One of the things that drives me crazy about the main stream media is that the perception that “the economy will do better under republican leadership” goes unchallenged when the data suggests otherwise.  It happens every election cycle and because people hear it on the news this way, republicans get credit in the minds of most Americans for something that just isn’t true.  In 2016 Republicans were throwing crazy numbers for GDP growth out there like 4% if only we could get our tax cut, this engine would really start cooking.  According to the chart below, GDP growth under republican leadership is nothing to be bloviating about.

Then the media has the current woefully under-qualified NEC director Larry Kudlow on and they let him get away with using phrases like “This economy is… smokin‘”.   And he doesn’t just say smokin’, he says smokin‘ like a line right out of American Graffiti, with all kinds of emphasis that suggest that now that republicans have enacted their tax cut for the rich, we are REALLY COOKING NOW. 

And the Sunday morning shows don’t challenge it.  They don’t review the actual data and say Larry,  please show me the data that says the economy is better now vs. Obama.  It never happens.  They get a pass on this issue ever since the Reagan administration convinced everyone that trickle down was effective.

Kudlow, a disciple of the laffer curve, gets a free pass every time as do other republicans.  It’s beyond my comprehension how this continues to happen.

It’s true that unemployment is a little bit lower under Trump, but at what cost?  The tax cuts of 2017 were based on the promise of getting to 4% growth (every real economist knew this wasn’t going to happen) and the idea that the tax cuts would pay for themselves.  Obviously, they are not as the federal deficit is getting worse under Trump, and with Coronavirus, about to get worser.

To my maximum frustration level, the MSM just gives republicans a pass on these broken promises.  The general public still thinks that Democrats are going to enact policies that destroy this smokin‘ economy,  when in fact it’s doing the same thing it did under Obama, it’s just that (until recently) Trump is riding on the coat-tails of a bull market and acting as if he was responsible for every point growth in the S&P 500.  Not true.

The job market has remained steady over the past 3 years, but has it done something so noteworthy that republicans get to brag about how awesome things are under their leadership?   Looks the same to me.

Why doesn’t the MSM look at the data and challenge these assertions?

A big part of how people perceive this issue is simply how we talk about it.  Democrats need to do a much better sales pitch in this area.  It’s as if you’re riding a bus to Los Angeles and everything is going fine but then they switch drivers in Sacramento and tell the whole bus, WOW! this trip is really going well now!  When in fact it’s the same experience, different day.