Help! I need arguments against this 400 Economists for Romney thing

[Squinch]

Can anyone help. I'm seeing the dreaded conservative relatives this weekend, and I know this tidbit is coming up.

Apparently 400 economists made a statement in support of Romney. They are calling themselves Economists for Romney, and they seem to be associated with Breitbart.

I read of one economist whose name was used and who does not agree with Romney, and anyhow, I have never seen any financial plan from Romney to agree or disagree with. But does anyone have a good line to use against this?

Thanks in advance.

[upaloopa]

1. Ask them what the plan is

[Ezlivin]

4. Precisely. All they will know is "400 economists blah blah blah"

It never fails to completely derail my mother's parroting of what she heard on Fox.

Just ask a couple of good questions and they have to give up, for they only know what they've been told. It's not like they've actually studied or even read about it.

As soon as you ask a solid question that demands a solid answer, you'll see them wanting to change the subject.

[Squinch]

8. OK, why didn't I think of this! Thanks.

[quaker bill]

2. Economics

The dismal science of explaining today why the predictions you made yesterday did not come true.

[Brewinblue]

3. 400 economists, BFD!

To start with, an economist is not a defined, certified, or licensed profession. Any a-hole can claim to be one. And 400, what, out of perhaps 400,000 Americans with degrees in economics.

[Bonhomme Richard]

5. Those are the 400 that work for Wall Street. n/t

[Ezlivin]

6. There are 420 economists for Obama

It's a lie, but they won't know.

You can say something like "Obama is 20 economists ahead. Do you therefore accept his economic plan?"

They can't because it's not about "information" or "facts" or "experts", it's about finding some bullshit to support Romney. Since they don't operate off facts when arguing you don't have to either. It's not like they're going to call you on it.

[Wait Wut]

7. You can come up with 400 scientists...

...that call global warming bullshit, too. It all depends on how far they want to stretch to get a check and how little dignity they have.

On that note, tell them you want the names of all 400 'economists' and their histories. I recall one 'economist' that was quoted months ago ended up being a Home Ec. grad. If your relatives balk at your request, tell them to produce Romney's invisible 'plan' that these 400 'economists' are 'for'.

[Squinch]

9. Yeah, I think delving into the phantom plan is the best way to go. Thanks.

It pisses me off that I have to prepare to visit relatives. But they always come up with something from the other planet. Last time it was the lightbulbs. I had never heard a thing about it, and they're all up in arms. Before that, it was the fight they wanted to have about how great militias are. Seriously.

[Wait Wut]

11. LOL!

Good luck! If it gets really out of hand, tell them you're quitting your job and joining a commune. Be sure to have a camera on hand.

[Arneoker]

10. I guess that I could claim to be an economist.

After all, I have a BA in Economics from UMass.

I would ask, why do these economists support Romney? To the extent that he has offered any kind of economic plan, it seems to be what the last Republican President offered, low taxes, especially for the rich, trim regulations, and in general favor and fawn over the most fortunate of society. And what happened? A rather unimpressive recovery from the mild recession he inherited, and ending with the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression.

But Obama would raise taxes, that will kill growth. Well, Clinton raised taxes on the rich, and we had some of our best economic times under his Administration.

But, but, but, they will say, look how good things were under Reagan. The truth is, there is no slam dunk argument, because to a great extent the economy follows its own rythyms, regardless of what the government does. That does not mean that government policy has no effect at all. I think that the absence of regulation of the financial sector was a key (if not the only) cause of the economic meltdown of 2008. And what does Romney say about financial regulation? Well...

[Motown_Johnny]

12. 400 out of how many? 40,000?

The number is meaningless.


Maybe print out some easy to understand charts that show the deficit, wages and union membership.


Those 400 economists just want to keep their tax cut and don't give a damn about anything else.

[jody]

13. Often said "If you put all the economists together head to feet you couldn't reach a conclusion." nt

[Onlooker]

14. Tell them that leaves 15,000 who either oppose him or have no opinion

http://www.bls.gov/ooh/Life-Physical-and-Social-Science/Economists.htm/

[Ebadlun]

15. You could use this for comparison..

UK economists who backed Chancellor George Osbourne now admit they were badly wrong:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2188982/Leading-economists-dramatic-U-turn-support-Osborne-s-deficit-reduction-plan.html

[Squinch]

18. Oh, that's a good one! Thanks.

[jeanV]

16. Just drop some names of Nobels for Economy (Krugman, Stiglitz)

Their official title should be 'Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences'

Here is a scathing column by Krugman making minced meat of Ryan: "An Unserious Man"

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/20/opinion/krugman-an-unserious-man.html

[Lucy Goosey]

17. Check out the Real World Economics Review blog

http://rwer.wordpress.com/

The general premise of the blog is that the discipline of economics should be based on observable facts rather than on the mathematical formulas that have largely failed when applied to the real world. In other words, they assert that classical, supply-side, trickle-down economics as taught in most Western universities has failed, and they are proving that assertion post by post in their blog.

Here are the posts tagged "Romney":
http://rwer.wordpress.com/?s=Romney

[otohara]

19. The Economist Magazine

isn't sold on Romney.

http://www.economist.com/node/21560864?spc=scode&spv=xm&ah=9d7f7ab945510a56fa6d37c30b6f1709

[Mtndreamer]

20. Ask what do the other 15,600 economists think??

Does their silence denote that they agree with Obama??

[otohara]

21. What's Romney's Plan? Nobody Knows!

It's a secret until after he's .... elected...