Cheney: Economic Stats Miss EBay Sales

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MrBrau1

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Cheney: Economic Stats Miss EBay Sales
The Associated Press
Thursday, September 9, 2004; 9:30 PM


Indicators measure the nation's unemployment rate, consumer spending and other economic milestones, but Vice President Dick Cheney says it misses the hundreds of thousands who make money selling on eBay.

"That's a source that didn't even exist 10 years ago," Cheney told an audience in Cincinnati on Thursday. "Four hundred thousand people make some money trading on eBay."

San Jose, Calif.-based EBay Inc. is an Internet auction site where anyone can sell just about anything, including clothing, cell phones, jewelry, memorabilia, trinkets and automobiles.

Democratic vice presidential candidate John Edwards responded that Cheney's comments show how "out of touch" he and President Bush are with the economy.

"If we only included bake sales and how much money kids make at lemonade stands, this economy would really be cooking," Edwards said in a statement. .
 
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MrBrau1 said:
"If we only included bake sales and how much money kids make at lemonade stands, this economy would really be cooking," Edwards said in a statement. .

:lol:
 
I don't think it's just a soundbite

I think Cheney bringing up EBay when talking about the economy/unemployment is ludicrous and laughable, and I'd think exactly the same if Kerry or Edwards said it
 
MrsSpringsteen said:
I don't think it's just a soundbite

I think Cheney bringing up EBay when talking about the economy/unemployment is ludicrous and laughable, and I'd think exactly the same if Kerry or Edwards said it

Are you denying that people make a living off of EBay?
 
Honestly I don't know how many people make a living off of EBay. To me the number of people who make a decent living off of it must be rather small and insignificant (as far as the employment statistics go. I'm not making any judgements whatsoever about doing that), and for the VP to try to point to EBay seems silly to me :shrug:

I wasn't "denying" anything, it's just my opinion, and honestly I don't understand your apparent hostility towards me nbc.
 
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Sorry, I wasn't trying to be hostile.

I doubt Cheney was making a speech about E-bay. It is one of those comments that somehow becomes newsworthy. Cheney's comment and Edwards retort are, unfortunately, the level of political reporting we get today.
 
How funny! Yep those paperback books I sold for .50 each are gonna pay for my retirement! Woo hoo! Now I know I'm rich!

I'm sure a few people make a living off eBay sales, but I'm also quite sure the vast, vast majority of eBay sellers manage garage sale type numbers, if that. Idiotic to even bring it up in a speech about the economy.
 
Ironic, too, since I know a few people who have had to turn to auctioning off their own goods after losing their jobs during the "economic recovery."
 
ThatGuy said:
Ironic, too, since I know a few people who have had to turn to auctioning off their own goods after losing their jobs during the "economic recovery."

Yeah...I might be doing a little of that soon myself....
 
The current 5.4% unemployment rate is the 5th lowest unemployment rate in the world! It is also one of the lowest unemployment rates of the past 30 years. The United States has the highest GDP growth rate of any modern industrialized economy in the world as well as the 8th highest standard of living according to the United Nations.
 
Yeah, suck it up, indra. Stop being an economic girlie man.



:sexywink:
 
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it's already refreshing that someone in this campaign acknowlegdes the economy

too bad it's a laughable statement like this really

but you can't win them all
 
If the Aussie dollar gets higher it is us that can buy all of your dispossed peoples assets, mwhahahaha - we will buy out America one day :hyper:
 
That really is quite funny in a sad way...

It reminds me of how recently Bush said that "junk lawsuits" are slowing the economy and preventing the creation of new jobs.

I do know someone who I think (but honestly am not sure) makes some considerable income off selling on EBay, but it's as a sort of middleman buying on the cheap things from one group of folks to sell to another group willing to pay a lot for it.
Seems the kind of capitalism that depends on that "Two Americas" Edwards refered to...
People with lots and lots and lots of resources and others with so little they're happy to sell things they've hung onto for perhaps sentimental reasons to put a little more food on the table.

very sad indeed...
 
STING2 said:
The current 5.4% unemployment rate is the 5th lowest unemployment rate in the world! It is also one of the lowest unemployment rates of the past 30 years. The United States has the highest GDP growth rate of any modern industrialized economy in the world as well as the 8th highest standard of living according to the United Nations.

the numbers you quote are not necessarily bad, but variable calculation requires all sorts of disclaimers when doing international comparisons.

the verity of certain nations economic indicators is sometimes questioned. the u.s. is one of those i consider to be 'favorable'. something to keep in mind when doing comparatives.

nbcrusader said:
It is one of those comments that somehow becomes newsworthy. Cheney's comment and Edwards retort are, unfortunately, the level of political reporting we get today.

it works all ways. the public wants simple discussion, the campaigns want simple discussion and the media facilitates the interface.
 
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