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[quote=Anonymous]I just ran across an interesting pair of charts that give the Dem and Repub answer to this question.

Here is the Dem version, showing steady improvement in the private sector jobs data: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2012/09/04/answering-the-are-you-better-off-question-in-1-chart-obama-edition/

Here is the Repub version, showing the drop in HHI (red line) and rise in unemployment (black line) from Jan 2000 through May 2012:
[img]http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/files/2012/09/Screen-shot-2012-09-04-at-11.59.32-AM.png[/img]

I have two comments/questions, and I'm curious to hear reaction.

1. I'm a Dem, so probably somewhat biased.  When I look at the Repub chart, it's striking to me how weak the economy was throughout the entire Bush2 presidency.  Before looking at this chart, I'd have guessed the economy in the 2005-07 period was marginally stronger than it had been when Bush2 took office.  But in fact, it was somewhat weaker than 2000.  And the real killer period for the economy seems to be in the year before Obama took office.  It actually seems as if Obama might be in the process of pulling the economy out of its tailspin.  But as I said, I'm probably biased, so maybe I see that data in a way Repubs might not.  For my Repub friends, how do you read those numbers?  What reasonable (not ridiculous talking points) view do you have?  Do you also view the economy's nosedive as having begun during Bush2?  Do you view the ugly 2009-12 period as Obama's "fault"?

2. The only reasonable message I've heard so far from some Repubs is that while the tanking economy was not Obama's fault, Obama should be faulted for not having taken steps to solve the problem faster.  If that's your view, what sort of steps do you think should have been taken?  I cannot find any Repubs who will specify what steps would have turned the economy around faster, which makes me skeptical and suspicious that it's just a talking point and not a fact-based claim.  [/quote]

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