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OOPS: Fox's latest attempt at economic analysis missed GDP by $10 trillion

September 04, 2010 1:17 pm ET by Christine Schwen

On Fox & Friends Saturday, co-host Dave Briggs treated us to another great moment in Fox's proud tradition of failed economic punditry.

Here's Briggs on former Council of Economic Advisers chair Christina Romer's statement that the stimulus prevented a great depression:

BRIGGS: That is -- is possible, what it did also do was add $2.8 trillion to our deficit. At least that combined with the other stimulus and other spending measures of the Obama administration. That's over 90 percent of our GDP. Since she took over, we've added over 90 percent of our GDP to our debt.

Wow, that's just a stunning mangling of economic data.

First, $2.8 trillion is not "over 90 percent of our GDP" ($2.8 trillion is closer to the GDP of France); 90 percent of our GDP is about $13 trillion.

And we have not "added over 90 percent of our GDP to our debt." The CBO projected that we could do so (under one scenario) by 2020.

Furthermore, if the debt does get that high, it would not be what we've added "since she took over," but the total debt we've accumulated since the beginning of the republic.

Just another example of why it's so, so important to invite an economist on to talk about the economy every once in a while.

UPDATE: Hours later, without any apparent irony, this Fox on-screen text asked if "the media" has "gotten it right" when it comes to the economy.

I think we can all agree that some people in "the media" really haven't.

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    • Author by 1st Republic 14th Star (September 04, 2010 1:57 pm ET)
      14  
      That's how Republicans always handle numbers -- accuracy doesn't get in the way of propagandizing rhetoric.
      Report Abuse
    • Author by bilbo_dies (September 04, 2010 2:14 pm ET)
      4  
      Well, since Faux News is all "Fair and Balanced", I'm sure they will post a correction to that story shortly.





      Waiting.................



      Still waiting..........................
      Report Abuse
    • Author by wookie (September 04, 2010 9:15 pm ET)
      2  
      As with every other issue Fox knows that they don't actually have to be right. They just have to be smarter than their audience.
      Report Abuse
    • Author by DellDolly (September 05, 2010 3:11 am ET)
      1 1
      Well, that last screen grab from FoxNews is of Liz Trotta, one of the worst of the worst. She's terrible at everything she does.
      Report Abuse
    • Author by princeofwheels (September 05, 2010 10:01 am ET)
         
      You can always tell when a Fox whatever they areis lying.
      Notice how they always look down to read the talking point/lie of the moment. They are handed these scripts during each commercial and are told to read them with passion. But they can...they don't understand or even need to have any knowledge of what they are reading.
      Typical Fox casting couchers who want to hold thier jobs. Who esle would hire anyone once they leave Fox?
      Report Abuse
    • Author by Unreality (September 05, 2010 1:59 pm ET)
         
      How do I get a FauxNoise job where I get paid $500K a year to spout erroneous fiction?

      What beggars the imagination is that these featherbedding blowhard frauds complain about union jobs where something actually has to get done and we can measure the output.

      Report Abuse
      • Author by AC_Mem (September 06, 2010 10:25 am ET)
        1  
        I know its a recession and all, but I couldn't work for Fictional News, even for 500K.

        But you can clearly see who's ethics CAN be bought. It is prostitution of ethics, morals and truth and they are all getting their cut from their pimp.
        Report Abuse
    • Author by oscar the grouch (September 06, 2010 12:59 pm ET)
         
      Ah, the big disconnect between deficit and debt again.
      Report Abuse

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