VIEWPOINT

It’s Just a Flesh Wound

The vast majority of Americans are dissatisfied with the direction of the country. So who are the 10 percent who think everything is A-OK?

By Steve Tuttle | Newsweek Web Exclusive
Oct 11, 2008 | Updated: 5:01  p.m. ET Oct 11, 2008

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  • Posted By: ReefBreak @ 10/25/2008 12:28:46 PM

    Comment: Steve,

    I think you missed an important group of Bush supporters - as follows:

    In 1999 - when Bush was being selected by the 'powers that be' to run for president, oil was trading for ~$10 / bbl. It costs about $7
    to pump it out of the ground and transport it to a refinery here in the US. So profits were thin in the oil patch.

    Bush's financial backers said "We'll finance your run for the Whitehouse, but you've GOT TO GET THE PRICE OF OIL UP!"

    On that account, Bush has been the best in history at inflating that asset class. Just think in your life if you had an investment
    that increased by a factor of 10-15 times in 8 years - would you be happy? YOU BETCHA !

    Further, people of relatively modest means can own oil wells. There are many small drilling companies where you can put up $50,000 or more
    and own a share of a $3-5 million syndication of a small group of wells - usually 5 - 10.

    I have participated in these investments, and while i'm not a Bush supporter, I do think he has done a masterful job of increasing the
    price of crude oil.

    ReefBreak




    In

  • Posted By: Floridave @ 10/21/2008 8:37:42 PM

    Comment: Every now and then the 45% of voters that hate America win over the 10% of voters that don't know any better. That's when they sneak in lousy presidents like Carter and lousy human beings like Bill Clinton. Then the 45% of Americans that love their country win back the same 10% and give America Ronald Reagan and George Bush, the man that saved America from Al Gore, John Kerry, and further terrorist attacks. Since then the 45% that hate America have gone back to embracing terrorists and have even found a man to elect with terrorists names and terrorist friends. The 10% must be really, really angry at America.

  • Posted By: bighappy @ 10/18/2008 5:37:46 PM

    Comment: Why not to be satisfied?
    I was very diissatisfied few years ago, when foolish people like crazy chased extremely overpriced houses and hired pens assured us that it is because US experiences shortage of houses. Why should I be unhappy now, when all those morons are out of business and foreclosed properties are more than affordable now?
    I was very dissatisfied when oil price was sky high, all those terrorists and leftist dictators got ptofit from it, and our liberals prevented from drilling our own oil. Now oil price is much lower and keeps going down, and even Obama made some drilling concessions.
    I was very dissatisfied that 4 and even 8 years ago americans new that Bush Jr was an idiot and still kepr nominating and electing him, because it was american traditions (envy to smarts?) to elect regular morons except desperate times. Now I an satisfied that at least in 4 years we will have smart President.

    • Posted By: Floridave @ 10/21/2008 8:39:48 PM

      Comment: Of course George Bush got elected twice. Look at the boobs the left put up against him: Gore and Kerry. Even Sarah Palin could beat either of those clowns.

  • Posted By: thehappyamerican @ 10/18/2008 4:55:20 PM

    Comment: Despite the lowest public approval in history the US Congress has a small percent who do approve of the em!
    They approve of the Fanny/Freddy monster (the Frank N Schumer monster), and the DNC leaders ongoing Americans Suck First campaign! They approve of ACORN in voter fraud and the Frank N Schumer Monster , too!

    That 10% are happy! And Bitterly Clinging to the DNC and socialists, and 60's radicals bomb makers who'ved moved up to massive voter fraud and high finance scandals!
    They probably got large posters on their walls of Charles Manson, and Karl Marx!

  • Posted By: Robert Bornhorst @ 10/18/2008 4:48:33 PM

    Comment: With three quarters of the world cooking over an open fire, it's easy to lose perspective about life in America. My stucco McMansion was seized by the bank, I can't afford to lease that new BMW right now, I miss going out to eat at Outback, etc. How on earth did an entire generation survive the Great Depression? Have we all become professional victims, blaming the President for our meaningless lives? Get off your fat ass and start helping yourself instead of worrying about how satisfied you should be.

  • Posted By: hmswhata @ 10/18/2008 4:28:50 PM

    Comment: You see them everyday on tv, thier the ones that Sara Palin brings to the table. These are people who vote against thier own interest,buy into fear tactics,and blame everyone else for poor shape of the country. They fail to face the facts, it was thier party that ran up the debt, let the jobs go overseas, was not prepared for katrina, forced gas prices up by way of a war that interupted supply, and told people just go shopping while the economy collasped.Thier political believes are based on one liners from the profits,Rush,Sean,and Bill..They think every question has only a yes or no answer and every issue is black or white. I do just have one question for them ,if thier politians were the best then why didn t they bring us to the highest point in the history of our country instead of leaving us at the lowest.

  • Posted By: alexin007 @ 10/18/2008 3:16:33 PM

    Comment: Ok lets make a list:
    halliburton employees.
    ceo's of failed companies.
    all the soldiers in iraq and their families.
    the prisioners in guantanamo bay.
    news people.
    fox channel ceo.
    repo men (of course)
    reo workers
    vandals on empty houses
    drug traffickers
    doctors and psychologists
    homeless, the ones that had been for more than 10 years.
    taxi drivers (at least in NY)
    pawn shop owners.
    auction house owners
    collection agencies
    99 cents store owners
    there you go, I am sure there must be more out there, but that accounts for a good percentage. just count the numbers and you are going to hit at least four million in the list above.
    Oh, I forgot:
    the deaf, the blind, the mentally impaired (there are many out there unaccounted for), and of course the plain ignorant that do not even watch the news.
    what about the Amish? that could be too!
    great article by the way, I love the tone and the analysis.

  • Posted By: Shrek101 @ 10/18/2008 2:41:18 PM

    Comment: The 10% are hiding in a cave in Alabama. They are hiding so that the truth will not be encountered , and they can keep the view "pure" from outside influences. They also are hiding because a huge crowd of people keep throwing stones at them, and it's not safe to venture outside.

  • Posted By: carolc3 @ 10/18/2008 6:57:05 AM

    Comment: I have been an educator for 17 years. I have always believed that all children can learn to read and function in today's changing world. The same problems that I have seen with struggling readers in K-12 have only manifested themselves with comments from both sides quoting one or two articles or repeating what was told to them without actually taking the time to do independent research. We need to make informed decisions. Not decisions that have been formed for us. Take advantage of the Internet. Read some peer reviewed journals of passed historical events. Educate yourselves to the point that your decisions are driven by your own kowledge. That way you have only yourself to blame. We are becoming a country of sheep. Data (and two many articles to quote) has shown that exchange students no longer flock to our University systems as in the past. I won't tell you where they are going. Research it for yourselves. I will say that where they are being educated probably defines "foreign countries" as more than those you see from your front yard.

  • Posted By: garcilaso @ 10/18/2008 4:57:54 AM

    Comment: But of course there are people very satisfied with Bush. I know a few of them. They are totally impervious to the suffering and problems that Bush brought upon them and our nation and there is a reason for that. At least 2000 families became rich at Bush's expenses and politics. So, if I made some four millions dollars in the eight years, how can I be unhappy with Bush. There are plenty of Americans who, thank to Bush, became super rich, and that is all that matters to them. Let me give you just one example. The Black Water owner. Do I need to say more?

  • Posted By: garcilaso @ 10/18/2008 4:52:34 AM

    Comment: But of

  • Posted By: greypond1 @ 10/18/2008 3:08:54 AM

    Comment: Smarter than you think your really out of Touch or Naive. Pass the Joint.

  • Posted By: Smarter than you think @ 10/18/2008 2:08:11 AM

    Comment: If people were to watch only the liberal media such as ABC,NBC, CBS then yes there is a great crises, But history shows that because of the greatness of America and her citizens we can weather any storm. Just ask those that made it through the great depression. They relied on their own eninuity, hard work and yes living for a while with less and making do with what little thay had. The real winners were those that had stayed out of serious debt and were frugal with their expenditures. I remember that during the Carter presidency their were liberals claiming that it wasn't fair that the poor were not able to afford a home, and that banks were discriminating against poor people by not letting them get mortgages. Thus the bubble began,and was perpetuated during the Clinton reign when he put his cohorts in charge of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Humm, the bubble got bigger, then the predators started circling, because it wasn't fair that poor people couldn't get mortgages.. It seems that Mr. Obama isn't the only one thats Naive (per Mrs. Clinton) but those that believe this ecomomic crises just burst upon us in a year or two, and if it did, lets see, who was in control of the senate for the past two years?

    • Posted By: Mark_W @ 10/20/2008 8:03:25 PM

      Comment: "Smarter": Which party held the House of Representatives and the Senate between 1994 and 2006? Which party had complete control by holding the White House, Senate, and House between 2000 and 2006? Hmmm... the same party that has appointed 7 of the 9 Supreme Court Justices?

      Sorry "Smarter", I'm just not willing to somehow blame this mess on the liberals this time. You may think I'm one of them, but I'm actually a relatively conservative Republican myself. I was delighted when the Republicans took over in 2000 -- thinking that we'd finally get back to an era of more limited government with reduced federal spending. Sadly, that was wrong. Once the Republicans got control, they went on a spending spree that would make a drunken Democrat blush -- and massively expanded the government.

      One thing is now clear: The Democrats love to spend money, the Republicans love to spend money. Maybe they spend on different things, but both love to spend that tax money. The Democrats tax now & spend, the Republicans borrow now and spend, depending on future tax increases to pay for it. Sad, sad, sad.

  • Posted By: greypond1 @ 10/18/2008 2:06:49 AM

    Comment: only a Rich man would say that. Just a Flesh Wound? and who are the 10 percent who thinks everything is A-Ok? McBush and Mrs. You Bettcha Palin. My 401 K is is Vanishing and it's Only a Flesh Wound. This is Why Obama is going to Win because the American People are just Sick and Tired of sick and Tired.

  • Posted By: haynessemperfi @ 10/18/2008 2:01:13 AM

    Comment: PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE TO BE HELD SUNDAY AT COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY

    The Free and Equal Elections Coalition (FREE) and the Columbia Political Union are pleased to announce that a Presidential debate will be held this coming Sunday, October 19th, 2008, on the campus of Columbia University.

    ALL SIX of the Presidential candidates who appear on enough state ballots to acquire the 270 Electoral Votes needed to become President are invited. They are as follows (listed in alphabetical order by affiliation):

    Constitution Party Candidate: Chuck Baldwin
    Democratic Party Candidate: Barack Obama
    Green Party Candidate: Cynthia McKinney
    Independent Candidate: Ralph Nader
    Libertarian Party Candidate: Bob Barr
    Republican Party Can John McCain

    The Columbia Political Union will present the debate from 8:00pm to 10:00pm in the Altschul Auditorium, located at 417 International Affairs Building. The debate will be moderated by Pacifica Radio's Amy Goodman, the host of "Democracy Now!". CSPAN will cover the debate, and live radio broadcasts are expected.

    "The Columbia Political Union is committed to energizing political discourse on Columbia's campus," said Allon Brann, Columbia Political Union Publisher. "As a non-partisan organization, we work to provide students with opportunities to encounter and engage with political ideas across a wide ideological spectrum, and on a wide range of issues."

    "It is with these goals in mind that we have organized this Presidential Debate: to give all candidates-- either within or outside of the political "mainstream"-- the opportunity to speak directly to students about their goals on the issues they deem critical for this country."

    "We have invited all eligible candidates, and it is our sincere hope that all will participate, to ensure the substance and rigor of the dialogue which we believe is crucial at this time."

    Certified letters officially inviting each candidate have been sent to the respective campaigns.

    The Free and Equal Elections Coalition and the Columbia Political Union await the response from the candidates. All candidates' supporters are encouraged to contact the Presidential campaigns and urge them to attend.

    The Columbia Political Union seeks to enhance involvement in the political process, domestic and international, and draw every member of the campus community into an ongoing discussion of political ideas.

    FREE is a coalition of political parties, independent citizens and civic organizations formed to promote free and equal elections in the United States.

    http://www.freeandequal.org/events.php?id=7

  • Posted By: Cauthon @ 10/18/2008 1:26:43 AM

    Comment: A couple of weeks ago McCain said the fundamentals of the economy are strong, and his political enemies didn't like that. Big surprise; politics is a contact sport. Shortly, I heard somebody on Liberal Public Radio playing a clip of FDR saying that he had seen the dust bowl and what a terrible drought it was, and things were bad, but the American people were so good that they would survive, which I guess we who are here now can tell that they did. Now Steve has talked to some real Americans who intend to survive through today???s version of hard times, too. I think it is a good idea for the government to try to help at times like this when things are really tough, but mostly we all have to keep on keeping on. So, for whom shall we vote: McCain, who believes in us and wants to help us get through the rough spots, or Barack Hoover Hussein Obama, who says we have had it unless maybe he can rescue us if we wait for him, and just send all our money to DC and he will give back some of it if we qualify? Only one of the two says he wants to raise taxes in hard times.

  • Posted By: Cauthon @ 10/18/2008 1:24:00 AM

    Comment: A couple of weeks ago McCain said the fundamentals of the economy are strong, and his political enemies didn't like that. Big surprise; politics is a contact sport. Shortly, I heard somebody on Liberal Public Radio playing a clip of FDR saying that he had seen the dust bowl and what a terrible drought it was, and things were bad, but the American people were so good that they would survive, which I guess we who are here now can tell that they did. Now Steve has talked to some real Americans who intend to survive through today???s version of hard times, too. I think it is a good idea for the government to try to help at times like this when things are really tough, but mostly we all have to keep on keeping on. So, for whom shall we vote: McCain, who believes in us and wants to help us get through the rough spots, or Barack Hoover Hussein Obama, who says we have had it unless maybe he can rescue us if we wait for him, and just send all our money to DC and he will give back some of it if we qualify? Only one of the two says he wants to raise taxes in hard times.

  • Posted By: star3 @ 10/17/2008 10:13:00 PM

    Comment: Just "A flesh wound", eh? For most of us, it feels more like a tank ran over us. If this is only a flesh wound, I wouldn't want to see what your idea of a battle scar is, or a knife wound. We need to know that our goverment is sympathetic to our pain and that help will be available in the form of the economy, not only returning to normal, but soaring to new heights, so that we are stable again and our home values will go UP--not down! We need to know that money will, again, flow so that retailers will not have to close their business. We don't want to hear it will take years, or even more than a few months, we need immediate help! We don't have years or months! If you can bail out the jackasses who caused all this in just a couple of days, then allow them to waltz off to an elaberate vaccation, then surely, you can do so for the people who are suffering NOW! Plus we won't even ask for the vaccation, just to keep our homes; you speak of the "poor", and helping them, but what about the "poor" middle class, who purchased our homes without the help from those scumbags? Now we find ourselves laid off our jobs, forced into early retirement, without sufficent income to pay our debts,, and our home values are down form what they were, so selling them would cause us to lose money, and can not qualify for another home, due to loss of income, but where is the help for











    us? O.K. off my soapbox, but still mad!

    • Posted By: damn2008 @ 10/18/2008 12:21:12 AM

      Comment: Tell ya what we gotta do. The 90% of us Americans that are not rich need to put on a show for the 10% who are RICH FILTHY RICH and ask them to make donations to bails us out. We could call the show AmericaThon and run it for a week or so. We 90% middle and lower class citizens also would need to come up with ideas and skits to popularize Bailing us out by the 10% who are RICH. Maybe it would work.

      • Posted By: Floridave @ 10/21/2008 8:44:28 PM

        Comment: Or you could just blog less and work more.

  • Posted By: logic_al @ 10/17/2008 10:00:26 PM

    Comment: What we are talking about here is the government's ability to control the flow of wealth through taxes. How many times do we have to try "The trickle down theory" to realize it doesn't work. The economy is consumer driven by the middle class. Distributing most of the wealth to the upper 10%. always results in economic disaster. Living under the thumb of big business is not freedom. The constitution states the government should "Provide for the general welfare." There is a big difference between a government that has a social consience a socialist government.

  • Posted By: fesler @ 10/17/2008 9:22:10 PM

    Comment: Obama even tells us in his books what he wants for OUR COUNTRY and the United States as we know it are NOT PART of it.

  • Posted By: Jim Johnson @ 10/17/2008 7:38:57 PM

    Comment: Obama's view of the future of America - Socialism which is the next step to Communism!! He admitted to Joe the Plumber than he wanted to spread the wealth! He said that he wanted to make everyone equal! Is America ready for Socialism? The Iranian president, Ahmadinejad, said today that he is glad to see the end to capitalism in America!! Are you glad?????
    ====================================================================================================


    Under socialism a ruling class of intellectuals, bureaucrats and social planners decide what people want or what is good for society and then use the coercive power of the State to regulate, tax, and redistribute the wealth of those who work for a living. In other words, socialism is a form of legalized theft.

    The morality of socialism can be summed-up in two words: envy and self-sacrifice. Envy is the desire to not only possess another's wealth but also the desire to see another's wealth lowered to the level of one's own. Socialism's teaching on self-sacrifice was nicely summarized by two of its greatest defenders, Hermann Goering and Bennito Mussolini. The highest principle of Nazism (National Socialism), said Goering, is: "Common good comes before private good." Fascism, said
    Mussolini, is "a life in which the individual, through the sacrifice of his own private interests??realizes that completely spiritual existence in which his value as a man lies."

    Socialism is the social system which institutionalizes envy and self-sacrifice: It is the social system which uses compulsion and the organized violence of the State to expropriate wealth from the producer class for its redistribution to the parasitical class.

    Despite the intellectuals' psychotic hatred of capitalism, it is the only moral and just social system.

    Capitalism is the only moral system because it requires human beings to deal with one another as traders--that is, as free moral agents trading and selling goods and services on the basis of mutual consent.

    Capitalism is the only just system because the sole criterion that determines the value of thing exchanged is the free, voluntary, universal judgement of the consumer. Coercion and fraud are anathema to the free-market system.

    It is both moral and just because the degree to which man rises or falls in society is determined by the degree to which he uses his mind. Capitalism is the only social system that rewards merit, ability and achievement, regardless of one's birth or station in life.

    Yes, there are winners and losers in capitalism. The winners are those who are honest, industrious, thoughtful, prudent, frugal, responsible, disciplined, and efficient. The losers are those who are shiftless, lazy, imprudent, extravagant, negligent, impractical, and inefficient. [What about the role of luck­being in the right place at the right time or the wrong place at the wrong time? R. R. Pope}

    • Posted By: damn2008 @ 10/18/2008 12:00:34 AM

      Comment: I would welcome Communism if it meant that I had a good paying job that won't lay me off and a reliable roof over my families head and no longer have to shop at Goodwill for the family. We started shopping at Goodwill about 6 years ago cause our combined incomes just wasn't cutting it, we can't afford anywhere else. And believe me we have seen Goodwill and other thrift stores getting flooded with more people.
      the same problem.

  • Posted By: Floridave @ 10/17/2008 7:19:12 PM

    Comment: How can Obama have 3 times the budget of McCain and STILL be dropping in the polls? Is it that hard to buy out stupid people and illegally register dead people & fictional characters to vote? Two days ago I was ready to write McCain off, but with Obama's numbers dropping and the Bradley Effect still in play, I think I will hang in there a little longer. Why you ask? Because I have the audacity of hope, that's why.

  • Posted By: cani77 @ 10/17/2008 6:21:54 PM

    Comment: THE GREAT BUSH DEPRESSION
    I follow an economist named Bob Proctor. He has called the top and bottom of every market crash since the 70s correctly.
    He perfectly predicted the current meltdown and the picture he paints about what will happen next
    is terrifying.He thinks it will be worse then the great depression.
    The banks in the U.S. are going under one after the other. Countrywide ,Bear Stearns, Lehman Brothers and Merrill Lynch , Fanny and Freddy Mae ,AIG
    The government took them over because they are bankrupt. Even with the goverment nationalizing hundreds of billions of dollars in debt the stock market is crashing
    the credit markets are frozen and all of us may suffer beyond anything seen in generations
    McCain just like Bush " doesn't understand the economy".
    That not just my opinion its his own words. Not only does he not understand how to fix it but he does not understand how its been broken.
    It is no surprise that he doesn't. The people that make up these securities use quantum mathematical models very few people understand.
    Bush and McCain both can take the credit for this mess since they helped deregulate the laws that were protecting us.
    Bush's economic advisor Phil Graham wrote the deregulation bill that allowed banks to take huge risks with all of our future.
    Now, Phil Graham is the head of McCain's economic policy.He is also McCain's choice for the next secretary of the treasury.
    No one in this country can afford for that to happen. The last time Bush met with his economic advisors was in March. He was the last to know somthing was wrong. Phil Graham had the guts to say that we are in a mental recession after he helped create the worst economy meltdown in our lifetime. Check out this link to the truth http://my.barackobama.com/keatingvideo
    It will take the best and brightest minds in the world to get us out of this nightmare. As bad as Bush has done, McCain would be
    even more destructive because things are in much worse shape. The next president will not inherit a budget surplus like Bush did but a crashing economy and a 11,600,000,000,000 (trillion) dollars deficit. Most of it Bush created and it will take decades to pay it back.
    If you do what you have always done then you will get what you have always got.
    When it comes to policy Bush and McCain are the same 90 percent of the time.
    So why are the polls even close then ?
    Mccains team just said they no longer want to talk about the economy.Instead they would like to spend time talking about obama
    which means running the biggest smear campaign in history.
    They think they can just tell you lies and you wont be smart enough to see through it
    Let's teach him we are smarter than that
    Stand up and hold them accountable
    Bush isn't on the ballot this year but his policies are
    Elect Obama Biden 2008






    Check out this video of sarah palins interview and ask your self if she understands what she is talking about.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r36Xc0GG4iQ

  • Posted By: cani77 @ 10/17/2008 6:21:45 PM

    Comment: THE GREAT BUSH DEPRESSION
    I follow an economist named Bob Proctor. He has called the top and bottom of every market crash since the 70s correctly.
    He perfectly predicted the current meltdown and the picture he paints about what will happen next
    is terrifying.He thinks it will be worse then the great depression.
    The banks in the U.S. are going under one after the other. Countrywide ,Bear Stearns, Lehman Brothers and Merrill Lynch , Fanny and Freddy Mae ,AIG
    The government took them over because they are bankrupt. Even with the goverment nationalizing hundreds of billions of dollars in debt the stock market is crashing
    the credit markets are frozen and all of us may suffer beyond anything seen in generations
    McCain just like Bush " doesn't understand the economy".
    That not just my opinion its his own words. Not only does he not understand how to fix it but he does not understand how its been broken.
    It is no surprise that he doesn't. The people that make up these securities use quantum mathematical models very few people understand.
    Bush and McCain both can take the credit for this mess since they helped deregulate the laws that were protecting us.
    Bush's economic advisor Phil Graham wrote the deregulation bill that allowed banks to take huge risks with all of our future.
    Now, Phil Graham is the head of McCain's economic policy.He is also McCain's choice for the next secretary of the treasury.
    No one in this country can afford for that to happen. The last time Bush met with his economic advisors was in March. He was the last to know somthing was wrong. Phil Graham had the guts to say that we are in a mental recession after he helped create the worst economy meltdown in our lifetime. Check out this link to the truth http://my.barackobama.com/keatingvideo
    It will take the best and brightest minds in the world to get us out of this nightmare. As bad as Bush has done, McCain would be
    even more destructive because things are in much worse shape. The next president will not inherit a budget surplus like Bush did but a crashing economy and a 11,600,000,000,000 (trillion) dollars deficit. Most of it Bush created and it will take decades to pay it back.
    If you do what you have always done then you will get what you have always got.
    When it comes to policy Bush and McCain are the same 90 percent of the time.
    So why are the polls even close then ?
    Mccains team just said they no longer want to talk about the economy.Instead they would like to spend time talking about obama
    which means running the biggest smear campaign in history.
    They think they can just tell you lies and you wont be smart enough to see through it
    Let's teach him we are smarter than that
    Stand up and hold them accountable
    Bush isn't on the ballot this year but his policies are
    Elect Obama Biden 2008






    Check out this video of sarah palins interview and ask your self if she understands what she is talking about.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r36Xc0GG4iQ

  • Posted By: cani77 @ 10/17/2008 6:21:35 PM

    Comment: THE GREAT BUSH DEPRESSION
    I follow an economist named Bob Proctor. He has called the top and bottom of every market crash since the 70s correctly.
    He perfectly predicted the current meltdown and the picture he paints about what will happen next
    is terrifying.He thinks it will be worse then the great depression.
    The banks in the U.S. are going under one after the other. Countrywide ,Bear Stearns, Lehman Brothers and Merrill Lynch , Fanny and Freddy Mae ,AIG
    The government took them over because they are bankrupt. Even with the goverment nationalizing hundreds of billions of dollars in debt the stock market is crashing
    the credit markets are frozen and all of us may suffer beyond anything seen in generations
    McCain just like Bush " doesn't understand the economy".
    That not just my opinion its his own words. Not only does he not understand how to fix it but he does not understand how its been broken.
    It is no surprise that he doesn't. The people that make up these securities use quantum mathematical models very few people understand.
    Bush and McCain both can take the credit for this mess since they helped deregulate the laws that were protecting us.
    Bush's economic advisor Phil Graham wrote the deregulation bill that allowed banks to take huge risks with all of our future.
    Now, Phil Graham is the head of McCain's economic policy.He is also McCain's choice for the next secretary of the treasury.
    No one in this country can afford for that to happen. The last time Bush met with his economic advisors was in March. He was the last to know somthing was wrong. Phil Graham had the guts to say that we are in a mental recession after he helped create the worst economy meltdown in our lifetime. Check out this link to the truth http://my.barackobama.com/keatingvideo
    It will take the best and brightest minds in the world to get us out of this nightmare. As bad as Bush has done, McCain would be
    even more destructive because things are in much worse shape. The next president will not inherit a budget surplus like Bush did but a crashing economy and a 11,600,000,000,000 (trillion) dollars deficit. Most of it Bush created and it will take decades to pay it back.
    If you do what you have always done then you will get what you have always got.
    When it comes to policy Bush and McCain are the same 90 percent of the time.
    So why are the polls even close then ?
    Mccains team just said they no longer want to talk about the economy.Instead they would like to spend time talking about obama
    which means running the biggest smear campaign in history.
    They think they can just tell you lies and you wont be smart enough to see through it
    Let's teach him we are smarter than that
    Stand up and hold them accountable
    Bush isn't on the ballot this year but his policies are
    Elect Obama Biden 2008






    Check out this video of sarah palins interview and ask your self if she understands what she is talking about.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r36Xc0GG4iQ

  • Posted By: Schipperke @ 10/17/2008 6:13:26 PM

    Comment: The satisfieds just haven't been hit by the financial crisis yet... give 'em time. But then there are always people who see the bright side even when it is tarnished.. Let them be happy, someone needs to be. If we didn't have a few optimists to keep our chins up we'd all sink in the morass....

  • Posted By: ADELFAPINEDA @ 10/17/2008 2:50:39 PM

    Comment: EL GRAN OBAMA PRESIDENTE 2008-14 El GOBIERNO DE LA DIPLOMACIA INTERNACIONAL. con (Cuba, Venezuela, Nuevo País patria Libre Independiente, y países del Medio Oriente), serán incluidos en la integración diplomática y respeto como nació. Después del debate, en donde fue definitivo, quedo claro, el perfil, visionario y las características de OBAMA PRESIDENTE 2008-14, que sacara de la crisis económica a los EE.UU y la región. OBAMA PRESIDENTE 2008-14 aplicara políticas de gobierno organizado, los mercados y la competencia, serán métodos que se enmarque en modelos económicos, dirigidos por los economistas (analistas y especialistas), y los métodos administrativos serán de expertos, de manera que el modelo conlleve una forma efectiva de llevar a la región al desarrollo económico, social, y cultural, en donde: prime el respeto y el equilibrio estado-el mercado, Que converja en beneficio de la sociedad y encamine todos los esfuerzos sincronizados de manera que se pueda erradicar la pobreza, erradicar la cultura de violencia, guerra y corrupción, 1ADELFA PINEDA TRANSPARENCIA Y ÉTICA: Por el Desarrollo del País; Dignidad Publica,:. 1

    • Posted By: Floridave @ 10/17/2008 6:11:41 PM

      Comment: Thank you, Godfather.

  • Posted By: SAM123456 @ 10/17/2008 2:43:50 PM

    Comment: You don't know what trouble is if this man with all these socialist ideas and Muslim background goes into office.

  • Posted By: AverageJoe61 @ 10/17/2008 1:25:12 PM

    Comment: The problem is consistent with most polling: interpretation of a binary answer vs. for a complex question. Polls try to explain results by interpreting what ends up being useless information.

    In my case, my personal situation is fine. I live within my means, have a fixed rate mortgage, gas prices have dropped, and the low stock market means I get more bang from my monthly 401k contribution than before. If I could ignore the hype from the media, I would probably be 'satisfied'.

    However, the situation is more complex than that. When asked if the country is moving in the right direction, I would have to consider what I think of the actions government is taking. I am not happy with the inability of congress to solve anything properly, and I am apparently not alone, given the current congressional approval rating. I am also continually dissappointed by the electorate who votes the same politicians who fail to get the job done year after year. (This applies to both sides of the aisle.)

    My major dissatification in this country lies with the media who creates this hysteria and provides the flawed interpretations of this useless data as fact. Freedom of the Press is an important cornerstone of our liberty, but unfortunately, responsibility, ethics, and common sense appear to have evaporated from the equation.

    Soap box aside, I like the way the article finished. There is a contingent among us who believe this country will prevail through the major bumps in the road, and with that, satisfaction can be found.

  • Posted By: Mark_W @ 10/17/2008 1:23:56 PM

    Comment: To Mitchmom -- Am I satistifed with my life? You bet. Happily married, living below our means for 20 years, good health, not having to worry about being able to afford dinner. We live in an average house, drive old cars, and work hard. Am I satisfied with the way our government leaders have handled things? Absolutely not. An $10+ Trillion dollar debt (so far) that our kids and grandkids will have to pay for? Trillions more to bail out greedy companies? Borrowing hundreds of billions more from foreign governments every year so our country can continue to live beyond our means? No, I'm not satisfied at all with that. I'm extraordinarily frustrated with that, actually.
    So, on a personal level I'm quite satisfied with my life -- but on a broader level, I'm deeply concerned about the future for our country.

  • Posted By: jupmod @ 10/17/2008 12:57:36 PM

    Comment: Boy, do those 10 percent can't see the bigger picture plaging the nation. Yeah, I certainly think they're the ones who keep singing "Don't Worry, Be Happy" all the time. Sing that to those who lost a good deal of their 401K and you'll most likely end up with a broken jaw from a left or right hook.

  • Posted By: yummusquash @ 10/17/2008 11:48:43 AM

    Comment: Get a life.
    Or better yet...
    Wake up.

    Oh, and that 'God' you were incessantly referencing , is in YOUR head.

  • Posted By: mitchmom @ 10/17/2008 11:08:24 AM

    Comment: I AM one of the 10%. I am a stay- at -home mother of 4 who has been married to the same wonderful man for 17 years. We both grew up in Blue Collar families and both of our parents are still living and still married to the same spouse they married some 45+ years ago. My husband's parents are strong democrats....my parents are strong republicans. BOTH households taught us the importance of hard work and earning respect, the diligence of "living within your means", the compassion to always look for ways to help our neighbors, and the privilege we have to freely thank our LORD for another day of life and the many blessings we are given.

    Has every day been easy? Heck NO! Have we had struggles? You betcha! Would quitting, at times, have been the easy road out? Absolutely.

    WAKE UP AMERICA. We are blessed beyond belief! The only thing that needs to change in our Nation is it's ATTITUDE! Families need to once again COMMIT to staying together and working as a team...God needs to be first in our lives and in our hearts...and we all need to quit whining, live within our means, and accept responsibility for our own actions and behaviors!

  • Posted By: MegaDeath @ 10/17/2008 9:17:49 AM

    Comment: 2008 is only the begining of the "Prophecy of Doom". Nostradamus (1503-1566) was an French apothecary who was 96% accurate in his ability to fore see and predict the future. In his last quatrain he predicted that between 2008-2012 would be the start of the end of civilization. He fore seen the down fall of Western countries through various events leading up to World War lll (A Nuclear War) by 2012, which will start in the
    Middle East. With the problems we are having in the current economic mess, this could be the first sign.

  • Posted By: winstonNOTneville @ 10/17/2008 8:51:15 AM

    Comment: ear cani77 . . . this is no depression. If you think this is hard times--let me see your house or apartment, your internet service, all your furnishings, your grocery receipts, the restaurants you visit, the car you drive, the comforts that even now you can afford . . . show me last weeks pay-stub and the trip your planning next summer . . . and where did you stand in a soup line with all your neighbors??? THERE IS NO DEPRESSION PEOPLE . . . lift up your eyes people--in fact, if you could see you would be BUYING stocks right now. There is a sale on!! You have no clue how good the U.S. economy is nor do you even know what a depression is. "It's Bush's fault" is all you can say?? Do some critical thinking and examine both party's and their overall policies and economic philosophy--then you will see where the majority of slippage into socialism is.

    Typical liberalism - -all is "mauvais" and you need government to bail you out!! Even in the midst of this temporary bump -- a bump I might add created by the socialist policies of the a liberal congress under Clinton, not Bush. You shared a lot gibberish writing that looks as if it is from the pages of Newsweek and I bet you watch too much TV news .. . " oh!! all is fire and brimstone . . .save us Obama!!! cause you make my leg tingle ...." Go do some research on Fanny and Fred yourself -- see when they were initiated/implemented and WHO was behind them. Then see who defended them in 2003 when McCain and other more conservative leaders tried to warn us that what JUST HAPPENED was going to happen. ALL you all do is carry the party line. Yea, Bush has made mistakes, but . . . There is much to be grateful for--an incredible list. Oh, and, to understand Economics read Thomas Sowell's "Basic Economics" . . . . it will revolutionize your ability to see through the haze that is the rising socialism within our own nation . . . and as a result the vapor that is Obama will smell very rank come Nov 4.

    And by the way, truth is not smear. McCain is simply telling the truth about Obama --if you do not like the facts about your canidate -- gee, you don't have to vote for him! His voting records, his meager experience, his history, his fringe friends, his racist pastor for 20 years, his out right lies and flip-flops multiplied when challenged on issues like the war and off shore drilling--these all reflect on WHO Obama is just as your friends tell others WHAT you are like. Such is a common denominator of life--certainly you understand this at your age? If you & Obama want to call it smear then he should have been a different kind of leader these past few months and years.

    From France where the ills of socialism prevail--and I voted against Neville the appeaser here. jb

  • Posted By: smschilling @ 10/17/2008 8:01:44 AM

    Comment: Why don't you print the truth and say that 86% of the 500 or so people polled are dissatisfied with the direction of the country? Personally, I was never asked, so how can you include me in any figures? Print some truth for a change.

  • Posted By: MOPP4 @ 10/17/2008 7:58:34 AM

    Comment: The poll asked 1,212 adults this question. So how in the hell does Steve Tuttle think that the response of 121 people means that this is how 22 million people in the country think ? All it means is that's how those 121 felt. I just don't get the logic used to come to this conclusion. Same goes for any of the polls. Useless. The only poll that counts is on 4 NOV. Then we really get to see what EVERYONE thinks.

  • Posted By: winstonNOTneville @ 10/17/2008 4:38:13 AM

    Comment: Dear alfacanguro -- Boy, your a tolerant little fella aren't you? Bet you were a joy to your teachers throughout school. Hey, let's talk about your education. Where did you go to school? Where do you get your so called facts? The TV? Wow. . . toting the company lines for the democrats but you have no clue you are the new socialist party. Wake up!! I am serious! Read this http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=29022 for truth about economics -- One day you will see suddenly the wealth of socialism that Obama brings and you will understand that life demands hard choices regarding our allies and enemies. Educated??--who would want to run in that crowd of dummies with Obama's terrorist professor friend anyhow--that is not educated but elitism--if that is what intellectual is I want no part of it. Give me leaders who have integrity & wisdom. Hope you stop sucking your thumb soon.

    • Posted By: alfacanguro @ 10/18/2008 4:01:05 PM

      Comment: It seems I've hit a nerve called "truth" here. So let me ask you: Why do you still support W? What makes you think he has any integrity or wisdom? Have you no common sense, or is that lack of "elitist" education hindering you from rational thought? You accuse Obama and the Democrats of threatening to bring about socialism, but what has the Bush administration wrought after 8 years of fiscally irresponsible government? You betcha! Nationalization of financial institutions, and bailouts for the auto industry. Yes, communism has arrived in America on the Republicans watch. BTW, you're way off target if you believe I have any party affiliation, least of all with the democrats.

  • Posted By: alfacanguro @ 10/17/2008 2:13:43 AM

    Comment: Who is the 10 percent who think everything is A-OK? It must be from among the twenty odd percent of cave dwelling, God trusting, gun-toting, book burning, witch hunting, anti-intellectual fanatics who are still satisfied with Dubya's performance.

  • Posted By: kels2 @ 10/16/2008 10:26:56 PM

    Comment: In the last 8 years, millions of people who could pay their mortgages have lost their jobs. Companies like Enron, World.com, banks, national chains, and utilities, airlines so many more companies have gone under or merged- thanks to the horrific corporate greed encouraged by this administration under this president's reign. As a result of losing so many jobs, so many people cannot find jobs and cannot meet their mortgages. Everyone knows someone. These are good people. There are millions of them. Don't blame them for this downfall. Put the blame exactly where it belongs. At the top...he has brought us all to our knees. Say hello to the aftermath of his "trickle- down- effect "economics.

    • Posted By: alfacanguro @ 10/17/2008 1:55:04 AM

      Comment: Casting blame won't revive the economy, but if you insist, then the blame must be shared all around. While Bush led us down this path of destruction, it took a stupid electorate to vote him into office, and an even greedier and dumber population of consumers who thought they should spend more than they earned, and take a gamble on the roof over their heads.

  • Posted By: cani77 @ 10/16/2008 10:06:31 PM

    Comment: THE GREAT BUSH DEPRESSION
    I follow an economist named Bob Proctor. He has called the top and bottom of every market crash since the 70s correctly.
    He perfectly predicted the current meltdown and the picture he paints about what will happen next
    is terrifying.He thinks it will be worse then the great depression.
    The banks in the U.S. are going under one after the other. Countrywide ,Bear Stearns, Lehman Brothers and Merrill Lynch , Fanny and Freddy Mae ,AIG
    The government took them over because they are bankrupt. Even with the goverment nationalizing hundreds of billions of dollars in debt the stock market is crashing
    the credit markets are frozen and all of us may suffer beyond anything seen in generations
    McCain just like Bush " doesn't understand the economy".
    That not just my opinion its his own words. Not only does he not understand how to fix it but he does not understand how its been broken.
    It is no surprise that he doesn't. The people that make up these securities use quantum mathematical models very few people understand.
    Bush and McCain both can take the credit for this mess since they helped deregulate the laws that were protecting us.
    Bush's economic advisor Phil Graham wrote the deregulation bill that allowed banks to take huge risks with all of our future.
    Now, Phil Graham is the head of McCain's economic policy.He is also McCain's choice for the next secretary of the treasury.
    No one in this country can afford for that to happen. The last time Bush met with his economic advisors was in March. He was the last to know somthing was wrong. Phil Graham had the guts to say that we are in a mental recession after he helped create the worst economy meltdown in our lifetime. Check out this link to the truth http://my.barackobama.com/keatingvideo
    It will take the best and brightest minds in the world to get us out of this nightmare. As bad as Bush has done, McCain would be
    even more destructive because things are in much worse shape. The next president will not inherit a budget surplus like Bush did but a crashing economy and a 11,600,000,000,000 (trillion) dollars deficit. Most of it Bush created and it will take decades to pay it back.
    If you do what you have always done then you will get what you have always got.
    When it comes to policy Bush and McCain are the same 90 percent of the time.
    So why are the polls even close then ?
    Mccains team just said they no longer want to talk about the economy.Instead they would like to spend time talking about obama
    which means running the biggest smear campaign in history.
    They think they can just tell you lies and you wont be smart enough to see through it
    Let's teach him we are smarter than that
    Stand up and hold them accountable
    Bush isn't on the ballot this year but his policies are
    Elect Obama Biden 2008






    Check out this video of sarah palins interview and ask your self if she understands what she is talking about.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r36Xc0GG4iQ

  • Posted By: cani77 @ 10/16/2008 10:06:23 PM

    Comment: THE GREAT BUSH DEPRESSION
    I follow an economist named Bob Proctor. He has called the top and bottom of every market crash since the 70s correctly.
    He perfectly predicted the current meltdown and the picture he paints about what will happen next
    is terrifying.He thinks it will be worse then the great depression.
    The banks in the U.S. are going under one after the other. Countrywide ,Bear Stearns, Lehman Brothers and Merrill Lynch , Fanny and Freddy Mae ,AIG
    The government took them over because they are bankrupt. Even with the goverment nationalizing hundreds of billions of dollars in debt the stock market is crashing
    the credit markets are frozen and all of us may suffer beyond anything seen in generations
    McCain just like Bush " doesn't understand the economy".
    That not just my opinion its his own words. Not only does he not understand how to fix it but he does not understand how its been broken.
    It is no surprise that he doesn't. The people that make up these securities use quantum mathematical models very few people understand.
    Bush and McCain both can take the credit for this mess since they helped deregulate the laws that were protecting us.
    Bush's economic advisor Phil Graham wrote the deregulation bill that allowed banks to take huge risks with all of our future.
    Now, Phil Graham is the head of McCain's economic policy.He is also McCain's choice for the next secretary of the treasury.
    No one in this country can afford for that to happen. The last time Bush met with his economic advisors was in March. He was the last to know somthing was wrong. Phil Graham had the guts to say that we are in a mental recession after he helped create the worst economy meltdown in our lifetime. Check out this link to the truth http://my.barackobama.com/keatingvideo
    It will take the best and brightest minds in the world to get us out of this nightmare. As bad as Bush has done, McCain would be
    even more destructive because things are in much worse shape. The next president will not inherit a budget surplus like Bush did but a crashing economy and a 11,600,000,000,000 (trillion) dollars deficit. Most of it Bush created and it will take decades to pay it back.
    If you do what you have always done then you will get what you have always got.
    When it comes to policy Bush and McCain are the same 90 percent of the time.
    So why are the polls even close then ?
    Mccains team just said they no longer want to talk about the economy.Instead they would like to spend time talking about obama
    which means running the biggest smear campaign in history.
    They think they can just tell you lies and you wont be smart enough to see through it
    Let's teach him we are smarter than that
    Stand up and hold them accountable
    Bush isn't on the ballot this year but his policies are
    Elect Obama Biden 2008






    Check out this video of sarah palins interview and ask your self if she understands what she is talking about.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r36Xc0GG4iQ

  • Posted By: cani77 @ 10/16/2008 10:06:14 PM

    Comment: THE GREAT BUSH DEPRESSION
    I follow an economist named Bob Proctor. He has called the top and bottom of every market crash since the 70s correctly.
    He perfectly predicted the current meltdown and the picture he paints about what will happen next
    is terrifying.He thinks it will be worse then the great depression.
    The banks in the U.S. are going under one after the other. Countrywide ,Bear Stearns, Lehman Brothers and Merrill Lynch , Fanny and Freddy Mae ,AIG
    The government took them over because they are bankrupt. Even with the goverment nationalizing hundreds of billions of dollars in debt the stock market is crashing
    the credit markets are frozen and all of us may suffer beyond anything seen in generations
    McCain just like Bush " doesn't understand the economy".
    That not just my opinion its his own words. Not only does he not understand how to fix it but he does not understand how its been broken.
    It is no surprise that he doesn't. The people that make up these securities use quantum mathematical models very few people understand.
    Bush and McCain both can take the credit for this mess since they helped deregulate the laws that were protecting us.
    Bush's economic advisor Phil Graham wrote the deregulation bill that allowed banks to take huge risks with all of our future.
    Now, Phil Graham is the head of McCain's economic policy.He is also McCain's choice for the next secretary of the treasury.
    No one in this country can afford for that to happen. The last time Bush met with his economic advisors was in March. He was the last to know somthing was wrong. Phil Graham had the guts to say that we are in a mental recession after he helped create the worst economy meltdown in our lifetime. Check out this link to the truth http://my.barackobama.com/keatingvideo
    It will take the best and brightest minds in the world to get us out of this nightmare. As bad as Bush has done, McCain would be
    even more destructive because things are in much worse shape. The next president will not inherit a budget surplus like Bush did but a crashing economy and a 11,600,000,000,000 (trillion) dollars deficit. Most of it Bush created and it will take decades to pay it back.
    If you do what you have always done then you will get what you have always got.
    When it comes to policy Bush and McCain are the same 90 percent of the time.
    So why are the polls even close then ?
    Mccains team just said they no longer want to talk about the economy.Instead they would like to spend time talking about obama
    which means running the biggest smear campaign in history.
    They think they can just tell you lies and you wont be smart enough to see through it
    Let's teach him we are smarter than that
    Stand up and hold them accountable
    Bush isn't on the ballot this year but his policies are
    Elect Obama Biden 2008






    Check out this video of sarah palins interview and ask your self if she understands what she is talking about.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r36Xc0GG4iQ

  • Posted By: cani77 @ 10/16/2008 10:05:35 PM

    Comment: THE GREAT BUSH DEPRESSION
    I follow an economist named Bob Proctor. He has called the top and bottom of every market crash since the 70s correctly.
    He perfectly predicted the current meltdown and the picture he paints about what will happen next
    is terrifying.He thinks it will be worse then the great depression.
    The banks in the U.S. are going under one after the other. Countrywide ,Bear Stearns, Lehman Brothers and Merrill Lynch , Fanny and Freddy Mae ,AIG
    The government took them over because they are bankrupt. Even with the goverment nationalizing hundreds of billions of dollars in debt the stock market is crashing
    the credit markets are frozen and all of us may suffer beyond anything seen in generations
    McCain just like Bush " doesn't understand the economy".
    That not just my opinion its his own words. Not only does he not understand how to fix it but he does not understand how its been broken.
    It is no surprise that he doesn't. The people that make up these securities use quantum mathematical models very few people understand.
    Bush and McCain both can take the credit for this mess since they helped deregulate the laws that were protecting us.
    Bush's economic advisor Phil Graham wrote the deregulation bill that allowed banks to take huge risks with all of our future.
    Now, Phil Graham is the head of McCain's economic policy.He is also McCain's choice for the next secretary of the treasury.
    No one in this country can afford for that to happen. The last time Bush met with his economic advisors was in March. He was the last to know somthing was wrong. Phil Graham had the guts to say that we are in a mental recession after he helped create the worst economy meltdown in our lifetime. Check out this link to the truth http://my.barackobama.com/keatingvideo
    It will take the best and brightest minds in the world to get us out of this nightmare. As bad as Bush has done, McCain would be
    even more destructive because things are in much worse shape. The next president will not inherit a budget surplus like Bush did but a crashing economy and a 11,600,000,000,000 (trillion) dollars deficit. Most of it Bush created and it will take decades to pay it back.
    If you do what you have always done then you will get what you have always got.
    When it comes to policy Bush and McCain are the same 90 percent of the time.
    So why are the polls even close then ?
    Mccains team just said they no longer want to talk about the economy.Instead they would like to spend time talking about obama
    which means running the biggest smear campaign in history.
    They think they can just tell you lies and you wont be smart enough to see through it
    Let's teach him we are smarter than that
    Stand up and hold them accountable
    Bush isn't on the ballot this year but his policies are
    Elect Obama Biden 2008






    Check out this video of sarah palins interview and ask your self if she understands what she is talking about.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r36Xc0GG4iQ

  • Posted By: cani77 @ 10/16/2008 10:05:26 PM

    Comment: THE GREAT BUSH DEPRESSION
    I follow an economist named Bob Proctor. He has called the top and bottom of every market crash since the 70s correctly.
    He perfectly predicted the current meltdown and the picture he paints about what will happen next
    is terrifying.He thinks it will be worse then the great depression.
    The banks in the U.S. are going under one after the other. Countrywide ,Bear Stearns, Lehman Brothers and Merrill Lynch , Fanny and Freddy Mae ,AIG
    The government took them over because they are bankrupt. Even with the goverment nationalizing hundreds of billions of dollars in debt the stock market is crashing
    the credit markets are frozen and all of us may suffer beyond anything seen in generations
    McCain just like Bush " doesn't understand the economy".
    That not just my opinion its his own words. Not only does he not understand how to fix it but he does not understand how its been broken.
    It is no surprise that he doesn't. The people that make up these securities use quantum mathematical models very few people understand.
    Bush and McCain both can take the credit for this mess since they helped deregulate the laws that were protecting us.
    Bush's economic advisor Phil Graham wrote the deregulation bill that allowed banks to take huge risks with all of our future.
    Now, Phil Graham is the head of McCain's economic policy.He is also McCain's choice for the next secretary of the treasury.
    No one in this country can afford for that to happen. The last time Bush met with his economic advisors was in March. He was the last to know somthing was wrong. Phil Graham had the guts to say that we are in a mental recession after he helped create the worst economy meltdown in our lifetime. Check out this link to the truth http://my.barackobama.com/keatingvideo
    It will take the best and brightest minds in the world to get us out of this nightmare. As bad as Bush has done, McCain would be
    even more destructive because things are in much worse shape. The next president will not inherit a budget surplus like Bush did but a crashing economy and a 11,600,000,000,000 (trillion) dollars deficit. Most of it Bush created and it will take decades to pay it back.
    If you do what you have always done then you will get what you have always got.
    When it comes to policy Bush and McCain are the same 90 percent of the time.
    So why are the polls even close then ?
    Mccains team just said they no longer want to talk about the economy.Instead they would like to spend time talking about obama
    which means running the biggest smear campaign in history.
    They think they can just tell you lies and you wont be smart enough to see through it
    Let's teach him we are smarter than that
    Stand up and hold them accountable
    Bush isn't on the ballot this year but his policies are
    Elect Obama Biden 2008






    Check out this video of sarah palins interview and ask your self if she understands what she is talking about.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r36Xc0GG4iQ

  • Posted By: mauigirl4315@yahoo.com @ 10/16/2008 9:04:31 PM

    Comment: I think that the people who elected George Bush for a second term made the biggest mistake for our country. Could they not see he did an inadequate job the first time? Do you really have to do something wrong twice to see if it gets better? Our economy is so terrible and our country is going up in smoke and it is pretty much his fault. Was that speech on how our economy is bad really make a difference? Did he just figure that out or was he adressing to the oblivious minded Americans that our economy is awful.

  • Posted By: successful n proud of it @ 10/16/2008 5:59:21 PM

    Comment: Many Americans are well-to-do BECAUSE WE EARNED IT. Why is it that when we're little, we're told that if we excel in school and work hard, we will eventually succeed and achieve our dreams. Yet once we become accomplished and make our parents and teachers proud, we are often told by the rest of society that somehow we're lucky and didn't deserve it. Sorry, but I've seen too FAR too many people in my lifetime act stupid, lazy, make bad choices or just decide to party or have fun instead of working hard -- and I have zero tolerance for their complaints and sense of entitlement. While "careerdaytrader" may come across as a bit elitist to some, he truly is living the American dream. Ultimately, it's you cynical, lazy or just plain stupid types who are going to spoil it for the rest of us. So either get with the program, or shut up. Just don't drag the rest of us down.

    • Posted By: star3 @ 10/16/2008 6:39:32 PM

      Comment: S & P---good for you! You have earned the right to enjoy your success, so just turn a deaf ear to anyone who tries to make you feel guilty. Anyone who really wants to be successful can be if they are willing to work for it, stay focused, and find what they are best at, even if its not as high on the ladder as someone else may be. Everyone can't be doctors, lawyers, teachers or even machanics, but whatever you aspire to be, give it your best shot, and if you decide to change goals, then that is only your business. We can't all be President, but whatever you do for a living, if you are making it on your own, paying your own way, and are living the life YOU enjoy, and are not breaking any laws ir harming anyone else, then you ARE successful. Congrats, Successful & Proud! Enjoy!

  • Posted By: ernestt @ 10/16/2008 5:18:11 PM

    Comment: I am disappoint with both McCain and Obama!!! McCain wants to buy mortgages so people can remain in their inflated valued homes. Obama wants a 90 day delay on foreclosures to renegotiate loans on over valued homes.

    What losers!!! The prosperity of the past 5 years was an illusion!!! The DOW at 14,000 now in the 8,000s was just a farce!!! Neither one of them had the guts to the voters and giving a reality check that we Americans were living way beyond our means since 2000. Neither one of them had the guts to the voters by saying the days of cheap money for credit are over!!! Instead, both of them want to pander to the voters by giving something of nothing to stay in their over valued homes.

    The underlying mortgages were faulty to begin with financing the over valued homes at rates that were teaser rates with appraisals stretched to fit the loans by appraisers so the borrower could qualify so that in several years refinancing the mortgage into something "better" when the over valued homes would be worth more??? I am disappointed that neither Obama or McCain spoke to the voters with a straight face and said there will be painful sacrifices to be made as Americans have over extended ourselves way beyond our paychecks. Neither one of them said, we might not have the money to stay in our over prices homes and faulty mortgages, or keep our new cars and new adult toys, or pay down our maxed out credit cards, or pay for the college tuition or get a student loan, or see our IRAs or 401Ks values drop, or cope with food and gas prices.

    Unfortunately, our generation(s) have been very impatient and wanted these financial crises fixed yesterday. Neither one who will win the White House will be able to get a second term. Just look at Jimmy Carter who promised the moon and delivered nothing. During the oil crisis, he said to lower the thermostats and wear sweaters!

    I do hope that there will be very tight regulation of the markets with transparency so that the market will remain free of the excesses that characterized the past 10 years. Notice, I said the past 10 years. The root of the problems started during the Democratic years.

    May God give us the patience to endure what is coming to us as a nation!

    • Posted By: star3 @ 10/16/2008 6:57:44 PM

      Comment: Its a mess, isn't it, Earnestt? But don't lose hope, we have been in messes before, and somehow pulled out of them to go on and still remain number one, but I hear you, buddy. Its enough to make one want to scream sometimes, but I try to look at it as a challenge; our generation was too young to really remember the depression of the 30s, although, there are still some around who do, and so this is the first time in our adult lives we have had to deal with this type of problem, not to mention the other problems going on, such as illegal immigration, the war, ect. Many of us were just getting born when the big depression in the 30s took place, so while we may have heard the word, or, later in school have been taught about it, or read about it, as children, we were not as affected as the adults, because as long as we were fed and were comfortable, thats all we required. Now, this comes along, and we ARE the adults, so we have to figure it out for our children. We will. We don't have all the answers yet, but I believe in Americans, and so I believe this too shall pass---however, not without a lot of planning and co-operation. As for who we will vote for, all we can do is chose the one we feel will honestlt do the best job, the one we feel most comfortable with---yes, I know you don't approve of either one, a lot of people don't, and many are suspicious of one or the other, but someone WILL be our next leader, so lets not give up before the battle has gotten off the ground yet. Just search your heart, go with whichever one it leans toward the most. He may surprise you, but at least you won't have tossed away your vote. Good luck to you, Ernestt, and to all of us, and God's blessings!

  • Posted By: tiredofextremes @ 10/16/2008 3:03:35 PM

    Comment: Actually, thinningtheheard, that was pretty foul and unnecessary, too. It seems ironic that I bring Alessan to task on racism, and you post a racist comment the very next post. Thanks for the support, man. You really made a great impression of "white folks" for people to remember. Bravo...with people like you fanning the flames, racism will never die in this country. Hopefully, kids these days will continue to grow up color-blind and blind to differences in sexual orientation. Only in that can we hope that racsim will ever truly die out.

  • Posted By: ObamaCensors @ 10/16/2008 3:02:04 PM

    Comment: No amount of Social enginneering an knob turning by the liberal left will solve todays problems. Look to Obama's own backyard to see the failures of the liberal machine of Chicago politics. There message falls apart when the opportunity falls away. That is all they have ever accomplished with the class divisive, run the businnesses off mentallity. What this country needs is MORE millionaires and More 20 Billion Dollar a year industries., NOT Less as they constantly rail against. Let's get some figures on Obama's OWN "vote with Bush" percentage. Let''s add to that obamaq's own "vote with Congress' Liberal leadership" Percentage. AND LET'S get really Real and Factor all the politically convenient "NO VOTE?PRESENT Charade" as YES with CONGRESS AND YES WITH BUSH~! Obama Should Get absolutely NO benefit of the doubt for No Voting! The reason for all that was to avoid his OWN Positions for political convenience!! If he Runs From himself THEN SO SHOULD WE!

  • Posted By: thinningtheheard @ 10/16/2008 2:57:06 PM

    Comment: To Alessan. You are a complete IDIOT and I love it. Real people will pay NO attention to ANYTHING you say. I am a realist NOT a racist though the two are often equated. I prefer the term realist because in reality "and for good reason" we don't want to be next to "others" who have this "I'm a victim because I'm whatever race" mentality and they are so called "disadvantaged. Stop gang bangin and being predators and maybe I would be willing to live next to you if I have a tall iron fence to keep you at a distance and my family safe from drive by's. That is the reality that if they were truthful, 95% of whites would say!

    • Posted By: yummusquash @ 10/17/2008 2:05:56 PM

      Comment: I believe you proved Alessan's point. All these words are judgmental and preconceived notions. The fact that you buy into these mores is a fine example of class and race separation that exists in this country. These white-collar crimes committed by the wealthy at the top of the food chain who steal entire individual retirement and pension plans from people and reign over corporate rule of this country go totally unnoticed, yet we can take time to call each other out on fabricated racial differences. It's about subjugation and making someone feel lesser about themselves for being poor, regardless of the reasons they're poor or if they don't have health coverage, only have access to public inner-city schools, do not come from families who can afford to send them to college and the entire cycle starts over again. Open your eyes a little, thinningtheheard. There is more to the story.

      Oh, and please DO NOT attempt to represent white people in your made up statistic on whether or not, <b>I</b> am comfortable living next to individuals of different races or ethnicities of my own. As the WHITE person I am, YOU do NOT represent ME.

  • Posted By: tiredofextremes @ 10/16/2008 2:54:04 PM

    Comment: alessan, that is by far the most egregious use of political drivel and reverse-racism I have ever read on these boards. You claim the ENTIRE Republican party is racist and hates poor people? And you claim that blue-collar republicans are all racist? What kind of hypocrite are you? Shame on you. Crawl back into the cave you slimed out from, you bigot!!!!

    9% of that magical 10% are likely the folks who have made appropriate plans because they know their 401ks will recover because they did their research and dollar-cost average their funds for long-term success, or else have jobs that allow them to weather the bumps in the road. Remember, because we're not all poor or in the top 1% many of us know better than to panic and some of us middle class are in fact not in that bad of a position. You only FEEL the pain if something is HARMING you. While I understand the cynicism of the writer of this blog, the answer really isn't that mysterious.

  • Posted By: grossy @ 10/16/2008 12:53:38 PM

    Comment: The recovery will come, but only after the economy strips itself of the excesses. That's the essence of capitalism. It worked for centuries, and it will work now. In this sense what is going on is healthy, and I see good reasons to feel satisfied. At the end, when the unearned fortunes built on the housing bubble get eaten by the inflation and property taxes and all the newly-forged Realtors go broke and return to a productive business - then, hopefully, I will be able to afford to buy a house. And, by the way, foreclosures do not need to be painful - there is plenty of protection for the people who lose their home. They do not starve, and they do not even go to jail for their debt. The ones who really deserve sympathy are the people who bought overpriced homes and now continue to make their payments.

  • Posted By: alessan @ 10/16/2008 12:49:45 PM

    Comment: The 10% you are talking about, are the wealthy or near wealthy, and maybe they haven't lost their jobs yet
    or money in the 401k plan. If they are retired, their money is safe, not in stocks and spread out in 10 banks
    making sure they don't have over $100,000. in any one account. With the infusion of 700 billion into the
    banks, the limit is $250,000 per person.

    Some rich and middle class using sub prime mortgages were flipping houses and buying second homes, some of the second homes they could not afford. People who lost their job and have a mortgage or high rent and no savings are not happy, Republicans are anti-human being and don't care about working class
    people. The working class who are republican, just don't want to be around people of color and they
    feel, John MCsame will ensure that, they don't care if they can't have a beer, so long as people of color
    are not around them. Even John Murtha has admitted that people in Western, Pa. are racist and so are
    the people who stood at the rallies with Palin and McCain, in the small towns they visited in the Midwest or
    West. Did you speak to any of them, bet they'll say so long as a White man is in the White house perfectably a republican they are happy, they are part of your 10%..

  • Posted By: grossy @ 10/16/2008 12:42:19 PM

    Comment: The recovery will come, but only after the economy strips itself of the excesses. That's the essence of capitalism. It worked for centuries, and it will work now. In this sense what is going on is healthy, and I see good reasons to feel satisfied. At the end, when the unearned fortunes built on the housing bubble get eaten by the inflation and property taxes and all the newly-forged Realtors go broke and return to a productive business - then, hopefully, I will be able to afford to buy a house. And, by the way, foreclosures do not need to be painful - there is plenty of protection for the people who lose their home. They do not starve, and they do not even go to jail for their debt. The ones who really deserve sympathy are the people who bought overpriced homes and now continue to make their payments.

  • Posted By: Shyam @ 10/16/2008 12:36:46 PM

    Comment: If you think economy is bad now, it will be far worse under Obama. Remember Jimmy Carter (the white Obama), remember 14% interest rate on home loans, remember it was only a dream to buy a house. It is Ronald Regan who fixed that. Do you want the economy to be like Cuba's or Bolivia's?

    • Posted By: star3 @ 10/16/2008 7:13:23 PM

      Comment: Shyam, you may be right, I use to wonder what the difference was between a recession and a depression, and now I know. During the recession of the 70s, we may have had gas lines (which was a hype, but thats another story), but we did not have the fear of losing our homes, our jobs or our lifestyles per sae, it was just an inconvenience for us then to deal with some anoying things, but this we are experiencing now is definitely different; this must be what our grandparents and parents experienced in the 30s, and it is certainy much more than just an "anoying inconvenience!". We have to bite the bullet and do what we need to do to get out of this mess, and, hopefully, learn from it, and teach our children and grandchildren how to prevent this from ever happening again. God bless us all & God help us all.

  • Posted By: nickielane @ 10/16/2008 12:12:02 PM

    Comment: I don't consdier myseld satisifed. But "nothing changed" mode. I started with Credit trouble back in the Clinto years, moved in with my parents so I could get out of debt......not much has changed. I can't get a better paying job because now you need certificates on top of the college graduation to get more pay. But who can afford to go back to college.... Even for one class. Student loans only make you more in debt...I am looking for big changes. But I don't see either candidate offereing what I believe will help me.

    • Posted By: tiredofextremes @ 10/16/2008 5:03:05 PM

      Comment: I wanted to comment on what nickielane said. I understand where she is coming from. That's the one fear I have, that even if I can save enough for retirement I won't have enough left over to help my kids pay for college. Neither candidate has talked at all about that, as least as far as I've heard in the MSM. However, as long as parents are amenable to kids living at home, they can go to junior college with a $10/hour job and pay for almost all of it, moving to a 4 year school for the last two years. Even without scholarships, there are a lot of things you can do to minimize the bills.

      And, in today's environment, there are many job fields where you don't have to have a prestigious school on your resume to get a good job and move up the chain from there. In truth, many employers care about your skills, so a good internship (preferably paid) will have a much greater impact on your starting salary than your alma mater.

      In addition, if you are blue-collar minded, there are many trades where you can make a great living without ever getting a college degree. The trades have always had other means for job training. And, unpopular as it is currently, the military will always be a great place to get both sellable skills and get 100% tuition paid education through tuition assistance (TA) and the GI Bill.

      So, in a nutshell, the situation is not as bleak as it might seem. Yet, it is undeniable that the cost of a 4year college degree is going steadily up and most parents can no longer afford to pay for a state school, let alone a private school.

      • Posted By: star3 @ 10/16/2008 7:26:15 PM

        Comment: I hear you, Tired; its the same with us, and many people resent the bailout of Freddie Mac &