Consumer confidence climbed last week as Americans’ ratings of the economy reached the highest level in more than four years. The Bloomberg Consumer Comfort Index rose to minus 34.4 in the period ended Nov. 4, the best reading since April, from minus 34.7 the previous week. Twenty percent of those […] Read more »
Improving National Outlook Key to Obama Victory in 2012
Americans’ satisfaction with the way things are going and approval of the job Barack Obama is doing are below historical averages, and their economic outlook continues to be more negative than positive. Still, all of these measures are much improved from a year ago, helping the president narrowly win re-election. […] Read more »
A Draw on the Economy, a Win on Empathy – and the Face of a Changing Nation
Barack Obama neutralized Mitt Romney on the economy, beat him on empathy and again turned the curve of America’s demographic change to Democratic advantage, winning a second term despite an unemployment rate that posed a major threat to his 2012 campaign. Deeply vulnerable on an economy that 77 percent of […] Read more »
Democrats, Independents Boost Economic Confidence
Independents’ economic confidence improved four percentage points, to -20, in October, the highest monthly level of confidence among this group since 2008. Democrats also saw a gain of four points last month, to 27, a four-year high. Republicans’ economic confidence held steady at -59, tied with September for the lowest […] Read more »
In Ohio, Polls Show Benefit of Auto Rescue to Obama
If the polls are correct, and President Obama wins a narrow Electoral College victory on Tuesday, the pivotal moment of the 2012 presidential race may have actually occurred in 2009. About two months after taking office, Mr. Obama set the terms of the government’s rescue of General Motors and Chrysler, […] Read more »
Consumer Comfort in U.S. Held Close to Six-Month High Last Week
Consumer confidence last week held close to a six-month high as U.S. households became less pessimistic about the state of the economy. The Bloomberg Consumer Comfort Index was minus 34.7 in the period ended Oct. 28 after improving the previous week to minus 34.6, the highest since mid-April. The measure […] Read more »