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The Biden economy keeps getting stronger

Written on December 15, 2023 by Messaging Matters in Democratic Messaging

Plenty of this floating around in the economy

With less than 11 months until the 2024 elections, the U.S. economy under the stewardship of President Joe Biden is looking quite strong. Here are some of the latest numbers demonstrating that so-called “Bidenomics” is working:

—Economic growth last quarter, as represented by the change in the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), was a stunning 5.2 percent.

—Inflation continues to tick down, and is now at 3.1 percent. The Federal Reserve says it expects that number to continue to drop to the mid-2 percent range next year, and even lower in 2025, towards the Fed’s dream 2 percent target. The scenario we’re experiencing is the rare “soft landing” that avoids a recession. Moreover, President Biden deserves credit, for example, for getting the Inflation Reduction Act passed through a sharply divided Congress.

–As a result, the Fed this week decided against another interest rate increase, instead stating that it plans three rate cuts in 2024. That is welcome news for any business or individual desiring to borrow money, whether for a home mortgage, a new car, new factory equipment, etc.

–November retail sales figures just came in yesterday, and showed a surprising .3% growth versus an expected .1% decline. Apparently, U.S. consumers felt confident enough about their economic prospects to spend well on Black Friday and into this holiday season.

Who has recognized these strong economic numbers? Certainly, Wall Street, as well as institutional and individual investors, have done so. The U.S. stock market set new record highs this week on the good news and Fed actions.

So what should we do in the face of such good economic news under President Biden? Given that the name of this site is Messaging Matters, you know the answer: spread the word. It’s time to talk up the U.S. economy on your social media, at holiday dinners, in conversations with friends and colleagues, and wherever else you can do so.

Photo by Pictures of Money, used under Creative Commons license. https://is.gd/yz2Jbn

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Tags: 2024 elections, Bidenomics, Black Friday, Congress, economy, Federal Reserve, GDP, inflation, Inflation Reduction Act, jobs, President Joe Biden, sales, stock market, unemployment

Republicans still playing defense by shoring up MAGA base

Written on December 6, 2023 by Messaging Matters in Democratic Messaging, Republican Messaging

Republicans’ greatest fear

While the mainstream media once again are trying to influence the 2024 elections by inflating false concerns over President Joe Biden and the Democrats, a telltale sign is coming from the Republicans that they are worried about their own chances next year. This Republican concern has appeared in recent attempts to shore up the Republican MAGA base, rather than expand the GOP’s appeal well beyond their narrow base in order to win the presidency and other big elections in 2024. Most notably over the past week:

–New Republican U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson caved to the MAGAs and reversed course by backing an evidence-free impeachment inquiry by House Republicans against President Biden. Just a few weeks ago, Johnson said there was “insufficient evidence” to proceed with this charade, and no such evidence has come to light since then. However, Johnson angered extremist Republicans recently when he worked with House Democrats to avoid a federal government shutdown. Supporting the phony impeachment inquiry now is a way to throw red meat at these right wingers. Likewise, in a TV appearance, disgraced former House Speaker Newt Gingrich said that House Republicans who do not support Biden’s impeachment will face primary challenges in their own party, again meaning that Republicans should be deathly afraid of their irrational MAGA base.

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Tags: 2024 elections, abortion, Christopher Wray, COVID, Democrats, Donald Trump, economy, FBI, GDP, impeachment, jobs, MAGA, President Joe Biden, Republicans, Supreme Court, U.S. House of Representatives

Biden Boom update — the economy continues to gain strength

Written on August 2, 2023 by Messaging Matters in Democratic Messaging, Democratic vs. Republican Presidents, Good Government

Lots of this floating around the U.S. economy

Back in December 2021, we published the “Biden Boom” story. At the time, we noted how, in less than one year in office, President Joe Biden had already made great strides in the U.S. economy. That included, for example, getting economic growth up and unemployment down from the 2020 Trump Recession caused in large part by Donald Trump‘s failure to act on COVID. At the time, we suggested spreading this good economic news.

Now it’s more than 18 months later, and while Trump is busy begging for donations to defend himself against a growing pile of criminal indictments, President Biden has been busy helping all of us. As a result, the U.S. economy continues to defy the predictions of the doom and gloomers, including many in the mainstream media. This continuing Biden Boom is the great untold story of 2023. For example:

–Unemployment is only 3.6 percent, near the all-time low

–The U.S. has created over 13 million jobs since President Biden took office, which shatters the job creation record for a president’s 4-year term in just two and a half years.

–Inflation, which rose sharply due to the economic rescue steps needed after Trump’s COVID failures, is now down to three percent.

–U.S. Gross Domestic Product (i.e. economic growth) is still going strong at well over 2 percent annually.

–U.S. manufacturing growth has sharply rebounded under President Biden, and according to Axios, “outpaces the rest of the world.”

While all of this good economic news is occurring, a crucial moment took place last Wednesday, when Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell stated that the Federal Reserve staff no longer forecasts a U.S. recession. This means the U.S. is likely headed for the much sought-after but rare “soft landing” of lowering inflation without causing a recession. Large companies like Caterpillar, reporting very high profits, agree.

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Tags: Bidenomics, CHIPS, COVID, Donald Trump, economy, inflation, Inflation Reduction Act, infrastructure, jobs, manufacturing, President Joe Biden, unemployment

Don’t fall for the Republican shock and awe

Written on January 12, 2023 by Messaging Matters in Democratic Messaging, Media Watch, Republican Messaging

GOP House Speaker battle looked like this

Republicans don’t know how to govern effectively, but they do know how to grab the media spotlight. This was demonstrated during the recent Republican battle for U.S. House Speaker. After narrowly winning the House majority in the 2022 midterm elections, the GOP’s first task in the new year was to elect a Speaker. They failed miserably at this job, requiring a historic 15 votes before finally electing Kevin McCarthy.

But what seemed to get everyone’s attention were the 20 or so Republican House representatives-elect, many of whom are members of the so-called “Freedom Caucus,” who battled against McCarthy’s speakership, and at least one who fought on McCarthy’s side. The members who seemed to be on camera or in front of microphones all the time especially included Marjorie Taylor Greene and Matt Gaetz. Others on hand to a slightly lesser extent were familiar names such as Lauren Boebert and Jim (“Gym”) Jordan, so nicknamed because of his alleged involvement in a sexual abuse scandal involving wrestlers at Ohio State University. We’re not going to mention these names again in this post. Such representatives are known more for being superficial blowhards who say outrageous things rather than for the often dull but crucial work of legislating.

In short order, the GOP House Speaker election became about Republican media stars rather than about policy and substance. Such camera-hogging tactics worked, as McCarthy reportedly had to make numerous concessions to these members in order to secure their votes. What we call the GOP Civil War, also known as Republicans in Disarray, was on full, ugly display. But we already saw how a media celebrity made it into the White House six years ago, and the disastrous results that followed. The last thing we should do is feed that shallow, destructive process again by focusing our full attention on those Republican media hustlers.

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Tags: 2022 midterm elections, Brazil, Freedom Caucus, gasoline prices, GOP, House Speaker, inflation, Jim Jordan, jobs, Kevin McCarthy, Lauren Boebert, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Matt Gaetz, Republicans, Russia, U.S. House, Ukraine

The Republicans’ War on America

Written on January 10, 2022 by Messaging Matters in Democratic Messaging

Republican attack on U.S. Capitol

In his February 2021 annual letter to shareholders, Warren Buffett, considered to be the most successful investor of all time, wrote:

Our unwavering conclusion: Never bet against America.

However, looking back at 2021, the Republican Party certainly failed to heed Mr. Buffett’s advice. The Republicans bet against America when they disbelieved and then tried to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. They bet against America when they incited, supported and funded a terrorist attack on the U.S. Capitol that was designed to stop the certification of Electoral Votes for then President-elect Joe Biden. They bet against America when they fought, and continue to fight, against sensible COVID protections such as masks, vaccinations, school accommodations, and social distancing. And they bet against America when they side with one of our most dangerous global opponents, Russia, to hurt American democracy.

Surely, the Republicans’ War on America presents some stark campaign fodder for the 2022 elections.

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Tags: 2020 Elections, 2022 elections, climate, Democrats, Donald Trump, economy, infrastructure, January 6, jobs, President Joe Biden, Republicans, Russia, stock market, U.S. Capitol, unemployment, Warren Buffett

It’s a Biden Boom: share the news

Written on December 10, 2021 by Messaging Matters in Democratic Messaging, Democratic vs. Republican Presidents, Good Government, Media Watch

The Biden Boom

One of the most important stories of 2021 is one that does not get told enough: the Biden Economic Boom. Specifically, in less than 11 months, following the Trump Recession in which millions of jobs were lost, President Joe Biden has presided over a historic economic and jobs recovery. This includes:

–Extraordinary economic growth, estimated to be 7.8 percent this year.

–Income, wage and salary growth all way above the figures for 2018 and 2019.

–Unemployment falling from 6.3 percent in January 2021 (Donald Trump‘s last month in office) to just 4.2 percent last month, a historic drop in such a short time. And jobless claims just hit a new 52-year low.

Indeed, The Hill calls this “the fastest economic recovery in history.”

Moreover, the Biden Boom is no accident, but rather, a result of the Biden administration’s phenomenal efforts to vaccinate Americans against COVID; the American Rescue Plan which put money in the pockets of many Americans; and now the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (which may soon be followed by the Build Back Better Act). It turns out that Americans really do like competence in government, or what we call Good Government, and that is part of the Democratic Party’s brand.

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Tags: American Rescue Plan, Coronavirus, COVID, COVID-19, Democrats, Donald Trump, economy, infrastructure, jobs, President Joe Biden, Republicans, Twitter, unemployment, Zoom

Democrats could learn a lot from the O.J. Simpson murder trial

Written on November 12, 2021 by Messaging Matters in Democratic Messaging, Democratic vs. Republican Presidents, Fox "News" Watch, Media Watch, Republican Messaging

The courtroom of public opinion

Re-watching the 1995 O.J. Simpson murder trial is quite jarring. Perhaps most maddening is that the prosecution seemed to have a strong case, and blew it with a poor presentation. For example, co-lead prosecutor Marcia Clark‘s questioning of her own witness, Kato Kaelin, was seen as inept, often harsh, and repetitive. Indeed, the questioning of Kaelin was so bumbling that, a week after it began, Clark had to have Kaelin declared a hostile witness. Simpson’s defense attorneys, in contrast, were dynamic and persuasive, constantly outperforming the prosecutors. They spoke plainly (“if it does not fit, you must acquit.”) They did not lose their cool, in comparison to Clark’s frequent displays of frustration and even desperation. They also distracted jurors with conspiracy theories such as racist cops planting evidence. As we know, Simpson was found not guilty in his criminal murder trial.

The Democratic Party, including President Joe Biden, his White House staff and Cabinet officers, Democratic members of Congress and others, could learn from the O.J. Simpson murder trial. The Democrats have done many good things during Biden’s less than 11 months in office, that they should be shouting about from the rooftops. For example, the 2020 Donald Trump recession is over due to the American Rescue Plan. COVID vaccinations are up (and corresponding COVID cases and deaths are down), which has also boosted the economy. As a result, unemployment is down, and jobless claims are down to a pandemic-era low. Congress has passed the bipartisan Infrastructure bill as Biden promised, Biden provided leadership in the fight against climate change at the COP26 conference in Glasgow, and more.

But in perusing the mainstream media, one gets the impression that Biden and the Democrats are doing a lousy job, are facing numerous “crises,” and are in “disarray.” Republicans (amplified by the media) are talking about inflation, gasoline prices, Critical Race Theory, Afghanistan, and other subjects, real or imagined, where the Republicans think President Biden and the Democrats are vulnerable. This raises the question: Why is there such a disconnect between the reality and the impression for the Democrats, similar to what happened to the prosecution in the O.J. Simpson murder trial?

Coronavirus: what should Las Vegas do?

Written on April 28, 2020 by Messaging Matters in Good Government, Media Watch

The Las Vegas Strip, in many ways a potential Coronavirus petri dish

During and after the 2008 Bush Great Recession, Nevada and its most populous city, Las Vegas, were hit especially hard. Home prices tumbled, foreclosures and home abandonments exploded, unemployment went through the roof, and construction dried up. Now during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Las Vegas faces even greater odds. At least during the Great Recession, visitors who had the means to visit Las Vegas could still do so, and workplaces that could stay in business financially weren’t forced to close for outside reasons. This time around, however, even folks who are flush with cash aren’t feeling lucky enough to get on an airplane, fly to Vegas, stay in a hotel, and partake of all of the options there, such as gambling, dining, dancing, etc. Hotels, restaurants, casinos and attractions are almost all closed. Conferences, sports events and concerts have been canceled. That puts many thousands of people in the area out of work, and worried about whether Las Vegas can ever recover from its Coronavirus hit, let alone recover in time to save the economy, their jobs and their homes.

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Tags: Anderson Cooper, Andrew Cuomo, Carolyn Goodman, CNN, Coronavirus, COVID-19, Donald Trump, economy, George W. Bush, Great Recession, jobs, Joe Biden, Las Vegas, Nevada., unemployment

Instead of getting distracted, drive the narrative

Written on October 12, 2017 by Messaging Matters in Democratic Messaging, Democratic vs. Republican Presidents, Media Watch, Messaging Maxims, Republican Messaging

Puerto Rico devastation from Hurricane Maria

Back in February 2011, we published Messaging Maxim #1: Go On Offense. Perhaps some folks need a refresher course. In that post, we wrote, “If you’re fighting a political battle on the other side’s rhetorical turf, you’ve already lost.” At the time, such advice was referring to phony cultural issues like “Ground Zero Mosque” and “is President Obama a Muslim?” that Republicans had ginned up and repeated everywhere they could (see Messaging Maxim #2: Rinse and Repeat). With their herd mentality, the mainstream media then picked up these issues and focused their broadcasts, cablecasts and column space on them.

Fast forward to today. Donald Trump and the Republicans are doing the same thing again, and it’s working. Currently, the phony cultural issues are: “Kneeling NFL Players” and “Harvey Weinstein.” To those, you can add, “NBC and CNN Licenses.” By next week, expect different cultural issues.

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Tags: California fires, climate change, CNN, Colin Kaepernick, culture war, Donald Trump, election, Facebook, gun control, guns, Harvey Weinstein, healthcare, Hillary Clinton, Hurricane Maria, Instagram, jobs, Las Vegas, NBC, NFL, NRA, President Obama, Puerto Rico, Republican Party, Russia, social media, Twitter

Democrats finally come up with a positive theme

Written on July 25, 2017 by Messaging Matters in Democratic Messaging, Good Government

President Franklin Roosevelt, who called his agenda the “Fair Deal”

This week, Democratic Party leaders finally revealed their positive unifying agenda for America. On Sunday, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, the second highest-ranking elected Democrat, published an op-ed in the Washington Post. Yesterday, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, the highest-ranking elected Democrat, published his op-ed in the New York Times. The Democrats are calling their plan “A Better Deal.” According to Schumer’s op-ed:

Democrats will show the country that we’re the party on the side of working people — and that we stand for three simple things. First, we’re going to increase people’s pay. Second, we’re going to reduce their everyday expenses. And third, we’re going to provide workers with the tools they need for the 21st-century economy.

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Tags: A Better Deal, Chuck Schumer, Congress, Democratic Party, Democrats, Donald Trump, economy, election, healthcare, jobs, Nancy Pelosi, New York Times