The equity markets are the fastest economic indicator. Yes there is a dicatomy between the economy and the equity markets but they should not be separated. Also the it seems like you might not be watching financial news often enough because the most common phrase is "we are seeing growth but at extremely slow levels," "the economy is still weak," and many more that have a similar undertone.

I don't think you read what I wrote: I noted that I see negative news about the economy more than negative news about the financial markets.