Jobs and Jobs, Two speeches Which Was More Important?
What a day. First Steve Jobs announced the iPad, the next thing in a long line of gadget things that Apple has figured out that we need.
We need the iPad, because it takes what was the Kindle, and makes it cooler. In color too. It says — hey world, we figured out you figured out that you don’t really need computers any more, you like the iPhone, but the keys are too close together so here’s the fat fingered version.But wait, you can pair a bluetooth keyboard to it. And it will have more battery life than my Air?
This was the state of the union we needed to hear.
Later, President Obama talked about jobs. No, not our Jobs. But jobs as in how to get the economy working. It’s his number one focus. He urged Democrats that they still needed to “solve problems and not run for the hills.”
But wait, why not run over to the Apple store and get an iPad. Instead of bailing out car companies and banks, why not just buy an iPad for every school age child in America? Apple shares would spike, Wall Street would be happy and there’d be some massive trickle down of wealth that even Republicans would like.
Let’s do a play by play analysis of the speeches then, shall we?
OBAMA:
It’s tempting to look back on these moments and assume that our progress was inevitable -– that America was always destined to succeed. But when the Union was turned back at Bull Run, and the Allies first landed at Omaha Beach, victory was very much in doubt. When the market crashed on Black Tuesday, and civil rights marchers were beaten on Bloody Sunday, the future was anything but certain. These were the times that tested the courage of our convictions, and the strength of our union. And despite all our divisions and disagreements, our hesitations and our fears, America prevailed because we chose to move forward as one nation, as one people.
JOBS:
Apple is a mobile device company. Largest mobile devices company on world by revenue. Bigger than Sony. Samsung. Nokia.
OBAMA:
Because of the steps we took, there are about two million Americans working right now who would otherwise be unemployed. (Applause.) Two hundred thousand work in construction and clean energy; 300,000 are teachers and other education workers. Tens of thousands are cops, firefighters, correctional officers, first responders. (Applause.) And we’re on track to add another one and a half million jobs to this total by the end of the year.
The plan that has made all of this possible, from the tax cuts to the jobs, is the Recovery Act. (Applause.) That’s right -– the Recovery Act, also known as the stimulus bill. (Applause.) Economists on the left and the right say this bill has helped save jobs and avert disaster. But you don’t have to take their word for it. Talk to the small business in Phoenix that will triple its workforce because of the Recovery Act. Talk to the window manufacturer in Philadelphia who said he used to be skeptical about the Recovery Act, until he had to add two more work shifts just because of the business it created. Talk to the single teacher raising two kids who was told by her principal in the last week of school that because of the Recovery Act, she wouldn’t be laid off after all.
JOBS:
2 weeks ago sold 250th million iPod. Apple now has 284 Apple stores, had 50 million people visit last year. Has more than 140,000 applications on APp Store. 3 billion apps have been download in 18 months.
OBAMA:
We should start where most new jobs do –- in small businesses, companies that begin when — (applause) — companies that begin when an entrepreneur — when an entrepreneur takes a chance on a dream, or a worker decides it’s time she became her own boss. Through sheer grit and determination, these companies have weathered the recession and they’re ready to grow. But when you talk to small businessowners in places like Allentown, Pennsylvania, or Elyria, Ohio, you find out that even though banks on Wall Street are lending again, they’re mostly lending to bigger companies. Financing remains difficult for small businessowners across the country, even those that are making a profit.
So tonight, I’m proposing that we take $30 billion of the money Wall Street banks have repaid and use it to help community banks give small businesses the credit they need to stay afloat. (Applause.) I’m also proposing a new small business tax credit
-– one that will go to over one million small businesses who hire new workers or raise wages. (Applause.) While we’re at it, let’s also eliminate all capital gains taxes on small business investment, and provide a tax incentive for all large businesses and all small businesses to invest in new plants and equipment. (Applause.)
Next, we can put Americans to work today building the infrastructure of tomorrow. (Applause.) From the first railroads to the Interstate Highway System, our nation has always been built to compete. There’s no reason Europe or China should have the fastest trains, or the new factories that manufacture clean energy products.
JOBS:
Apple® today announced financial results for its fiscal 2010 first quarter ended December 26, 2009. The Company posted revenue of $15.68 billion and a net quarterly profit of $3.38 billion, or $3.67 per diluted share. These results compare to revenue of $11.88 billion and net quarterly profit of $2.26 billion, or $2.50 per diluted share, in the year-ago quarter. Gross margin was 40.9 percent, up from 37.9 percent in the year-ago quarter. International sales accounted for 58 percent of the quarter’s revenue.
Apple sold 3.36 million Macintosh® computers during the quarter, representing a 33 percent unit increase over the year-ago quarter. The Company sold 8.7 million iPhones in the quarter, representing 100 percent unit growth over the year-ago quarter. Apple sold 21 million iPods during the quarter, representing an eight percent unit decline from the year-ago quarter.
So let’s see, Obama wants to create jobs by putting Americans to work today building the infrastructure of tomorrow and Steve Jobs has just shown the infrastructure of tomorrow. What a friggin disconnect.
It seems like it was a lifetime ago that during the Clinton administration, Vice President Gore was schmoozing the tech industry and bringing in the tech stuff to get problem solving in Washington on the Internet. The High Performance Computing and Communication Act of 1991 gave us the Internet browser. I think there was a recession then too.
The point in all this is that it was only last year Obama was telling us the equivalent to what do you want to do Agent Scully, sell sugar water for the rest of your life or change the world? Today Obama’s pitching us on how a tax credit for small businesses when they hire someone will somehow change the economy. Today Obama is John Sculley.
