McCain Lie: "1.3 Million make their living off of EBAY".....

[NYC_SKP]

Speaking of how Meg Whitman (who has recently had to lay off many workers) would make a wonderful member of his team, John McCain talked of the 1.3 million people who make their living off of EBay.

So, is this his idea of job creation? We should all go off on our own selling crap on eBay to make ends meet, no insurance, retirement, benefits?

Probably so.

What's more, that 1.3 million refers to an old estimate of how many sellers WORLDWIDE who sell on EBay as a primary OR secondary source of income, a quite possible a very low income for most of these.

In other words, it's bullshit.

http://www.slate.com/id/2191907?from=rss

:patriot:

[ecstatic]

1. Dead wrong and out of touch! I bet he thought the ebay

reference was so "hip." He just continues to sound like a fool!

[New Dawn]

5. 1999 was the last time McCain saw a computer screen.

[XemaSab]

2. Want to buy a bridge to nowhere?

My auction closes in 3 hours.

[NYC_SKP]

3. Oh, oh...I want to "Buy it Now"!

do you take paypal?

[XemaSab]

12. I do!

:bounce:

[jrockford]

15. hahahhaha

[Withywindle]

4. Strong economy, right?

Millions and millions of people putting all their possessions for sale on the internet because they have no other way to buy gas and feed their kids! Excellent business model! :sarcasm:

[NYC_SKP]

8. He seriously thinks those are "jobs", probably "small businesses"....

...technically true, but really not much more than desperation...

Yard sales have been booming around my valley, where the mortgage crisis hit hard and my town has been in the news as worst in the nation for foreclosures.

Very sad...

[AzNick]

6. eBay just let go 10% of its work force, BTW

People are tired of eBay, it's the same old Web site built in 1983, barely enhanced with some poorly coggled up Java applets, still with glitches.

And why pay eBay when you can advertise for free on Craig's or even freecycle on Yahoo?

$1.3 million people making a living on eBay? Factcheck.org please?

[NYC_SKP]

10. Here:

"Certain numbers have an iconic status in America's business culture. One of them is the number of people who derive income selling goods on eBay: 1.3 million. The figure has been cited by eBay executives such as former CEO Meg Whitman, speaking on 60 Minutes in March; by companies that are part of the eBay economic ecosystem; and, in late April, by presidential candidate John McCain. "Today, for example, 1.3 million people in the world make a living off eBay," he proclaimed. "Most of those are in the United States of America."

Where does this number come from? And do more than 650,000 Americans really "make a living" selling costume jewelry, baseball cards, and cameras in the world's largest swap meet?

The number can be traced to a 2006 study conducted by ACNielsen on behalf of eBay. The company surveyed eBay sellers around the globe, including 2,000 in the United States. And it concluded that "approximately 1.3 million sellers around the world use eBay as their primary or secondary source of income," with an esti­mated 630,239 in the United States. Take careful note of the phrasing, however: primary or secondary. That could mean 50,000 use eBay as a primary source and 1.25 million as a secondary source. Or it could mean the split is closer to 650,000-650,000."

http://www.slate.com/id/2191907?from=rss

[grasswire]

14. a lot of people WISH it was the same old eBay

Unfortunately, CEO Whitman ruined the business with bad decisions. Ask any eBay seller what happened. She trashed a business that was successful and highly loved.

[AzNick]

17. I do not post there anymore, barely buy from it

Once or twice a year, a specialty item, or a custom made tool made by a guy in his garage, or a collector video game.

But I used to buy and sell a lot of my stuff there.

Last time I sold DVDs, they went for a ridiculous price.

My step son tried to sell his Came Cube will games and accessories at a rock bottom price, it did not go.

He posted it on Craig's and it was gone the same day.

[stolivodka]

7. Pawnshop Economics

McCain's boy Bush *did* put our country in hock to China, so I guess it makes sense.

[Blue-Jay]

9. That tired old fuck can't check his email, but NOW he's an eBay expert?

ugh.

[Kool Kitty]

11. Didn't Cheney say something similar about E-Bay?

[MrSlayer]

16. Yes.

The critical swing state of Ohio has hemorrhaged hundreds of thousands of jobs with Bush in office, but Vice President Cheney explained to Bush supporters at a campaign stop in Cincinnati on Thursday that the nation's economic picture may be better than naysayers think. He argued that current national employment statistics overlook many people who are making money, such as those selling items on the auction site eBay.

"That's a source that didn't even exist 10 years ago," Cheney said, according to the Associated Press. "Four hundred thousand people make some money trading on eBay."

Cheney didn't elaborate as to how many of those folks might make a sustainable living doing so.

Democratic vice presidential candidate John Edwards responded that Cheney's comments show how "out of touch" he and President Bush are with the economy.

"If we only included bake sales and how much money kids make at lemonade stands," Edwards said in a statement, "this economy would really be cooking.''


http://www.salon.com/politics/war_room/2004/09/10/ebay/

[RoadRage]

13. I have an eBay store...

I sell about $3,000 per month in merchandise. It's my 2nd job.. i do it on nights & weekends.

Ohh.. and I don't keep any of the $$$. We're selling my dad's huge HO train collection.. slowly.. and giving the money back to my step-mom.. so she can afford health insurance, rent, etc.

My point.. it's my "second income" even though I don't keep any of it. eBay makes it hard as HELL to actually make a living.. they change the rules on a whim to maximize profits for eBay.. not for their sellers.

Meg Whitman is the LAST person i'd want in charge of the economy. Ohh.. and didn't eBay just cut jobs by 10%... Paypal too? :eyes:

I'll stick with Buffet.. he seems to know what he's doing.

[JohnMcCant2008]

18. Foiled by "the Google" again........

[WeDidIt]

19. eBay = Virtual Garage Sale/Flea Market

Most people who sell on eBay do it in an effort to clean out the attic/basement/garage.

[redqueen]

20. Why would he say something so unbelievably stupid? Is he that clueless about jobs?

Were any pundits talking about the ridiculousness of that line?

[NYC_SKP]

21. That's his job creation plan. Basically, you're on your fucking own.

Go out there and sell your shit, losers.

I got mine.

(his thoughts, not mine)