Does the President deserve to be taking his victory laps when he says the economy is doing well?

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Frances Bott answered
In political matters, the President may not really deserve to be taking victory laps when he says the economy is doing well. Politicians say a lot of things, and there tends to be a "spin", or agenda, in most public declarations made by top politicians. In fact, many politicians go out of their way to present a positive image at all times.

  • Statements must be factual

In the case of Barack Obama, the American President, statements about the health of the economy may not really be supported by facts, since unemployment and financial woes are currently quite prevalent in the American economy. Each country will have their own economic climate, and each President may or may not have the right to preen about the state of the economy - it all comes down to hard facts, and dollars and cents.

  • Speech writers spin facts

Most Presidents have speech writers who craft carefully-worded statements about the condition of national economies; these statements are often part of press conferences, or public addresses that are televised from each president's official residence. In the case of President Barack Obama, statements about the economy may be made from the Oval Office, or at an official press conference that certain media representatives are allowed to attend.

In all cases, these speeches and addresses are organized, tightly-controlled events, with prepared statements and a specific purpose - which is generally to make the president appear successful. Making things look good is what "spin" is all about, and speech writers work hard to put a positive spin on economic statements made by presidents, or their high-ranking colleagues.

Some former American presidents, such as Bill Clinton, were able to balance budgets and get the economy to thrive for all types of Americans (rich, middle class, and poor); however, this is very hard to do. In the case of a president such as Bill Clinton, there may have been legitimate cause for "victory laps"; however, today, most national economies are struggling due to stock market crashes and a recessionary climate.

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