The public is treated to a continuous barrage of stories saying how we might be headed to a recession.

The source of all the negative reporting on the economy is that almost all of the media wants a Democrat elected in 2020 and people who pretend to be journalists know that if the economy is going well and people feel good about the economy, it would be likely that Trump would be elected. Pocketbook issues win.

Like everything else, whether it is fictitious Russian collusion, claiming Trump is mentally incompetent, claiming everyone hates us overseas, and playing the race card, the media is essentially campaigning for Democrats instead of doing their job of reporting the truth.

The strategy appears to be working somewhat because, despite record job openings, wages rising faster than any time while Obama was in office, and record low unemployment, especially for minorities and the less-educated, tax cuts that benefitted almost everyone, stock markets near record highs, many people have been indoctrinated to believe the economy is collapsing.

New poll has bad news for Trump. Voters think the economy is getting worse

Trump's strongest case for reelection is arguably the economy — he says so himself. But that argument might be slipping with voters, according to the latest Quinnipiac University poll. 

For the first time since Mr. Trump won the presidency in 2016, more registered voters say the country's economy is getting worse than say it's getting better. Voters still think the economy is good, but of those polled, 37% say the economy is getting worse, compared with 31% who say it's getting better and 30% who say it's staying the same. Just two months earlier in June, 23% of voters Quinnipiac surveyed said the economy was getting worse.

While polls show that people think the economy will collapse soon, egged on by economists who have been completely wrong so far about Trump, consumer sentiment for current conditions is near a twenty-year high. Isn’t that something? The people know the current conditions are great but believe, because of talking points, that it will go down soon. It is like believing inaccurate, manipulated computer models on the climate and predictions vs. historical facts. 

Consumer Confidence Survey®

The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index^® declined marginally in August, following July’s rebound. The Index now stands at 135.1 (1985=100), down from 135.8 in July. The Present Situation Index – based on consumers’ assessment of current business and labor market conditions – increased from 170.9 to 177.2.

Below is an example of a headline that is truly misleading. It says business spending is slumping when it is actually rising and when it has risen rapidly since Trump was elected. Another talking point is that the corporate tax cuts just gave a sugar high and that they aren’t working very well. Looking at factual numbers indicates that is very misleading at best. To me it looks like an intentional lie to push an agenda.

Business Spending Slumps as Trade Tensions Rise

A scant 2% rise in capital spending is in store this year, before shrinking to 1% growth in 2020

When will the media report factual data instead of talking points?

In 2016, The last year of Obama, private investment in structures totaled $1.199 Trillion. In 2017, $1.309 Trillion was spent; it went up 8.1%, In 2018 it was up to $1.385 Trillion or up another 5.8% so.  2018 was up 14.6% over Obama’s last year. A slump would imply that investment is going down, but the real numbers show that 2019 will be up over 16% vs. Obama’s last year. Is that a slump, or does it indicate a sugar high, or does it indicate that companies are investing huge amounts of money in the private sector?

In 2016, the last year of Obama, private investment in equipment totaled $1.211 Trillion. In 2017, $1.262 Trillion was spent or up 4.2%.  In 2018 it was up to $1.355 Trillion or up another 7.4%, so 2018 was up 13.0% over Obama’s last year.

In 2016, The last year of Obama, private investment in intellectual property totaled $506 Billion. In 2017, $544 Billion was spent or up 7.5%, In 2018 it was up to $574 Billion or up another 5.5% so 2018 was up 13.9% over Obama’s last year. (Source)

It is obvious that the tax cuts have stimulated growth, investment and jobs. It is an absolute shame that journalists would rather take away economic opportunity for all to move up the ladder and have more people dependent on government than to have a Republican as President. Make no mistake, they would support a Democrat no matter whether it was Trump or someone else running. They want Democrats in power no matter what the results are.

Every economic proposal from the Democrats running would involve transferring more power and money to the government from the private sector. Since the Washington, DC area is already one of the richest areas of the country, despite producing nothing, that would make the wealth and wage gap widen, not shrink. It shows another talking point lie.

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