I hope this plea for help doesn't get swallowed up, but how would I find the following information?

[Pacifist Patriot]

The president of a regional builder's association is claiming that the building industry in America always does better when Republicans are in charge. For all I know, he is correct but I'd like to find concrete numbers that either support or refute his claim. What would I google? I'm not even sure how to begin.

[MadHound]

1. I would check with the Homebuilder's Association or other such like national association

They should have a website up.

[iamjoy]

2. Because They're Doing So Well Now

right?

:eyes:

Sorry I don't have a real answer, just a smart mouthed response, but at least I keep it going. Maybe some one has some facts.

[jberryhill]

3. Manny Dembs - National Association of Home Builders, Director

See if he is still around. He used to be quite a pistol.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

4. Ask him

That's easy. Ask him for documentation to support his claim. You shouldn't have to "rebut" anything he says - he should be prepared to back up his claims with the proper references and authorities.

So, just ask him for those references.

It's nuts, the idea of YOU doing his job. When someone makes a claim like that, they are obligated to reference it properly. If he refuses, then you use that against him.

[OwnedByFerrets]

5. Since he is a repug, he doesnt have to back up anything.

:sarcasm:

[Tangerine LaBamba]

8. Yeah, you got that right.

But, the basic flaw in the OP is that the individual believes HE has to DISPROVE what the guy claimed. Instead of demanding that the guy prove the veracity of his statement.

That's been the problem with current Democrats - they take the defensive position, meekly going off to research or some such nonsense, instead of standing up and making the guy who makes the statement prove that it's true. Putting HIM on the defensive.

This kind of "bended knee" behavior drives me nuts. Democrats are just going to keep getting slapped around until they wise up and stand up to these statistic-spewing cranks.

Remember when the matter of George W. Bush's earlier drug use came up? Remember how he handled it?

As soon as someone asked him a question about it, he said, "I'm not gonna talk about that," and it was never brought up again.

I just wish Democrats would fight.

[OwnedByFerrets]

9. You've nailed it!!

[Tangerine LaBamba]

12. Let me tell you why Obama is going to lose -

it happened last night, and it left me in tears.

Keith Olbermann asked him, the final question of the interview on last night's "Countdown," if he - or the Democrats - would have done what the Republicans did at their convention, showing that horrid, graphic video about 9/11.

I twitched in my chair, wanting Obama just to say "No. Doing that was a crass exploitation of an American tragedy that took place during a Republican administration."

I twitched, and I held on, and Obama hesitated, and then went into a rap about something or other, and ended, quite lamely, with "We would never have shown it."

That was it. I started to cry, because I realized the guy has no balls. No appetite for even the smallest fight - and the small fights are where the battles are won. I have given him everything I could in the way of financial support, and I think he's an extraordinary human being, but, in his rigid political correctness, with his desire to be conciliatory instead of confrontational, he was soft, he is soft, and that is why Obama/Biden are going to lose in November.

And my heart is broken.

[OwnedByFerrets]

13. I dont agree with you that he has no balls....

I will agree that the "media" has democrats so gunshy that they are "afraid" to say ANYTHING that could be taken out of context. This lipstick and a pig is a perfect example. Obama said nothing wrong, but the media took it, twisted it and ran with it.
When KO asked Obama about their lying, Obama refused to come out and call them liars. I was on the edge of my seat yelling for him to call them bald faced liars. He refused to do it. Why? Because the next day, all the networks and every outlet would be demanding an apology from BO for daring to call a POW a liar.....even though its true. Truth in this environment seems not to matter.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

15. In this campaign,

he has shown no balls. His refusal to engage directly will lead to his downfall.

Since the networks will be all over him anyway, why not speak the truth?

He's breaking my heart, and if he's losing die-hard supporters like me, imagine how he's coming across to those who are undecided.

[Iris]

6. wait...how does a mortgage crisis help builders?

anyway, I just wanted to give your post a little kick.

[Pacifist Patriot]

7. We are talking about Republicans here. Facts are of little to no consequence.

[uppityperson]

10. Tell him to prove it or it is just a made up rumor. And, how does mortgage crisis help builders?

[sinkingfeeling]

11. Here's one table on home construction.

http://www.census.gov/const/compann.pdf

[AnarchoFreeThinker]

14. "new housing starts" is the stat you want

[Pacifist Patriot]

18. Found them! Check this out.

This is what I sent the moron. He seems to have a bee up his butt about Congress being in a stranglehold by the Democrats for the last 19 months so I had to include that information.

------------

Annual Housing Starts (Single Family & Multi-Family Totals) per National Association of Home Builders. I chose the last two years of each administration figuring this gives some time for the administration's economic policies to begin to show some affect. The results cannot be accounted for by holdover from the previous administration.

Last two years of Jimmy Carter's administration
96th Congress with a Democratic majority in both houses
3,765,400

Last two years of Ronald Reagan's administration
100th Congress with a Democratic majority in both houses
3,108,600

Last two years of George Bush's administration
102nd Congress with a Democratic majority in both houses
2,213,600

Last two years of Bill Clinton's administration: 3,209,600
106th Congress with a Republican majority in both houses
3,209,600

Last two years: (actual last two years of GWB's administration will be much lower. The stronger year was 2006 with 1.8 in annual housing starts and a huge drop to 1.35 in 2007)
Split between a Congress with a Republican majority in both houses and a Congress tied in the Senate and a 31 seat lead in the House.
3,156,100

So how is that home building going for you when a Republican is sitting in the Oval Office?

While of course legislation has impact, notice the precipitous decline when the nation turns to supply side economics under Reagan/Bush despite a Democratic legislature that supported strong new home starts with the Democratic president that preceeded Reagan/Bush. The most consistent pattern does appear to be White House occupancy as opposed to control of congress. I'm not naive. I do understand that there are myriad factors that impact our economy and affect new home starts. But if someone is going to assert builders are better off with a Republican president I have to call bullshit.

Astounding how someone, on the very day the taxpayers begin to bail out THE two mortgage companies with liabilities that can literally affect the entire global economy, can claim with a straight face that builders do better under Republicans than Democrats. One wonders if he's completely blind to the downsizing member companies have repeatedly resorted to over the last several years. What rock does this man live under?

[AnarchoFreeThinker]

19. excellent

[Dissent Is Patriotic]

20. found them

[Dissent Is Patriotic]

21. Does anyone know where I can find this data for all new construction

over time? (looked on this site and they have it by year, but no chart that summarizes each year and where the dollars are set to a certain year)

[blogslut]

16. I don't know but you might ask him if filling those buildings is a concern

I remember at the start of the 80's, builders in the Dallas area went crazy. Seven years later, there was nothing but empty new buildings as far as the eye could see.

[kath]

17. WEll, the stock market and the economy always do worse under Repugs,

so it doesn't make sense that building industry would do well...