You'd think that since the “47%” meme hasn't worked out so well, Fox would have dropped it by now. But, like that old definition of insanity, they keep doing the same thing and expecting new results. Only now it's the 60% of Americans who approve of President Obama's job performance, despite the “dismal” economy, who are the “takers.”

On Fox & Friends this morning, the Curvy Couch Crew gnashed their teeth over the the fact that President Obama is riding high in popularity even as the economy shrank in the last quarter for the first time since 2009.

Steve Doocy said about the economic news:



How could it be unexpected? All you've gotta do is look at what's about to happen. We're about to decimate the national security. There's a possibility the 1.2 million security jobs could be lost in this country, plus all the regulations placed on businesses with the Affordable Care Act. It's shocking that the number isn't worse.

Then with his clown face, Doocy sneered that White House spokesman Jay Carney isn't blaming George Bush now. “He just blames the Republicans in general.”

Brian Kilmeade, noting that the stock market is up, but consumer confidence down, cried out, “But the president's approval rating is 60%! It's like he's impervious to numbers!"

Doocy made sure to throw cold water on the stock market rise. He said the market is up because “the Fed is pumping all this dough every month, billions and billions of dollars into the economy. And the unemployment number – you know, it's just under 8% but it would be much higher if you factored in all the people who simply said, 'I can't find a job. We give up!'”

Having established the economic gloom and doom, they then turned to the question of why President Obama is so popular. Of course, they could have done a teensy bit of research and discovered that the country received his second inaugural address very favorably. Despite Fox News' best efforts. Or that, as Nate Silver recently pointed out, Obama “has at least a slim majority of Americans in his corner” on most of the issues he raised, including guns, climate change and immigration. Also despite Fox's best efforts.

Instead of facts, Doocy opined that the “mainstream media” is responsible for Obama's popularity because it has not reported enough about how “dismal” the economy is. He added, “It's the same thing in the run up to the election. The number one story affecting the most Americans: the economy. But instead, what do we get? We got the 47%, war on women. We got the binders, we got everything except what really matters.”

You mean like Benghazi? Or birtherism? You didn't build that? Or how the polling was not accurately predicting Romney's victory?

Gretchen Carlson wasn't convinced. She said, “People will write books about this for years on end how the popularity of this president remained so high and yet the economy remains relatively dismal.”

So, without bothering to lift a finger to come up with any actual data, they turned to their audience for “answers.” Previously Carlson had said they had received “different thoughts” from viewers as to why the president is still so popular. First, Carlson summarized by saying, “Some people said that it's because, you know, a lot of people now are in situations where they're receiving government handouts and so they like to see a president in power who believes in continuing to do those types of programs.”

Then they posted some individual emails and/or tweets reinforcing that view:

Ever heard the saying, 'Don't shoot Santa Clause?” If you do not work, you had no increase in payroll deductions. If you're here illegally, you have the same rights as legal citizens and now everyone is going to be granted legal status.” (from “Charley”)

That's easy, It is because he hands out welfare like we hand out candy to kids at Halloween. Groceries, cell phone, gas, house, TV and any other thing you can think of... without having to put an effort to get off the couch and get a job. Why not like that person? (from “Scott”)

However, Carlson did dig up a tweet from Republican Senator John Thune responding to Jay Carney's remarks and asking, “What planet do these guys live on?"

Um, maybe the one where S&P downgraded the U.S. credit rating because of Republican "brinksmanship." But you probably won't hear much about that on Planet Fox News.