It is the economy, stupid.

AP Photo/Evan Vucci

Listen To You Tell Me Texas Friday 8/3/18

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While Democrats and even some Republicans keep hoping for the bombshell from the never-ending Mueller investigation that will once and for all sink the Trump presidency, the Trump economy continues to roll. Last week, the Commerce Department announced that that second quarter GDP grew by 4.1 percent, a sharp increase from the dreary numbers that characterized the Obama years.

You’ll recall that we were told by the prior administration that this was impossible. In his 2013 fiscal year budget submission, President Obama said, “In the 21st Century, real GDP growth in the United States is likely to be permanently slower than it was in earlier eras . . .”

One election and one new administration later, and that load of bollox is out the window. It seems that with respect to business and the economy, conservatism works every time it’s tried. Get rid of stifling regulation, set tax rates that are competitive with the rest of the world and generally get government to quit hating business, and the American economy will do what it was put on this Earth to do; expand prosperity.

In Trump’s America of 2018, more people are working and fewer people are on food stamps. Unemployment among women, Hispanics and blacks is at all-time lows. There are more jobs open today in America than there are workers to fill them. The number one problem facing business owners today is not finding customers, it’s finding qualified people to put on the payroll to take care of customers.

The president’s success in turning the economy around has Democrats and their media enablers flummoxed. A thriving economy is hard to run against. It was James Carville, strategist for the Bill Clinton campaign in 1992, who coined the phrase, “It’s the economy stupid.” That line was meant for internal consumption to keep the campaign focused but it became the de facto campaign slogan.

Carville was right, of course. Voters care about their wallets first and foremost. When they’re advancing in their jobs and taking more home in their paychecks, they’re generally more inclined to overlook a sitting president’s shortcomings. If, instead of 4.5 percent growth in 1998 the country had been in recession, it’s possible that Bill Clinton might not have survived impeachment.

Intellectually honest economists are giving credit – often grudgingly – to Donald Trump for the current expansion. It is, like it or not, Trump’s economy and it’s booming.

But rather than celebrate that fact, Democrats and a persistent cohort of Republican ‘Never Trumpers’ keep looking for ways to discredit Donald Trump. And to a certain – and very limited – extent, I can understand. Sometimes I do cringe. Often, though I agree with what he says, I don’t like the way he says it.

But I keep coming back to the results and the results are great and long overdue.

So, you hate-filled Democrats and Republican “NeverTrumpers,” answer this. Do you honestly believe that a Hillary Clinton economy – or even a Jeb Bush economy – would be rolling like this one is?

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Paul Gleiser

Paul L. Gleiser is president of ATW Media, LLC, licensee of radio stations KTBB 97.5 FM/AM600, 92.1 The TEAM FM in Tyler-Longview, Texas.

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7 Responses

  1. John Lester says:

    Another excellent post Paul. Keep it up.

  2. Linda E. Montrose says:

    When the economy is growing, everything looks better right down to the poorest among us. Maybe people have forgotten during the obama years people STOPPED giving to charities and even church donations went down. This, in itself, shows what a FAILING economy does to people. The only ones who can not see this are those on the left. It has been shown that people on the left side of the isle are not as generous as those on the left…go ahead and look for yourself! Go back and see what presidents have given more to charities…go ahead, I dare you! Think you will find also that under those presidents, the economy was doing very well. Before you say, well, under clinton we did have a good economy, let me say this. Reagan did so much for us that we were still under the effects of it even under clinton. Remember this: under clinton is when jobs were being sent over seas enmass. Not until THIS President have we had jobs brought back to the USA…not sent away. People, give credit where credit is DUE. President Trump has done more for this Country than any president during my lifetime and has kept his promises to the American people. Doesn’t that mean anything to you “never Trumper’s”?

  3. Linda E. Montrose says:

    The booming economy helps even the poorest among us. In case anyone has forgotten, in the obama years people quit giving to charities and church donations were down. Food banks were running very low on goods. But then the left is not the most giving in our society. In fact, how about you going back and checking which presidents gave most to charities. Think you will find those who gave more also were the presidents who had the best records on the economy. Before you bring up the clinton years, let me remind you that President Reagan did so much for the Country that a lot of what clinton was claiming was actually a result of what President Reagan did. Remember how under clinton military bases were being closed and jobs were going over seas enmass.
    Give credit where credit is due. President Trump has done more in a very short period of time and kept his promises than any president in my lifetime…even you “never Trumper’s” have benefited!

  4. HOW ABOUT that 4.1% GDP in Q2!

    That’d be fifth-best if attained under Obama.
    Q2 2014: 5.1%
    Q3 2014: 4.9%
    Q4 2011: 4.7%
    Q4 2009: 4.5%

    And it’d tie for 13th strongest under Bill Clinton. So things ARE good, at least for now.

    What would that Q2 number be without a sudden FIFTY percent spike in pre-tariff soybean exports? Who cares!

    And hey, look at the Dow! Ignore Trump squawking at the Fed over rates. If you DON’T think this is a bubble, then don’t sell.

  5. Buddy Saunders says:

    Listing to public radio just now while driving home from work, the PR talking heads with (I’m sure) straight faces, opined that Trump was taking credit for Obama’s efforts to improve the economy, which was just kicking into high gear as he left office. The left remains blind as bats.

  6. Richard Anderson says:

    A rising tide does indeed lift all boats. President Trump is doing an excellent job with his correct economic domestic policy as well as his foreign policy.

    To keep the economic tide rising however, the American people must get out and vote MORE Republicans IN and ALL the Democrats OUT. This needs to occur in every U.S. Senate and U.S. House race across America come the 2018 midterms which are well underway now in some contests.

    MAGA! and Keep America Great! by making the midterms a Republican red tidal wave to keep the President’s agenda moving in a positive direction for ALL the American people.

  7. Brendan says:

    I know that farmers are excited…

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