[Lerkfish]

this NYT story

is interesting......

Consumer confidence tumbled in February, as persistent worries about jobs tarnished Americans' optimism, an industry group reported Tuesday.

The Conference Board said its consumer confidence index dropped more than nine points to 87.3, following a rise in January to a revised reading of 96.4. That reading was the index's highest since mid-2002.

Analysts had expected a decline, but the index still came in significantly below their consensus forecast for a reading of 92.

"Consumers began the year on a high note, but their optimism has quickly given way to caution," said Lynn Franco, director of the Conference Board's Consumer Research Center. "Consumers remain disheartened with current economic conditions, and at the core of their disenchantment is the labor market."

[finboy]

Wonder if the substantial press coverage that the Democrat candidates have had is contributing to a lack of consumer confidence?

[thunderous_funker]

Originally posted by finboy:
Wonder if the substantial press coverage that the Democrat candidates have had is contributing to a lack of consumer confidence?

Millions of Americans aren't really unemployed, underemployed or massively indebted--its just the Democrats and the Liberal Media telling them so!

Nicely done. You managed to roll both of your favorite conspiracy theories into one.

[finboy]

Originally posted by thunderous_funker:
Millions of Americans aren't really unemployed, underemployed or massively indebted--its just the Democrats and the Liberal Media telling them so!

Nicely done. You managed to roll both of your favorite conspiracy theories into one.

No conspiracy theories there at all: the Dem candidates have just gotten a lot more press for their ideas lately. That's how the primary process works when you're the party out of power.

[xi_hyperon]

Originally posted by finboy:
No conspiracy theories there at all: the Dem candidates have just gotten a lot more press for their ideas lately. That's how the primary process works when you're the party out of power.

Right. Blame the messenger.

[finboy]

Originally posted by xi_hyperon:
Right. Blame the messenger.

No... recognize the messenger's agenda. Democrat candidates have an agenda.

[boots]

Finboy's probably right here. I'm sure that the message getting coverage has a lot to do with how everyone responds. Look at the timing of the market crash in 2000. It was terribly over valued with companies that didn't have sound business models. It was going to blow sooner or later.

But it waited until Bush announced that we were on the brink of a recession. Bush didn't cause it, but his words probably influenced the timing of it happening.

Same general idea here. Basically, people were grumbling quietly about the lack of jobs, etc...but the confidence level was holding ok. Then the Dem's start making jobs a talking point and people respond by losing confidence. That's not partisanship, just pointing out how people react to a given set of data.

[finboy]

Originally posted by boots:
That's not partisanship, just pointing out how people react to a given set of data.

And that's essentially all the data they've been getting, for over two months.