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Dems taking the downturn particularly hard Bad as the economy is now, it'd be worse if there were more Democrats and fewer Republicans. In a new Harris Poll that asked people how their household’s financial situation has changed compared to a year ago, Republicans were more likely to say that it has improved (49 percent) than worsened (29 percent), with the rest saying it has remained the same. Among Democrats—an improvident bunch, apparently—nearly twice as many said “worsened” (50 percent) as said “improved” (26 percent). There’s a similar skew in this week’s ABC News Consumer Comfort Index, with Republicans rating the economy at -3 on a scale of +100 to -100, while Democrats rate it at -47. One can surmise that the Democrats’ presidential primary campaigns, which depict the nation as one big Hooverville, have had a depressive effect on party members’ economic views, over and above the economy’s actual struggles. Listening to the candidates’ speeches and watching their commercials, Democrats must feel it’s an act of party disloyalty if they fail to feel impoverished by Republican rule. —Posted by Mark Dolliver

March 12, 2008 in Dolliver | Permalink

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seems like the main reason for the discrpency would be the fact that dems tend to be lower on the socioeconomic scale than repubs and are feeling the effects of the downturn more. also, those dems who are well off tend to be more sympathetic types and therefore might answer that their own finances are down in solidarity with those who actually are feeling the pain.

Posted by: t | Mar 12, 2008 2:53:57 PM

It's also ridiculously myopic to say that the economy's doing well with about 1/8th the job growth as during the Clinton presidency and the dollar worth roughly 60% what it was. Add inflation and an unstable stock market, and yeah.

Not sure how that's a "good" economy.

Posted by: yikes | Mar 12, 2008 2:57:38 PM

Wow, I step away for two minutes and the bloggers here turn towards ridiculous right-wing political commentary?

The Dems are doing poorly because they are comprised of social groups that are the first and hardest hit by an economic downturn. It has nothing to do with political demagoguery. Individuals learn about their economic prospects when they balance their checkbook each month, not when candidates tell them how they've been doing.

Posted by: Jesse | Mar 12, 2008 5:32:48 PM

The economy that you DON'T see and feel right now is doing horribly. Why else are interest rates so low and the dollar plummeting? The fed just infused $200 Bil to keep banks solvent. That isn't healthy.

If you have any friends in finance, ask them what they see.

Posted by: Um Hello | Mar 12, 2008 11:42:14 PM

Rich Republicans are the only ones who are benefitting from the disastrous Bush administration. The poor get poorer - the rich get richer.

Bush and his corporate buddies destroy the country (environment, econonomy, military) and then run off with your money.

Mission Accomplished.

Posted by: ChrisM70 | Mar 13, 2008 3:11:13 PM

Hey Mark, do you and your republican friends want to spend another 10 trillion that we don't have invading a few more countries that have nothing to do with terrorism but everything to do with oil and special interests?

Because I don't. Elect a democrat and let's start fixing things.

Posted by: Gulfwarsyndrome | Mar 14, 2008 2:29:23 AM

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