On Nov 1, 2007, at 2:05 PM, joanna wrote:
> What puzzles me is why this sudden demand for statistical research. I
> mean you make plenty of pronouncements not backed by anything at all
> except spleen and melancholy.
Nicely put.
> As for fear, are you kidding me? Most people in this country are one
> paycheck away from the sidewalk, and they're not scared?
Two paychecks, according to Greenberg's research!
<http://www.democracycorps.com/reports/analyses/ Democracy_Corps_October_30_2007_Memo.pdf>
> These swing voters – about half non-college and half college
> graduates – nearly attacked the moderator because many are on the
> edge: "Over half of Americans are what? Two paydays away from
> living on the street"; "absolutely"; "that's me." Nobody except the
> super-rich has seen salary increases in years; not if you are in a
> "straight regular job"; "people don't make any raises," and if you
> are lucky, your spouse gets 2 percent in some years. Some are
> working 2nd and 3rd jobs because they "can't make ends meet"; "I've
> never known so many people to have two jobs or more than I have
> lately." Still, "they are cutting back on everything." They are
> struggling to fill up the gas tank twice a week; and they fear a
> visit to the hospital will wipe them out. They are watching their
> own companies, even the large ones, reduce and freeze hiring.
>
> They talk about Wal-Mart almost wistfully – not with resentment or
> anger – as a place where a lot of people losing out on good jobs
> "have to put food on the table. They have to pay the electric
> bill." And one woman interrupted the moderator trying to move on,
> "I hope I don't get to the point where I'm that desperate where I
> have to go work at Wal-Mart."