When is the last time you met up with the Economy in a bar?

“How are ya doin’, Economy? How are ya feelin’ big guy? You feelin’ peckish? Sluggish? You got the flu comin’ on, maybe? You know, the ol’ recession? Hey, lemme’ buy you a drink.”

Okay, call me stupid. But if none of us chats up the Economy, how do we know it is in bad shape and getting worse? The figures certainly do not tell us this.

Screw the figures. A huge percentage of Americans tell pollsters the Economy is sick and getting sicker. Well, how did they come to believe this?

Did they simply ask themselves? Hey, we are doing poorly. And we think the future looks bleak for us. There are lots of people like us out there. Since there are lots of folks in bad straits like us, the economy must be rotten. And growing rottener.

No, we know this did not happen. They did not reach their conclusions this way. We know this because Americans tell pollsters they are doing well financially. Huge majority, very happy. Majority feel they will do better in future. Or at least as well as they are doing now.

The same is true of where the nation is headed.