It’s because they prefer demogougery to a nice, quiet discussion of the facts. It’s suprising how few people will want to discuss ANYTHING in a rational way these days.

“same-store sales rose just 1.1% last month, below an already reduced forecast of 1.5%”

If same-store sales rose 1.1% *every month,* that would be incredible performance, something like 14% a year–but, of course, retail is seasonal. So how does the 1.1% compare with *typical* numbers for the same month? Last year? The year before? Without this data, no one has the context for evaluating what “1.1%” means, unless they are themselves a retailer or a retail securities analyst.

Now if I had stayed in school and not married my exhusband who decided to quit law school and become a farmer, well I would be better off today.

But that is not Bush’s fault.

So both views can be compatable, depending on your circumstances.

But over all the economy is not bad, I remember far worse times than this.

The two views are not at all incompatable. One has only to realize that they are addressing different time frames.

G-span and McTeer refer to a soft patch in recent quarters.

Kerry and the CBO are addressing events of recent years.

Pretty straightforward once you take that fundamental difference into account.

I seem to recall Dubya’s message in ’00 wasn’t to talk down the economy, but to stress how much better it would be with more tax cuts. Since he inherited a recession, and we’re now out of it, I’d like to think that Kerry & Co. could have the guts to admit that, too.

“Private Joker may be silly and he’s ignorant, but he’s got guts, and guts is enough.”

The Dems increasingly seem to have more gall than the required internal organs to contain it; maybe that why they’re so bitter?