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Obama's press conference, and the art of straw man building

Well, I watched most of the press conference...most of it was pretty much what I expected, Obama re-reciting the talking points of his proposal. He is defiinitely getting good at creative distortion. Some examples:

But as we learned very clearly and conclusively over the last eight years, tax cuts alone cannot solve all our economic problems – especially tax cuts that are targeted to the wealthiest few Americans. We have tried that strategy time and time again, and it has only helped lead us to the crisis we face right now.

OK, this part isn't a straw man, as much as it's just plain wrong. Does he seriously think that unemployment is at 7.6% and the stock market is in the tank because of tax breaks? Not because of banks making bad loans? Not because of lack of government oversight of the mortgage business? But because of tax cuts? This is just insane. I'm going to give the president the benefit of the doubt and assume he is just playing politics here.

I am struck by how he has turned the building of straw men in attacking Republicans to an art form. Look at this quote:

First of all, when I hear that from folks who presided over a doubling of the national debt, then, you know, I just want them to not engage in some revisionist history.

"Folks who presided over a doubling of the national debt"? Democrats were in charge for six of those eight years, and there was a junior Senator from Illinois for four of those eight years...voting for many of those programs that increased the debt. I'm not for looking backwards, but if you're going to do it, Mr. President, don't do with with such, dare I say it, partisan eyes.

There are more examples...dare I say it, I tended to disagree with much of what he said. We'll see how it plays out.
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