NewsView: Bad Economic News Tests Bush (AP)

[West Coast Democrat]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=536&e=2&u=/ap/20040809/ap_on_el_pr/bush_economic_woes

WASHINGTON - Soaring fuel prices and slowing job growth are presenting President Bush with a difficult choice: He can concede there are problems with his economic policies or insist the recovery is progressing — and risk looking out of touch.

The first President Bush lost re-election in 1992 in part because of a perception by voters that he was isolated from the concerns of average workers. The younger Bush has worked hard to show his engagement, traveling extensively to promote his tax cuts and other economic incentives.

But the recent spate of bad economic news threatens to undermine his message that the economy has "turned the corner" on jobs. Instead of turning a corner "our economy may be taking a U-turn instead," asserts rival John Kerry.

With polls showing Kerry holding a clear advantage over Bush on the issue of creating new jobs, Democrats announced Monday that party leaders were heading for cities where Bush spoke last week — in Michigan, Ohio, New Hampshire and Iowa — to ask people whether they agreed America has turned a corner.

[Nite Owl]

1. Since Bush never admits a

mistake it isn't likely that there will be any of his saying his policies aren't working. He appears more out of touch every time he speaks. Their convention should prove interesting, what are they going to talk about except for fear and gay marriage? They actually benefit from the lack of coverage.

[teryang]

2. Risk looking out of touch????????????

He's never been in touch.

[Dover]

3. I'm sure the 'soaring fuel prices' are filling his personal coffers

along with those of his oil buddies. And isn't that what's REALLY important?

[MichiganVote]

4. Turned a corner?

Well there sure as hell aren't any corners in Michigan. 29 of our soldiers are dead though. Think that counts for anything?