The Stupid Economy

So they're finally starting to talk about the economy as part of the presidential election. Unfortunately, the way that analysts, pundits and even politicians look at the economy makes no sense to me.

I was just reading a New Yorker article on the merits and downfalls of measuring the economy by unemployment rates and job numbers. Although no one can be 100% confident in their job security anymore, lay-offs aren't my top concern about my own economic situation. Analysts look at stock prices. I still think the only people who care about this are analysts.

Politicians look at the very poor. Being as I'm sitting here on my home desktop computer, hooked up to the internet via high-speed service, I can't count myself among those, either.

Why is it that the only person that I can ever hear talking about the type of economic hardships that I can relate to is Lou Dobbs?

Even last night, on Real Time with Bill Maher, somehow no one could come up with the reason that in the last 2 weeks, more Americans are very concerned with the economy. Am I some sort of genius for thinking that, gee, maybe it has something to do with the post-Christmas credit card and utility bills currently showing up in our mailbox? I just got a little back-up, too, that my theory may be correct. As the President and Congress consider giving us tax rebates, I took a poll on CNN.com where so far, more than 50% answered that we would spend the rebate paying off debt if received.

I'll be the first to admit that I'm no economic genius here, or political genius for that matter, but it seems to me that these politicians might be able to differentiate themselves from the pack by actually talking about middle-class economic values rather than so-called family values.

Here's where I don't see anyone from any party speaking for me.