Retail Sales Boosted on Strong Auto, Gas Sales

     Despite the hit the President has taken from his debate-there are signs that downward pressure from that is finally dissipating-

     Better poll numbers for Prez

     http://diaryofarepublicanhater.blogspot.com/2012/10/some-improved-poll-numbers-for.html

     -the economic numbers that we've seen since Denver have been very kind to him. Since then we have seen unemployment drop beneath 8% to 7.8%, unemployment claims drop to their lowest since early 2008, we've seen consumer confidence rise, we've seen the lowest foreclosure numbers since 2007 and now today we got some positive retail sales numbers which buttress the more positive consumer confidence numbers.

    "U.S. retail sales rose in September as Americans bought more cars and gasoline, while a gauge of consumer spending pointed to stronger-than-expected economic growth in the third quarter."

    "Retail sales increased 1.1 percent, the Commerce Department said on Monday, beating expectations after an upwardly revised 1.2 percent rise in August."

    "Retail sales outside of autos, gasoline and building materials — a barometer of consumer spending known as core retail sales — rose 0.9 percent last month."

    "That was well above the 0.3 percent gain expected by analysts in a Reuters poll, and suggests consumers did more to drive economic growth in the July-September period than economists had expected."

 

    http://www.cnbc.com/id/49414460

 

    This strong beat in core retail sales is a good harbinger, but it's also another Godsend for the Prez. Despite the positive numbers we've inventoried above, Romney will likely stress the mediocre 1.3% GDP we had in quarter number two in trying to argue that we've gone the wrong way since 2010.

 

     What Obama should point out is that the second quarter has often been the weakest and this year was hurt by some things beyond America's immediate control-that quarter was dominated by worry about the euro-but that under his leadership we weathered the storm-certainly better than Britain and Europe did who have seen a double dip.

 

      Now we have the positive numbers that show the future will be better-and after today's numbers he can further argue that today's core retail numbers suggest that the third quarter GDP will be markedly stronger than the second. I hope the Obama team noticed this today, just like yesterday's story about Ambassador Stephen's father asking Romney to stop politicizing the Benghazi attack and his son's death.

 

     The news keeps giving the President vehicles to neutralize Romney's misleading attacks. Let's hope they are taking it-I presume they are.