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... will hamstring any campaign Bush election campaign. It's been consistently tested that voters care about jobs and the economy more than anything else when they make their decisions. It certainly makes sense. I know I need a real job, and that I'm far from alone.
The economy right now is characterized by a fierce and thin jobs market, where firms are generally managing to maintain productivity and growth with lower payrolls and personel. The economic gains in this nation are not spreading enough to the hard workers of the nation.
GDP gains have largely been capital gains, not in payrolls. Not to mention that those capital gains themselves are tentative - interest rates are in modern record lows. The economy is stagnant, and Bush is doing nothing about it.
Those problems sank Bush Sr.'s campaign in '92, and every sign indicates that they could do it again to Bush Jr. in '04. This will not happen automatically, but both Kerry and Edwards know their weakspots and plan to hammer them there. The media these days is driven by ratings and ad revenue, and that is not something to be proud of, but everyone who wants new work tends to pay attention to the news more, and that would work
I'm not an economist, but I know a little something, and that it is impossible to classify an economy that is annually piling on record public debt, on top of an already huge existing public debt, who's currency is dropping like a rock in the international money market, who's interest rates are blah at best... as good.
A hungry mob is an angry mob, remember that.
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