In 1980, in his only debate against President Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan framed the election in a simple way that all but guaranteed his election.
It might be well if you ask yourself are you better off than you were four years ago? Is it easier for you to go and buy things in the stores than it was four years ago? Is there more or less unemployment in the country than there was four years ago? Is America as respected throughout the world as it was? Do you feel that our security is as safe? That we're as strong as we were four years ago? And if you answer all of those questions yes, why then I think your choice is very obvious as to who you'll vote for. If you don't agree, if you don't think that this course that we've been on for the last four years is what you would like to see us follow for the next four, then I could suggest another choice that you have.
So, are we better off than we were eight years ago?
The answer is an overwhelming NO.
According to that bastion of socialism, Business Week, trickle down simply hasn't trickled down.
http://www.businessweek.com/...
In all fairness, George W. Bush had the bad luck of inheriting an economy headed into recession. In his first year, he had to deal with the dot-com crash, Enron, and 9/11. However, the economy did bounce back.
"[A]fter a mini downturn [in 2001-02], the American economy experienced a period of recovery and expansion, with the gross domestic product growing at a steady clip and productivity surging 22%."
However, while the economy grew, prosperity did not "trickle down."
"These [economic] gains were not seen by middle class Americans. 'In 2000 the median U.S. household income was $50,557 (adjusted for inflation), according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Seven years later, the median income fell to $50,233. 'That might not sound too bad,' says Edward Wolff, professor of economics at New York University, 'but normally, median income increases. That's not good news for the middle class.' Consider that the median household income would be almost $64,000 had paychecks kept pace with the GDP."
So where did the money go?
"While workers' paychecks have stagnated, corporate profits jumped an average of 10.8% per year, according to data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis."
But that's not the worst part. The Middle Class isn't just treading water, we're sinking.
"Even though inflation has not been severe for most of the decade, the cost of living has outpaced wages. The consumer price index has risen by 25% since January 2001, while core inflation jumped 18%. But the core consumer price index can be deceptive because it excludes food and energy. Once, after reporting that core inflation had been relatively tame that quarter, Conference Board economist Ken Goldstein came back to the office to find an irate e-mail: "Hey, dummy, what the hell do you think we spend our money on?" The point was taken: When energy and food skyrocket, families feel it.
And skyrocket they have. In early 2001 you could fill your car with regular gas for $1.47 a gallon. But on Oct. 24, three months after regular unleaded peaked at $4.11 a gallon, the average cost was leveling off around $2.78, according to the AAA online Daily Fuel Gauge Report. Grocery store sticker shock has been almost as acute. Take, for example, the price of a dozen eggs, which has risen 97% since 2001, from a nationwide average of $1.01 to $1.99. "You could look at inflation and think it hasn't been that much of a problem, but in fact, if you look at the components of the middle-income consumption basket—tuition, housing, childcare, gas, food—all of those have been rising a lot more quickly," says Bernstein. "
Yes, some prices have gone down. You can get a lot more computer for the money now than you could then.
But there is no doubt that the American people are being hit hard by the current crisis.
"For consumers, there's no argument over the impact of the current economic crisis. They're feeling it, especially retirees. Take Patricia Wehrs, a Washington State resident who retired from her federal government job in 2000. She and her husband were all set for a comfortable, though modest, retirement. Then their retirement fund started losing money every month, while the cost of living crept up. "Our basic bills—electric, telephone, water, and cable—went up, in some cases 90%, over the past two years. I've kept the food bills under control with a budget and a diet," jokes Wehrs. "However, fuel costs have drained any extra money, so no more theater, no dinners out, and smaller gifts to the grandchildren for special occasions."
We are not better off than we were eight years ago. It's time for another choice. It's time for a change.