Kerry Courts Young Voters With Misery Index

Kerry is using the soaring costs of a college education to appeal to young voters.

According to the Associated Press:

The Massachusetts senator is releasing a "misery index" suggesting that working families have been hammered by stagnant incomes at a time college and health insurance costs have soared.

In his college swing, Kerry is expected to focus on the college cost issue, even while his campaign is broadening its economic criticism of Bush.

The study by his campaign said tuition costs at public colleges and universities have soared by 13 percent in the last three years, "the largest increase on record" and reflecting the budget pressures facing cash-strapped states. Private-college costs have grown by 5 percent over the same stretch, it said.

[. . .]

Bush campaign spokesman Steve Schmidt dismissed the index as a political stunt.

"John Kerry has made a calculation that if he talks down the economy, it will benefit him politically," he said.

Schmidt also said the economy is growing "at its fastest rate in 20 years," and pointed to a Labor Department report that some 308,000 new jobs were created last month. Nearly 2 million jobs have been lost during Bush's tenure.

Sounds more like an appeal to the parents of young voters.

Comments

[Teresa]

Since the misery index was originally developed by Reagan and was the Percent unemployed + the Percent of Inflation. Guess this just doesn't suit Mr. Kerry. (Since by that scale, the misery index is at about it's lowest point ever)

When you don't like the answer, change the question. Gotta love the spin.