Comparing recessions

Obama -- the candidate of hope -- keeps insisting that this is an extraordinary recession unlike anything we have faced since the Great Depression. As the fundmastery blog notes, however, "This is a tough downturn, but certainly not unprecedented in the post-World War II period."

And here's the data:

(click to enlarge)

Why is Obama engaging in unnecessary doom-mongering? You'd almost think that he is more interested in getting the stimulus package passed along with all of its goodies for liberal constituencies than actually taking a cool, rational approach to the economy.