Good news for the Democrats
“Republicans are good for the economy!” is a political myth that’s at least as old as I am – and it somehow refuses to die, even though there’s pretty much zero evidence that this ever was the case. The myth in its modern form seemed to solidify after Ronald Reagan presided over a recovery he largely had nothing to do with, after a recession happened on his watch. (He also raised taxes in order to pay for his tax cuts – but the GOP doesn’t really like when this comes up.)
He was like pretty much every other Republican president in that he failed to balance the budget – since their proposed budgets are always terrible – and that his successors would also take credit for the economy that improved under their Democratic predecessors: George W. Bush turned a surplus into a deficit within his first year, and we all saw what happened when Donald Trump inherited a record recovery.
Donald Trump came back to power by managing to convince people that COVID wasn’t his fault – and also selling people on the memory of the Obama recovery he presided over for most of his term. This time, however, it’s pretty difficult to blame anyone but himself and his tariff policies for the disastrous state the economy is in – and voters are finally getting wise to it.
A Morning Consult poll shows that voters trust Democrats on the economy more than Republicans – by three points. This used to be decisively against Democrats – but now Democrats have taken the lead for the first time in four years of polling. Let’s hammer Republicans over the economy – and do it over and over again. This is our message going into November and 2026. Time to make sure it sticks.
James Sullivan is the assistant editor of Brain World Magazine and an advocate of science-based policy making