Republicans: Feelings Over Facts

Ever notice that when a Republican is confronted with the reality that something they are saying doesn't line up with facts, they fall back on saying, "But people feel..."? Just look at the recent Republican National Convention. It was a parade of people talking about the way people feel. People feel the country is going in the wrong direction. People feel like they aren't safe. People feel that hordes of Mexicans are streaming over the border. People feel there is a war on cops.

Both Paul Manafort, Donald Trump's campaign chairman, and ex-Speaker Newt Gingrich, in separate interviews at the Convention were challenged on their claims that crime had skyrocketed under Obama's presidency. Both of them simply refused to listened to silly ol' facts, and insisted that people feel that crime is rising, therefore it is in fact rising. Manafort went a a step further and insinuated that the FBI was fudging crime statistics. At one point Gingrich all but admitted that he knew he wasn't telling the truth, but that the only thing that mattered was if people believed he was telling the truth. Scary stuff, folks.

Enough about what people feel; what are the facts?

1) Both violent crime and property crime have been dropping for nearly three decades, and have continue to drop throughout Obama's presidency:

2) Cop deaths under Obama are lower than they have been in decades:

3) Immigration from Mexico has declined since President Obama took office:

So enough with how people feel (which Republicans sure as hell try to influence with 24/7 propaganda though TV, radio, print and the Internet). These are the FACTS.



sources:
http://www.politifact.com/colorado/statements/2016/jul/20/darryl-glenn/darryl-glenn-says-neighborhoods-have-become-more-v/
http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015/11/19/5-facts-about-illegal-immigration-in-the-u-s

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/07/09/police-are-safer-under-obama-than-they-have-been-in-decades/