David Axelrod’s Talking Points

[Jefferson23]

Written by Simon Johnson
July 14, 2010 at 12:47 pm


David Axelrod was on the Diane Rehm show this morning – a great opportunity to connect with listeners who will actually stop what they are going and pay attention, at least for a short while. He was awful.

He had even the most basic facts wrong – it’s not “8 million people have lost their jobs” but rather “more than 8 million jobs have been lost” since December 2007. He rambled – it was hard to see his point, particularly in the introduction. But most of all, there was no narrative – why exactly did we have a recession, why has it been so bad, and why aren’t the jobs coming back?

Without a narrative, how can anyone make sense of the past 18 months?
Axelrod can choose his narrative – and obviously doesn’t need to agree, for example, with the view that the financial system became dangerous and now needs to be reined in - but he has to say something coherent. You can’t just make isolated points like “the fiscal stimulus helped” or (even more confusing) “we’ll now address the budget deficit.”

There was really no explanation for why the economy has become such a difficult place for so many people. How did we go from apparent prosperity in 2007 to the deepest recession of the past 50 years? And how are we going to get the jobs back?


remainder in full: http://baselinescenario.com/2010/07/14/david-axelrods-talking-points/

[elleng]

1. Dump on Axelrod w/o anything about Rehm's questions/participation?

[Jefferson23]

2. You mean he could only articulate explanations confined to her

questions and was under some obligation to not take it further?

I'll try and post the text of her show if I can, would be interesting to read.

[elleng]

3. Thanks; the text would be most useful.

Sorry I wasn't able to hear it myself!

[truth2power]

4. I listened to the show, and I was truly horrified by how unprepared and at loose ends Axelrod was...

I think he was doing damage control throughout the entire interview, and doing a terrible job of it at that.

** Jefferson, AFAIK they don't post transcripts of Diane's show. You have to order and pay for them.

This is a long post. Sorry. But people just want to deny that the Obama admin. is giving us smoke and mirrors.

So, in case anyone on this thread thinks I am bashing Axelrod, let me offer this snippet. I went back, just now and listened to part of Axelrod's interview. (It's about 15 minutes at the start of the show and then some other guests come on.)

NOTE: I'm going to put some things in quotes that may not be EXACT. I don't have a lot of time to spend on this right now. I made some notes and I'll try to give the gist of it. I suggest you all go back and listen.

Diane asked Axelrod, regarding the "BP disaster" whether 1) it has damaged the administration's agenda, and 2) why has the admin. been so slow to accept international offers of help?

Axelrod's answer (in substance): "Let me take your second point first. I think dozens of offers have been accepted. Steps need to be taken to authorize that assistance. But to your larger point..< Wait. He didn't answer the question. >

He then said that the "biggest problem is that it's hard to plug a leak that's 5000 ft.under the surface". < Talk about re-stating the obvious. >

Diane let him rattle on for awhile and then asked the question again...Why the Dutch or Koreans who claim they have the means to clean that mess up, why haven't we etc...

Axelrod:" Any credible means to address this is welcomed and has been evaluated..." < a non-answer. Dutch. Koreans. Specifically. >

It was painful to listen to. Kind of like watching a 1st grader try to remember his lines in the Xmas play.

[Jefferson23]

5. You're right, you do have to purchase the transcript, which may

be worth it, considering. I agree, listening to him made me cringe.

Thank you truth2power for the text you did bring!