Americans and Facts Disagree With McCain
by | April 18, 2008
John McCain on the economy:“You could make an argument that there's been great progress economically over that period of time.” (the last seven years) Bloomberg News, April 17, 2008You don’t say? The American people certainly aren’t buying John McCain's argument. A new Washington Post-ABC News poll released this week shows that 90 percent of the American public gives the economy a negative rating, with a majority saying it's in "poor" shape. Yet McCain insists on standing by the failed record of George W. Bush. Maybe the vast majority of the public disagrees with Senator McCain because so do the vast majority of the facts. Check out this chart courtesy of Americans United for Change and their Bush Legacy Project:
| The Bush Legacy | Jan. 2001 | Today |
| Gas Prices [i] | $1.37 | $3.45 |
| Unemployment Rates [ii] | 4.2% | 4.8% |
| Uninsured Under 65 [iii] | 39 Million | 47 Million |
| Workers Covered by Employer-Based Health Insurance [iv] | 64.2% | 59.7% |
| Home Heating Oil Prices [v] | $1.40 | |
| Crude Oil Prices (per Barrel) [vi] | $29.59 | $116 |
| Median Household Income [vii] | $49,163 | $48,201 |
| Budget: Deficit/Surplus [viii] | $431 Billion Surplus Over the Previous 3 Budget Years | $734 Billion Deficit Over the Previous 3 Budget Years |
| National Debt [ix] | $5.7 Trillion | $9.2 Trillion |
| Consumer Credit Debt [x] | $7.65 Trillion | $12.8 Trillion |
| Real GDP Growth [xi] | 4.09% Over Prior 8 Years | 2.65% Over Prior 7 Years |
| Americans in Poverty [xii] | 31.6 Million | 36.5 Million |
| Annual Total Health Insurance Premium Cost [xiii] | $6,230 for Family Premium per Year | $12,106 for Family Premium per Year |
| Average Cost of Prescription Drugs [xiv] | $47.54 | $68.26 |
| Electricity [xv] | $914 per Year | $1,108 per Year |
| Groceries [xvi] | $3,021 per Year | $3,417 per Year |
| Average Tuition at Public College per Year [xvii] | $3,739 | $6,185 per Year |
| Average Tuition at Private College per Year [xviii] | $16,211 | $23,712 per Year |
| Jobs Created [xix] | 1.76 Million per Year Over Previous 8 Years | 369,000 Jobs per Year Over Previous 7 Years |
| Personal Savings Rate [xx] | +2.3% | -0.5% |
| U.S. Trade Deficit [xxi] | $380 Billion | $759 Billion |
| Strength of U.S. Dollar [xxii] | 1.07 Euros per Dollar | 0.68 Euros per Dollar |
[i] Energy Information Administration, Accessed 4/18/08; Associated Press
[ii] Bureau of Labor Statistics, Accessed 3/26/08
[iii] US Census Bureau, Accessed 3/26/08
[iv] Washington Post, 8/29/07
[v] Energy Information Administration chart, brochure
[vi] Energy Information Administration; Associated Press
[viii] United States Census Bureau
[ix] Department of Treasury
[x] Insurance Information Institute
[xi] Bureau of Economic Analysis
[xii] US Census Bureau
[xiii] Kaiser Study of Health Care Benefits
[xiv] Average Cost of a Prescription Drug, Kaiser Family Foundation May 2007 Fact Sheet
[xv] U.S. Energy Information Administration
[xvi] Bureau Of Labor Statistics
[xvii] CRS and College Board 2007-2008 Study
[xviii] CRS and College Board 2007-2008 Study
[xix] Bureau of Labor Statistics
[xx] Bureau of Economic Analysis
[xxi] United States Census Bureau
[xxii] OANDA.com: The Currency Website
