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Instant data from the 2nd Presidential debate:

Bottom Line:  Obama won except where Romney won in a landslide.  What does that mean?  So clearly President Obama put on his debate suit last night and came ready to fight.  Generally, according, to the two instant polls taken after last night’s debate, President Obama fared a little better overall…  In the CNN poll of debate watchers, President Obama won overall by a 46%-39% margin.  Looking at the other poll from last night, the CBS poll of undecided voters, President Obama also won by a 7% margin, 37-30.  So certainly a better night for the President except where Romney won in a landslide…

If this is indeed still an election about the economy (and if it isn’t I’m completely out of touch).  Then Romney may have sealed the deal last night.  While Obama won most other topics last night (immigration, assault weapons, foreign policy), Romney won the issue of the economy in a landslide. 

In the CNN poll on the issue of jobs and the economy Romney won by 18 points – in the CBS poll of undecided voters – it was a 65-34 win for Romney.  The net of it was a 25 point win on the issue of jobs and the economy for Romney.  That margin was nearly as big as the first debate.  So again if this is an election about the economy...

 

CNN Poll:

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2012/10/16/breaking-cnn-poll-obama-edges-romney-in-debate/

CBS Poll:

-http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-250_162-57533850/poll-obama-edges-romney-in-second-debate/ 

 

Closest race at this stage in the modern era:

Bottom Line:  So here’s the next consideration as we’re now 75% of the way through the debate season…  In the national popular vote this election is closer at this stage then any other election in the polling age. 

The aggregate of the head to head polling going into last night showed a 47.4 to 47 lead for Romney.  By comparison 4 years ago Obama led McCain by 6.7% on this date and Bush led Kerry by 4 points.  Even in 2000, Gore led Bush by .9% at this stage.  This emphasizes the significance of even small movements of undecided voters who might commit based on the debates.

4 years ago:

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2012/president/election_2012_vs_election_2008_four_years_ago_today.html

8 years ago:

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2012/president/election_2012_vs_election_2004_eight_years_ago_today.html

 

Update on Social Security benefits:

Bottom Line:  So as I indicated earlier this week, the Social Security increase for 2013 will indeed be 1.7%.  So here’s what we know and what needs to be considered:

  • Real inflation so far in 2012 has paced 3.2%
  • Social Security increases over the last five years haven’t kept up with inflation
  • It’s likely this trend continues

So with inflation at 3.2%, Social Security recipients will see their buying power reduced by 1.5% next year.  While younger people need to be prepared for the insolvency of Social Security (currently on pace to occur in 2032), current and soon to be recipients of Social Security are already experiencing the early strain of Social Security’s cash flow problems.  Simply put those planning to retire need to account for Social Security playing an ever increasingly smaller role of the overall retirement picture.

http://www2.timesdispatch.com/news/2012/oct/16/3/social-security-announces-benefit-increase-today-ar-2286408/

 

Target and Best Buy take unprecedented steps in price matching to win your holiday shopping business:

Bottom Line:  It’s become the age of the consumer.  The traditional retail environment has become so competitive that Best Buy and Target are taking price matching one step further than ever before.

Target now only will price match traditional retailers in their stores, starting Nov. 1st through Dec. 24th, Target will even price match prices offered on Amazon.com.  If you plan to shop at Target during the holidays, take your mobile device with you and price check items before you buy them to see if you can save.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2012/10/16/target-online-price-matching/1636923/

 

Now it's time to worry about hack attacks on banks...:

Bottom Line:  Remember that hack attack on a Florida college last week that compromised about 300,000 people?  Well it may not be the same group that carried out another attack in Washington, but the signature looks similar.  Bigger issue still…  Hackers compromised a Government’s Bank of America account.

In the college hack attack people only realized they had been compromised when money they were expecting via direct deposit didn’t arrive.  As it turns out, the hackers had diverted money due to the victims to an account they used to steal the money.  That’s the same situation that occurred this week.

The city of Burlington Washington had $400,000 of pay due to city employees diverted to an account hackers used to steal it.  While the dollar amount isn’t gigantic the implications are.  We’ve recently witnessed all of the big banks deal with DOS attacks.  Those aren’t a concern from a security standpoint because no one is compromised in those attacks.  This is different.  We don’t know who is behind these attacks and if they can be replicated. 

http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-57533007-83/cyberthieves-steal-$400000-from-bank-of-america/