Tuesday, October 5, 2004

Terror Alert Boost Robb Willer, a Cornell sociologist and Ph.D. student, has determined that President Bush gets an average boost in his approval rating of 2.75% for each terror alert. However, since the boost is temporary, lasting only a week or two, they'll have to time their next terror alert quite close to November 2nd. [Via Kevin Drum] 11:55:20 PM    comment [] Jobs and Growth U.S.A. Today reports that layoffs hit an eight-month high in September and that this trend was matched by a slowdown in hiring. Employment consulting firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas said employers announced 107,863 layoffs in September, 41% more than in September 2003 and 45% more than in August of this year, when 74,150 were laid off. The September figure was the largest since January 2004, when employers announced layoffs of 117,556 workers. The September figure brings third-quarter job cuts to 251,585, 20% more than the 209,895 in the previous quarter and 4% more than the 241,548 for the third quarter of 2003. Job losses in September were particularly heavy in the computer, transportation, telecommnunications and consumer products industries, the report said. Adding to the glum jobs picture was the slow pace of hiring in September. The report said employer hiring announcements revealed only 16,166 new job openings in that month compared with 132,105 in August. 11:46:11 PM    comment [] The VP Debate I thought that there was no clear victor in tonight's debate. If I had to pick a winner, I would actually pick Cheney narrowly. (This is a judgment of rhetorical effect, not content.) However, given Bush's poor performance in his first debate, they really needed Cheney to win a clear victory over Edwards, and they didn't get that. That's why I think the VP debate was a net plus for Kerry and Edwards. 11:42:04 PM    comment [] Does Iraq = Terror? Seen at the bottom of the screen during CNN's post-VP debate coverage. 10:42:05 PM    comment [] Monday Night Football ... on Fox? ABC tried to get in the good graces of the FCC tonight by letting Michael Powell speak at halftime about the wonders of HD-TV and the difficulty of making judgments about decency on television. Postscript: Recall that when MNF was in New England, Al Michaels was pleased to note after an exchange of turnovers between the Colts and Patriots that they were in the right state for flip-flops. 12:06:58 AM    comment []

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