You Are The Air Between My Ears

So, today, David Hampton blogs that John Edwards' 'poverty' campaign should be gaining traction, and that in November, people will 'vote with their pocketbooks.' The underlying assumption, of course, is that people are poor, poor, poor, and out of a job, soup kitchens overflowing with people recently out of a job. There are virtual Hoovervilles everywhere, apparently.

Of course, the unemployment rate in this country is about 4.8%. Note to Dave: That's lower than the figure in 1996, the Hallowed Halcyon Days of Clinton. Job reports every month are "better than expected" (I realize you spend all but that one or two days downing the economy, Davy, but facts are facts: Since August 2003, employment has been steadily up). Every state except Michigan, Mississippi and Louisiana had a net job gain in 2005-and two of those states, you might remember, got hit with a hurricane that knocked major parts of their economy out, and the other is run by a Canadian. The Dow sets a record high every week, hitting 14,000 breifly last week (in the HHDoC, it was about 10-11K) and seems poised to go there again, as early as later this afternoon. Home ownership is up (especially minority home ownership, which is the highest it's been since massive welfare programs began); interest rates are low. Tax freedom day was earlier this year than it has been in I don't know how long.

All this, of course, is not what David knows. But Dave feels the economy is not doing well. After all, it has been reported in the old media; it has to be true.

Oceania has always been at war with Eastasia.