Encouraging economic data, from sources public and private
Last week, a better-than-expected jobs report inspired scoffing among those to whom good economic news is bad political news, including suggestions that the government numbers had somehow been cooked as part of a political conspiracy.
That doesn’t seem to have been the case, as economic data continue to surprise on the upside, from government as well as private economic sources, and across economic sectors:
The economy is improving more than professional forecasters anticipated, particularly in data on employment and housing, according to the Bloomberg Economic Surprise Index, which compares 38 indicators with analysts’ predictions. The index, based on gauges compiled by private businesses and trade groups in addition to government, confirms U.S. growth is generating jobs in the face of a global slowdown and looming federal spending cuts and tax increases known as the fiscal cliff.
“The economy is improving, and the labor market is getting better,” said Robert Brusca, president of Fact & Opinion Economics and a former New York Fed economist. “These numbers are what they are, they’re not being slanted. On a scale of one to 10, the economy is at a fairly firm six and may be heading higher….”
From Reuters, on consumer sentiment:
The Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan’s preliminary October reading on the overall index on consumer sentiment came in at 83.1, up from 78.3 the month before, and the highest since September 2007, the survey showed on Friday.
The new buoyancy among consumers comes shortly after the U.S. unemployment rate tumbled to its lowest in nearly four years in September as more people returned to the workforce and found jobs than economists had predicted.
“We are getting some quite interesting signals from consumer sentiment and employment data – both (the) unemployment rate and initial claims – that there has been some quite significant improvement in the economy,” said David Sloan, an economist at 4Cast in New York.
From the Census Bureau on retail sales:
WASHINGTON — Retail sales rose a larger-than-expected 1.1% in September as consumers shook off fears of looming economic problems and continued to boost their spending after pulling back earlier this year.
The new data Monday came as the Commerce Department revised August’s increase in retail sales to 1.2% from the earlier estimate of 0.9%. That meant the rise in August was the largest monthly gain since October 2010.
Economists had expected a 0.8% increase in September, according to a survey by Bloomberg. Retail sales last month were up 5.4% from a year earlier. Sales for the three-month period ending in September were up 4.8% from the same quarter in 2011.
From Business Insider, on housing:
Despite some nagging doubts that have remained over the U.S. housing market, consensus is that housing has turned the corner and is recovering.
In his latest note titled The Housing Recovery Is For Real, Deutsche Bank’s Joseph LaVorgna writes that the “residential housing market is in the very early stages of a durable recovery.”
LaVorgna says this recovery in housing is important because housing is what led the U.S. economy into a recession, and is part of the reason the recovery has been so slow. Moreover, as “a leading indicator of underlying domestic demand,” any improvement in housing suggests that underlying domestic demand should improve as well. From Lavorgna:
‘…. At minimum, the strength in residential construction suggests it is unlikely that underlying domestic demand will weaken further. This provides us with some comfort that the recent sub-par performance in the economy is not long lasting and that over time, domestic demand will strengthen, perhaps as concern over Europe fades a bit and the “fiscal cliff” is adequately dealt with.’ “
From Fitch Ratings, on housing construction:
Fitch Ratings raised its projection for single-family starts and new-home sales this year, but warned housing growth could be somewhat less robust in 2013.
The ratings company expects single-family housing starts to improve about 19% in 2012, with new-home sales and existing-home sales increasing 19.5% and 8.5%, respectively.
Fitch, last month, forecast a 12% rise in single-family housing starts, 10.5% growth in new-home sales and a 5.6% bump in existing-home sales.
Fitch said the year-over-year gains for single-family starts and new-home sales earlier this year have sustained momentum. Meanwhile, seasonally adjusted statistics for single-family starts, new homes and existing-home sales have also been advancing most months.
From Ward’s Automotive Group, the auto industry newsletter, reporting a surge in fourth-quarter auto production in North America:
Hot on the heels of an estimated 20,300-unit September production shortfall, North American car and truck assembly plants are embarking on an even more robust fourth-quarter program than the one put in place a month ago.
Although Ford has not yet revealed what revisions it has in store for October-December, the rest of the industry already has boosted production plans by some 53,900 units for the period.
The bulk of the increase is set to occur this month with 61,700 units added to the October slate, some of which likely were deferred from September and some pulled forward from December’s plan, now 16,400 units lower than it was a month ago.
But, even assuming the entire September and December downward volume adjustments are included in this month’s higher schedule, that still means an additional 16,700 vehicles in the October boost, on top of which some 8,600 units have been added to the November plan.
The largest Q4 increase comes from General Motors, up 18,500 units, mostly cars, including gains of 26,000 in October and 3,000 in November, followed by a 10,500-unit cut in its December slate…
Incorporating the revised outlook, North American plants now are in line to build some 15,692,200 cars and trucks this year, up 16.5% from 2011’s 13,471,500 completions.
– Jay Bookman
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508 comments Add your comment
getalife
October 15th, 2012
8:50 pm
kay,
I voted for Hillary silly.
She said she will serve one term and retire.
kayaker 71
October 15th, 2012
8:59 pm
joseph, 8:29,
Rush had a rather insightful commentary on Hillary the other day, certainly not all of it bad. At the time, he urged her to come forth and help shoulder the blame for events in Libya. He was of the opinion that she hooked her star onto Bill by going to Arkansas, of all places, to pursue his political career. Once she was there, and working for a bunch of hicks at the Rose Law Firm, it became painfully obvious to her that she had made a very big mistake, especially with all of Bills extra curricular activities on the side. By then, she had Chelsea which no doubt added to the dilemma of whether to stay or go. But like any other political figure with ambitions, she decided to stick around despite the downside. I kind of wonder if she would have ever achieved the accomplishments in her career alone and without Bill. Guess we’ll never know.
USMC
October 15th, 2012
9:00 pm
“Clinton: ‘I take responsibility’ for security ahead of Benghazi attack”
Who is going to run against MITTENS re-election in 2016, now???
Josef
October 15th, 2012
9:02 pm
Frog
Obama wanted her back, she said no.
getalife
October 15th, 2012
9:02 pm
kay,
rush telling you what to think is pathetic and lazy.
You can’t even think for yourself.
USMC
October 15th, 2012
9:04 pm
Getalife
JAY telling you what to think is pathetic and lazy.
You can’t even think for yourself.
USMC
October 15th, 2012
9:06 pm
“Obama wanted her back, she said no.”–josef
And can you blame her? Obama is ruining Hillary’s political future.
Hillary Clinton is “toast” now that she took the blame for Obama’s blunder.
getalife
October 15th, 2012
9:06 pm
usmc,
Jay is just writing the obvious truth.
The truth and facts help me think not some big fat racist bigot drug addict radio entertainer blowhard spewing conspiracies and lies.
Kamchak ~ Thug from the Steppes
October 15th, 2012
9:07 pm
Who is going to run against MITTENS
re-electionnext in a long series of crash and burns in 2016, now???Elizabeth Warren will be the next candidate to make your head explode.
getalife
October 15th, 2012
9:07 pm
usmc,
Which part of retired don’t you understand?
kayaker 71
October 15th, 2012
9:07 pm
getalife, 9:02,
No one tells me what to think and how to do it. I can make that decision for myself. Just saying that Rush had a pretty insightful dialogue about our Sec of State, a lot of it was praise for a job well done. He’s not much of a Slick Willy fan but for Hillary, different story. I feel much the same way. Would have probably voted for her if she had won the primary. I voted for her husband in 96 and thought he had a pretty good second term. Any other questions?
getalife
October 15th, 2012
9:09 pm
I think w’s intell reform failed like everything else he did.
Probably need to reform it the right way.
USMC
October 15th, 2012
9:09 pm
Getalife,
Rush is just writing the obvious truth.
The truth and facts help me think not some Leftwing parrot who went to Europe during college and caught the “RED Flu” entertainer blowhard spewing conspiracies and lies.
They BOTH suck
October 15th, 2012
9:10 pm
“Obama is ruining Hillary’s political future.”
So much so that she skipped out on the convention
getalife
October 15th, 2012
9:10 pm
kay,
You need rush because you can’t think for yourself.
Radio is for rock and roll not hate kay.
USMC
October 15th, 2012
9:12 pm
“Elizabeth Warren will be the next candidate to make your head explode.”–Kammy
My Head is ASPLODIN with laughter after that one, Kam. That was funny!
barking frog
October 15th, 2012
9:12 pm
josef
Hilary saying no to second
term as SOS would be like
Bill saying no to UN Sec.
General.
USMC
October 15th, 2012
9:13 pm
“Which part of retired don’t you understand?”–getalife
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bK-Dqj4fHmM
getalife
October 15th, 2012
9:14 pm
Hillary is sick of politics and I don’t blame her.
Look at all the crap you cons write and you have done nothing to compare to Hillary Clinton.
You cheer lead failures like palin.
They BOTH suck
October 15th, 2012
9:14 pm
getalife
LSU D and running game looked good.
SC needs to lay another egg at FL for GA to have a chance at getting to the ATL for the SEC championship.
USMC
October 15th, 2012
9:15 pm
“Hilary saying no to second term as SOS would be like
Bill saying no to UN Sec. General.”–barking Frog
-not intended to be a Factual Statement
Josef
October 15th, 2012
9:16 pm
Frog
You deserve a better answer, but I’m on iPad now and more the drive by. We’ll pick this up later.
KAyaker
Say what you will about the Arkansas hicks, but the stories I could tell from what went on there in the Clinton years, but some family laundry is best not aired in public!
Madge From Accounting
October 15th, 2012
9:16 pm
josef: it’s hard to tell who wants Libya to fail most, Al Qaaeda or the GOP radical rightists…
Its a toss up for sure, but I’d go with the GOP.
barking frog
October 15th, 2012
9:17 pm
USMC
like you would recognize
a fact….
Kamchak ~ Thug from the Steppes
October 15th, 2012
9:17 pm
Rush is just writing the obvious truth.
There’s your sign.
getalife
October 15th, 2012
9:18 pm
Both,
South Carolina is competitive so Florida and Georgia will have to crank it up like LSU.
USMC
October 15th, 2012
9:18 pm
“There’s your sign.”–Kamspam!
Madge From Accounting
October 15th, 2012
9:19 pm
You cheer lead failures like palin.
They like Palin — she’s cute and she’s dumb. the perfect conservative woman. All she needs now is a sign that says “My uterus was made for walking”
getalife
October 15th, 2012
9:19 pm
rush does not write, he spews in a mic.
USMC
October 15th, 2012
9:20 pm
“South Carolina is competitive so Florida and Georgia will have to crank it up like LSU.”
I don’t know, getalife, I can see LSU knocking off BAMA if BAMA comes into the game too tight, which they are prone to do.
Josef
October 15th, 2012
9:20 pm
We’ll see about Hillary in ‘16, whoever takes ‘12.
getalife
October 15th, 2012
9:20 pm
I go with the gop too.
They BOTH suck
October 15th, 2012
9:20 pm
getalife
GA still on the outside looking in. FL beating SC might be there only chance, plus they will need to win out.
Madge From Accounting
October 15th, 2012
9:22 pm
The truth and facts help me think not some Leftwing parrot who went to Europe during college and caught the “RED Flu” entertainer blowhard spewing conspiracies and lies.
I didn’t know that Romney was a lib!! Wow! The things you learn on this blog!
USMC
October 15th, 2012
9:22 pm
“They like Palin — she’s cute and she’s dumb. the perfect conservative woman. All she needs now is a sign that says “My uterus was made for walking””–MadDog from Accounting
I think Madge is intimidated by a strong, intelligent woman. And I suspect Madge has hairy legs!
Mick
October 15th, 2012
9:22 pm
Sign, sign everywhere a sign blocking out the scenery and ruining my mind…
getalife
October 15th, 2012
9:23 pm
usmc,
If it is a low scoring close game, we can win again.
Mett missed a open touchdown and we missed a field goal in the last game.
They are back to playing LSU football.
USMC
October 15th, 2012
9:24 pm
“We’ll see about Hillary in ‘16, whoever takes ‘12.”
Hillary WILL NOT be running for President in 2016.
After falling on the sword for Obama’s blunders, Hillary will fade quietly into the fabric of the DemocRat Party’s Power elite.
They BOTH suck
October 15th, 2012
9:25 pm
getalife
Even the good teams in the SEC do not know how good they really are until they beat a top team on the road.
Tough to beat the good teams at home. LSU, GA and SC have all found that out.
AL is certainly good, but haven’t played anyone on the road.
Kamchak ~ Thug from the Steppes
October 15th, 2012
9:25 pm
–Kamspam!
The next big thing is already here!
getalife
October 15th, 2012
9:26 pm
Both,
I am not sure because it is a close call.
All three teams look good.
scott
October 15th, 2012
9:26 pm
The chart speaks for itself. Yeah. that’s some recovery. man you guys are dumb
USMC
October 15th, 2012
9:27 pm
“If it is a low scoring close game, we can win again.”–getalife
I know, I was cheering them on Saturday night! That was an Old School SEC Smash-mouth Football Battle Royale!
Now Flawrida needs to beat SC and then my Bulldawgs need to beat Flawrida, and we come back for vengeance against the Tigers in the SEC CG in the ATL!
See how that works???
getalife
October 15th, 2012
9:28 pm
scott,
We could be back in a recession if the gop won the austerity argument.
That was dumb.
They BOTH suck
October 15th, 2012
9:29 pm
getalife
I doubt SEC will get two into the championship game this year. They could even play themselves out of it altogether.
Notre Dame wins out (I hope not), they will surely get one of the spots.
Long way too go. Season really just getting under way.
USMC
October 15th, 2012
9:29 pm
“The next big thing is already here!”
Only in that little, insignificant grey matter between your ears, Kam.
USMC
October 15th, 2012
9:32 pm
“Notre Dame wins out (I hope not), they will surely get one of the spots.”
Not a chance… they have to play Oklahoma AND USC…. Notre Dame won’t even be in the discussion by the end of the season.
getalife
October 15th, 2012
9:32 pm
usmc,
SC quarterback had a bad night but he can beat you.
Florida’s quarterback is better but Alabama has the best quarterback.
USMC
October 15th, 2012
9:33 pm
Madge from Accounting needs a smoke break.
Josef
October 15th, 2012
9:35 pm
USMC
I wouldn’t bet on it. I wouldn’t bet against it either.
Madge From Accounting
October 15th, 2012
9:36 pm
Hillary WILL NOT be running for President in 2016.
Oh little man, how would you know? You know nothing that’s not spoon fed to you daily by your colleague in the little wee wee department and fellow loudmouth blowhard Rush.
Why not stick to things you know…………..lies and bullying. People like you love things like that.
Kamchak ~ Thug from the Steppes
October 15th, 2012
9:36 pm
Only in that little, insignificant grey matter between your ears, Kam.
Better than that “little insignificant grey matter” between you legs.
They BOTH suck
October 15th, 2012
9:37 pm
USMC
Hope you are correct. The pollsters always seem to love those guys even when they are overrated, which is often.
I think they are pretty good this yr. Didn’t know they played Oklahoma. If there ends up being 3 unbeaten teams or a bunch of one lose teams, I would be surprised if they do not get one of the spots.
td
October 15th, 2012
9:39 pm
I had a refreshing day today. Was on the road most of the day and got to sit back and listen to an entire Rush show for the first time in years and it was so good to hear some sanity.
On the way home I got the chance to listen to Eric Erickson and he talked about who Obama was trying to convince to vote for him with all his craziness lately and after reading this blog for the past few months it all makes sense now.
Eric said Obama was trying to lock down the morons vote and it appears he has succeeded with flying colors.
They BOTH suck
October 15th, 2012
9:39 pm
getalife
I think the SC qb is somewhere in between of what we saw against GA and his bad game at LSU.
Latimore is not a dime a dozen. His ability to tote the rock as he does, helps the QB, especially when passing on 1st and 2nd down.
They BOTH suck
October 15th, 2012
9:40 pm
td
Maybe you and the old gang from KSU can get back together and have a pizza party and listen to Limbaugh reruns.
They BOTH suck
October 15th, 2012
9:41 pm
td
I’m sure you and the tin foil hat gang were the toast of campus……….
getalife
October 15th, 2012
9:44 pm
Another con that needs rush to think.
Both,
Death Valley is a tough place to play football. He tried changing the plays at the line but it is too loud.
Messed up his rhythm and game.
They BOTH suck
October 15th, 2012
9:45 pm
getalife
Been to LSU 3 times. GA won twice and was beat down the other time.
Josef
October 15th, 2012
9:46 pm
G’night…
getalife
October 15th, 2012
9:47 pm
kennesaw state moron listening to a Macon moron and talking about morons.
td
October 15th, 2012
9:49 pm
getalife
October 15th, 2012
9:47 pm
kennesaw state moron listening to a Macon moron and talking about morons.
Those hit dogs sure are the loudest. LMFAO
getalife
October 15th, 2012
9:53 pm
td,
I change cnn when eric’s big head shows up. If I want to listen to people being wrong I just read the cons on this blog.
They BOTH suck
October 15th, 2012
9:53 pm
td
Believe it or not I have Hanitty on at the moment. He had Dick Morris on, who of course is basically saying Romney in a run away. Mind you he said the same in 08 for McCain
Even Hanitty of all people said he thinks that Romney has momentum but doesn’t believe what Morris is saying.
If Hanitty isn’t buying……. WOW
Kamchak ~ Thug from the Steppes
October 15th, 2012
9:59 pm
Believe it or not I have Hanitty on at the moment.
Brother, I wouldn’t ‘a tol’ that.
G Mare
October 15th, 2012
10:01 pm
Kam re “device:” Oooh, snide. I LOVE IT!
td
October 15th, 2012
10:05 pm
They BOTH suck
October 15th, 2012
9:53 pm
I will catch Hanity at midnight. I had to watch DWTS and now some H50. Can not wait to hear Mr Morris.
Appleseed
October 15th, 2012
10:23 pm
http://www.dailydot.com/politics/mitt-romney-debate-cheating-video/
getalife
October 15th, 2012
10:23 pm
td,
That rw media rots your brain.
You have cobwebs in your brain for not using it.
Sad.
G Mare
October 15th, 2012
10:33 pm
td, I have never watched/heard Hannity or DWTS, but H50 is a good one – something that cannot be said of very many shows. I also like Criminal Minds & MI5 & several programs on MSNBC & Downton Abby. All this apropos of nothing; just keeping the conversation going.
And, I hope SOS Clinton will not resign over the Libya mess.
This has been a “steam of consciousness” comment.
Kamchak ~ Thug from the Steppes
October 15th, 2012
10:35 pm
…but H50 is a good one –
Grace Park is hawt!
getalife
October 15th, 2012
10:39 pm
mitt will lose the last two debates.
October job report lowers unemployment again.
Economic numbers are looking better.
Troops in Libya to get the terrorists.
obl. movie to show patriotism..
All this adds up to the reelection of President Obama.
Four more years.
td
October 15th, 2012
10:46 pm
Kamchak ~ Thug from the Steppes
October 15th, 2012
10:35 pm
…but H50 is a good one –
Grace Park is hawt!
Now that is the first time I ever agreed with you 100%
td
October 15th, 2012
10:48 pm
G Mare
October 15th, 2012
10:33 pm
DWTS was originally a compromise with my wife for watching sports but I have come to really enjoy the show. CM is an awesome show. You should check out Person of Interest. Great show.
Jm
October 15th, 2012
11:02 pm
Getalife 10:39 nope
Tom(Independent Viet Vet-USAF)
October 15th, 2012
11:43 pm
Here comes Pres Obama again, without his teleprompter! Let’s see how he does this 2nd time, speaking on his own without assistance from his best friend(Telly Prompt).
Tom(Independent Viet Vet-USAF)
October 15th, 2012
11:51 pm
Last comment before I hit the hay. You liberals are not stupid, do you really think Hillary did not keep the President and VP apprised of the situation in Libya. No way they did not at least know. By falling on the sword, I guess this means Hillary will never run for public office in the future. Bill, you should be pissed for letting Obama put your wife in that position!
Janney
October 15th, 2012
11:51 pm
Stevie Ray..Clowns to the left and Jokers to the right..here I am…
October 15th, 2012
4:22 pm
MARY ELIZABETH
“Krugman is way too biased to put as much faith are you are putting in him…he is a complete liberal rube…I like reading him but it’s best to balance with other economists…he started a liberal and he works for the most liberal, biased newspaper in the history of newspapers..”
Stevie Ray; Krugman was the most accurate prognosticator in a study by a group at Hamilton College when they looked at what he had written in 2006 and 2007.
Janney
October 15th, 2012
11:54 pm
G Mare -
Good to “see” you! Hope everything is going well. I have not been keeping up with comments, though I ALWAYS read Jay’s blog. I’ve just kind of skimmed through a few and saw you had some health problems. Hope they have been resolved.
G Mare
October 16th, 2012
12:04 am
Yeah, td, I Ilike Person of Interest, NCIS (Mark Harmon is hawt!), Leverage, & Castle is okay, tho it is getting a bit shmaltzy of late. Oh, and The Mentalist – Simon Baker, mmm hmmm!
See y’all in the mornin’.
G Mare
October 16th, 2012
12:08 am
Hi, Janney. Thanks for asking. Health problems are persisting. SUCKS!!! But we are working on resolutions. SIGH!
Janney
October 16th, 2012
12:28 am
G Mare; yes it does suck. Sending positive thoughts your way.
Okay, that does it for me; good night, all!
Oscar
October 16th, 2012
1:08 am
Georgia is not going to beat Florida.
Hillary is not going to run in 2012. She will be retired.
Mitt is still a twitt.
Oscar
October 16th, 2012
1:08 am
G Mare
When is your surgury scheduled?
Oscar
October 16th, 2012
1:14 am
Romney –
We are going to reduce the deficit by increasing defense spending by two trillion.
Cutting waste in medicare is bad.
We will reduce deductions for the middle class.
What a laugh.
stands for decibels
October 16th, 2012
5:59 am
Mornin’.
“Lee Atwater would be scratching his head over this. He thought they’d have to be much subtler by this time.”
stands for decibels
October 16th, 2012
6:02 am
oh, what the heck, let’s not be subtle at all.
http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2012/10/15/1015701/tea-party-group-launches-racist-obamaphone-ad/
Late last month, conservative media lit up with a video of an African-American woman excitedly praising President Barack Obama because he supposedly gave racial minorities in Cleveland free telephones. The video received prominent placement on the pro-Romney Drudge Report and spawned a popular #Obamaphone hashtag on Twitter. Although there is indeed a federal program which provides low-income people with free or reduced-cost cell phones, it began in 2008 under President George W. Bush. The idea of providing subsidized phone service to low-income individuals originated with a program started under President Ronald Reagan.
Now, the “Obamaphone” woman is the star of an ad sponsored by the Tea Party Victory Fund suggesting President Obama’s policies have “enslaved Americans“:
It’s difficult to view this ad as anything other that an appeal to the visceral reaction its very enthusiastic star is likely to inspire in a certain kind of voter. The ad will run in three Ohio counties — Lucas, Summit, and Mahoning — all of which are predominantly white.
Calling these Teapers “pond scum” is an insult to scum.
Reality versus hope and change???
October 16th, 2012
6:33 am
President Barack Obama said on Thursday that “we got back every dime we used to rescue the financial system.”
According to the Congressional Budget Office, however, the government will lose about $24 billion on the bailout.
Suport from the Obama base (47%)
October 16th, 2012
6:37 am
Although most of the individuals posting the messages don’t even attempt to justify why they plan to riot, others have pointed to fears about a Romney administration withdrawing or limiting government handouts…
Support from the Obama base (47%)
October 16th, 2012
6:40 am
Although most of the individuals posting the messages don’t even attempt to justify why they plan to riot, others have pointed to fears about a Romney administration withdrawing or limiting government handouts…
Luckovich 10/16 is spot on!!!
October 16th, 2012
6:43 am
http://blogs.ajc.com/mike-luckovich/2012/10/15/1016-mike-luckovich-cartoon-debate-coach/?cxntfid=blogs_mike_luckovich
Jm
October 16th, 2012
6:49 am
Hillary has more balls than Obama ever will
Jm
October 16th, 2012
6:54 am
Obama’s first debate was emblematic of his whole presidency
The prez thought he did a great job
The public thought he sucked
His second performance will be interesting, but they’ll have put the real Obama behind shrouds and his handlers will be talking, not him
Jack
October 16th, 2012
7:01 am
Hillary is not worried about being re-elected and secretly hopes Obama will lose: that will serve as some sort of redemption for losing to him in 2008.
USMC
October 16th, 2012
7:10 am
5 unmet promises of President Obama…
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1012/82429.html?hp=f1
AU Liberal in ATL
October 16th, 2012
7:24 am
Get real all you Romney, Ryan, Right Wingers. Be honest, just once. You don’t give a damn about the economy. Your’s is probably just fine. You have jobs and if others don’t, so what. You don’t care about anyone’s health care but your own. Foreign affairs and two wars haven’t touched your life. Your only issue in this election is as plain as your lilly white face. You don’t want that black man in your whitehouse.
Jm
October 16th, 2012
7:25 am
My prediction on the debate: Romney wins by a little or draw
And a draw favors the challenger
Go Romney!
stands for decibels
October 16th, 2012
7:42 am
If she [Hillary Clinton] and McCain had run against each other, I would have had a hard time deciding whom to vote for. I respect her tenacity and her grit.
I read something like this, from Kayaker, and I’m not sure whether to maybe be generous and say “yeah, maybe he’s being honest with himself” or to take some other path. I lean toward the latter, simply because I’ve heard entirely too many GOP partisans inform me that they think Hillary is fabulous, they think she’s strong and intelligent, yadda yadda yadda.
And I know that these same people would be so easily swayed by a couple of Drudgey/Limbaughian swipes that would be part and parcel of any general election campaign; I also know, as I’ve pointed out many times, that casual sexism is MUCH more socially acceptable in 21st century America than casual racism, and that a Hillary Clinton aspiring to the nation’s highest office would’ve had to withstand a level of brutal misogyny that would make the nastiest jokes leveled against Sarah Palin seem tame.
So in short, no, I don’t buy it.
However, I will allow this much. I suspect those left-leaners who constantly weigh in about what a great candidate a Jon Huntsman would’ve made go way too far when they claim “I would seriously consider voting for him!” Come on. Huntsman, like any prominant GOPer, has to carry idiotic anti-choice and anti-tax baggage around to get *anywhere*–Jon would have to completely bury his comments about how (for example) the ‘09 Recovery Act stimulus probably wasn’t big enough to get the job done.
Let’s be honest–at best, a Candidate Huntsman would be regarded as potentially not horrible, by us on the left.
/somewhat-pointless-rant
stands for decibels
October 16th, 2012
7:48 am
And a draw favors the challenger
not really. Romney, by any honest reckoning of the current polling, still has significant ground to make up to win this election, and if there’s a draw, it means the status quo continues another week, which sucks for him.
Obama has a tough night ahead; yes, he’s done townhalls recently, and faced some tough questions, but they’re still events that his team manages. He can’t give some questioner the stinkeye and they’re disappeared.
That said, all he really has to do, is to be a lot less sucky than he was last week, and frankly that I don’t think that should be all that hard for him to do.
I think, by the way, that Kyle was on to something with his post-VP debate analysis:
This was a trial run for the second presidential debate, especially in light of President Obama’s comment this week that he was “too polite” the first time around. I don’t think Obama will follow Biden’s lead exactly — in fact, I assume part of the strategy was for Biden to be so over the top with his laughs, smirks and interruptions that Obama can be fairly rude toward Mitt Romney next week but look gentlemanly by comparison.
In fact, I *hope* Kyle’s got that right, because that would be my encouragement–be somewhat nasty, Mr. President, but don’t play this quite like you play basketball.
TaxPayer
October 16th, 2012
7:50 am
In any debate with Romney, only one of him can win. All the others will lose.