Yes the internals do look pretty good. My only worry is these darn oil prices. I am suspicious that there is more than the market at play here.
The shock of $2.00 gasoline is wearing off. I think the average consumer realizes this is here to stay and John Kerry can't make it any better.
I agree that they are a concern, but I don't think a vast majority of the country blames them on Bush. They understand all (or at least some) of the factors and that the POTUS can't do much about most of them. I do believe the high prices are significantly impacting our economy, but 1. there is only 36 days left until the election, and 2. Kerry has decided Iraq is the #1 issue in the election. Both are good factors for Bush. If this Gallup poll tells us anything, it is that the public has taken a sniff and Kerry and decided he wouldn't be better than Bush. Look at the internals. Despite the media emphasis on problems in Iraq, and in the economy, Bush's approval in both areas is now greater than Kerry's. Kerry has become a dead candidate walking. He can pitch a fit, and scream bloody murder, but the jury has already given him the big thumbs down.