LOL! Out here in Flyoverville, Sandy wasn't a factor in any way, shape or form. As for CT, it seems to have spurred already strong firearms sales (I've been around the block a time or two and I've never seen so many people walk into the LGS and just buy for the sake of buying something)... now if that meant that people spent their money on firearms, ammunition and magazines instead of other items, then retailers can put the blame on Obama and the Dems.
(Where it belongs for a number of reasons which may or may not be related.)
The Fast & Furious operation combined with running arms to Muslim Brotherhood affiliates probably puts Barack Hussein Obama at the top of the "President responsible for supplying arms to civilians" category dollar wise, and he has certainly been responsible for booming sales in the US. He generally takes credit for anything and everything, but my guess is that being "Arms Salesman of the Year" for four straight isn't going to get much ink.
Back to the broader topic, niteowl77 and I noticed back in early December that people were not out and about buying as in past years, nor were they dining out like last year. I don't know what others' reasons may be, but we hit a psychological wall of sorts a few years back, finally reacting to the realization that much of what was good about Christmas (same for Halloween and other holidays) had long been co-opted by various conglomerations of asses. Call it fed-up, or burned-out or whatever, but Christmas here is no longer an orgy of material goods that we may or may not need, and which we may or may not really be able to afford. We (and our extended family as well) have continued to cut back, and this year marked the first time in at least 55 years that my parents did not buy Christmas gifts for their kids or grandkids.
Mr. niteowl77
“I don’t know what others’ reasons may be, but we hit a psychological wall of sorts a few years back, finally reacting to the realization that much of what was good about Christmas (same for Halloween and other holidays) had long been co-opted by various conglomerations of asses. Call it fed-up, or burned-out or whatever, but Christmas here is no longer an orgy of material goods that we may or may not need, and which we may or may not really be able to afford.”
This is true of many people I know, too. We also cut back, especially this year. Many don’t have the money and almost all wonder about the future.
I also think retailers killed the goose that laid the golden egg when they switched to Happy Holidays. Nobody goes shopping for the Winter Solstice. Now that Christmas is just a reason to buy things on sale, many people wait to shop until January or don’t shop at all, and Christians are turning away from the public display of nothingness.