You would be surprised the number of Americans have no ideal what the S&P even is or Moody's for that matter. They do know of the Tea Party...they hear racists, hobbits, murderers of old people, etc. The Left plays to their audience of bleeding hearts liberal arts majors, those under-educated in the world of finance and the market, as it is not their reality; those who want the government to take care of them or just uneducated period and have no desire to learn ..many have agreed they voted for the color of Obama's skin alone in Hopes to pay back "whitey". Untouching them in this crisis they thoroughly enjoy the payback to who they consider rich aka class warfare.
A site that is excellent and concise in reporting economic news as it breaks: