It's The Real Economy, Stupid! (Pt. II)

Beneath all the happy 'indicators' the new economic news is less than stellar...

AP: GOP talk of vibrant economy rings hollow

Used boots fetch $3 and old salt-and-pepper shakers bring in a buck at a makeshift flea market along Highway 27, presumably not what President Bush and Republicans have in mind when they herald a vibrant economy.

Times are "very good for the rich and very, very bad for the poor" who "can't afford to live," laments Larry Mitchell, 43, a now-and-then merchant peddling his wares recently in a submarine sandwich shop parking lot. He says the middle class is "having a hard time."

In the Ohio River Valley, where people decry high gas prices, stagnant wages, lost jobs and factory closures, many don't buy the claim that the economy is humming along.

Seven weeks before the midterm elections, the gulf between Bush's perceptions and that of voters form the political backdrop across the country as well as in a region with several competitive House races...

The article goes on to detail some personal stories of how the economy is affecting the average, working/middle-class American, which are worth reading. It also goes on to note, however, that the economy is not an issue that is heavily influencing how people vote- Iraq and terrorism remain tops.

That does not mean, however, that politicians should ignore the issue. It affects us all on a daily basis, far more than the abstract threat of terrorism does (and certainly more than the bullshit 'values' issues the GOP tends to focus on in election years). There is real unhappiness all across the country with how our economy is being exported and gutted by big business and the government. Any politician who took a stand on this issue would likely do very well on the national stage.

[See also previous entry: It's The Real Economy, Stupid!]