Former Vice President Joe Biden appears to have an early lead among Democrat presidential nomination hopefuls which could put him head-to-head against President Donald Trump in 2020. Under that scenario, voters would have a choice between today’s booming economy and the policies set forth by Obama-Biden. More simply put, Americans would have to choose between the way things are now or the way they were.
The liberal biased and fake news media likes to paint a rosy picture of the Obama-Biden economy. Naturally, there’s some sleight of hand at work. The mainstream resources tend to compare the previous administration final months to correspond to the height President Trump achieved in his first two years. In all fairness, shouldn’t the comparison be between the same periods in each administration? That comparison would look disastrous on just about every economic measure for Obama-Biden. But when you impartially place any aspect of the previous administration’s 8-year record under the microscope, it’s a train wreck.
Jobs, Jobs, Jobs
Democrats and the fake news media have been trying to claim Obama-Biden are responsible for the lowest unemployment since 1969. Of course, these are the same people who said it couldn’t be done. In fact, Obama mocked the notion that President Trump could bring back the manufacturing jobs lost to other countries. Americans may recall Obama famously saying, “What magic wand do you have?”
Here’s how the jobs comparison breaks down.
When the Obama-Biden team took office in 2009, unemployment stood at 7.8 percent. But the incoming administration was quick to impose costly regulatory changes on businesses. Unemployment almost immediately began to climb. By the end of the Obama-Biden two-year mark, the unemployment rate would hit 10 percent in 2009, and didn’t even get under 9 percent until the administration’s third year in office.
By contrast, Trump led a juggernaut economy that has posted the lowest unemployment since Neil Armstrong walked on the moon. Taking over a 4.9 percent unemployment rate, the Trump Administration drove that number down to 3.6 percent, and there are more available jobs than qualified workers. The country is considered at “full employment” by experts. The icing on the cake for the Trump Administration has been Latino-Americans and African-Americans experiencing the lowest unemployment rates in the history of the country, and wages outpacing inflation for the first time in more than a decade.
The Right Jobs Matter
The mainstream and fake news media like to steer away from a more one-to-one comparison of the two administrations. Obviously, the numbers tell a cautionary tale about electing Biden. In the interest of playing the fake news game, let’s look at the waning months of the Obama-Biden era against the beginning of the Trump years.
During the last 16 months that Biden was hanging around the White House, American jobs increased by 2.4 percent. Democrats like to hail the final two years of job growth as a success. By contrast, Pres. Trump improved jobs by only 2.1 percent during his first 16 months. On the surface, Democrats and the complicit media like this stat. But should voters?
Consider that the jobs created under the Obama-Biden policies were largely service oriented. Healthcare and education jobs were on the rise. Not necessarily doctors and teachers mind you. Mainly admin positions.
The Trump Administration has increased jobs that go to the core of economic sustainability. For example, mining sector jobs ramped up by nearly 28 percent during President Trump’s first 16 months. Under Obama-Biden, the country suffered a 23 percent job loss during the final 16 months. That’s a radical change in one industry over 32 consecutive months. Consider these quick stats that compare sectors during that same period.
Oil and Gas Extraction
- Obama-Biden: -22.3 percent
- Trump: 2 percent
Primary Metals Manufacturing
- Obama-Biden: -5.5 percent
- Trump: 4.1 percent
Metals Fabrication
- Obama-Biden: -2.6 percent
- Trump: 5.3 percent
Computers and Electronics
- Obama-Biden: -1.6 percent
- Trump: 3.2 percent
Rail Transport
- Obama-Biden: -8.2 percent
- Trump: -2.4 percent
Electrical Equipment Manufacturing
- Obama-Biden: -0.5 percent
- Trump: 5.2 percent
Machinery Manufacturing
- Obama-Biden: -4 percent
- Trump: 5.1 percent
Two key elements highlight the importance of the type of jobs created. The Trump Administration has effected a 180-degree change in sectors that go to the core of a sustainable economy. It’s the “Made in USA” label President Trump touts. During this same period, the Obama-Biden service industry jobs declined under the Trump Administration.
Areas that slowed included travel agencies, retail outlets, and information services among others. These largely low or minimum wage occupations have been impacted by e-commerce. The minuscule unemployment rate points to workers transitioning into, often, better-paying positions.
The U.S. GDP Matters To Voters
The country’s gross domestic product is a crucial indicator of overall economic health. Democrats like to point to the Obama-Biden year of 2015 that peaked at 2.9 percent. One of the underlying problems with this apparent success is that it was largely achieved by loosening sanctions against rogue regime Iran. Yes, this is the year of the horrible Iran nuclear deal that sent cold, hard American cash to our enemy. It did open trade doors and upticked the GDP.
But the Obama-Biden Administration was largely beset with economic failure. In their first year in the White House, the GDP sunk to -2.5 percent. Other lows included 1.6 percent in 2011, 1.8 percent in 2013 and 1.6 percent in their last year in office.
Under Pres. Trump’s America First policies, Iran has been stung with harsh sanctions, and the U.S. GDP climbed to 2.2 percent in 2017, 2.9 percent in 2018, and the first quarter of 2019 measured 3.2 percent. The nation hasn’t been above 3 percent since 2005 under President George W. Bush.
Voters have a choice to make. Do you like the direction of the American economy or would you prefer the way things were?
