All the "spin" going on, it is very difficult to really know what is going on.  The economy is improving, it is not just the reports that come out, but look around. Building that was sitting for 4 years is now booming, new construction has picked up up considerably, interest rates are low so people are able to refinance and get their housing expenses (the largest expense most of the middle class/average folks have. Restaurants now have lines again, Walmart's parking lot is now full on the weekends, and car sales are up. All signs in the real world (the not the world of spin doctors & media moguls) that things are better. They keep trying to tell us, you aren't doing better, you aren't feeling good.

Who are the spenders, who is showing real leadership:
1980 Reagan Deficit $906 Billion  1988 Reagan Deficit $2,602 Trillion an increase of 186.6%
1992 Clinton Deficit $4,411 Trillion 2000 Clinton Deficit $5,807 Tillion an increase of 24%
2000 Bush II Deficit $5,807 Trillion 2008 $11,909 Trillion a increase of 105.1%
2008 Obama Deficit $11,909 Trillion 2012 $16,015 Trillion an increas of 34.5%

It is clear who the spenders are, who continues to explode the Deficit.
Romney record: Massachusetts Romney Governor July 2002-July 2006 * Labor Force down 23,916, *, 222,000 left for other states-Is part of the state’s decreasing unemployment rate from 5.6 to 4.4% (National unemployment 4.7% not really hard to get to 4.4%) Gross public debt 2002: 65.3 bil Gross public debt 2007: 89.3 bil Increase of 37% * 2007: left office with $10,504 in per capita in bond debt, the highest of any state.

Lets try Reality compare facts:
1981: Reagan Over 8 yrs: %Housing/Income: Avg 50% Avg Med Inc: $21,599 Hi %rate 17.6%/2.2 pts Low 9.32%/2.1pts Med Home 1988 $121,000
1993: Clinton Over 8 yrs: %Housing/Income: Avg 37% (dwn 13%) Avg Med Inc: $35,589 (up 64.7%) Hi 9.2%/1.8pts Low 6.71%/.09pts Med Home 2000 $162,000 (up 34%)
2001 Bush II Over 8 yrs: %Housing/Income: Avg 37% (0% Avg Med Inc: $45,043 (up 26.5%) Hi 7.16%/1pt Low: 5.23%/.6pt Med Home 2008 $229,600 (up 42%) 2006 Peak $244,700 (up 51%)
2009: Obama Over 4 yrs: %Housing/Income: Avg 28% (dwn 9% Avg Med Inc: $$48,842 (up 8.4%) Hi 5.42%/.7pts Low 3.38%/.7pts Med Home $187,300 dwn (18.4%)
From 2001 Avg Med Income +8.4%, Cost of housing -9%, % rate -3.78 Net benefit of 21.18%
(we are better off than in 2001)

ARE WE BETTER OFF? (2012 Highest % of Jobs creation in recent history)
Year	Labor Force Mil.	Employ-ed Mil.	% of Employ-ed	Un-employ %	% Chg Labor Force	%  (-/+)	Median Housing Prices	Median House- hold Income	Yrly % of HH income/ Housing	Mtg Rates Yrly Hi	House Costs Mo.	% HH Income/ Housing Costs*	Deficit in Trillon	Increase in Debt	President
1980	106,940	99,303	92.9%	7.1%	4.3%	-27.6%	$67,000	$16,523	24.7%	13.7%	$780	56.6%	$997
1984	113,544	105,005	92.5%	7.5%	6.2%	44.5%	$78,300	$20,935	26.7%	12.5%	$837	48.0%
1988	121,669	114,968	94.5%	5.5%	7.2%	15.9%	$121,000	$25,664	21.2%	9.3%	$1,001	46.8%	$2,857	186.6%	Reagan
1992	128,105	118,492	92.5%	7.5%	5.3%	-26.1%	$126,000	$29,448	23.4%	8.3%	$947	38.6%	$4,411
1996	133,943	126,708	94.6%	5.4%	4.6%	-13.8%	$144,900	$34,652	23.9%	7.9%	$1,050	36.4%
2000	142,583	136,891	96.0%	4.0%	6.5%	41.5%	$162,000	$41,186	25.4%	8.1%	$1,199	34.9%	$5,807	24.0%	Clinton
2004	147,401	139,252	94.5%	5.5%	3.4%	-47.6%	$229,600	$44,334	19.3%	6.0%	$1,371	37.1%	Bush	Tax Cut	‘01 & ’03
2006	151,428	144,427	95.4%	4.6%	2.7%	-19.2%	$244,700	$47,262	19.3%	6.3%	$1,513	38.4%
2008	154,287	145,362	94.2%	5.8%	1.9%	-30.9%	$229,600	$49,431	21.5%	6.5%	$1,445	35.1%	$11,909	105.1%	Bush II
2009	154,142	139,877	90.7%	5.8%	-0.1%	-105.0%	$221,900	$48,855	22.0%	6.5%	$1,445	35.5%
2010	153,889	139,064	90.4%	9.6%	-0.3%	-113.7%	$241,200	$48,340	20.0%	5.1%	$1,302	32.3%
2011	154,617	139,869	90.5%	8.9%	0.5%	160.0%	$212,300	$49,103	23.1%	3.8%	$982	24.0%
2012	154,873	141,956	91.7%	8.4%	0.2%	143.3%	$187,300	$49,070	26.2%	3.2%	$809	19.8%	$16,015	34.5%	Obama
Massachusetts Romney Governor July 2002-July 2006 * Labor Force down 23,916, *, 222,000 left for other states-Is part of the state’s decreasing unemployment rate from 5.6 to 4.4% (National unemployment 4.7% not really hard to get to 4.4%) Gross public debt 2002: 65.3 bil Gross public debt 2007: 89.3 bil Increase of 37% * 2007: left office with $10,504 in per capita in bond debt, the highest of any state.
http://www.census.gov/const/uspricemon.pdf - http://www.nidataplus.com/lfeus1.htm - http://www.census.gov/const/uspricemon.pdf - http://www.erate.com/mortgage_rates_history.htm - http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/income/data/historical/peoplehttp://www.davemanuel.com/median-household-income.php