Why so Little Discussion on the ECONOMY?

[General Lee]

In this election year, many are too obsessed with what's going on overseas and forget the day-to-day economic problems affecting many of us. Read "Are You Too Stupid to Enjoy the Economy?" at http://ehrenreich.blogs.com/barbaras_blog/

While we dwell on foreign misadventures, we are losing our standard of living. Let's talk more about the declining living standards in this nation and cool it a bit on the other things!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Parche]

1. economy

Because it is doing so well, with oil prices sky high
Ford laying off thousands, Intel laying off thousands
Yes we have a fantastic economy

[sknabt]

13. It's ambiguous

The Democrats have been pretty smart about discussing the economy. Simply stated, the middle class is seeing its wages barely keep up with inflation while the lower class is seeing declines. They are emphasizing that most people aren't seeing the benefits of the economic expansion we've seen over the last couple of years. It's an issue that resonates.

However, when it comes to facts and figures low unemployment, high corporate profits, mild inflation, GDP growth, etc. favor the Republicans.

There may be a slowdown in the works but it's unlikely to effect the mid-term elections. Depending how the economy goes, it may be an issue in 2008.

[Parisle]

2. We're losing more than our "standard of living"

---- We are losing the means by which we obtained it in the first place. We're losing the manufacturing base, the infrastructure and the laws which led to that standard. The "privatization" of government and the handing of all salient decisions to corporate feudal lords is leading to the "third-worldization" of America,.... which is precisely what they want.

[fuzzyball]

5. Ironically the "3rd world" countries are going more capitalistic and

expanding their manufacturing base by double digit rates every year.
China is projected to have a bigger economy than US in 15 years and
India will have a bigger economy than USA in 35 short years.

I dread the loss of manufacturing in United States, the prime wealth
creating machine.

[General Lee]

10. How true but

you forgot to add that even as we speak many high level non-manufacturing jobs are going to places like India. The corporations pretend to give Americans first choice but repeatedly pretend they are unable to find enough qualified Americans to do the job. Next they tell Congress of their so called problem. They wink at our so called representatives in Washington and say, "We need more workers from overseas." Then Congress asks them, "Did you do your level best to hire Americans first?" (All the time winking back at the corporations.) The Corporations in turn wink back and reply, "Why of course we did!" Congress then increases the number of H1B visas and the media plays along with the charade!

[fuzzyball]

14. I feel for the Americans losing jobs to H1B visa types but......

I rather see skilled legal workers come here as opposed to
unskilled illegal workers come here. The Indians who acquire
citizenship vote democratic by good majority.

The country is enriched by immigration of skilled workers. The
unskilled ones are just a burden to all.

[thegreatwildebeest]

15. Oh ya they are...

Yes I am sure the poor people who pick your tomatos for 25 cents a pail and who do construction for equally ridiculous wages are just a huge terrible fucking burden on a government system thats mostly denied to them, and who have little legal recourse for the injustices done to them every day. I'm sure they're are a terrible burden to you.

[fuzzyball]

16. I just can't find any sympathy for those break law....

I abhor anarchy, lawlessness and crime. If that makes
me look bad in your eyes, all I can say is WHATEVER.

[General Lee]

12. Well done!

BRAVO! Parisle

[Awsi Dooger]

3. Because our party prefers lousy handicapping

It's something I've more or less accepted since it never changes.

Bush's appproval rating is actually much lower on the economy than Iraq but we love to pound Iraq. It makes us feel tough and comfy. We're so envious of the GOP pit bull style somehow we think it's best for us, even though the demographics vital to our side like suburban moms, and single women, are always more concerned than men with homeland concerns like health care, economy and jobs, and education, plus less influenced by negativity.

I saw another poll yesterday, the Strategic Vision survey of New Jersey. Bush's approval rating is 38% overall and on Iraq, but only 30% regarding the economy. I'm sure we'll continue to ignore that. Then when our gains aren't what we expect in November we'll be stunned when exit polls reveal the voters were prioritizing their daily lives more than we expected, and less emphasis on dusty images from far away.

Big hint: Iraq is already built into the poll numbers. The idea is to maximize opportunity, not sit on a lead and pretend one issue is going to be plenty. Especially if it is primarily an anti-GOP vote we're relying on, not pro-Democratic. Voting against is an automatic regulator. It magnets far fewer people than enthusiasm to support your own candidate regardless of the opponent. We should have figured that out with the ABB ignorance.

[paulk]

4. good question

It seems nobody, Republican or Democrat, wants to acknowledge the crap economy. A few Democrats have mentioned it, but, it doesn't seem to be part of any overall strategy.

[Greyhound]

8. It's not crap for them. The investor-class has done very well and would

like it to stay this way forever, at least that's what they think.

I'm sad to say that The Democratic Party, as a whole, hasn't changed a bit. They are apparently going to stick with the re:puke:-lite losing strategy, thus ensuring an underwhelming performance this November, that will cripple their ability to make the changes that are required to begin the healing process, while simultaneously providing the re:puke:s with the opportunity to blame them for the unbelievable mess that's coming right on schedule.

[Awsi Dooger]

6. Bush handed us one on a silver platter today

I just saw the remark at the end of Hardball and couldn't believe it. If we don't highlight this is national commercials we're stone morons.

""It's been a strong economy..."

"I've always felt the economy is a determinative issue, if not the determinative issue, in campaigns ... I certainly hope this election is based on economic performance."

Surreal. The favorables on the economy are horrid, lower than Iraq. Chimpwit predictably has no clue. Like I wrote in a previous post in this thread, it's lower state to state on the economy than Iraq. The Strategic Vision polls demonstrate that regardless of the region. The approval average is more than 5 points lower on the economy than Iraq.

[General Lee]

11. Hardball a la Chris Mathews

never deals with the outsourcing of jobs and the importation of cheap labor into this country -- He's too frightened and has no backbone. You'll never see anyone on MSNBC (or NBC for that matter) deal with these issues. The only issues they know are Iraq, Iraq, Iraq ad nauseum. Why, you might ask, do they not touch these issues? Easy, just look at the one of the owners - bill gates, one of the biggest supporters of so called free trade in the nation. Here's a link to a 1997 article that illustrates some of what I said: http://www.transparencynow.com/msnbc.htm

[FrenchieCat]

7. Foreign policy affects Domestic policy....

it's not the economy per se...it's things like Health care cost, education cost, food cost, and minimum wages.

The republican media continues to hammer that "the economy is good"...but what they mean is "the stock market is doing great, so STFU".

It's very hard to hear Democrats trying to poopoo the economy under these circumstances. Considering that many voters have the attention span of a fly....they can only deal with one or two issues at a time...and currently, based on the Bush Admin and their megaphone media the issue is terrorism and immigration.

Since that is all that will be covered on TV.....If the Dems tried to shift the message, no one would hear them.

[General Lee]

9. If the Dems made an issue of it,

it would become a central issue! The media reports what people are talking about in Washington. If the Dems stay silent, they are playing into the hands of the Reps. Besdes, the Dems must show us that they really care about the loss of high value jobs. Remember it was Clinton who got NAFTA past. They must redeem themselves in the eyes of Dems otherwise who needs them if they sing the same song as their opponents?????

[ChipsAhoy]

17. Gas prices are down again

And the economy is up. That's what they are going to be harping on. *SIGH*

[fuzzyball]

18. Gas prices have dropped from $3.19 to $2.69 in 10 days here...

I heard gas will be $1.99 by election day. If that is not
the October surprise, then what will it be?