[Leavemealone]

Remeber, there is no liberal bias in the media.

It took them to the middle of the article to actually admit that sales for the season were actually UP from last year.
If you were to judge by the tone of the article you would think sales had actually fallen.

Remember, there is no liberal bias in the media.

[caa26]

When the president is a Republican all economic news is presented negatively. I get amazed at all the freepers that actually believe these reports, and take it as gospel that economy is going to hell in a handbasket without considering the source of the report.

The recession of Bush, Sr. in 1991 was one of the mildest recessions ever, and the mass media was acting as if the next depression was about to start.

[Russell Scott]

I also noticed that homeless people have reappeared. They didn't exist for eight years under the lair n thief (Bill n Hill) in the liberal media.

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

My favorite was the "Economy at Standstill" headline a few months ago. The data they were reporting was that there was no growth in the economy at that time.

OK, maybe growth was at a standstill, but the economy emphatically was NOT at a "standstill."

[Wright is right!]

"It took them to the middle of the article to actually admit that sales for the season were actually UP from last year. If you were to judge by the tone of the article you would think sales had actually fallen."

And note, too, there's NO MENTION of ONLINE sales. In our household, we bought a Kodak EasyShare digital camera online, and a number of jewelry items online from QVC. I also ordered and had shipped a gift for Mom online.

We spent, in other words, about what we normally do. But we did NOT do it in bricks-and-mortar stores.

Yes, the media is in an all-out full-court press to kill off any optimism about the economy. They're basically beginning the '04 election cycle right now.

Michael

[Digger]

Not to rain on anyones parade but this is sales figures NOT PROFITS. Betcha that is down.

[hollywood]

Recently, I've started guessing who the source of an article is, based solely on the article's title, before I read it here on FR. I can spot a Reuters/AP/USA-Today article a mile away. Once I confirm my guess, I go to the next post.

[Quilla]

I heard that GM's sales were up 30% for December - maybe people just bought the really big bows at Walmart.

[jammer]

"That means that same-store sales for the combined November and December period, which accounts for almost 25 percent of retailers' annual revenues, rose only 0.5 percent. That confirms that the holiday 2002 season is the weakest since at least 1970, when the index began to track same-stores sales data."

I am a Republican. I am a conservative economically. Your statement that sales were UP is based upon the above quote from the article. If the rate of inflation was greater than 0.5% in 2002, then sales in real dollars were down from the prior year.

I don't like it; you don't like it. The media and Democrats will infer all the wrong reasons for it. But neither you, I, nor the administration can deny it.