Job Increase in CA and Nationwide

The California Republican Party has an article by David Streitfeld, a Times Writer, about the increase in jobs in both California and the United States. (Potential Conflict of Interest: The California Republican Party is a customer of the company I work for.) This reminds me of another time that I pondered the rate of unemployment. Under Bush, there have been times when the unemployment rate was better than during Clinton's time, but the media still lamented how bad things were. Why is it seen as so bad now, but life was financially good under Clinton? I think the reason is two fold. First, the media and the left are looking for a reason to knock Bush. Second, I think just about everyone I talk to knows of at least one person out of work, even if it's distant. As our communities become more far reaching through the internet, problems become more "personal".