a time when they’re “really worried about it.”
The president has pressed so hard on health care–and on other initiatives like climate-change legislation–because he knows that, with next year’s elections looming, it’s now or never, the newsman said. So, “what will President Obama do if he and his party suffer major losses next year?” Hume asked. He doubts the “quite liberal” president will move to the right, as Bill Clinton did after Democrats were rousted in the 1994 elections, but “that’s a decision [Obama] will face,” he said. Hume was guest speaker at the Salvation Army’s annual Doing the Most Good luncheon at the Anatole.
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I love that man
Why didn’t they just roll out a TV and put it on Fox News while you enjoyed your lunch?
The “public believes” health care reform will worsen the deficit because….HUME KEEPS TELLING THE PUBLIC IT IS TRUE.
Wishful thinking about 2010. In 1994, they had a man (or men) with a plan. The had strong leaders, a message and a vision. Unfortunately, now the Republicans are shooting blanks in the ideas and leaders department.
Healthcare will not be defeated because the Repubs can only say, “it’s a bad idea,” vs. “it’s a bad idea, and here is our idea to reduce overall costs (and keep voters, not the whole population, covered).”
If Keith Olbermann or Bill Maher came to speak at a luncheon, would Glenn go and blog about it? That’s fair and balanced, right?
@Tom: You betcha!
The Bush Administration was “bloated and reckless”, hence our current economic state, but biased Fox News would never come near to acknowledging that.
but could either olbermann and maher speak intelligently without a script? besides neither of those are news journalists
I remember when FrontBurner was a place where I could come and get a fresh take on news relating to the city of Dallas. Honestly, if you’re trying to build an exciting product and carve out some sort of market share for yourselves, contributors like Glenn Hunter aren’t going to cut it. I see his name in a byline and know that he’s: a) “reporting” from some right-leaning event, b) recycling a press release, or c) damning the entirety of DART because his car was broken into.
“[Hume] said most Americans are more concerned with budget deficits than with reforming health care, especially after passage of the ‘bloated, reckless,’ $787 billion stimulus bill.”
Let’s be clear here. If Glenn got that quote correct, that is a talking point for Hume and Fox News. That is not a fact. I would hate for your readers to accept it as one.
Glenn, please provide a link that supports that statement. I couldn’t find one. What I did find is a recent IPSOS poll that showed this:
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When Americans are asked to rank the priority that their political leaders should be placing on various issues on the US domestic agenda, the federal budget deficit falls well off the pace for those who want unemployment to be a very high priority:
* Unemployment and jobs (68%)
* Economic growth (53%)
* Terrorism/war (50%)
* Healthcare (49%)
* Federal budget deficit (48%)
* Taxes (38%)
* Weak dollar (37%)
For Democrats, the priority list for their political representatives is topped with the issue of high unemployment (72%), followed by healthcare (62%), economic growth (53%), terrorism/war (44%), Federal budget deficit (37%), weak dollar (34%) and taxes (30%).
For Republicans, the priority list for their political representatives is also topped by unemployment and jobs (63%), but then is followed by the Federal budget deficit (60%), terrorism/war (59%), economic growth (53%–tied with Democrats), taxes (48%), a weak dollar (40%) and healthcare (31%).
(from http://www.ipsos-na.com/news/pressrelease.cfm?id=4584)
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Looks like healthcare and the federal budget deficit are equal among “most Americans.”
But Republicans aren’t “most Americans,” though that’s what FOX News wants to push.
I do it interesting, and quite telling, that Republicans suddenly think the deficit matters. Where where for the last eight years?
@PeterK, have you watched C-Span lately? All of the hearings on Stimulous money, bringing the terrorist to New York for trial, which, by the way already happened to another terrorist and the trial was in Virginia 15 miles from the Pentagon and neither party objected, and of course the Health Plan hearings? Check it out, those old farts not only can’t speak without a speech written by their staff (kids), they can’t READ the speech. So, Maher and Olbermann are as much news journalists as Hannity and for sure Rush – Bush couldn’t speak intelligently no matter what. So before you condemn anyone, watch our Government “at work”, it’s way better than Dallas Divas, Cougars, anything on TV.
First Trey tried to out-Mark Mark Davis and now Glenn is trying to. Why don’t you 3 meet in Main Street park, have it out, pic a head honcho, and leave the rest of us alone?
I thought Cheney told us that deficits don’t matter. He said that Reagan “proved” it. Two populist war heroes can’t be wrong!
P.S. Trey Garrison is at least amusingly nutty, and of course Wick Allison is ever entertainingly pompous. Glenn needs a schtick if he wants his boilerplate Republican talking points to fly.
It’s true that the Dems have problems, and they certainly have the ability to screw up their chances come November. However the thing I never see in these “The Democrats are in Trouble” stories is the fact that as uncomfortable the electorate is with Democrats right now, they still despise Republicans.
Perhaps an agenda would help the GOP? Naw, better to just pout because you lost an election and hope the “I hate Obama” bus will take you back to power. Not likely, though, since the House just passed Health Care Reform with 39 Dem defectors. Show me 40 House seats the GOP will flip next year. Not going to happen.
I love the clueless liberals that post on here! If you don’t think the Republicans are poised to make significant gains in the 2010 elections then that’s fine with us. In fact, we hope you continue to naively think that way! And guess what- we don’t need a leader to move us forward. The PEOPLE are leading!
@ Robin – Under Bush we actually had the most robust economy this country has ever seen! If you want to talk about “bloated and reckless” please see Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. I can point you to many articles if you’d like!