Ten financial crisis winners

We know who the losers will be, which is most of us, but every crisis also benefits at least a few.  Who are the winners of the financial crisis?

1.  Barack Obama.  In the Gallup daily tracking poll, he went from tied with McCain on the day of Secretary Paulson's first alarm, and has since gone to ten points up.  The pundits have gone from bemoaning his not doing better to asserting that the election is in the bag.

2.  Democrats, temporarily.  As the party out of power, they obviously benefit when the party in power blows it.  Pundits are starting to say that the Democrats may indeed reach the "filibuster-proof" number of 60 senators.  On the other hand, people sometimes have short memories.  If the recession is still with us in 2012, the Democrats will be on the defensive.

3.  Car mechanics.  Rather than buy a new one, lots of folks are going to try to squeeze a few more miles out of the old sedan.

4.  Mainline protestants.  The protestant work-ethic, combined with a friendly attitude toward the "less fortunate," might start looking a little better.  Evangelical hootenanies may start to look a little thin.  Prosperity gospel, get out!

5.  Fortune tellers.  Who doesn't want to know what the future will bring?

6.  People with a savings account rather than maxed-out credit cards.

7.  Churches with a parsonage.  It solves that nasty mortgage problem.

8.  Maxwell House coffee.  Forking over four bucks for a foo-foo coffee drink at Starbucks might start to seem a little "spendy."

9.  Bicycle playing card company.  Hey, it's cheap entertainment.

10.  Liquor, for obvious reasons.

Comments

[von Gunten]

surprisingly, the wife says, folks are still coming in for their Starbucks, as their one guilty little treat in hard times.

but then again, things aren't as hard in Wyoming - yet.

[John Petty]

It hasn't really hit yet. Maybe it won't!