About the economy, you know, the issue of which John McCain admits he doesn't know all that much: It's not getting better.
The Dow dropped over 3% today -- 358 points. It was bad across the board:
The Dow Jones industrial average sank 358.41 points, or 3.03 percent, to end unofficially at 11,453.42 while the Standard & Poor's 500 Index dropped 38.82 points, or 2.94 percent, to end unofficially at 1,283.15. The Nasdaq Composite Index tumbled 79.89 points, or 3.33 percent, to close unofficially at 2,321.37.Oil hit a new high:
Oil futures shot above $140 Thursday after OPEC's president said crude prices could rise well above $150 a barrel this year and Libya said it may cut oil production. The advance raised the likelihood that gasoline prices would also extend their advance, and that prices of goods and services throughout the economy would also keep rising.The economy is a mess and the American people blame George Bush. Don't forget that McCain wants to inherit the Bush mantle:
Light, sweet crude crossed the $140 level minutes before the New York Mercantile Exchange closed Thursday, then retreated slightly to settle up $5.09 at a record $139.64. In after-hours electronic trading, prices rose as high as a record $140.39.
Three out of four Americans, including large numbers of Republicans, blame President Bush's economic policies for making the country worse off during the last eight years, according to a Los Angeles Times/Bloomberg poll released Wednesday, reflecting a sharp increase in public pessimism during the last year.
Nine percent of respondents said the country's economic condition had improved since Bush became president, compared with 75% who said conditions had worsened. Among Republicans, 42% said the country was worse off, while 26% said it was about the same, and 22% thought economic conditions had improved.
