Out Of Touch!

Back during the election of 1992, one of the things that absolutely destroyed then President Bush was his total disconnect to the economic pains that the country was reeling from. In what turned out to be a masterful stroke, then Governor Bill Clinton proclaimed "It's the economy stupid" and turned the election around.

Fast forward to last Wednesday. In a speech to supporters in Michigan, Michelle Obama made a speech that shows just how disconnected they are from the reality that most voters face.

Surrogate alert! Barack Obama's wife quipped that a $600 tax stimulus check could be used for a pair of earrings.

Now the underlying point that she was making was that the economic stimulus plan that the President signed into law (and the Democrats are trying to put a part 2 on) was not going to be a long term fix to what is ailing the economy and she is absolutely correct! Yes you read correctly - a center right blogger said that Michelle Obama was right on something! Here is the first half of the quote...the part that makes sense.

You're getting $600 — what can you do with that? Not to be ungrateful or anything, but maybe it pays down a bill, but it doesn't pay down every bill every month," she said. "The short-term quick fix kinda stuff sounds good,

She's right - $600.00 per person one time is not going to help much unless you have a one time unexpected expense come up (like say moving across the country). It is not going to help someone struggling to keep up with their rising electric bills or the rising cost of gasoline and the rising cost of feeding their family. Here is where she goes off of the rails...

and it may even feel good that first month when you get that check, and then you go out and you buy a pair of earrings."

Now I don't know where Michelle shops for earrings, but for most normal "middle class" people, $600.00 is a months worth of groceries or two car payments. With the average voter having almost $20,000 in credit card debt, that $600.00 could possibly pay off one of the credit cards.

No matter how "correct" she may have been, on the first part of her statement, the voters will only remember the $600.00 earrings....IF the media decides to cover it.