Americans' confidence in economy lowest since 2014

[Hardcore troubadour]

I think I’ve said it before but I’ll say it again. If there is a forum created just for politics I’ll make sure to come here and go into every thread and make it about politics. I don’t like Karens. 

[WhiteWonder]

21 minutes ago, TimHauck said:

I haven’t started any political threads on the first 3 pages

You’re missing from your list numerous righties:

Tree of Knowlege (at least you said him later)

Nomad99

Shadrap

Frozenbeernuts

probably missing some.  And outside of who started the threads, it’s obvious to anyone with eyes that there are more political posts here from right-leaning posters than from left-leaning ones.

1. I didn't specify if you had

2. numerous righties?  LOL  I mentioned tree of knowledge later, as you said, but he has 1 topic started on the first 3 pages. I'm so sorry 

3. My glaring omission was FrozenNutJob. I forgot that quack. 

 

First 3 pages, quick glance
Squis 7, FBN 5, Timcrotch 5, Toupee 4, Rusty 2, dogcrap 2, gutterartest 2, dezbelief 2, cyclone 1, tree 1

Squis really pumping your numbers. 

 

and like ive repeatedly said of course if you count maxi and peefoam as real people (I dont) then its a big swing to the right. but how can you? Those two are akin to children with their fingers in the ears yelling I know you are but what am i?

[FrancieFootball]

More not-good consumer news.

https://www.cnbc.com/2026/05/08/consumer-sentiment-falls-to-fresh-record-low-in-may-as-surging-gas-prices-hit-outlook.html

[dogcows]

1 hour ago, FrancieFootball said:

More not-good consumer news.

https://www.cnbc.com/2026/05/08/consumer-sentiment-falls-to-fresh-record-low-in-may-as-surging-gas-prices-hit-outlook.html

This is actually a 50-year low.

My guess is that the AI bubble is propping up the market. If that collapses, I hope everybody has diversified investments.

https://finance.yahoo.com/economy/articles/consumer-sentiment-declines-another-record-140743974.html

[FrancieFootball]

31 minutes ago, dogcows said:

This is actually a 50-year low.

My guess is that the AI bubble is propping up the market. If that collapses, I hope everybody has diversified investments.

https://finance.yahoo.com/economy/articles/consumer-sentiment-declines-another-record-140743974.html

Trump is killing America. Did this country learn nothing from his first term? Sad.

[Caine Mutiny]

8 hours ago, WhiteWonder said:

 

Lets say we could make sure 100% of violent illegal immigrants are deported but it also means that 90% of ALL illegal immigrants will be deported.  OR  100% of illegal immigrants, violent or not get to stay.  Which do you choose? 

Obviously I don’t believe that 90% of undocumented immigrants are violent criminals or anything close to that percentage, so it’s a theoretical choice only. That being said I would choose the first option. I firmly believe that all violent undocumented immigrants should be deported (after serving appropriate time in prison). I am true to my convictions on this issue.

I also firmly believe that undocumented immigrants should NEVER be allowed to be citizens. I don’t seek to reward them for committing a crime. I think they should be fined for that crime and then given legal status without citizenship. They deserve punishment for the crime of entering this country illegally but so long as they are law abiding once here I don’t think that punishment should include deportation. 

[Voltaire]

26 minutes ago, Caine Mutiny said:

Obviously I don’t believe that 90% of undocumented immigrants are violent criminals or anything close to that percentage, so it’s a theoretical choice only. That being said I would choose the first option. I firmly believe that all violent undocumented immigrants should be deported (after serving appropriate time in prison). I am true to my convictions on this issue.

I also firmly believe that undocumented immigrants should NEVER be allowed to be citizens. I don’t seek to reward them for committing a crime. I think they should be fined for that crime and then given legal status without citizenship. They deserve punishment for the crime of entering this country illegally but so long as they are law abiding once here I don’t think that punishment should include deportation. 

This is a reasonable position, pretty much how I feel too. If they have a proven track record of paying taxes and don't commit crime, and not sucking off the government tit, I don't mind a pathway for productive people to stay. The only downside for the 'good ones' is they put downward pressure on blue collar wages and up the cost of low-end housing. They should be low, low priority and the last ones deported... if we ever get that far. 

The problem is blue jurisdictions deliberatly hinder / prevent their law enforcement agencies to interact with ICE on deporting criminals specifically. They don't just not cooperate, they protect criminal aliens knowing full well they are criminals. Your side actively hinders the deportation of criminals that even you claim to support wanting deported. 

Also, the can of worms we open up allowing drug cartels, human traffickers, and other criminals into the country. Also the immigration of Hamas sympathizers, let alone terrorists get in. Unvaccinated people get in. We're not the clearinghouse for the world's problems. Watching the left go berzerk over deporting "Maryland Man" Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a human trafficker with gang tattoos (don't start with  the photoshopping, everyone knows that, the symbols underneath) drops the bottom out of this argument and makes it difficult to take seriously. Him and the Columbia University Hamas supporters reveals how unseriously your side takes all this.

 

In watching the Biden administation, Democrats go further though, they want(ed) essentially an open, barely patrolled border with unlimited immigration and only backtracked on that because it proved to be a political liability.  They also endured a backlash when border states transported illegal aliens to sanctuary jurisdictions. We all saw how Mayorkas's immigration people went in and removed barriers the state of Texas set up to prevent illegal immigration, let alone do little more than track it. Democrats also gladly expand the social safety net to include illegal immigrants on health insurance and SNAP and other benefits, which both drains taxpayer money and leads to longer lines and more thinned out services to US citizens. 

[Maximum Overkill]

U.S. economy adds 115,000 jobs in April, far exceeding economists' expectations

U.S. economy adds 115,000 jobs in April, far exceeding economists' expectations | Here & Now https://share.google/VMpbgPsg6KATmZiPv

[Sean Mooney]

On 5/8/2026 at 1:41 PM, WhiteWonder said:

lol  what?

Very simple....he was speaking to one specific market (which he did not specify initially). That one specific market has set records (not every other day necessarily)......the Nasdaq has quite a bit as well. 

The Dow is not setting records every other day. 

 

And as Tim pointed out- we were told here for ages that the stock market is not an indicator of a good economy for years...so why the change now?

[JuneJuly]

New all time high EVERY DAY?  Too soon?

[TBayXXXVII]

On 5/9/2026 at 1:54 AM, Caine Mutiny said:

Obviously I don’t believe that 90% of undocumented immigrants are violent criminals or anything close to that percentage, so it’s a theoretical choice only. That being said I would choose the first option. I firmly believe that all violent undocumented immigrants should be deported (after serving appropriate time in prison). I am true to my convictions on this issue.

I also firmly believe that undocumented immigrants should NEVER be allowed to be citizens. I don’t seek to reward them for committing a crime. I think they should be fined for that crime and then given legal status without citizenship. They deserve punishment for the crime of entering this country illegally but so long as they are law abiding once here I don’t think that punishment should include deportation. 

You do understand that you're voting directly against your beliefs, right?

[Caine Mutiny]

7 minutes ago, TBayXXXVII said:

You do understand that you're voting directly against your beliefs, right?

Not at all. On this issue, like many others I neither agree with Democrats or Republicans. But I disagree with Democrats LESS. 

[JuneJuly]

28 minutes ago, Sean Mooney said:

Very simple....he was speaking to one specific market (which he did not specify initially). That one specific market has set records (not every other day necessarily)......the Nasdaq has quite a bit as well. 

The Dow is not setting records every other day. 

 

And as Tim pointed out- we were told here for ages that the stock market is not an indicator of a good economy for years...so why the change now?

The dow is the worst index there is. It's just 30 companies. It's not indicative of much. 

Per the googles AI:

Quote

While often used to represent "the market," the Dow is not as diverse as the 500-company S&P 500, which is preferred by professionals for tracking the broader economy.

I could have picked the Nasdaq or the Russell, but by far and large a S&P 500 index is what most people use to build their portfolios, even over a total market that I'd recommend.   But you wouldn't know any of that.  You're clueless.  

It's easy to use the stock market as an indicator for a good economy.  That's all that matters to me.  Need an example?   

[WhiteWonder]

On 5/9/2026 at 2:56 AM, Voltaire said:

This is a reasonable position, pretty much how I feel too. If they have a proven track record of paying taxes and don't commit crime, and not sucking off the government tit, I don't mind a pathway for productive people to stay. The only downside for the 'good ones' is they put downward pressure on blue collar wages and up the cost of low-end housing. They should be low, low priority and the last ones deported... if we ever get that far.

A proven track record of paying taxes? 

[WhiteWonder]

On 5/9/2026 at 1:54 AM, Caine Mutiny said:

Obviously I don’t believe that 90% of undocumented immigrants are violent criminals or anything close to that percentage, so it’s a theoretical choice only. That being said I would choose the first option. I firmly believe that all violent undocumented immigrants should be deported (after serving appropriate time in prison). I am true to my convictions on this issue.

I also firmly believe that undocumented immigrants should NEVER be allowed to be citizens. I don’t seek to reward them for committing a crime. I think they should be fined for that crime and then given legal status without citizenship. They deserve punishment for the crime of entering this country illegally but so long as they are law abiding once here I don’t think that punishment should include deportation. 

Yes, Einstein. It was a hypothetical. 

[Caine Mutiny]

Just now, WhiteWonder said:

Yes, Einstein. It was a hypothetical. 

Well I answered it. 

[thegeneral]

People arguing these about polls and other people’s perception of the economy…we have seen this before. Happened just a couple years ago.

Overall people think it sucks.

That’s not a debate. You can tell them they are wrong, but that doesn’t really work out too well.

[TBayXXXVII]

12 minutes ago, Caine Mutiny said:

Not at all. On this issue, like many others I neither agree with Democrats or Republicans. But I disagree with Democrats LESS. 

That's too funny.  Ignorance is bliss.

[TimHauck]

22 minutes ago, JuneJuly said:

The dow is the worst index there is. It's just 30 companies. It's not indicative of much. 

Per the googles AI:

I could have picked the Nasdaq or the Russell, but by far and large a S&P 500 index is what most people use to build their portfolios, even over a total market that I'd recommend.   But you wouldn't know any of that.  You're clueless.  

It's easy to use the stock market as an indicator for a good economy.  That's all that matters to me.  Need an example?   

WW was the first to use the Dow as his comparison in this thread.  You’re calling him clueless lol.

On 5/8/2026 at 1:56 PM, WhiteWonder said:

thanks for confirming you're a fake centrist political hack. Asking about a span from 2022-2024, guess you conveniently forgot the Dow was down almost 9% in 2022, it's worst drop since 2008. 2024 was middling, yes. The markets were not as good as 2023 and not as good as current... we saw inflation in many areas, much like we see inflation in different areas right now. Gas prices are up right now but its been what? 2 months, not even? We just had gas at the lowest it had been since early 2021 and it currently has not yet touched the highs we saw in the great economy of 2022 .  Admittedly I do place more emphasis on the market and investments in general than I do on more temporary things like the price of eggs or beef or even gas. 

hey we also had a poster who disappeared because they were absolutely sure Kamala would win in a landslide. Some people just can't handle being off on big bold statements. 

 

[JuneJuly]

Want to know why the dow is a poor index?  Why it's not setting new records ever other day like the other indexes are?  

Because in February, when it set an all time high, several of the just 30 companies did huge stock buybacks that artificially pushed their stock prices higher. The highest month for stock repurchases on record.    

@Sean Mooney thinks everything was better in February when every normal person looks at their 401k balance and knows its waaaay better today.  These past two weeks setting new highs more than every other day.  

[Hawkeye21]

Has the economy actually been that bad for anyone here?  As bad as it's made out to be I really haven't seen or heard much of it here in Iowa.

[dogcows]

2 minutes ago, Hawkeye21 said:

Has the economy actually been that bad for anyone here?  As bad as it's made out to be I really haven't seen or heard much of it here in Iowa.

I don’t see a crisis yet. But things are getting more expensive, and people aren’t getting pay raises to match.

[Hawkeye21]

1 minute ago, dogcows said:

I don’t see a crisis yet. But things are getting more expensive, and people aren’t getting pay raises to match.

As long as people can afford food, water and shelter, there should never be a crisis.  

[thegeneral]

4 minutes ago, Hawkeye21 said:

Has the economy actually been that bad for anyone here?  As bad as it's made out to be I really haven't seen or heard much of it here in Iowa.

In my region seeing home sales slow a bit, been some layoffs in big tech companies, and everything expensive. Things ok, not great, not terrible.

Aren’t bankruptcies way up among Iowa farmers?

[JuneJuly]

5 minutes ago, dogcows said:

I don’t see a crisis yet. But things are getting more expensive, and people aren’t getting pay raises to match.

Show your math. 

Current inflation rate is 3.2%.  2026 corporate salary increases are projected to be 3.5% to 3.6% in 2026.  As of April the year over year pay increases for hourly employees matches that at 3.6%.   

[Hawkeye21]

Just now, thegeneral said:

In my region seeing home sales slow a bit, been some layoffs in big tech companies, and everything expensive. Things ok, not great, not terrible.

Aren’t bankruptcies way up among Iowa farmers?

I've read some articles saying they are but I haven't seen it.  I don't know any farmers in my area that are going bankrupt.  They are running their butts off right now planting.  We've been very busy.

[dogcows]

Just now, Hawkeye21 said:

As long as people can afford food, water and shelter, there should never be a crisis.  

Agree, but another way to look at it is this.

There is always a percentage of people who can’t afford such things. When that number gets higher, that’s when a number of personal crises become a regional or national crisis.

[thegeneral]

2 minutes ago, Hawkeye21 said:

I've read some articles saying they are but I haven't seen it.  I don't know any farmers in my area that are going bankrupt.  They are running their butts off right now planting.  We've been very busy.

Good to hear you haven’t been impacted. 

[TimHauck]

7 minutes ago, thegeneral said:

In my region seeing home sales slow a bit, been some layoffs in big tech companies, and everything expensive. Things ok, not great, not terrible.

Much of MAGA (including JD Vance) seems to think slowing home sales are good thing, they apparently think all the deported illegals were buying up $600k+ homes.

[JuneJuly]

1 minute ago, thegeneral said:

Good to hear you haven’t been impacted. 

This is a good example of the media lying to you right in front of your face.  

Bankruptcy by farmers in Iowa have doubled in 2025 from the previous year!!!!!!!!!

It went from 9 bankruptcies to 18. In 2022 there were 12.  There are 160,000 farmers in Iowa. In statistics we'd call that insignificant.  Its a meaningless amount to make a headline out of.   

 

[Hawkeye21]

5 minutes ago, thegeneral said:

Good to hear you haven’t been impacted. 

I don't think there's as big of a crisis as the media makes it out to be.  While there have been some bankruptcies in the state, I think most can be avoided.  I've also seen a lot of younger people who want to start farming but it's hard to find the opportunity.  This is what we need to be focusing more on.  We need more young farmers.

[dogcows]

2 minutes ago, TimHauck said:

Much of MAGA (including JD Vance) seems to think slowing home sales are good thing, they apparently think all the deported illegals were buying up $600k+ homes.

Home prices: Young people want them cheaper. Older people want their houses to hold their value. Since older people vote more than younger, it feels like we see zoning and other things used to keep new home construction low.

[Hawkeye21]

2 minutes ago, JuneJuly said:

This is a good example of the media lying to you right in front of your face.  

Bankruptcy by farmers in Iowa have doubled in 2025 from the previous year!!!!!!!!!

It went from 9 bankruptcies to 18. In 2022 there were 12.  There are 160,000 farmers in Iowa. In statistics we'd call that insignificant.  Its a meaningless amount to make a headline out of.   

 

Exactly.  It's not near as bad as the media likes to make it look.

[JuneJuly]

Just now, dogcows said:

Home prices: Young people want them cheaper. Older people want their houses to hold their value. Since older people vote more than younger, it feels like we see zoning and other things used to keep new home construction low.

All your posts are "feels like".  Try facts for a change.  

[dogcows]

1 minute ago, Hawkeye21 said:

I don't think there's as big of a crisis as the media makes it out to be.  While there have been some bankruptcies in the state, I think most can be avoided.  I've also seen a lot of younger people who want to start farming but it's hard to find the opportunity.  This is what we need to be focusing more on.  We need more young farmers.

Problem with that is so many farms are parts of big conglomerates now.

[dogcows]

Just now, JuneJuly said:

All your posts are "feels like".  Try facts for a change.  

Somebody’s having some feelings…  

[Hawkeye21]

Just now, dogcows said:

Problem with that is so many farms are parts of big conglomerates now.

That is actually a real concern.  Farms need to return to being smaller, family farms.  There are people who still want to live that life but it's getting harder.

[JuneJuly]

2 minutes ago, Hawkeye21 said:

Exactly.  It's not near as bad as the media likes to make it look.

There were over 3,100 bankruptcies filed in Iowa in 2025.  It's the 18 farming, that accounts for over a third of Iowa's economic output, that the media cares about.  It's a flat out lie.  

[thegeneral]

8 minutes ago, JuneJuly said:

This is a good example of the media lying to you right in front of your face.  

Bankruptcy by farmers in Iowa have doubled in 2025 from the previous year!!!!!!!!!

It went from 9 bankruptcies to 18. In 2022 there were 12.  There are 160,000 farmers in Iowa. In statistics we'd call that insignificant.  Its a meaningless amount to make a headline out of.   

 

I wouldn’t say this is lying. It is an attention grabbing headline, click bait headline that you will remember as you scroll for sure though.

Your stats you are using to draw this conclusion are also quite a bit off. There are 160k farmers in Iowa, but 86k farms. Of those most are too small, wouldn’t qualify for Chapter 12 bankruptcy.

Yes the number is still small but bankruptcy is a lagging indicator, especially in this industry. Hopefully just a small blip.

[thegeneral]

13 minutes ago, Hawkeye21 said:

That is actually a real concern.  Farms need to return to being smaller, family farms.  There are people who still want to live that life but it's getting harder.

This seems impossible to go back to on any type of scale.