2/25/04: Mixed signals are part and parcel of every election year. This was underscored to me recently with the vilification of Gregory Mankiw, the chairman of the White House Council of Economic Advisors. Mankiw had recently commented that the outsourcing of certain jobs overseas was not necessarily a bad thing and in many ways was good for the long -term prospects of the American economy. This vilification came mostly from the White House, where predictions of job growth seem to shift on a weekly basis. Only time will tell how outsourcing will ultimately shake out. In the meantime, if this president wants to be re-elected, he'll have to stay on message or, more importantly, define what exactly that message is. Win or lose, that's not a lot to ask for from our elected officials.
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