The American mood: Is the angst bottoming out?

[ClarkUSA]

In recent days, just as we've seen tantalizing, oh-so-subtle hints the economic distress might be leveling off, a smattering of signs has emerged to suggest the national bad mood of recent months may be — and note we say, quite carefully, MAY be — bottoming out.

Last week, fresh retail sales figures, a key indicator of consumer spending and, thus, the American mood, suggested that while people are still holding their cash close to their chest, their sour stomach might be stabilizing a bit — getting "less worse," in effect.

Numbers from Gallup's Consumer Mood Index were up 6 points for the week ending April 5, the fourth consecutive week they rose. The index is now as high as it's been in over a year — buoyed, perhaps, by the upward-creeping stock market. And an AP-GfK poll showed the number of Americans who think the country is heading in the right direction more than doubled between October and February — to 40 percent.

Not that it's all good, mind you. Just, well, less worse... Then there's the guy in the White House who is trying to fix all this. "We're starting," President Barack Obama said Friday, "to see a glimmer of hope."