Economist Poll: Most Economists Prefer Kerry Economic Plan

Published on October 12, 2004 By blogic In Politics

For those of you who don't read The Economist, it's about as solidly old-style freemarket capitalist as you can get. It favors low taxes, disciplined budgets, minimal regulation, and free trade. They polled economists -- not exactly a group known for being left wing on economic policy -- and got these results:

In an informal poll of 100 academics, conducted by The Economist, Mr Bush's policies win low marks. More than 70% of the 56 professors who responded to our survey rate Mr Bush's first-term economic policies as bad or very bad. Fewer than 20% give positive marks to Mr Bush's second-term economic agenda, and almost six out of ten disapproved. Mr Kerry hardly got rave reviews either, but his economic plan still fared better than the president's did. In all, four out of ten professors rated Mr Kerry's economic plan as good or very good, but 27% gave it negative scores.

In other words, twice as many economists gave good marks to kerry, and over twice as many economists gave bad marks to Bush.

Ouch.

Additionally, of those who would accept a policy job in government, 80% would prefer to work for Kerry. As The Economist says: "the results are fairly striking."

Comments (Page 1)

Grim Xiozan

on Oct 12, 2004

Counterpoint:

Nobel laureate calls for steeper tax cuts in US

Nobel winning Economist wants deeper tax cuts that is the opposite of Kerry who proposes 'rolling back' tax cuts (or in laymen's terms tax raise).

- Grim X

Alex Gottschalk

on Oct 12, 2004

I'm not too surpised. I mean were in a resession, which we got into because of George W.

sandy2

on Oct 12, 2004

And our economically dumb president is increasing debt.

Grim Xiozan

on Oct 12, 2004

And our economically dumb president is increasing debt.

The Kerry alternative is not a good one either.

- Grim X

CrispE

on Oct 12, 2004

Blogic:

The interesting thing is that Bush continues to approve any spending bill sent by the Republicans into law and at the same time calls for tax cuts.

That's the formula for the next 4 years too. Bush has more tax cuts in the works. That is why Republicans in the Senate are constantly working with Democrats to block house bills on spending. Some of them would like to last longer than 2008.

T_Bone4Justice

on Oct 13, 2004

At the risk of repeating a sound-bite, 4 more years of Bush is 4 more years of the same wrong-headed policies. Could you imagine the screams coming from the right if this were say, Clinton's economic record with a Democratic controlled House and Senate? I agree with CripE, there are a lot of fiscal conservatives in Congress who are going through the roof over Bush's spending frenzy while simultaneously cutting taxes, being at war, and running up record deficits. Bush's economic policies makes it really difficult for them to display the blind loyalty demanded of them by this administration when they know they are going to have to run for re-election after he's gone.

Myrrander

on Oct 13, 2004

I mean were in a resession, which we got into because of George W

I'm not a Dubya fan, but I can't blame him for a recession that started only a few months after he took office. To give any president sole responsibility for a recession is foolish.

russellmz2

on Oct 13, 2004

Reply #1 By: Citizen Grim Xiozan - 10/12/2004 6:45:20 PM
Counterpoint:

Nobel laureate calls for steeper tax cuts in US

Nobel winning Economist wants deeper tax cuts that is the opposite of Kerry who proposes 'rolling back' tax cuts (or in laymen's terms tax raise).

- Grim X

heh, that's some really dangerous territory you're going into, Grim X. the last thing you want voters to ask is "which candidate has the most nobel prize winners supporting him?"

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&q=nobel+prize+winners+support+bush+

this is from a query for nobel prize winners support bush

Nobel Prize winners support Kerry - World - www.theage.com.au
... Nobel Prize winners support Kerry. ... John Kerry has been endorsed by 48 Nobel
Prize-winning scientists who have attacked President George Bush for "compromising ...

48 Nobel Prize Winners slam Bush - Physics Help and Math Help ...
... open letter to the American public, Nobel Prize winners including Caltech ... Richter,
who won the Nobel Prize for Physics ... organize the letter of support for Kerry ...

MSNBC - 10 Nobel economists endorse Kerry

Ten economic Nobel Prize winners endorse Kerry, Breaking in News ...

CNN.com - Nobel winner slams war on terror - Dec. 10, 2003

TasT

on Oct 13, 2004

W did not put us in this recession, which we are no longer in anyhow. If anyone is at fault Blame Alan Greenspan he burst the dot com bubble Though it's probably better that it bust when it did and didn't wait a few more years.

. As far as Kerrynomics read this http://tast.joeuser.com/index.asp?AID=30529

I

Madine

on Oct 13, 2004

Academia supports a Democrat, what a shocker. I wonder what would happen if they polled 100 business owners.

Grim Xiozan

on Oct 13, 2004

heh, that's some really dangerous territory you're going into, Grim X. the last thing you want voters to ask is "which candidate has the most nobel prize winners supporting him?"

The guy said we need deeper tax cuts, if anything he is against Bush a little bit because the tax cuts were not deep enough, Kerry on the other hand wants to raise tax...excuse roll back tax cuts. Not to mention the Nobel Price Winner got his Nobel Prize in Economics and he is a Economist, or did we miss that part of the news article?

Link to article again
Prescott and Norwegian Finn Kydland won the 2004 Nobel Economics Prize for research into the forces behind business cycles.

I guess we should not listen to a Nobel prize winning Economist when we should listen to other experts that both parties tout?

Do know you can lower the tax rate and collect revenue that is greater or equal to of the higher tax rate OR should we not listen to an Economist on that either?

- Grim X

russellmz2

on Oct 13, 2004

seriously grim x, dangerous territory:

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=nobel+prize+economics+kerry

MSNBC - 10 Nobel economists endorse Kerry
... PHILADELPHIA - John Kerry won the endorsement of 10 Nobel Prize-winning economists
Wednesday as he attacked President Bush for policies that he said have led ...
www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5818277/ - 40k - Oct 11, 2004 - Cached - Similar pages

madine:

Reply #10 By: Citizen Madine - 10/13/2004 11:40:26 AM

Academia supports a Democrat, what a shocker. I wonder what would happen if they polled 100 business owners.

i don't know what a poll would say. however:

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&q=200+business+leaders+kerry

Business: Business leaders for Kerry
... In a sign from Corporate America of support for their campaign, John Kerry and
John Edwards were endorsed Wednesday by 200 business leaders. ...
www.sptimes.com/2004/08/05/ Business/Business_leaders_for_.shtml - 38k - Cached - Similar pages

drmiler

on Oct 13, 2004

I guess we should not listen to a Nobel prize winning Economist when we should listen to other experts that both parties tout?

Do know you can lower the tax rate and collect revenue that is greater or equal to of the higher tax rate OR should we not listen to an Economist on that either?

- Grim X

Reply #12 By: russellmz2 - 10/13/2004 12:14:19 PM seriously grim x, dangerous territory:

You have not responded to what Grim X said. all you did was to repeat what you had said before. A Nobel Prize winning "Economist" says that they're wrong.
Here's the link one more time.: Link

Grim Xiozan

on Oct 13, 2004

seriously grim x, dangerous territory:

I guess we should not listen to a Nobel prize winning Economist when we should listen to other experts that both parties tout?

Keep in mind from what I have seen the DNC is more likely to quickly parade out expert after expert to prove their point.

Economists Say Bush, Kerry Job Plans Fall Short
Both proposals seen as costly with limited impact on deficit
Link to News Article

- Grim X
Anti-Demican Anti-Republicrat Libertarian

Grim Xiozan

on Oct 13, 2004

CANDIDATES' WAGE WAR: Bush and Kerry sit on opposite sides of minimum-pay debate

Even has nice little for and against parts.

- Grim X

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