Althouse: Mickey Kaus is "assuming the Bureau of Labor Statistics will release the October employment statistics on schedule."

October 30, 2012

Mickey Kaus is "assuming the Bureau of Labor Statistics will release the October employment statistics on schedule."

"The paranoia that would accompany a delay (this close to the election) would be too destructive, even if the delay was justifiable. But if the Obama administration were really playing politics with the numbers in the way the paranoids fear, do you think it would merely delay the release of the numbers? Not cunning enough!"

59 comments:

Alex said...: GOP afraid of blockbuster unemployment number? Maybe 7.2%?; 10/30/12, 6:29 PM
Writ Small said...: Kaus and Althouse are BLS truthers? Bob Wright is scandalized.; 10/30/12, 6:31 PM
Automatic_Wing said...: Gasp. Could this be yet another master stroke by the twin super-geniuses, Obama and Axelrod?

I think we need Ali Karim Bey's take on this. What do his K Street contacts have to say?; 10/30/12, 6:33 PM
Anonymous said...: We are playing chess with Romney. We have the support of NYT, NPR, PBS, etc. etc.

So, we put this in bank.

We now just have to C***-P**** to Nov. 6 victory.

Every-thing counts. Sandy, we use it for every-drop. That is why, we flew on AF-ONE from FL to DC on Sun. Tomorrow, there will be 24/7 coverage when we visit NJ, where Christie sand our PRAISES.

Romney is finished.

BLS report, which we have SEEN and is going to be spun our way (by NYT, no less) is going to be coming out on Friday.

ON THIS Weekend, it will Sandy and Jobs.

Both show: Our leadership.

Voters will forget Benghazi.; 10/30/12, 6:35 PM
clint said...: Meh.

Nothing to worry about, here. Either they'll release the numbers, or they won't. Either the numbers will be unbelievably good, or they won't.

If they're unbelievably good, it will be 7.8% redux -- with the same eye-rolling reactions from the same people, plus more coverage of the fact that the 7.8% was bogus.; 10/30/12, 6:40 PM
coketown said...: I heard someone at the BLS ran into Eric Holder in the street and was all, "Hey, you going that way? Could you drop this report off?" And he's all, "Yeah, no problem." Then he accidentally sent the report to Mexico and lost track of it.

Hey, it's happened before!; 10/30/12, 6:40 PM
edutcher said...: They wanted to wait, but Sandy turned out to be a big nothing south of Cape May, so they really have no excuse.

That, and the fact the idea, when floated, went over like the ever-popular lead balloon.

And, yes, Vagina, the numbers will be worse this time.; 10/30/12, 6:41 PM
coketown said...: Hahaha, just kidding. Eric Holder never accidentally sent anything to Mexico only to subsequently lose it. He's only ever done that on purpose.

In all seriousness, I think the BLS is pretty competent and doesn't game numbers. I also think any dramatic change in the numbers wouldn't do anything this late anyway. People vote their experiences. They don't vote based on some number changing. It's a little late for Obama to change his reputation from hapless retard to economic Jesus.; 10/30/12, 6:46 PM
Michael K said...: "never attribute to malice that which can be explained by incompetence."

This is the gang that can't shoot straight. Even if Valerie is holding the gun.; 10/30/12, 6:48 PM
KCFleming said...: The official numbers undercount the unemployed. No one argues otherwise.

It's not terribly useful to find out how many people quit looking for work this month.

Geez, at this rate, we'll have 'full employment' and 100% retirement/disability at the same time.

This sort of lie looks better when declared as part of The 5 Year Plan. That way everyone knows up front that it's bogus.; 10/30/12, 6:48 PM
KCFleming said...: Obama: We are crushing the Kapitalists! We will bury you!; 10/30/12, 6:49 PM
TWM said...: Will the California numbers be in this run?; 10/30/12, 6:52 PM
Elliott A said...: The people who have still not made up their minds don't care about fudged numbers, they'll think about the reality they see.; 10/30/12, 6:53 PM
Elliott A said...: The people who have still not made up their minds don't care about fudged numbers, they'll think about the reality they see.; 10/30/12, 6:53 PM
TWM said...: Obama is buying ads in Michigan now, so I'm sure those numbers will be great.; 10/30/12, 6:54 PM
Michael Haz said...: The numbers won't make any difference in the outcome of the election at this point. People know how they are going to vote.; 10/30/12, 6:56 PM
KCFleming said...: It may help a bit if Obama adds an exclamation point to the stat when released.

7.3%!; 10/30/12, 7:00 PM
edutcher said...: Beleive it or not, they're even talking about flipping WA.

Hmmm, 40+ states, 400+ Electoral votes.

Yeah, that's a mandate.; 10/30/12, 7:18 PM
Tom from Virginia said...: But it's so simple. All I have to do is divine from what I know of you: are you the sort of man who would put the poison into his own goblet or his enemy's? Now, a clever man would put the poison into his own goblet, because he would know that only a great fool would reach for what he was given. I am not a great fool, so I can clearly not choose the wine in front of you. But you must have known I was not a great fool, you would have counted on it, so I can clearly not choose the wine in front of me.; 10/30/12, 7:36 PM
Anonymous said...: Just had a pow-wow with K-streeters and WH'ers.

The word is that we have VA in the bag. We should have OH in the bag by Thurs.

We have the EC votes (over 271 already by Thurs.)

All we do now is: C***-P***** Romney and GOP. The NYT will have our back (they have no-where to go, we use them just like every-one else) and so will all the bloggers.

We take over the country (that is, C***-P***** way) next Tuesday.

WH belongs to US till Jan. 2017. No one is even able to take away.; 10/30/12, 7:41 PM
Hagar said...: I think most people have caught on to it by now that every time they announce the numbers for the preceding quarter, a couple three weeks later on a Friday night there is a notice that ,oops, the numbers were not really that good and have been revised downwards.; 10/30/12, 7:41 PM
Craig Landon said...: Once upon a time, the Titus/AP/Karim posts were (occasionally) amusing interludes.

Now they are like my 18 year old watching original Star Trek episodes with me, then, 5 minutes in, giving me that WTF glance as she goes to do kitchen floor scrubbing because it "just needs to be done".; 10/30/12, 7:46 PM
bagoh20 said...: 8.0% The only reason it dropped to 7.8% last month was because they was left out the CA data.; 10/30/12, 7:54 PM
Chip Ahoy said...: O.t., storm related. Front paged on b3ta (rhymes with Peter); 10/30/12, 8:03 PM
BaltoHvar said...: Isn't it ironic that NO MATTER what the "number" is - it is still DOUBLE what the heck it should be? And that fact will be lost on one of the Candidates; the one responsible for it?

And if it is "lower", how further irony plays out in that particular Campaign in that some of those "statistics" are "new employees" of said Campaign working phone banks and polling. Funny how someone's direct investment in the capital of labor has that effect when TARP and Stimulus had ummm, not so much.; 10/30/12, 8:12 PM
The Cracker Emcee Refulgent said...: No chance of WA flipping. We have the invincibly retarded King and Pierce Counties that scream at their shadows every time someone drops the phrase "a women's right to choose". It is truly staggering how ignorant a Washington liberal can be.; 10/30/12, 8:28 PM
kentuckyliz said...: tom from VA, well played, sir, well played. (Princess Bride reference); 10/30/12, 8:32 PM
Titus said...: He is a very unattractive person.

That face needs a bag over it's head.

tits.; 10/30/12, 8:43 PM
edutcher said...: Broomhandle said...

No chance of WA flipping. We have the invincibly retarded King and Pierce Counties that scream at their shadows every time someone drops the phrase "a women's right to choose". It is truly staggering how ignorant a Washington liberal can be.

Maybe, but this is one of those times when you see people crossing party lines and Barry is only up by 2 in WA.

I think this may turn into one of those situations where one rock breaks loose a few more rocks and they break off some more and pretty soon, you have an avalanche.

A lot of people are disgusted with Choom. Many will vote for the Romster, some will stay home; there's an odd feeling out there and I think things are breaking loose.; 10/30/12, 9:09 PM
clint said...: Again, I ask, "C***-P*****"??

Or do I not want to know?; 10/30/12, 9:09 PM
alan markus said...: Again, I ask, "C***-P*****"??

In the last post, two commenters provided links for you. Click on one of them & run the video and then you will know.; 10/30/12, 9:17 PM
BaltoHvar said...: Clint - Grand'ma says it in the new Michael Moore shock ad for Obama. Rhymes with "stock lunch." Obama the reprobate. Very disgusting.; 10/30/12, 9:20 PM
Tim said...: Yeah, this is the way to roll.

See, the last four years have a been a shit sandwich with urine dressing, and, yeah, stay with me here, will ya...one last jobs report before the election is going to be the *decisive* factor in this election.

Uh huh.

For sure.

And, if you are a moron, and stupidly voted for Obama before, sure, yeah, it could work.

Facts are facts, and one fact is, stupid people are impressively immune to the lessons of experience.

So, could this work?

Totally.

It could totally work.

Just watch the Garage Mahal character. If this thing is one tenth a percent better than the last jobs report, Mahal will be singing praises as if they were prayers from the Minaret.; 10/30/12, 9:25 PM
Tim said...: clint said...

"Again, I ask, "C***-P*****"??"

I am Barack Obama, and I approved this message.; 10/30/12, 9:26 PM
Tim said...: bagoh20 said...

"8.0% The only reason it dropped to 7.8% last month was because they was left out the CA data."

Intentionally.; 10/30/12, 9:28 PM
Anonymous said...: BaltoHvar wrote:
"Grand'ma says it in the new Michael Moore shock ad for Obama. Rhymes with "stock lunch."'

At one end of the age spectrum, you have sad-assed kids singing about how the seas will be filled with oil if Romney wins.

At the other, you have foul-mouthed senior citizens threatening to burn down their own nursing home if Romney wins.

Obama supporters are such an attractive bunch. Just full of that old hope and change.; 10/30/12, 9:31 PM
Paul said...: Well last time they 'delayed' it the figures said the joblessness had gone down!! BUT a tiny state was missing from the stats... CALIFORNIA.

Well what do you bet the jobs are again low but... a few itty bitty states are missing (say California and New York,)

"Ops... my bad", Obama explained after the election. And smiled while saying, via the teleprompter, "Trick or Treat,uh I mean Hope and Change".

Yes it really is some kind of Greek Tragedy.; 10/30/12, 9:36 PM
TmjUtah said...: I'm not looking for any reasoned responses from Team O in the next seven days.

On top of everything else that is going wrong for them right now, in about 48 hours there's going to be some seriously hungry, scared, pissed off people in the Sandy disaster footprint who are going to be asking "Why aren't things fixed yet???"

And George W. Bush is not the president.

Bonus question:

How many people in the chain for delivering the "stand down" order to Behghazi and how long will that particular secret stay secret?

And there's only so much money for buying Intrade shares...; 10/30/12, 9:49 PM
chickelit said...: BaltoHvar said...
Clint - Grand'ma says it in the new Michael Moore shock ad for Obama. Rhymes with "stock lunch." Obama the reprobate. Very disgusting.

Michael Moore is punch-drunk cocky.; 10/30/12, 9:54 PM
garage mahal said...: I think we need Ali Karim Bey's take on this

Dude! I was thinking the *same* thing.; 10/30/12, 10:03 PM
Eric said...: It's not terribly useful to find out how many people quit looking for work this month.

Agreed. I've sort of come around to the point of view that labor force participation is the number that best encapsulates what's happening on the street. People either have jobs or they don't.; 10/30/12, 10:16 PM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: According to a Chicago paper Obamas October surprise has come via mother nature...

But the most important thing superstorm Sandy has done is rescue Obama from Benghazi, where four Americans, including a U.S. ambassador, were killed by terrorists.

Notice Obama isn't being asked whether aid was denied in Benghazi. Instead, he's invited to demonstrate to voters how much aid he's going to bring to the Northeast, as he becomes the great Federal Daddy to storm-tossed battleground states.

If Obama wins it will because the almighty intervened halting the Romney surge... or something.; 10/30/12, 10:26 PM
Drago said...: Tom from Virginia said: "But it's so simple. All I have to do is divine from what I know of you: are you the sort of man who would put the poison into his own goblet or his enemy's? Now, a clever man would put the poison into his own goblet, because he would know that only a great fool would reach for what he was given. I am not a great fool, so I can clearly not choose the wine in front of you. But you must have known I was not a great fool, you would have counted on it, so I can clearly not choose the wine in front of me."

Truly, you have a dizzying intellect.; 10/30/12, 10:26 PM
Patrick said...: Aw, man. I Just read that Paul Ryan was at the bar that I used to go to back when I went to bars more often
woulda been cool.; 10/30/12, 10:54 PM
Unknown said...: I am taking part in chess having Romney. We have now this service connected with NYT, NPR, PBS, for example.; 10/31/12, 2:25 AM
Toad Trend said...: Alex, leave your bubble and put down the huffing bag for Christ's sake.

Cooking the books is the very thing the regime does best. Like making the universe of jobs shrink so that the true unemployment numbers *appear* lower than they REALLY are, more like 15%.

Does anyone really believe these rubes in government??? They are nothing more than a closed society dedicated to keeping the truth of the damage they have done and continue to do to this country.

Wake up, stupids, the fleecing will continue if you allow it to!!!; 10/31/12, 6:22 AM
Carnifex said...: Mickie Kaus--retard extraordianaire.

All administrations cook the books, that has been demonstrable since FDR. It's just one side that thinks it never happens when a D is in office. If I had to guess, I would say that Carter was the last administration to release real numbers, because he was too naive to cheat, his administration to a whoop ass from Reagan(1 of the reasons). Every pol learned from that, and now they all lie.; 10/31/12, 6:58 AM
Carnifex said...: Ps.

I miss AP. I prefer AP to AKB. I don't need to be served waffles with my satire.; 10/31/12, 7:01 AM
Carnifex said...: TominVagina--has a dizzying intellect.; 10/31/12, 7:05 AM
Matt Sablan said...: I imagine the numbers will be as legit as they can be, since they got hit so badly last time they tried funny business with them.; 10/31/12, 7:06 AM
Carnifex said...: Chickelit said--"Michael Moore is punch-drunk cocky."

She is too much a lady, I will fix it for her--Michael Moore is drunk on c*** p****.

Damn. Even I had to edit myself. How revoltin'!; 10/31/12, 7:16 AM
Carnifex said...: Dammit*note to self always ALWAYS read all the comments before postin'* Re: Dizzying intellect comment.; 10/31/12, 7:20 AM
Tank said...: Alex said...

GOP afraid of blockbuster unemployment number? Maybe 7.2%?

Regardless of actual facts, my prediction is: at or below 7% by election day.; 10/31/12, 8:14 AM
Drago said...: Tank: "Regardless of actual facts, my prediction is: at or below 7% by election day."

Well, we've already seen that the Dems are more than happy to leave entire states off of their baseline for unemployment numbers.

It would be hardly surprising for the dems to change the baseline number of voters (to shrink the # of adults who are "looking" for work) in order to make obama look better.

Everytime another hundred thousand Americans give up looking for work the left calls it "success".; 10/31/12, 8:37 AM
Drago said...: Matthew Sablan said...
I imagine the numbers will be as legit as they can be, since they got hit so badly last time they tried funny business with them.

Not a single major media outlet explained that at any time.

That's the entire point of this.

Here's how it will go:

There will be a staggering reduction in the (fake) unemployment numbers.

We'll actually have fewer jobs and fewer people seeking jobs.

But it won't matter.

The media will play this up fake reduction as a miracle of obama genius.

Republicans will point out some basic math shenanigans that are obvious to anyone who follows this.

The dems will then immediately say "republicans are talking down the economy" and "republicans don't want the president to be successful" (and, "republicans are racist!", can't forget that one.

The election will be over when all the "corrections" are issued.; 10/31/12, 8:42 AM
Roger J. said...: By Wednesday I suspect the numbers are already known. And I suspect the pressure on the BLS folks is intense. I remain optimistic that they will do their jobs. And I dont think that whatever the numbers they will influence the vote.; 10/31/12, 8:43 AM
Bruce Hayden said...: Think it is going to be interesting. This time around, there really is an excuse for delaying the figures. And, they may actually be delayed by the aftermath of Sandy. But, there is so little trust for Obama right now, that many will believe that he and his campaign was instrumental in delaying the numbers.

The other rumor that has been going around for awhile has been that Obama will order the elections delayed due to the hurricane, again, in a desperate attempt to slow Romney's momentum. Frankly, don't see how that would work though - I see serious federalism issues if he were to try this. How do you remove an unpopular President, if he has the power to suspend or delay elections? It doesn't help that socialists have a long history of suspending elections after coming to power democratically. Making things worse though, most of those affected by the hurricane wost seem to be in strong Obama areas.; 10/31/12, 9:22 AM
Roger J. said...: Bruce Hayden by what authority could Mr Obama delay the elections--My understanding is, as you point out with respect to federalism, the Congress has only the authority about the vote counting process, event of ties, and that sort of thing.

While I will stipulate that Mr Obama isnt the smartest guy around, I dont think he would be that stupid to try something like that; 10/31/12, 10:02 AM
Joe Schmoe said...: This unemployment stuff is stupid considering we are almost out of money again!

Plus tax cuts are expiring at the end of the year. Whoever wins is going to have a great big fiscal shit sandwich on their hands. If Mitt wins, how is lame duck Obama gonna handle it? Is he going to give us a big F-U on his way out the door?; 10/31/12, 11:10 AM