The Boogey Man is Coming, It's Friday the 13th

"On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear..." President Barack Obama inauguration address.

President Barack Obama's inaugural speech included choosing hope over fear. Yet every time he addresses the American people he tries his best to scare us. It reminds me of when as a kid, my parents would say that if I did not behave Santa Claus would not bring me any toys. Scare the people into following your directions. Since I have already wrote about Hope, here is your dose of Fear.

The Boogey Man

He tells us that we are entering "the most profound economic emergency since the Great Depression." Yet the facts do no bear this out. The unemployment rate during the 1981-82 recession reached 10.8% versus the 7.6% that Mr. Obama inherited. During the Depression unemployment peaked at 23.6%. A far cry from where it is today. Inflation was at 13.5% at the beginning of the Reagan years yet you come in with an average from 2008 of 3.5%. Prime interest rates at the end of Carter's presidency stood at 20.5% while that same measure was 3.25% at the end of 2008. So if this is the most profound economic emergency then did he miss the early '80's that was caused by Jimmy Carter. Oooooh! The Boogey Man is Here! Maybe that was when he was toking on the Chronic.

Reagan pulled this country out of the doldrums by cutting taxes and reducing spending not by claiming that the Boogey Man was coming.

Here is more Hope Over Fear from Mr. Obama's op-ed piece in the Washington Post.

Because each day we wait to begin the work of turning our economy around, more people will lose their jobs, their savings and their homes. And if nothing is done, then this recession might linger for years. Our economy will lose 5 million more jobs. Unemployment will approach double digits. Our nation will sink deeper into a crisis that, at some point, we may not be able to reverse.

It is the responsibility of the President to present to the American people the state of affairs of the country in a Presidential manner. Not scaring the "bejeezus" out of us, but by instilling calm leadership. Let us know what the problems are and how you propose to fix them instead of bringing on the fear of the Boogey Man. I guess it goes along with the long list of campaign promises broken already i.e. no lobbyists, 5 days before signing any bill, transparency in government with even more to come because of over promising and under delivering. Hope Over Fear!

Unlike Henrietta Hughes, I am asking only two things of the President. That is to stop campaigning because "you won" and to lead like a President should without bringing up the Boogey Man.

It's Friday the 13th

That's my word! Post yours!