questionmark Posted July 10, 2008 #1 Share Posted July 10, 2008 John McCain's economic adviser says Americans are 'whiners' By Alex Spillius in Washington Last Updated: 9:38PM BST 10/07/2008 Senator John McCain's struggle to convince Americans that he understands their economic concerns have been dealt a huge blow when his senior economic adviser accused them of "whining" about an imaginary recession. The remarks by Phil Gramm, a former Texas senator, drew a swift and scathing rejection from Mr McCain of his long time confidant and friend. Asked what the future was for Mr Gramm, who has been tipped as a Treasury Secretary in a McCain administration, the Republican nominee said: “Senator Gramm would be under serious consideration for ambassador of Belarus, although I am not sure the citizens of Minsk would welcome that.” Speaking in Michigan, the rusting heartland of the US car industry, Mr McCain said he understood the pain of American families was real. He asserted that Mr Gramm “does not speak for me”, adding to the impression that Mr Gramm may soon be concentrating on his job as a vice-president at the UBS investment bank. In an interview with the Washington Times, Mr Gramm said: “You’ve heard of mental depression - this is a mental recession. ... We have sort of become a nation of whiners. “You just hear this constant whining, complaining about a loss of competitiveness, America in decline... We’ve never been more dominant, we’ve never had more natural advantages than we have today.” His comments were instant fodder for Senator Barack Obama, the Democratic Party’s nominee, who told a forum on women’s economic security: “This economic downturn is not in your head. When people are losing their homes and property values are declining it is not a figment of your imagination.” Mr Gramm’s gaffe helped distract from Mr Obama’s own difficulty with remarks by a prominent supporter. The Rev Jesse Jackson was forced to apologise after being caught unawares on a television studio microphone complaining to a fellow panelist that the Democrat candidate had been “talking down to black people” about their social responsibilities. He added: “I want to cut his nuts off.” Speaking on ABC the civil rights leader praised Mr Obama but insisted the candidate needed to place more emphasis on society’s obligations to the African American community. Full story, source: The Telegraph Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AROCES Posted July 10, 2008 #2 Share Posted July 10, 2008 OH YES! MOST Americans are whiners, I live with them everyday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
questionmark Posted July 10, 2008 Author #3 Share Posted July 10, 2008 OH YES! MOST Americans are whiners, I live with them everyday. Wrong answer, McCain just announced that if he wins he'll send Gramm as ambassador to Belarus. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AROCES Posted July 10, 2008 #4 Share Posted July 10, 2008 Wrong answer, McCain just announced that if he wins he'll send Gramm as ambassador to Belarus. Doesn't matter who he sends, even if he sends you. Most americans are whiners. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KingTomis Posted July 10, 2008 #5 Share Posted July 10, 2008 I don't see what he said that isn't all that untrue. America has become a nation of whiners, it's just that for the time being with $4 gas, many food items being double the price they were a year ago and two incompetent presidential nominee's we certainly have something so whine about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ninjadude Posted July 11, 2008 #6 Share Posted July 11, 2008 (edited) Very untrue. What you could read in the news The Dow fell 236 points to 11,147. The S&P 500 dropped 29 points to 1,244. The Nasdaq composite lost shed than 2.5% of its value, losing nearly 60 points to 2,234. Declining issues led advancers by a 2 to 1 margin. source And this news: NEW YORK (Reuters) - Home foreclosure filings jumped 53 percent in June from a year earlier, although they were down 3 percent from May, and foreclosures are expected to rise further, real estate data firm RealtyTrac said on Thursday.... One out of every 501 U.S. households received a notice of default, auction sale or bank repossession in June, RealtyTrac said. source Edited July 11, 2008 by ninjadude Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lt_Ripley Posted July 11, 2008 #7 Share Posted July 11, 2008 hhhhhhhhmmmmmmmmm such a show of compassion !!! oh yeah this will bring in that vote for McCain --- his staff calling Americans whiners ( lord knows what McCain has said).. seems it isn't just McCain shooting himself in the foot. His staff is doing it too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fluffybunny Posted July 12, 2008 #8 Share Posted July 12, 2008 I dont know what Americans have to whine about. We are in a war that was started and run by idiots some 5+ years ago, The price of gas is twice what it was a couple years ago, which has raised the price of everything else, except for the housing market that has crashed and ruined many peoples only investment. Many of our jobs have gone overseas with the presidents blessing and the jobs that are left arent nearly the quality of what we once had. The middle class is shrinking, the debt is climbing, and the choices that we have for president are an old senile guy that cant speak, and a smooth talker that makes me nervous. I am sure Gramm has a nice retirement built up, good income, health insurance, paid for home and a good neighborhood to live in. He may not have much to worry about, but many Americans do. There are always some numbskulls who have no idea and dont get what the problem is, and it is clear of how removed from reality they are when they say things like this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bathory Posted July 12, 2008 #9 Share Posted July 12, 2008 t. Many of our jobs have gone overseas with the presidents blessing blame american consumers for that, you guys bang on about losing jobs, yet will go and buy the cheaper imported crap noone but yourselves to blame for the deindustrialisation of the US. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
questionmark Posted July 12, 2008 Author #10 Share Posted July 12, 2008 blame american consumers for that, you guys bang on about losing jobs, yet will go and buy the cheaper imported crap noone but yourselves to blame for the deindustrialisation of the US. I don't agree, while the unions in the 80s were running "buy American" campaigns (that worked for a while), the American industrialist was investing abroad with aims to get cheaper labor. Then they invented "globalization" to sell those products made abroad in the US. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fluffybunny Posted July 12, 2008 #11 Share Posted July 12, 2008 and the programming and tech jobs, call centers...not all of the jobs that went overseas were making walmart goods. A lot of very good jobs went overseas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stardrive Posted July 15, 2008 #12 Share Posted July 15, 2008 And with good jobs going oversees, the tax base shrinks. Which then leads to calls to tax the rich. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Mule Posted July 15, 2008 #13 Share Posted July 15, 2008 Having just LOST my auto-industry job to Mexico, you can bet I won't be buying a new car anytime soon. And when I do, it won't be from the company who I used to work for, further cutting their market share. They don't seem to understand that, but by then the CEO will have retired with HIS golden parachute and he'll leave it for the next guy to worry about. Meanwhile, the parts being made in Mexico with cheap labor will NOT result in the final product being priced any less..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
questionmark Posted July 15, 2008 Author #14 Share Posted July 15, 2008 Having just LOST my auto-industry job to Mexico, you can bet I won't be buying a new car anytime soon. And when I do, it won't be from the company who I used to work for, further cutting their market share. They don't seem to understand that, but by then the CEO will have retired with HIS golden parachute and he'll leave it for the next guy to worry about. Meanwhile, the parts being made in Mexico with cheap labor will NOT result in the final product being priced any less..... They understand it perfectly, but that way they earned in 15 years what otherwise would have taken them 50. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Mule Posted July 15, 2008 #15 Share Posted July 15, 2008 /me chuckles.... ..you're seeing the point, Mark. The mentality is "how much money can i make today?" with NO reguard for how much it will cost them tomorrow. I DO know the whinning began on the first Wed of November in 2000. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
questionmark Posted July 15, 2008 Author #16 Share Posted July 15, 2008 /me chuckles.... ..you're seeing the point, Mark. The mentality is "how much money can i make today?" with NO reguard for how much it will cost them tomorrow. I DO know the whinning began on the first Wed of November in 2000. You know the irony of it? As soon as they have most of the money it becomes worthless ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Mule Posted July 15, 2008 #17 Share Posted July 15, 2008 ...and you can't take it with you when you go.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. D Posted July 16, 2008 #18 Share Posted July 16, 2008 Doesn't matter who he sends, even if he sends you. Most americans are whiners. Only those around you, Aroces . . . . and they have good reason. That's why you live with them every day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acidhead Posted July 17, 2008 #19 Share Posted July 17, 2008 blame american consumers for that, you guys bang on about losing jobs, yet will go and buy the cheaper imported crap noone but yourselves to blame for the deindustrialisation of the US. what a dumb statement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stardrive Posted July 18, 2008 #20 Share Posted July 18, 2008 what a dumb statement. Yeah, he's just being obtuse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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