Sean Hannity: Unbiased economic observer

Sean Hannity, June 18, 2009 (via Media Matters):

CAROLINE HELDEN, PROFESSOR, OCCIDENTAL COLLEGE: [President Obama] inherited a terrible political and economic situation from the previous administration.

HANNITY: Blah, blah, blah. I don't want to hear this anymore.

HELDEN: He had incredibly high approval ratings, Kennedy-esque approval ratings, and now they're starting to come back to earth. They're still very high for a president with these economic woes.

HANNITY: Let me ask this. This is not Bush's problem. It's his quadrupling of the deficit. He made those choices. He took over G.M., the financial institutions. He wants to nationalize health care. This is Obama's economy now...

Sean Hannity, August 17, 2001: "[T]his is still the Clinton economy, in case you forgot."

Sean Hannity, August 20, 2001: "[W]e have the Clinton economy, the Clinton slowdown... We are living under the Clinton economy, and the slowdown that started in the spring of 2000."

Sean Hannity, August 21, 2001: "This is the Clinton economy slowed down."

Sean Hannity, August 22, 2001: "[T]his is Clinton's budget, Clinton's economy... the slowdown began last July."

Sean Hannity, September 5, 2001: "[Y]ou're back to the old tactics of scaring the old people of this country, trying to blame Republicans for the Clinton economy..."

Comments

[Jack Davis]

hannity is the most partisan commentator ever. he's like Limbaugh, but without the sense of humor.

[David]

Yes, Hannity is terrible. Limbaugh's arguments can sometimes be refuted, but he generally has an argument. Hannity seems content with unsupported assertions.

When does an economy "belong" to a new President? is a metaphysical question without any real answer. Brendan seems to favor length of time in office. He faults Hannity for being inconsistent on the basis of time in office.

However, I think a better alternative would be that the economy "belongs" to a new President when his economic program goes into effect. On this basis, Hannity is consistent. His Bush quotes were made before Bush's tax cut program went into effect. OTOH Obama's "stimulus" and bailouts have already gone in effect. So, it's not unreasonable to call the current economy "Obama's" and yet call the June 20, 2001 economy "Clinton's".

(Not that I think Hannity reasoned on this basis. I think he's just throwing mud at Dems and defending Reps.)