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2/18/20

US Economy: Sooner or Later This Fake Economic Boom Will End - by Jeffrey Snider

Standing for reelection that year, the President motored up to Capitol Hill for the annual tradition of the State of the Union. Having come into office under tumultuous circumstances, he wished for Congress and the nation to know that so much progress had been made, a not-so-subtle message to kickstart the coming campaign. After all, he implied, the American people must have originally elected him for a reason.

Like Trump’s statements about the unemployment rate, “Sanders' recent appeal seems enhanced by attacking Obama's economy rather than serving tribute to it as is generally expected of these things.” Bernie’s socialism would be a disaster, of course, so what’s positive about where he finds his second serious Presidential run right now right at the top of the Democratic heap? As I wrote four and a half years ago:
“Getting the election ‘right’ this time isn't so important so long as finally the attempt of not settling for the con.”

In my mind, there are so many parallels between this election and the one in 1972. The economy isn’t close to being fixed and yet many people appear willing to see it play out the way it is now. To give the guy more of a chance after he shook everything up. Trump, like Nixon, can win in a landslide even with a “boom” that deserves every bit the quotation markets around the word.

At least he asked the question, and he still does.

And the Democrats have a choice, too, but one they seem very, very reluctant to embrace. Even George McGovern wasn’t afraid to attack Nixon on the economy. The unemployment rate, however, has spoken for his party descendants, as well. They’ve all but conceded on the big picture when it should still be their top priority.

What was good about 2016 was that it had shown Americans did have a pulse, that we weren’t going to meekly accept the fate the “establishment” had served up for us to follow along down the Japanese road to national suicide. That America had demanded some real answers. Whether we got them, that’s still the debate should you realize it or not.

By every reasonable and honest standard, this is absolutely nothing like the 1984 election. Instead, 2020 bears too much resemblance to 1972 and therefore, sadly, it almost certainly will fall well short of finally writing the end to this chapter in our history. To paraphrase Friedman, sooner or later, the sooner the better, it will end as all previous attempts to fake a boom have ended.

Read more at: Sooner or Later This Fake Economic Boom Will End | RealClearMarkets

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