Your main point is correct-there's more stocks doing shitty today than during other notable recoveries-but your point about the index is nonsensical. It's IMPOSSIBLE to bull up the index w/o buying-via programs-all the components of said index. In a futures induced rally all boats rise with the tide. If anything this has been a stock pickers rally with a few certain select stocks being bulled up-mostly tech and a few financial ala GS and JPM- while the general list limps along.
Daily 2003, just jam up the futures and gap open the cash index.....PRESTO RALLY!!!!!!! The magic of the index futures.