The Bureau of Labor Statistics is a great place to answer many of your questions about economic performance.  Here’s one: what does it mean to have an eroding manufacturing base?  Well, one way we can demonstrate this is through a diffusion index.  Here’s the diffusion index for all non-agriculture private sector jobs since 1991:

Not surprisingly, there was overwhelming job creation during the late 1990’s and we are currently experiencing industry-wide growth failure in levels we have not seen in the last 20 years.  You’d have to say that the Bush Presidency does not exactly have good numbers for an 8 year period.  Nevertheless, private job growth has been generally good and generally diffuse in terms of where jobs are growing.  

Here’s Manufacturing jobs in particular:

If I am reading this correctly, a majority of sectors in manufacturing reported job growth, from 1993-1996, 1998 and very slightly in 2000.  That’s six years… out of 18 and a half!  Compare that to the private economy more generally, where diffuse growth has been positive somewhere around 14 out of 18 and a half years.