1. People are
feeling better about the economy.
Consumer confidence in the U.S. climbed last week to a one-year high, spurred by improving employment opportunities and a rally in the stock market [...] Confidence among political independents, considered a key group in presidential elections, increased to a four-year high.
2. The markets are
on a roll, making a mockery of their cries about "socialism". The Dow hit a four-year high, while the NASDAQ hit an 11-year high this week.
3. President Barack Obama's approvals are rising:
And that chart doesn't quite capture the recent numbers: 49/45 from Gallup, 50/49 from Rasmussen (ha ha!), 50/46 from WaPo/ABC, etc. He's now in positive territory all around.
4. Obama is also looking pretty good in the battleground states.
5. Rick Santorum. 'Nuff said.
6. Jobs.
The number of Americans seeking unemployment aid neared a four-year low last week, an encouraging sign that strong hiring could continue in the coming months.
The Labor Department said Thursday that weekly applications for unemployment benefits fell 15,000 to a seasonally adjusted 358,000. That's the second-lowest level since April 2008.
The four-week average, a less volatile measure, fell to 366,250, the lowest since late April 2008. When applications fall consistently below 375,000, it usually signals that hiring is strong enough to lower the unemployment rate.
Best job numbers since George Bush was finishing up his hatchet job on the economy.
7. Mitt Romney.
Comments are closed on this story.