Bush's Rosy View of Economy Doesn't Mesh With Public Perception

May 31 (Bloomberg) -- Ellen Westbrook, an employment counselor in Asheville, North Carolina, says she just rolls her eyes when she hears about how the U.S. economy is strong and getting stronger.

``I've seen 300 manufacturing jobs disappear down here in the last three weeks,'' she says. ``How can I think the economy is good when I am watching high-paying jobs disappear overseas?''

Asheville, a city of 70,000 nestled in the scenic mountains of western North Carolina, would seem to confirm the view of President George W. Bush and Wall Street economists that job growth, consumer spending and low inflation show the U.S. is on the right course. The unemployment rate in the Asheville area, 4.4 percent, is below the national average.

That doesn't impress Westbrook, nor large numbers of other Americans, according to public-opinion and other surveys that show dissatisfaction with the economy and pessimism about the future. The University of Michigan's index of consumer confidence fell for a fifth straight month in May, the longest series of declines since 2002.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000103&sid=azgDOmWkfKuE&refer=us

Every month leaves the shopping centers with more empty spaces. Housing is great in Florida. Sales are exceptional and this is the slow period. I'm unemployed still. Yeah, the economy is great.

The guy is living in a fantasy land and everyone is pretending he is "real"..

In my neck of the woods, we've lost a lot of jobs fairly recently (plant closings). I know, and my co-workers know, many young, well-educated people working at Lowe's or Home Depot or something similar.

Looks like the economy still sux.

As well as his legions of followers. That's all I can figure.
:shrug:

cognitive dissonance is when a brain is analyzing conflicting worldviews, trying to make sense out of them.

this requires, at a minimum:

-a brain.
-the ability to analyze ideas
-the ability to hold not one, but TWO ideas. at the same time, no less.

does this sounds like shrub??

:evilgrin:

My glass sales are so slow and punky right now because people stop buying Art when the economy drops first. Making ends meet has gotten so hard that I'm lucky at a possible second job interview today. That just isn't right.

"You can't talk a dollar into my pocket" is the rough translation.

As much as Repugs try, they can't convince people that dont have jobs that they actually do.