Numerous books and studies have shown how nearly every time Democrats are in control of the federal government, the economy prospers in ways that seems to leave the “experts” flabbergasted. Indeed, I would venture to guess had Obama listened to the economists and lefty Dems calling for a significantly bigger stimulus in 2009 than he got passed, the economy would have come roaring back much faster. Why do I believe this? Because Joe Biden did just that with a much smaller majority than Obama had in 2009-2010. Because Biden pushed for and got the big stimulus and significant investments in infrastructure, it created, according to even conservative pundits, the greatest economy in the world.
Lets take a look at the last 30 years which have featured swapping control of the federal government, especially the White House, between the Republicans and the Democrats. If we begin back in 1992 when the first Bush Administration was presiding over the most recent recession of that era, it brought Bill Clinton into the White House. While Bill Clinton only had Democratic control of Congress until 1995, he and Congress were able to pass legislation that set up the country to have foreseeable surpluses going forward. While Al Gore was shown to clearly have won Florida when all votes were actually counted, the Supreme Court, in one of its first of seemingly endless purely political decisions, handed the White House to Bush the Worst.
Bush, with the help of a Republican controlled Congress, passed a massive tax cut which drained the coffers turning what was supposed to years of surpluses into massive deficits. Add to the illegal war that was basically unaccounted for and an unfunded Medicare mandate along with adding a Medicare scam continued to drain the Treasury. Bush also presided over two massive recessions including what was basically a depression thanks to the continued deregulation of the financial industry begun during the Ronnie Raygun admin. Shcokingly, the people of the US decided to bring the Dems back into power starting with Congress in 2007 followed by Obama in 2009.
I felt Obama was too beholden to the centrists and Wall Street, but still he was able to pass a decent healthcare law and bring down the deficit by once again raising taxes and re-regulating some of the excess of the financial and real estate industry in those first two years. What did he get for his troubles? Republicans in control of the House in 2011. We then spent the next 4 years teetering on the brink thanks to the Crazy (Freedom) Caucus. Still, even with Republicans taking complete control of Congress in 2015, Obama was able to leave office with a decent economy humming along.
How did the American people reward the Dems? Oh yeah, by electing a fascist felon who spent 3 years claiming he did all the work to create the economy Obama actually did. The fascist felon tried to crash the economy with his massive tax scam but it would take a pandemic that was made infinitely worse by the felon to actually bring the economy down.
Once again, the American people massively voted to put the Dems back in complete control (excepting Manchin and Sinema) of the federal government. Biden went headstrong into Keynesian economics the likes of which hadn’t been seen since LBJ. This brought the US out of the pandemic slump faster and better than any other economy in the G20. Yes, there was inflation the likes we haven’t seen since the late 70s but that was a worldwide phenomenon. The fact that inflation was as high as it was and the economy continued to get stronger with major employment gains every month was a very good thing. The last time the economy was this good under these circumstances was in the post-WWII period. A period in which only one Republican won the White House and a sane one at that and Dems had nearly permanent control of the House and regular control of the Senate.
What was the American people’s response to all this good economic news? To either stay home or help re-elect the fascist felon. Brilliant job, losers. Now in just 6 weeks, the economy is teetering on the brink of a massive recession/depression thanks to this bumbling idiot’s policies and his richest benefactor who pumped money to help elect him slashing the government payroll. What people fail to understand every dollar the federal government stops spending needs to made up by the private sector. Unfortunately, private sector just doesn’t have the means the government does to spend money on things that do not make a profit. Furthermore, cutting government payrolls has a downstream effect as there are many places where government spending is the lifeblood for local economies. Consider all the “taker” states. Who is going to come in and spend money when the federal dollars dry up? Even if I had any inclination to visit Alabama or Mississippi, which I do not, my small spending isn’t going to keep their hospitals open or their colleges and universities in business. Without a university, how are those massively over paid coaches going to have teams to coach? I doubt they will.
Will the American people ever wise up and keep the Dems perpetually in power in Washington, D.C.? I have no idea, but history says it would be a smart idea. Since 1897, every single massive economic down turn has happened under a Republican president. In fact only two Democratic presidents did not have to clean up a disaster left by their Republican predecessor: Woodrow Wilson and John F. Kennedy. Wilson, who was elected during the Progressive Era of Roosevelt and Taft, and Kennedy, who was elected after Eisenhower, both came in when Republicans either pushed regulatory schemes reigning businesses or left well enough alone keeping those regulations in place as they were working as intended.
Smarten Up America!
Diarist reserves all rights to his original writing only. Community material is not covered by this ©
Now a word from out sponsor and onto the Tops!
Here at Top Comments we welcome longtime as well as brand new Daily Kos readers to join us at 10pm Eastern. We strive to nourish community by rounding up some of the site's best, funniest, most mojo'd & most informative commentary, and we depend on your help!! If you see a comment by another Kossack that deserves wider recognition, please send it either to topcomments at gmail or to the Top Comments group mailbox by 9:30pm Eastern. Please please please include a few words about why you sent it in as well as your user name (even if you think we know it already :-)), so we can credit you with the find!
Top Comments for march 11, 2025
From inkstainedwretch:
I just love that LarryMo highlighted the mic-drop of a final sentence in Bill Addis 's diary about M-aniac U-sing S-cads of K-etamine.
TOP MOJO march 10, 2025
First comments and tip jars excluded. Thank you mik for the mojo magic! For those of you interested in How Top Mojo Works, please see his diary on FAQing Top Mojo.