The optimism among Democrats, given some good numbers lately and a surge in the popularity of President Obama, does not extend to many making under $100,000 a year. A Hill Poll finds significant pessimism -- perhaps even a sense of hopelessness -- among those in the lower income groups.
The latest responses, from 1,000 likely voters polled by Pulse Opinion Research on Dec. 1, with a 3-point margin of error, come amid some heartening news for the economy, including record-level consumer spending after the Thanksgiving holiday and a drop in unemployment from 9 percent to 8.6 percent.
Still, not all groups see their lots improving: More than half (56 percent) of respondents making less than $20,000 expect their finances to get worse.
Forty-eight percent of those making between $20,000 and $40,000 and 42 percent of those making between $75,000 and $100,000 also expect their situations to slip. ...The Hill
Even so, Democrats show increasing confidence that they will keep the White House in 2012.
Just months ago, the U.S. credit rating was downgraded and Democrats worried Obama was following in the footsteps of one-term President Jimmy Carter. Maybe he will, but reports in the last week suggest manufacturing and construction are humming, and Thanksgiving saw record-setting shopping by consumers.
The icing on the cake? A jobs report Friday shaved nearly half a point off the unemployment rate. The 8.6 percent rate was down from 9 percent in October and is the lowest unemployment has stood in two and a half years. ...The Hill
In other words, a mixed picture with some clear dark spots. Obama's new lift in the polls could reverse if a European crisis continues to affect incomes and jobs in this country.
“While we may have a nascent or very early sign of some recovery, I think that could be wiped out completely if we saw some inability on the part of the EU to get their act together,” Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.) said this week.
Gus Faucher, director of macroeconomics at Moody’s Analytics, said Europe represents the largest risk to the U.S. economy. ...The Hill
