Many of these little people had been hurting two or three years back into the W Bush years. A fair case can be made that Obama got elected when the trouble hit and the Republician candidate demonstrated that he did not understand the problems.

Both the big people and the little people did stupid, improvident things. How was the moral standing of the little people held to be so much lower that they got no bail-out (an unemployment check vs. a $3,000/mo. mortgage payment, was not considered a ‘bail-out’) yet the big people (the financial markets et al) got bailed out.

The same as what was done for the big people would have been something like a six month freeze on homestead mortgage payments and then the right, with court help if necessary, to reduce the principal to the fair market value of the home. The government given a lien on the back end to the extent of anything not paid in case property values went up some day.

Such a program would have had “Moral Hazard” flying on banners but didn’t the govenment in effect remove moral hazard for the big people?

The point is that if the little people are still facing foreclosures, 12% unemployment, and like fears are they doing to vote Republician in 2012? Stranger things have happened but I don’t think “feeling better” is going to cut it.

Obama is going to have to propose some sort of tough mortgage foregiveness, the only thing not yet tried*. If the Republicians shoot it down, which they probably will, let that be the debate subject in 2012.

* Obama’s HAMP and similar programs are so bad that they make him look even more like a handiman of the “finance” (i.e., the big people).

When one considers the generally negative view of the economy held by the mass media – in full view during this latest economic ‘crisis’ – and given that most Americans watch FAR too much TV news, it’s hardly surprising that most respondents in the polls cited above would have a negative view of the overall economy, despite several years of steady growth.