[CodeToad]

Why are black more upbeat: “Obama Stash!”

[hoagy62]

Real simple: If you’re black, you’ll get money, mainly provided by hard-working white people. If the white people revolt and stop paying, you’ll win anyway because you’ll riot and take stuff by force, then destroy what’s left.

What’s not to be optimistic about?

[chesley]

“One likely explanation,” Pew suggested, “is that in an age of highly polarized politics, Democrats and Republicans differ not only in their values, attitudes, and policy positions, but, increasingly, in their basic perceptions of reality.”

Or, as seems more likely, Democrats are actually unable to perceive reality.

[CharlesWayneCT]

The author's example of "balance" actually shows that it is the democrats that always look at things politically:

This phenomenon was apparent during the Bush years, when it was Republicans who were more bullish on the economy. In a 2004 Pew poll, only 12 percent of liberal Democrats characterized economic conditions as “excellent” or “good,” compared with 62 percent of conservative Republicans. In a 2006 poll, Republicans with household incomes below $50,000 were nearly three times as likely as Democrats in the same income group to say that economic conditions were “excellent” or “good” (48 percent to 17 percent). Similarly, 65 percent of Republicans with household incomes of $75,000 and above gave the economy an “excellent” or “good” rating, compared with only 31 percent of Democrats in that income group.

In 2004, the economy was in very good shape. Even in 2006, the economy was still going well; it wasn't until the Democrats took over in 2007 when the economy started falling apart, and oddly that's when democrats started saying everything was great.