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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]No, [b]because Americans still don't believe the economy is doing better [/b]and/or because it's not clear that these numbers will hold. I do think it makes it easier for Obama to make the case that we are on the right path and it makes it harder for the Reps to argue for the types of radical economic policy changes they would like to see. But, at this point, the bottom line is still uncertainty.[/quote]

I disagree with this. I'm not sure there's a significant majority of Americans who think this way, or even a plurality. The survey results of the question "are you better off than you were 4 years ago" tend to be evenly split three ways: Those who feel they are worse, those about the same, and those who feel better. More importantly, at least a plurality and likely a majority believe they're better off compared to what would have happened under a McCain-Palin administration. So, this bolded statement doesn't reflect reality, at least as far as statistically valid polling shows. If it were true, Obama's numbers would be a lot worse.[/quote]

I'm going to bet that you're either a federal employee or a high-earning attorney, CPA, etc. You've been hanging out with too many others who share your viewpoints and general income level. If you get away from the DC area, you'll find that many, many Americans don't believe the economy is doing better. [/quote]

Stereotype much? I'm the pp who posted the original comment saying that Americans don't believe the economy is doing better, with which you and I appear to agree wholeheartedly. I would like to point out that I am a (proud) Fed and I live and work in DC.

Where I would disagree with the second poster is that s/he is treating the "are you better off" question without regard to the implicit second part of that question. Yes, many people are better off than they were four years ago. Maybe their houses aren't quite as deep in the red as they were. Maybe they've knocked out a few bills. But there is a big difference between feeling like you've made some individual progress through personal sacrifice (e.g., paying down cards instead of going on vacation) and feeling like the economy is doing better. I think most people won't feel we doing are better until their personal accounts are in the black again and all the friends they've had who have been looking for work for three or more years (I still have three friends in this category) are back to jobs that pay a decent wage. 
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