We're about six years away from the Republicans tapping their foot impatiently, glancing at their watch, complaining to anyone who will listen that the Democrats are taking too long to repair the wreck they had made of the economy.
The conversation in 2022
"Oh sure," the Republicans will say. "The economy is creating jobs. But what kind of jobs? I've heard that they're not even good jobs. This recovery is so slow."
"We don't really have data on that yet but indications are that they are not much different than the jobs we created last time."
"They're part-time jobs."
"Well, we are creating about 200,000 jobs a month again. That's a lot better than losing 400,000 jobs a month like it was at the end of your guy's term."
"Oh sure. Blame him for your problems. Take responsibility. You're in charge now and the economy is growing very slowly."
"Yeah. It can do that after it's been gutted."
"That's history."
"Well, the recession lasted nearly two years and just ended months ago. At least the economy is now growing even if it is growing slowly."
"You know that the American people will hate you for this slow growth, right? They're going to blame you for every bad thing in the recession because the fall was quick and the recovery slow. And we are so going to beat you in your re-election bid because we're going to tell them that we need change."
"Even though the recession started on your watch and the recovery was on mine?"
"Oh please. That's easy. After the economy created 23 million jobs under Clinton, we talked the country into change."
"Yeah. Quite the change. Dubya presided over just a tenth of that number of new jobs. And left Obama with an economy that destroyed 800,000 jobs in just his first month alone. 5 million in his first year."
"Sure. And then in his second term the economy created 10 million jobs."
"Something it had done in only two terms before, both of them Clinton's. See. You agree it got better under a Democrat."
"Doesn't matter. After that term we talked the American people into change again."
"And blew up the economy. Again. The third Republican administration in a row and the third recession in a row."
"So."
"So how do you think the American people will be suckered into changing yet again from what's working to the party that keeps blowing up the economy?"
"Because recessions take a long time to recover from and they'll be hungry for change. They won't be happy with your paltry recovery. I'll be able to tell them that this is all your fault and they'll believe me because their memories only go back about three to six months, tops, and the problems they had with us happened years earlier. You know I'll win again."
"Yeah. I do know that."
"But don't worry. We'll bring you in for clean up again in four to eight years because it makes such a lasting image, you surrounded by debris, up to your elbows in high unemployment rates you only gradually whittle back down. It's a picture that will help us to win again."
"Yep. I know that too."
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