Nationally syndicated conservative radio talk show host Mike Gallagher lamented this morning that his failure to sell his own house, that he recently placed on the market, was due to the psychological effects burdening the wealthy resulting from the class warfare propagated by President Barack Obama and Congressional Democrats.

Gallagher was attempting to make the case that the economic policies of Democrats in D.C. have driven fear into the rich, which has translated into the wealthy being too scared to spend their money. As a result, wealth is not having the ‘trickle down effect’ on the nation’s working class who rely on the nation’s upper class for jobs.

As an example, Gallagher criticized the Obama administration for embarrassing the nation’s business leaders:

“After the big corporate jet fiasco – where Obama decided to demonize executives who travel on private planes – but what about the mechanics? What about the flight attendants who work in that industry? What about the pilots? What about the people whose livelihood depends on those corporate jets? I mean – who do you think pays for corporate jets? That’s the joke here – that’s the consequence of class envy and class warfare.”

Gallagher then explained how Democratic class warfare is impacting his own life, and his recent (unsuccessful) attempt to sell his house. The talk show host began by touting what a nice home has has:

“I decided to put my house on the market. Three weeks. And it’s a house – and I’m not bragging – it’s a house with a ‘wow factor.’ You walk into the house and you go, ‘Wow.’ It’s got all the nice little bells and whistles, it’s got the electric shades that go up and down, and the sound system, and the beautiful pool. I’m a lucky guy. Three weeks – not a single phone call.”

Gallagher, who hosts a successful show with one of the Top 10 largest audiences in the country, admitted he was in a comfortable situation and did not need to sell the house. However, he still tried to connect the dots of Democratic economic policies with why the house wasn’t selling:

“Now again, I’m not complaining – cuz I’m blessed, I’m fortunate. If I don’t sell it, I don’t sell it. Fine – I’ll live in the house for the next few years and no big deal. But isn’t it fascinating that this beautiful home – not one, not even a phone call! Who knows what the reason is. I think the reason is people are terrified. People are terrified. And they’re not ready to buy a house and they’re not going to build….so, you know, thanks President Obama. Thanks House and Senate Democrats – you’re doing a great job.”

Gallagher’s big-picture criticism is on what he characterizes as the redistribution of wealth that is occurring under the current Democratic rule: “Socialism is here,” he told call-in guest Pat Buchanan on last Friday’s show. Gallagher believes the Democrats are causing people to be ‘terrified,’ particularly those wealthy people who could afford to purchase his beautiful home, because:

“Now the message is, because of all of the onerous spending orgy that our government is engaged in…’Wait a minute, I better not write that check right now. I can’t – because the world is coming to an end – I can’t afford it.'”

Dripping with irony, Gallagher, a fierce proponent of ‘individual responsibility,’ recently lambasted home buyers facing foreclosure who had purchased homes they could not afford and were seeking bailout money or to have the federal government intervene and stop foreclosures. Last week, Gallagher highlighted the story of a bus driver who had purchased an $800K home, which is now only worth $600K:

“I dare you to feel sorry for her…how about this, honey? Pay your mortgage!”

In short, Gallagher believes in individual responsibility and the importance of microeconomic behavior when it comes to people who can’t afford their mortgages, but attributes (Democratic) macroeconomic governmental policies for his inability to sell his own house.

Gallagher, by the way, did not mention the listing price of his home on the air.

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3 Comments

  1. jmcd on March 10, 2009 at 6:11 pm

    A big thanks to Smart Politics for criticizing the irrationality of Gallagher’s commentary.

    On a personal note, it took me 7 painful months to sell a nice and sought after house in a booming market and prior to the sub-prime mortgage crisis. The relief of selling the home even then does not appease any anxiety about the micro or macro future of things that we are all looking at now.

    There seems to be a real need for respectful and rational thought at both micro and macro levels and resistance to the rhetorical and ratings-motivated lures of talk show hosts. Credit, in my opinion, is due to Al Gore for writing The Assault on Reason (1) to call for rational argument and restoration of analysis, compromise and dialogue into political thinking and (2) for not getting sucked into the same shock-jock schtick associated with the kind of discourse he criticizes. A difficult feat…but he pulled it off.

    Althought they are at times entertaining, I feel that the rising presence and popularity of commentators like Gallagher on both the right and the left have taken a corrosive toll. In all things domestic and foreign, there are too many things that need serious and measured consideration. I’d rather spend 5 minutes listening to a debate between Noam Chomsky and a resurrected William F. Buckley than a week of sparring between Limbaugh and Moore.

    I recall the cult film the Blair Witch Project in which one of characters goes through the entire film looking at everything through the lens of her hand held camera in order to not acknowledge her fear and the very real dangers going on around her. Consequently, she is doomed but at the same she creates a narrative that provides entertainment for us, the viewer/consumer. The political talk show host banter so replete in popular culture provides us with a similar lens. Rather than approach issues through reasoned and respectful debate featuring the best insights from both the right and left, we’re content patronise a kabuki theatre that reinforces emotions of how we feel the world ought to be rather than acknowledge the uncertain and not-so-simple way that it is. As long as we keep doing this, we, just like the hapless characters in a low budget horror film will get picked off one by one.

  2. Miss Mitten on March 10, 2009 at 11:47 pm

    Bush has only been out of office for a few weeks, so blaming the Democrats for the current economic turmoil is plain ridiculous. The right-wingers that are playing the “Socialist” card whilst nitpicking Obama’s spending bill(s) are equally ridiculous. Somehow it was perfectly okay to give Bush a blank check to spend whatever his heart desired on his little war, not to mention all the favoritism to his Haliburton cronies for defense contracts to support said war. Yet when Obama wants to spend some money on the needs of the common American people, heaven forbid! Healthcare for children? Safe infrastructure? *gasp* If the federal deficit isn’t deepening in order to line the pockets of the already wealthy who haven’t sold their palace(s) in three weeks, well, something is definitely amiss. Obama the Socialist MUST BE STOPPED!

    I blame the media for a large part (if not the majority) of the negativity that is currently plaguing the nation. Not only today, but back on 9-11 when the war first started as well. Fear mongering in the media is absolutely out of control. The blurred line between actual “news” and “news commentary/opinion” is only making matters worse. Where are people supposed to turn to find out the facts and not just propaganda and rhetoric on either side of the political spectrum? People choose their news source based on either the left or right and follow whichever news platform suits their political leaning. Long gone are the days of objective journalism, and the constant fear mongering on both sides isn’t helping anyone.

  3. Henri Kinson on March 11, 2009 at 8:10 pm

    When Obama says there’s going to be a “catastrophe” (because, as several high-level advisors have admitted, they don’t want to “let a crisis go to waste”), increases taxes on “the rich” by about 20% and promises more, threatened to filibuster changes to Fannie and Freddie to reduce risky loans, and reduces mortgage interest deductions, it is hard to make the case that Obama has nothing to do with an inability to sell a nice house.

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