This is a great column by Charles Krauthammer that appears on the back page of the May 10 issue of Time Magazine. It gets to the heart of what I’ve been saying for a long time—Presidents have virtually no control over the economy.
Both sides will CLAIM that the president controls the economy (Bush will say that he’s responsible for economic growth, Kerry will say that Bush has caused job losses and that Clinton caused the ’90s economic boom), but in the real world it’s businesses, investors, and people who control the economy. The government can help or hurt some, but it’s not their show.